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Project Execution

The project execution phase is where deliverables are developed and completed, and often feels like the meat of the project since a lot is happening during this time. This is where all the work you’ve put into planning the project will be executed.

Read on to learn how to direct and manage execution of the project plan, communicate with stakeholders on progress, and orchestrate status meetings and reports. We’ve also included helpful resources, like free templates, guides, and how-tos to get your project started.

Types of Project Meetings

Usually started with a project kick-off meeting, it’s more essential than ever to maintain open communication during the project execution phase to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Depending on your project, there are different types of meetings that may be helpful throughout the duration of your project.

  • Project Kick-Off Meeting: The project execution phase generally starts out with a project kick-off meeting. All stakeholders and team members should be invited to this meeting to talk through the project plan and discuss any foreseeable issues or concerns.
  • Stand-Up or Scrum Meeting: Also known as daily huddle, morning roll call, or daily standup, these meetings bring project team member together to talk about what they accomplished the previous day, what they plan to do that day, and what obstacles they face. The focus here is on collaboration and accountability between team members.
  • Status or Progress Meeting: The project status or progress meeting generally happens on a weekly or monthly cadence throughout the life of the project. This meeting brings together all stakeholders to discuss what’s been accomplished, milestones achieved, what’s coming down the line, and any issues that need to be addressed.

 

Running Project Meetings

For both the project kick-off and status meetings, project managers should send out an agenda prior to the meeting and have someone in attendance to document meeting minutes. This will help attendees plan and prepare for the meeting, while also allowing team members  to look back on the minutes as a system of record for items discussed.

Additional Resources:

Manage Stakeholder Communication Plans

Keeping strong lines of communication with all stakeholders throughout a project is key to ensuring it runs smoothly and maintains stakeholder confidence. Within the initiation phase section of this guide, we provided a list of factors to consider when creating your stakeholder management and communication plan. Now in the execution phase, it’s time to implement your plan.

Here are best practices for communicating with stakeholders throughout your project:

  1. Be prepared and stay two steps ahead in planning on how and when to communicate to your important stakeholders.
  2. Anticipate the needs of stakeholders and respond to them before they become an issue.
  3. Ensure that all stakeholders have access to the whole project plan so they can check in on progress without needing to bug you.
  4. Create a roll-up view of high-level progress and KPIs so that stakeholders can view specific indicators without having to get into the details of project tasks.

Additional Resources:

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