How to succeed in project management (when it’s not part of your job title)
How to succeed in project management (when it’s not part of your job title)
By
Kate Mroczkowski
Kate Mroczkowski, Strategy Director at the digital design agency Supercool discusses some of the trickier bits of managing a digital project - and what you can do to make it easier.
Managing a project is hard work. And often something that comes your way regardless of how much project management experience you have.
Whether it’s managing a new website build, new features on an existing website, a brochure print-run, or a new membership scheme, you’ll be dealing with lots of people in various roles. Managing up, communicating change, and working with experts will all be part of the process.
In this session at the AMA Conference, Brighton 2024, we looked at the stakeholders you might be working with, and how you can get buy-in while making sure your project runs smoothly.
🧡 Great for anyone who feels a bit nervous about project management – or if you'd just like a bit of reassurance and a confidence boost.
Top tips
- Put time into identifying projects. As generalists covering everything from data analysis to negotiation, writing copy, shooting videos... projects can sneak up on us. By identifying what is, and what isn't, a project, you can change how you manage the work.
- Be yourself and make life easier by communicating in your preferred method. That could be in writing, in meetings, weekly emails, presenting at company away days. This doesn't mean the idea of modifying your communication to suit other people isn't valid. But if you're unsure, not totally confident or super busy, it's better to go with what you know and what you're comfortable with.
- It's better to be useful than quick. If you're asked for an update out of the blue, it's ok to say "let me get back to you". You don't need to answer questions on the fly. It's better to come back with information that's useful for someone than to share every detail about the project there and then.
Templates and resources
We've pulled together some of our favourite project management templates, and resources from our website:
👉 Survey
Great for collecting thoughts and ideas at the start of a project.
👉 Project Status Document:
Word download / Google Doc link
Great for keeping track of progress and sharing updates.
👉 Decision Log:
Excel download / Google Sheets link
Great for keeping track of decisions throughout the project.
👉 Project Retrospective:
Word download / Google Doc link
Sometimes called a 'retro', these are great for reviewing your project, thinking about what went well, what could have gone better – and what you've learned that can be taken into any future projects.
Kate Mroczkowski, Strategy Director, Supercool
