Understanding the big picture of the project is crucial. By seeing the bigger picture, you are able to understand how your project fits into the overall goals and objectives of the organization. This understanding allows you to make informed decisions on how to allocate resources, prioritize tasks, and manage risks. 

Additionally, by seeing the bigger picture, you can identify potential problems or opportunities that might not be apparent at the project level. This will enable you to take proactive steps and address these issues, and can also help you to identify opportunities for improvement or innovation that can contribute to the success of the project.

To help you monitor the details and also see the overall picture of your project, you can use Spreadsheet.com’s Project Plan with Executive Summary template.

Risk is an inherent part of any project, as there are always uncertainties and potential issues that can arise. It is the job of the project manager to identify and manage these risks in order to achieve success. Some risks may be small and easy to mitigate, while others may be more significant and require careful planning to address. The key is to be proactive in identifying and managing risks, rather than reactive in responding after a problem has already occurred. There are several ways to manage risk in project management:

• Identify risks early: It's important to identify potential risks as early as possible in the project planning process. This allows you to take proactive measures to mitigate them.
• Assess risks: Once potential risks have been identified, assess their likelihood of occurring and their potential impact on the project. This will help you prioritize which risks to address first.
• Develop a risk management plan: Develop a plan to address identified risks. This should include strategies for mitigating or avoiding risks, as well as contingency plans in case the risk becomes a reality.
• Monitor and review risks: Regularly monitor identified risks and review the risk management plan to ensure it is still effective. Be prepared to adapt the plan as needed throughout the project.
• Communicate risks: Keep all stakeholders informed about identified risks and the measures being taken to mitigate them. This will help to build trust and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal of successful risk management.

Tools like Spreadsheet.com’s Product Launch Plan with Issues & Risks template can serve as a great tool to help you create a comprehensive launch plan and mitigate risks:

American businessman Arnold H. Glasow said it best: “A good leader takes a little more than their share of the blame, a little less than their share of the credit.”

Project management comes with a lot of responsibility. For effective project managers, this means shouldering the blame when things go wrong and uplifting your team when things go right. 

Using a RACI Matrix can help to clarify roles and responsibilities within a team, ensuring that everyone knows what is expected of them and what they are responsible for. It can also help to avoid confusion and conflict, as team members can refer to the RACI matrix to understand who is responsible for what.

When you continuously credit others for their achievements, they start doing the same for you. Likewise, owning up to mistakes or other problems shows that you hold yourself accountable and builds a culture of accountability across your project team. Both of these traits make for a great leader and an even better project manager.

And, if you need a quick solution to say thanks to everyone on your large team, configure an automation email!

Whether you’re presenting to stakeholders or hacking through the weeds with your team, it’s the job of a great project manager to drive, motivate, and inspire others. A lot of hard work and self-growth goes into inspiring others, so don’t expect it to happen overnight. However, there are a few things to work on to help you get there sooner:

• Honesty and Integrity: Nothing inspires like a leader with authenticity. No one expects your entire project to go exactly as planned—it’s the way you react to challenges and setbacks that says something about your leadership. Own your mistakes, verbalize what you learned, and above all, stay humble.
  
  
• Hold the Higher Vision: Sometimes, good leadership is jumping into the trenches and leading from within. But more often, good leadership is about trusting your team, stepping back, and focusing on the bigger picture. Know when your help is needed versus when you’re simply micromanaging, and consider big-picture planning as your primary responsibility.
  
  
• Believe it Yourself: Nothing inspires like true belief. Your emotional investment and belief will become your project’s success. Your team will sense if you don’t care that much about succeeding or going above and beyond, and before long, neither will they. Make success more than a priority—make it a need, something that will be done, something you truly believe in — and your team will follow suit. 
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• ‍Communication: Communication is everything. The basis of great communication is simple: create a project communication plan and listen. Be attentive, take the time to understand, and allow what you learn to inform your decisions. Start with this Communication Plan template.

Industry analyst and ZDNet contributor Michael Krigsman warns project managers about a time trap he calls “apple polishing.” Apple polishing refers to the practice of obsessively reworking or ‘perfecting’ something that’s already perfect, leading to wasted time and energy that could have been dedicated to the next project. If you’ve ever had too much time to fiddle with something that’s already finished only to overdo it, overthink it, and wind up worse off for your trouble, then you know what he’s talking about.

As Krigsman advises, “Provide clear exit criteria for every task [and] communicate the importance of avoiding apple polishing often. Then communicate it more.” To help your team to stay focused and nimble, this Agile Gantt Chart template can be a great tool.

Like a plumber without a wrench or a dog-walker who’s run out of bags, project managers without the right tools can be left helpless, unable to act, and in some deep… trouble.  Big-picture leaders need useful, functional tools to visualize their projects and communicate the essentials. 

In this article, we shared a few templates, but there are so many more – Spreadsheet.com offers countless project management templates. Choose from a Project Planning template that can help you organize goals, deliverables, and deadlines. Or opt for a Gantt chart that can be instrumental in project scheduling, and pair it with a customizable Monthly Budget template to help you stay on track.

Spreadsheet.com is an essential resource for your growth. Get started here, and begin your journey to the next chapter of your project management career.