Remember the no. 1 reason for project failure is scope creep or lack of scope definition! Ensure your project is well defined with clarity on what are going to do (and why!), what we are not going to do (exclusions), the agreed plan and who is involved.

Ensure this document is the product of the project team, not just you, and it gets formal approval from the sponsor and any other key stakeholders.

Once the project is underway you must establish a progress cycle; a review of work completed and work planned for the next period. Typically weekly or fortnightly this focused meeting should ensure the team stays focused and maintains momentum.

Each person must be clear about what they have completed so you can set the agenda for the next period with clearly allocated tasks. Every task needs an owner and a deadline. After each progress cycle, issue the latest Project Status Report to provide a snapshot of the project to key stakeholders, including the sponsor.

Someone always changes their mind. Anyone could ask for a project change. You might just absorb small changes but larger ones are worth formal review to assess the benefit versus the impact. This simple one page template enables you to capture requests so the team can assess them. Once the impact on time, cost, quality, benefit, resource, and post project operation have been assessed then its the role of the sponsor to approve or reject a change.

Well done you have (hopefully) finished the project, within the agreed constraints of time, cost and quality. The benefits are just a step away. The end of the project provides an opportunity to formally review how things went, what would work well again and what you would do differently next time. Compare the final cost, timescale, scope and expected benefits with those outlined in the original Project Proposal. Consider the impact of approved changes.

Finally time for that glass of Champagne, or nice cup of tea, whatever is your bag.