Isn’t is a thrill when you land a big project with a new client? You run to the refrigerator, pop a bottle of champagne, and spend the rest of the evening soaking in the bliss of sheer success.

But before long, the project is complete. All the final deliverables are sent. You and the client part ways, and suddenly you’re left tapping your nails on your desk.

“What next?” you ask yourself. Is it time to hit the pavement, find new customers and drum up more sales? It’d be so much easier (and cheaper!) if the same clients just came back again and again.

But it’s too hard and gross to reach out to them. It feels awkward, like begging.

So clients slip away. They become like those BFFs you had in high school. At one point, you kept one another’s secrets, finished each other’s sentences, but as time wore on you grew further and further apart until you became like strangers. One after another, great clients are gone forever.

You probably know people whose entire business looks like a revolving door of clients coming in, leaving, then returning over and over again, always with a big smile on their face. How do they make it look so easy breezy?

The truth is, you can have this, too. With the right bag of tricks, you can reel in clients and keep them….for decades! Plus, they’ll rave to friends about how great you are.

Customer retention is just like building a friendship: it starts from when your customer first walks in the door. It’s about creating a seamless customer experience.

You only need a few strategies and practices and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about you, what you’re comfortable with, your line of work and your brand.

Let’s look at 25 ideas and classic persuasion techniques to build an experience that customers want to return to, and to keep yourself relevant and in the loop so there’ll never be a final good-bye.

1. Build a Customer Arc

The best retention tactic is establishing a solid relationship with the client from day one. Crafting the employee experience is about building bridges at critical moments along the employee relationship arc.

Joey Coleman, author of Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days, says that all the customer’s beliefs and attitudes about you are formed within the first 100 days of doing business.

And so retaining customers starts with the onboarding process. In order to lay a good foundation, put systems into place that make this stage highly personal.

Although by now your business feels ordinary to you, see everything through the customer’s eyes. If they’ve just walked in the door to your salon, what do you want them to see, hear and even smell? Identify their most pressing questions, and be ready at hand to answer them.

If someone has already connected with you online, you already have a little window to make this first meeting extra personal. Ask about themselves, and explain anything in your business or service that might feel foreign to them.

If you’re a photographer, for example, all the equipment in the studio might look a little intimidating. Disarm them by explaining what everything is used for.

Customers have so many other options available to them, and so creating this strong foundation keeps them rooted in you and your services and increases the likelihood they choose to stay long-term.

2. Establish Rapport

The central objective to your business is to provide a top-notch service or product, for sure. But that isn’t a sufficient tactic for retaining customers. Building a customer experience is about going above and beyond.

Customer experience isn’t the same as customer service. Customer service is more reactive; it has to do with how a business deals with problems after they occur. Customer experience is proactive; it anticipates all the steps on the client journey and meets them along the way.

“If you don’t start things off on the right foot, it will be hard to overcome that first impression. If you do start things off strongly, you can build momentum to carry you deep into the relationship,” write Coleman in his aforementioned book.

Establishing rapport is crucial, as it bleeds into every aspect of the customer relationship. This is essentially about making the client feel welcome and happy to be working with you from the start

Rapport starts by building a welcoming environment. This makes a client feel enthused from the get-go. It entails creating an attractive space, offering them a place to sit and something to eat or drink.

It’s good to break the ice with some friendly topics that set a positive tone. As soon as you can, establish similarities. Finding something you have in common with the client is a sure way to draw them out and make them feel at ease.

Noticing body language is a subtle but effective way to communicate simpatico. Take seating, for example. Sitting across from someone communicates authority and command and control. Whereas sitting alongside someone communicates companionship.

Imitating gestures, including crossed arms or crossed legs, gives off signals of sympathy and warmth.

Building rapport is a skill that improves with time. When you have routines in place for new and existing customers, it allows everyone on the team to slide into a groove and jibe with the customer right away.

3. Share Your Expertise

Whether you’re a designer, artist or product manager, you’ve chosen your line of work in part because you have some panache for it.

Robert Cialdini, college professor and author of the book Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion, writes that establishing yourself as an authority in your field is one powerful tactic to entice customers.

When previous customers are convinced that you know what you’re talking about, they’ll want to return to you again and again.

Communication tools are integral to utilizing this customer retention strategy. Something like a newsletter or a Facebook page is an excellent opportunity for sharing your expertise and staying in your customers’ purview.

If you have a landscape business, for example, send out a newsletter with your best tips on how to weed and prune from season to season.

An interior decorator can share her perspective on design trends, and tricks for fixing the house up for special occasions.

When this content is consistent and helpful, your audience recognizes you as their go-to expert on the topic at hand. Plus, it’s easily shareable, and so may end up attracting new customers as well!

4. Be Upfront About Potential Snafus

Even with a thoroughly designed customer experience, so much of what happens throughout a project remains out of your hands.

If you’re in construction, for example, custom items can be delayed for days, which puts everything at a standstill. In interior design, you may have the color palate nicely laid out, only to have the fabrics arrive looking completely different from the sample, forcing you to shift gears

These sorts of things are normal, and they happen all the time. Unfortunately, there’s very little you can do about them. And they easily lead to dissatisfied clients—who may choose not to return to you for future services!

Letting the customers anticipate potential delays at the beginning of a project, however, helps to ease fear and frustration when the event occurs.

Creating a “How We Work” document clarifies your processes and methods and lets the customers know what they can expect from you.

Good things to include in the document are a visual outline of the project’s timeline, and a “Murphy’s Law” section that informs the client about anything that might hold the project up. Having them sign the document means they understand and agree to the entire process, snafus and all.

5. Establish “Former Client Only” Perks

Have you ever felt a little twinge of envy as you walked past the VIP room at a club, or felt like you “had” to buy a box of candy at the store when you realized the entire stock had sold out except for one or two boxes?

These are examples of another powerful persuasion strategy known as scarcity. When we realize that something is in short supply, or only available to a limited number of people, it makes us want it even more. Cialdini talks about this idea in Influence, where he discusses a study around people and their changing desire for cookies:

“Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited…a cookie in short supply was rated as more desirable to eat in the future, more attractive as a consumer item and more costly than an identical cookie in abundant supply…a less available item is more desired and valued.”

This means that the way you present your products and services (not the services themselves) affects the price you’re able to put onto them!

Unleashing the scarcity principle is an effective strategy for retaining customers. There’s so many ways you could use it.

If you’re an artist, you can invite previous customers to a pre-show, where your art is sold at a special discounted price. Or you can send them an email with a coupon code that’s just applicable to returning clients. You can even have service packages that you only offer to returning clients.

When you treat your clients like the elite group that they are, they’ll notice. It makes them feel prized and valued, and they’ll keep coming back to you.

6. Design Customer Experience Around Value (Not Service)

Identifying the product or service your company provides is easy enough. If you’re a salon, you cut people’s hair. If you’re an interior decorator, you design homes.

But identifying the value of your service, and why customers come to you, is something else entirely.

For example, people don’t go to a nail salon simply to get their nails painted; the underlying reason is to luxuriate at the end of a long week. And people don’t go to a coffee shop for the caffeine (though this is a central reason, surely), but rather to complete work or meet with coworkers or friends.

Even if the nail service is superb, if the atmosphere isn’t relaxing, the client probably won’t come back. And if the coffee shop has poor seating or weak wifi, you’ll likely lose customers—even with the best coffee in town.

Once you’ve clearly identified the value of your service, the next step is creating copy and designing the client experience around the “why,” while continuing to provide a superb product or service.

For a salon, it’s about creating an “escape” feeling. For a coffee shop, it’s about creating a space with great seating and lighting that makes it easy to have a discussion or get work done. When a service fulfills people’s “why,” it makes them want to come back again and again.

If you’re struggling to clarify the value you provide, listen to your customers. What solutions are they identifying? Soliciting feedback is helpful here. Comments like, “This product brings me so much joy” means you’re providing an emotional need. While “This product helps me with my organization” means your product serves a practical purpose.

Once you know the “why” of your business, retaining customers means providing that…over and over again.

7. Reach Out at Appropriate Times

By the end of a six month project, you’ve spent a lot of time with a client; possibly even more time than you’ve spent with your family in the same time frame. And you’ve gotten to know them pretty well. Depending on the line of work, you may have even spent time in their homes and met their families. They’re almost like friends at this point.

Simply ending the relationship with the final deliverable, then, feels pretty abrupt. Just like a friendship, it’s only natural to follow up and check in on the client from time to time. This could be a quick email to tell them about something that reminded you of them, a Christmas card, or a note on their birthday.

If it feels awkward or salesey to reach out and continue the relationship, try seeing it from their point of view. If you’d just made a huge investment in someone’s services, would you want that person to reach out and connect with you?

When you’ve built strong rapport from day one, this gesture serves to continue the conversation. The client appreciates and remembers it.

8. Solve Their Problem, First and Foremost

When you’re strategizing to retain clients, bear in mind that no customer becomes a raving fan overnight.

Rather, a customer goes through a series of steps before developing loyalty to you and your services. Identifying and then solving their problem is key to winning them over.

If you’re a photographer, maybe they’re looking for a portrait of their newborn, or a series of professional shots for their website or social media. Or if you’re a software developer, maybe the client’s objective is to increase sales on their e-commerce store with a more fluid checkout service.

Whatever it may be, keep your eye on achieving this objective. Once you’ve reached this milestone, they understand your capacity to provide value and solve their problems. You’re in a key position at this point to ask for referrals, solicit feedback, and tell them about other services you provide.

9. Ask Why They Didn’t Come Back

Some fish get away, and any business owner just has to accept that. However, every client, particularly those who choose to end a business relationship, provides a rich opportunity for you to learn about how your style affects customers.

Maybe they were turned off by you in some way. Or maybe another product on the market served their needs better. But unless you ask, you’ll never know.

Reach out directly with a survey, or just send an email, asking questions such as: “How was your experience working with me?” and “I’d like to know what I could have done differently.”

Since they’re undoubtedly busy with other things, enticing them with a gift card is one way to get the wheels turning.

Each case is unique, but after you’ve received a lot of feedback, you’ll see patterns in how people feel about you. The key to client retention is using this feedback to re-shape and update your approach.

10. Mitigate Buyers Remorse

Whenever any of us spends a lot of money, a little voice in our head asks, “Should I really have done that?”

If it takes awhile for the product to arrive or the project to get going, this only gives us more time to worry and stew. The voice gets louder, asking us if the purchase was really necessary, and whether there was a smarter way to have spent the money.

We’re looking for an indication that we’ve gone in the right direction, or whether we should change course.

As a business owner, recognize this phase in the customer journey. If there’s some lag time between when the contract is signed and the project gets rolling, reach out to the client. Send a note thanking them for choosing you, with assurance you’ll take great care of them.

This gesture settles their nerves and reminds them of all the reasons they picked you in the first place. It fosters the positive customer experience you’re working to create.

11. Know Everyone on the Client Team

Oftentimes, you’re working with a team and not one individual client. Each person has a different role in their organization and distinct decision making powers.

Take some time getting to know the structure of the company, and the role each member plays. This allows you to communicate with the right people throughout a project.

And after a project has ended, having this breadth helps with client retention. It lets you pitch new products and services to the right people.

Finding the right ear to bend is oftentimes the key to returning business. If you reach out to the wrong person, it may well fall on deaf ears.

12. Offboard With Grace

When a client decides to discontinue services with you, at first it may feel like an affront. You wonder what you did wrong and who they’ve found to replace you.

This needn’t be seen as a brush off, however. There’s all sorts of reasons for why someone chooses to move on. Maybe they need to cut costs and plan to do things themselves for a time, or they simply don’t need your services anymore.

A professional approach to offboarding seeks to maintain a positive connection. This keeps the door open in the event they want to return. Building this bridge entails having protocol in place so you’re able to gracefully say goodbye.

Here are a few things a client offboarding system might include.

• Give a Heads-Up
  Let the client know ahead of time that your services are due to end. Break down everything you’ve provided during your time working for them. Thank them for their patronage and mention you’re open to talk about the relationship going forward.

• Provide How-tos
  If you’ve been working for this client for some time, you may have taken the reins on all sorts of things, from email, to social media, to the company blog. Send documents or videos with instructions on all the tasks you completed for the client. For example, if you managed their Instagram account, you might include instructions on writing captions or creating stories.

  These tutorials allow the client to repeat the process themselves, or train someone else to.

• Send a Goodbye Email
  Send a friendly goodbye message. Be sure to include all the details about various accounts you administered, so the client is able to change passwords.

• Solicit Reviews
  Your clients are a valuable resource for your company. They’ve seen how you work first-hand. Asking them to provide reviews of your services enables you to promote yourself elsewhere. Some helpful questions include: “What did you like best about my services?” and “What was it like to work for me?”

  After you’ve done this a few times, it’s easy to develop a template of questions that works for you.

  When you’ve received these reviews, be sure to put them in prominent places on your website and other marketing materials.

• Send Follow-Up Emails
  Touch base with the client once or twice over the following months, letting them know about any new services and specials you’re offering. Their life is very busy, so without this reminder they may not think to reach out to you again.

  In sum, taking the time to offboard with grace lets the client know you appreciate all of their patronage, and keeps the door open should they decide to return. Even if they don’t require your services again, your professional behavior makes it likely they’d recommend you to someone else.

13. Send a Handwritten Thank You Letter

Even though technology is the current way of doing things, certain antiquated practices haven’t yet gone out of style. After the final goodbyes, and the project files are all closed and put away, it’s nice to reach into your desk and pull out some old-fashioned pen and paper. Write a personal thank you to the client, letting them know what you enjoyed about the project, and wish them the best.

It’s so rare to receive a written thank you nowadays, and this gesture will really make you stand out in the client’s eyes. To ensure you have their address, ask for it as part of the onboarding process.

These little things count. Sending a personal thank you communicates you value the client as an individual. And they remember you for future projects.

14. Provide Before and After Images

At the end of a long project, it’s really hard for anyone to remember just how far you came and how much work you did. Finding ways to remind your customer of the benefits and improvements you provided is a powerful reminder of how valuable you are.

For example, if you’re an interior decorator, click a few pictures of the area before you work your magic. Then, take another round of photographs after the final curtain is hung, the backsplash is in place and everything sparkles.

When these before and after photos are presented to the client in an album (with your logo on the front!), they’ll be blown away to see how much you accomplished. They’ll love pulling it out and showing off your work to friends. And that turns into free advertising for you!

Or if you’re a hairstylist, take before and after photos of your clients, and set up an Instagram account to show off your skills.

By communicating your value to clients, you’re giving them a ready reason to reach out when they need your services again.

15. Wow Them With Deliverables

What if you took the time to make a scrumptious steak dinner, with all the fixings, including potatoes, salad, and wine, but then served it on paper plates with dixie cups? The meal may taste great, but the presentation would really take away from the overall effect.

In the same way, when you’ve produced a top-notch final deliverable, put in an extra oomph to present it with elegance and elan.

This could look a lot different depending on your service, but make the event as “red carpet” as possible. Bring the whole team together, and pop some champagne to celebrate the final unveiling.

If you’re an interior designer, talk the family into taking off for the weekend as you install the final touches, then dress up the area with flowers and streamers to celebrate crossing the finish line.

If it’s a software release, bring all the stakeholders together to show off the features you’ve created, with some before and after images to demonstrate how far you came.

The client has put a lot of resources into reaching this milestone, and so elevating the experience affirms their dedication. Creating this “wow” factor leaves them thrilled, and as pleased as punch to have done business with you.

16. Use Social Media to Build the “Like Know Trust” Factor

They say you need to see an advertisement seven times before you’ll go ahead and buy something. Retaining customers follows a similar principle.

When a client sees you popping up in their Twitter feed, or photos of your new projects on Facebook or Instagram, it keeps your business front of mind.

It also creates an everyday familiarity to your brand and personality. When all is said and done, people choose to do business with someone who they like, know and trust.

Consistently engaging on social media lets people in on who you are. And the next time they need your services, they’re more likely to pick you over someone they’ve never met before.

17. Utilize Social Proof Persuasion

Did you ever make an online purchase that hinged on a single review? Maybe someone wrote how an album was the best they’d ever heard, and that was enough to tip the scale and get you to click the “buy” button in the checkout page.

Another key persuasion method that Cialdini writes about is social proof. We’re wired, he says, to look to others for cues on how to behave. When we see people buying the latest coffee maker, for example, we determine there must be something to the trend, and we go and get one ourselves.

This is an effective tactic for client retention as well. Staying in contact with former clients allows you to share the new projects you’re working on. Things like Facebook pages, a newsletter, or Instagram are all excellent ways to show off work you’re proud of and share client feedback.

Your former clients come to see how valuable you are in the eyes of others, and this “social proof” persuasion inclines them to return and do business with you.

Maybe this sounds like boasting, but really it’s not. If you’ve helped another person and done your best work, it means others would benefit as well. So don’t be shy! Put your work out there.

18. Adapt to Address Future Needs

The English biologist Charles Darwin is credited with saying that “it’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

Trends change rapidly in pretty much any line of work. If you work in interior design, what was in style ten years ago now looks passé. In technology, trends change even faster.

Taking your eye off the ball means a swing and a miss. Too many whiffs, and you’ve struck out. Your former clients look to your competitors for business.

Retaining clients means providing relevant services and products. Staying on top of your game entails ongoing education and revising your services. If you’re a website designer, learn a new software language to broaden your skill set. If you’re an interior designer, attend kitchen and bath expos to stay abreast of seasonal colors and trends.

Communicating these upgrades in newsletters and on social media lets everyone know you’re staying relevant, and you’ll be seen as the go-to person for cutting edge services and products.

19. Learn From Existing Customers

Your current clients can teach you a lot of tips and strategies for client retention.

Solicit their feedback at various stages of the customer journey. One way to do this is by sending out surveys periodically to ask how things are going, what they like about working with you, and areas you could improve.

When you ensure this feedback is anonymous, it gives your customer the space to freely speak their mind.

This in-the-moment feedback is so helpful. You may detect patterns in what you receive. For example, people may rave about your onboarding process, but consistently cite problems with communication during later stages of the project.

This method not only keeps your finger on the pulse of current customers, but it identifies areas to improve, which is key to increasing future retention rates.

20. Unleash Reciprocity Persuasion With Gifts

Do you ever receive a birthday card from a friend, and you immediately mark the calendar to make sure you’ll remember their birthday in return?

This is a classic example of what (yes, we’re going to mention him one final time) Cialdini refers to as reciprocity persuasion. We’re all inclined to return favors. One good turn deserves another, as they say. When our neighbor spends a hot summer day helping us lay shingles onto the roof, that very autumn we’re heading over to his place to lend a hand cleaning leaves out of gutters.

This principle can work its way into your customer journey in so many ways. Providing your customer with an unexpected gift unleashes the reciprocity principle: they’ll feel obligated to return the favor to you.

Coleman discourages giving gifts with your logo on it, as this is really about creating advertising for you. He writes:

“The best presents are meaningful and personalized. They exhibit a level of care and consideration commensurate with the relationship…you don’t need to break the bank. Just ask yourself what you’d get your favorite sibling or your best friend if they were your customer.”

If you’re a photographer, you can frame your best portrait shot and mail it to them. This wouldn’t be a huge extra cost to you, but the touching gesture would mean a lot to them. Or if you’re a salon owner, occasionally giving customers a complimentary bottle of their favorite shampoo makes them feel special and appreciated.

21. Develop Protocol for Communication and Status Updates

Providing your clients with optimal customer experience means keeping them in the loop.

Projects tend to get busy and complicated, and it’s easy to drop the ball from time to time. However, in order for the client to know you’re continually working hard for them, they need to hear from you consistently.

Having protocol in place helps create this continuity. Outline a style guide that includes dos and don’ts for the team. Then, find out how the client prefers to communicate and let them know they can always reach out.

Most projects work in fits and starts. For a few weeks you’re really crunched for time, and then things almost come to a standstill as you wait for paint to dry or custom items to be built. Let the client know that you’re still burning oil for them during the slow period. A simple message like, “Just sent out the order for backsplash tiles today,” keeps them updated and informed.

When you have a system in place, you won’t forget to send those critical texts or emails that let clients know you’re thinking about them, even when your day is full of to-dos.

Providing this solid customer experience is what client retention is all about. It will repay you.

22. Run Through the Finish Line

At the end of a project, your client may not even remember anything about the onboarding process. What leaves the most searing impression, rather, are their final exchanges with you.

Going above and beyond with final deliverables ends the relationship on a high note.

For example, if you’ve designed a website, extend your services for 30-60 days past the launch to fix any bugs and make sure everything is up and working. Let the client know that the door is always open regarding repairs on a deliverable.

By creating this solid final impression, you’re giving the client all the reason in the world to return again soon.

23. Communicate With Clients Like Family

If your marketing assures the client that you’ll take care of them like family, then don’t be hesitant to treat them like family (in the best sense, of course).

Look for opportunities to sit down and shoot the breeze with them, letting them know you value them as a person. Find out when their birthday is, and always acknowledge it with a friendly card. And when you send messages, don’t be shy about sending a video message rather than a text or email.

Not only is a video more personal, but it’s a much stronger form of communication. Videos pick up things like voice inflection, tone, and non-verbal communication, all of which can easily be lost in text and emails.

When the project is complete, the client feels like they’re saying goodbye to a family member, and so will be sure to get back in touch with you when they need it.

24. Change Approach Depending on the Customer

Developing a great client experience isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.

Everyone’s a little different, as you’ve undoubtedly come to appreciate about your clients. Some people yuk it up like they have all the time in the world, while others speak on the phone only when it’s absolutely necessary.

By reading clients individually, you’re able to gauge their needs and adjust your approach. If you work in a nail salon, for example, identify right away if the client wants to gab, or if they are looking for a quiet space to check out for a while.

Keeping notes on their personality and communication preferences allows you to maintain the rapport when the client returns for your services after a spell. This way, all you have to do is pull out your file, and you can recall all sorts of things about their preferences.

Providing this personalized boutique service lets the client know you see them as an individual, and they’ll repay you with repeat service.

25. Strategize the Discovery Call

The discovery call is a critical moment for establishing an ongoing professional relationship. Rather than winging it, going in with a plan allows you to establish strong rapport with the client from the get-go.

Before the call, research as much as you can about the client. If you have an online application form, include questions about his or her background. Look into the company they represent, and the industry. This gives you a head start on their niche and key competitors.

Most importantly, go into the discovery call planning to have a friendly, agreeable conversation. To that end, here are a few tips and ideas.

• Find Common Ground
  When you have something in common with someone, it’s easy to chat away with them for hours. Establishing rapport with a new client can be as simple as identifying that you have kids the same age, or enjoy similar leisure activities.

• Be Agreeable
  When you have only a short timeframe to create a favorable impression, making a conscious effort to be agreeable goes a long way.

  If the client says they love football, go with it, even if you don’t. Mention memories of tailgate parties in college. Congeniality generates a positive tone that allows conversation to flow.

• Adjust the Thermostat
  Understanding the personality of the new client right away helps to make the discovery call effective. Maybe they’re taciturn, and don’t want to make the conversation personal. Or maybe their life is an open book, and would love to talk about anything and everything.

  Building a friendly, open relationship requires constantly reading the temperature of a conversation and making tiny adjustments, if necessary.

  If you sense that someone is intimidated by your approach, then scale it back. If they indicate they want to go in a certain direction, then let the conversation flow off course for a little bit.

  The discovery calls get easier the more you do them. But being engaged and having your head in the game really sets the tone for the entire project, and the relationship beyond.

Have you ever played ball with a kid? The best fun ever, right? Well, only if both of you know the basic rule – before throwing the ball, you should make sure the other one is in the position to catch it.

The same is true for project handover. You don’t pass the project on to another manager or a client and wish them good luck. You take the time to prepare for the handover, do it properly, and ensure successful completion.

In project management, complicated processes can get out of control and turn into a mess; that’s why project handover is a big milestone in your diary and requires your full attention.

From early planning all the way through to handover and closeout, project managers have to deal with a lot of documentation (and quite rightly so). Overseeing this process in a professional manner is an absolute must.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll dive deep into the concept of project handover, learn about the types, stages, and essentials of it, discover the best practices, and get a checklist to use for your next project.

What is project handover?

Project handover is the point in the project management lifecycle when the completed tasks are being transferred to the deliverable owner. It marks the completion of delivery and the start of the closure stage of your project.

Basically, the project goes from the Project Manager to the Operational Manager (sometimes referred to as an Integration Manager). Hence the description of project handover as transition from design to use.

Source: Project Management Knowledge Hub

At first sight, this may sound simple enough. However, you should spend time clarifying what this definition means in your particular context.

Be careful. A lack of certainty around the definition can be detrimental to the project’s success. The crucial part is to agree – in advance – how your team and partners understand project handover and when the project is considered to be done. You should also get clear on what is being handed over – ownership, operational responsibility, management, continuity, knowledge, benefits realization or anything else. Make sure the project management plan gives all the answers by outlining everyone’s responsibilities and aligning everyone’s efforts to a common goal.

Moreover, if we view projects from the point of view of benefits delivery, handover is only the start, not the end. A good project handover is when it does what you all agreed it would, and the client gets what they’ve paid for. Here’s an example: projects that deliver a technical solution, but don’t work as intended, are a failure because they simply don’t work for the end users.

Types of project handover

Although the overarching definition is that project handover is the transition of information and responsibility from one to another, project handover may refer to different schemes in different industries and situations.

In construction, it can be the completion of a building or the end of the first year’s warranty period of the building. In IT and software development, project handover might be when members of the project team are no longer involved in the project and you’ve transferred it to another company or a client. Some teams can define it in terms of timing – when all requirements and tasks are signed off as complete. In certain contexts, it might even be when the benefits have been delivered to the end user.

With all this diversity, it’s important to have an agreed position between all parties; otherwise, you’re all aiming for completely different targets.

The stages of project handover

As with all processes, the project handover can be viewed and discussed in terms of phases – before, during, and after. The following model helps us to split the entire process into three stages: pre-handover, handover, and post-handover.

Pre-handover

This is the preparation stage when you specify all details of the project handover. Several steps can be outlined here:

Step 1: Design the transition plan. Poor planning in project management can have damaging results, so divide the handover process into manageable parts and make a checklist of your transition components.

Step 2: Clarify everyone’s roles in the project handover process, including the ones who will be involved in the process from the recipient side.

Step 3: Set a deadline when the handover should be completed and communicate it to all parties involved.

Step 4: Create a communication plan that outlines who communicates which information to whom and when.

Step 4: Agree upon deliverables required at handover and design end-of-job documentation. Note that the end-of-job documentation needs to be meaningful and consistent to the owner.

Handover

Time for the project handover.

Step 1: Conduct a handover meeting to discuss any necessary details and updates after the first stage is completed. Define what is actually handed over.

Step 2: Have knowledge-sharing sessions. Knowledge shouldn’t be transferred during lunch breaks; you need pre-planned meetings to answer questions and provide clarifications as needed.

Step 3: Transfer the ownership. Provide access to documentation and all information needed, including accounts, credentials, requirements, as well as third-party services and tools.

Step 4: Run a quality check before you say, “We’re done.”

Step 5: Project handover sign-off. Congratulations! It’s time for handshakes and signatures!

Post-handover

Post-handover is the follow-up or the support stage to make sure the end user has received all deliverables. The project is now in a live setting. At this stage, you sustain what you’ve created by making sure all snags are taken care of. As a rule, this stage stretches from one to six months.

Step 1: Carry out a project performance review.

Step 2: Support the end user. This can be either on-site or off-site support, depending on the industry you’re operating in or the type of project you’ve delivered.

Step 3: Do monitoring and course-correcting. Explain what the flow is and make suggestions of how people should make use of it. If any issues pop up after observations, update documentation as needed.

Step 4: Collect stakeholders’ feedback. Keep this data organized; you’ll surely need to consult it sooner or later.

Sounds overwhelming? No worries. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Past failures have already taught industry practitioners useful information.

Essentials for creating a handover plan in project management

The handover of your next project will go smoothly and without excessive stress, if you’re aware of the possible pitfalls and best practices. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the lessons learned the hard way.

1. Take a benefits-based approach.

First, let’s have a look at the definition of a project as formulated by the Association of Project Management:

“A project is a unique, transient endeavour, undertaken to achieve planned objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or benefits.”

As you can see, the heavy emphasis is placed not on the effort part but on the outputs, outcomes and benefits projects deliver to the end user. When we view project management from this perspective, we can make a loud and clear statement: “A project is considered to be failed if it isn’t delivering the promised benefits.”

The same is true about project handover. Without a benefits-based approach to the handover process, your team is mainly concerned about getting this project done and rushing on to the next one. In this case, there is little attention and focus on real-life execution.

Therefore, project handover shouldn’t be treated as a date. You should take the time to clearly establish the benefits and prepare the client for using the product and handling any issues that may pop up.

2. Set measurable criteria for success.

What’s one of the most frequent reasons for failed projects? Perhaps the project team doesn’t deliver on their promise? Or maybe the client doesn’t properly understand what they want? The shortest answer will be – it’s a mix.

Avoid vague and general statements. Not being clear about the outputs can jeopardize the project’s overall success. Note that the benefits should not only be established but also communicated to all stakeholders at the outset. If the project hasn’t been delivered and the criteria to measure success haven’t been established initially, both the project team and the client are to blame.

By the way, it’s the responsibility of the project manager to create a balance between delivering project objectives on the one hand and ensuring the benefits realization on the other. Therefore, a wise decision would be to have an assigned team member measure the criteria and report to the project manager on a regular basis.

3. Know your client.

Clients come in all shapes and sizes, so understanding the many different types of clients is essential.

You’ll meet clients who expect you to take their hand and guide them every step of the way. You’ll come across those who are resistant to change and lack the readiness to experiment. You’ll have to handle know-it-all clients who have all answers before you tell them what works and what should be avoided.

Take the time to learn more about the challenges they have and the solutions they’re seeking. Above all, find the answer to one critical question upfront: “What does a good transition mean to my client?”

4. Plan for mini handovers.

Project handover is not something one and done. It’s a transition, not a single date.

Most project management methodologies will place handover within the project integration and project closure stages. That’s why in the case of big projects, teams usually plan for multiple handovers rather than a single release.

To keep everything under control, consider planning mini handovers throughout the project implementation. You might even set time for quick celebrations to keep the team’s spirit up!

5. Aim for usable documentation.

Put data in a shared environment to enable just-in-time access to the information. Make sure all documentation is in a usable and searchable format. This will hinder doing things twice and save everyone precious time.

Pro tip: documentation must be written for the end users. Yes, it may cause inconvenience and force you to take a fresh approach to your traditional way of creating documentation. But for written data to support knowledge transfer, it needs to be meaningful, applicable, and relevant to your end users.

6. Maintain the knowledge.

Things happen. Your team member may get sick or quit unexpectedly. Put every effort to keep the most valuable folks on board, but if it’s not an option, you should get your priorities clear. Remember the golden rule: if you can’t maintain the people, maintain the knowledge. By the way, this is why it’s important to have the requirements written in as much detail as possible.

That’s it. You now have a detailed overview of the project handover stages and know the essentials you should try to put into practice.

Improving project handover: tips and best practices

Learning how to hand over a project effectively can take a hard toll on you. Ready for expert tips to help you create a successful project handover plan? Let’s get started!

• Keep the information from previous projects within reach. Take a systematized approach to handover. Bring to the table the knowledge and lessons learned from your previous experiences. Keep that information at hand and actively review it before you embark on a new project. No matter if you’re a newbie or a seasoned professional in the field, view each handover as an opportunity to collect valuable information for your upcoming endeavors.
• Produce handover materials from the end user’s perspective and plan the knowledge transfer from the beginning of the project. Documents should offer the extra level of detail and serve as a roadmap to making informed decisions and avoiding pitfalls.

• Have end user representation on the project team. Those who are going to use the project outputs should be represented on the project team throughout the project lifecycle. This will guarantee that all parties understand and are prepared to support handover.

  The client’s role is pivotal. Their representation should be programmed into the project instead of being a last-minute thought. So plan for such representation and put this at the back of your project. Get the client in and use their input to guarantee the successful completion of the project. Learn how to increase participation in meetings to get the most out of your regular sessions.

• Have a member of the project team on-site or as a point of contact. After you’ve handed the deliverables over to the end users, continue being in touch. The more you can retain the transfer, the better. Handle any possible modifications and ensure the compliance of deliverables with the agreed requirements.

  Don’t involve all your team members; bring in a reduced project group to support the live setting. Usually, this takes two weeks at a minimum but can extend to a six-month period depending on the complexity of the delivered project.

• Incorporate end user training into the completion stage. Use the period leading up to the handover as efficiently as possible. Plan for imparting the information. Training sessions before the project handover will ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page and agree on the deliverables. Some companies will opt for concentrated training sessions just before the handover, while others will prefer longer and more detailed meetings. Do your best to cater to those specific business needs.

Remember that at the end of the day, good performance on a project is likely to lead to referrals and repeat work. Successful handover is a good indicator that more prospects are going to seek your partnership and hit the purchase button.

Project Handover Checklist

Grab this checklist to guide you throughout the project handover process, keep everyone informed, and help your team enjoy a smooth transition.

1. Preparing for the handover

1. Identify the point(s) of contact.
2. Clarify the frequency of communication and the top priority topics.
3. Identify who is involved in the handover process from the project team. Clearly outline all roles and responsibilities.
4. Set the timeline for milestones (or mini handovers).
5. Set the date when the handover should be completed.
6. Outline the deliverables (what exactly is going to be delivered).
7. Outline the project outcomes (what the deliverables should provide to the end user).
8. Have a breakdown of tasks and responsibilities to be transitioned to the end user.
9. Identify any financial aspects involved.
10. Details about change and risk management. Who is responsible for managing unexpected twists and turns?
11. Set up training for all users.
12. Complete all testing before you proceed.
13. Create a communication plan on how you communicate the handover process to all stakeholders.

2. Handing over the project

1. Set up your handover meeting.
2. Have a detailed presentation to make everything visually perceptible and easy to follow.
3. Discuss the project handoff document and address all questions.
4. Confirm the upcoming due dates and the deadline for project handover.
5. Update the project handoff document once the meeting is complete.
6. Return hired and borrowed equipment (if applicable).
7. Hand over all project documentation.
8. Transfer codebase, accounts & credentials ownership (applicable to app development companies).
9. Closeout contracts.
10. Sign-off contractors.
11. Update systems and records.
12. Prepare a report to be used for reference.

3. Maintaining the handover

1. Complete project closure activities.
2. Carry out a performance review.
3. Complete course-correcting activities.
4. Follow the transition according to planned documentation and provide support to the end user.
5. Collect feedback and document any post-handover changes.

One final note before we wrap up. Don’t forget to customize the checklist and add any project-specific items.

Project management in HR is important for the organization’s success, whether or not the HR team is composed of two members or 18. The Human Resources Department performs a myriad of essential functions for any organization. From recruitment, onboarding, employee performance and engagement, offboarding (and so much more!), the HR team has much to balance. And with shifting employee mindsets and attitudes towards workplace culture, HR professionals have been challenged to stay on top of all the various trends while keeping pace with all their own internal projects.

Let’s take a closer look at why project management in HR is essential, its many robust benefits, and different examples of project management in action within the Human Resources Department.

Why is HR Project Management essential?

Effective project management practices are an efficient way to keep track of projects with hard deadlines, provide the team with the latest updates, and produce a clear and achievable timeline while making sure that the core team isn’t overwhelmed by the proposed schedule.

HR professionals have a responsibility to keep their practices consistent, ethical, and fair. This extends to all branches of any given HR department including:

• Recruitment
• Onboarding
• Employee relations
• Promotions
• Workplace culture initiatives
• Training and development
• Compensation structure
• Performance management
• Intern programs
• Retreats or kickoffs
• Annual salary reviews
• Employee merits
• Offboarding
• Operational management

With all these moving parts, it’s easy to see why a strategic approach to the organization of a multitude of projects is important to the success of the organization. Often, many of HR’s responsibilities cross paths with other departments such as finance or outside counsel. Communication and collaboration with other professionals from different disciplines are frequently required to make effective decisions.

The appropriate project management tools can help to:

• Improve HR’s standard operating procedures, processes, and workflows – Standard operating procedures are quite common in HR, as many of the internal processes need to be managed in a specific way. If processes aren’t constructed well, it can be the cause of many communication issues for the team. This can often lead to mistrust and frustration that reverberates across the entire staff, so it’s important that effective project management tools be brought in to bypass this problem. When the right methods are incorporated into a project, this streamlines procedures and workflows, creating a robust process that everyone on the team can understand and implement. Most importantly, HR project management maintains consistency. While not every scenario will have the same solution, the basics of the necessary procedures will be present, allowing the team to use creative thinking and effective decision-making to come to the best outcome for all parties.
• Lower risk – Major projects that require a delicate solution need to be managed carefully. As project management gathers all the necessary information in the beginning stages, the process can reveal potential risks that the team may face. HR can then approach these situations proactively, having more time to analyze and assess the risks and plan strategically. This minimizes the chance of problems occurring later on.

• Increase the success of all ongoing projects – Depending on the organization and the structure of the HR department, some HR business partners don’t always have one specialty. In fact, the majority of HR professionals have interdisciplinary skills which they deploy over a wide variety of different areas. For example, you can have an HR business partner participate in various aspects of the recruitment process such as compensation recommendations, while in that very same hour, they’ll need to pivot directions and take some time to manage an employee relations issue. This type of transition happens frequently, so keeping various projects up-to-date is crucial for the HR professional. It’s so easy for smaller assignments to slip through the cracks, especially within a fast-paced environment. To avoid escalating issues, project management can help provide clarity on what is still pending and what dependencies exist in order for the HR professional to effectively prioritize their tasks, even with disruptions.
• Keep track of long-term HR activities – Long-term projects are common in HR, so it’s vital to keep track of these endeavors in order for them to come to fruition. For example, let’s say the HR team has decided to review their employee performance appraisal practices. The team wants to transition out of physically written reviews to an electronic platform which will help managers turn in their reviews on time and in a simpler way. However, for the team to be able to pursue this implementation, they’re going to have to spend some time reviewing various software that has the right capabilities that fit the organization’s needs. This is a long-term project, requiring the buy-in of all the leadership at the company. Once a platform has been chosen, there’s the training period for the appropriate staff, the implementation, testing, and then company-wide rollout. This is a huge project to take on! The organization of the meetings and milestones must be done carefully.

HR project management helps the entire team stay organized and up to speed on all aspects of their assigned projects. Given all the various aspects HR is involved in, having a transparent structure, where all members of the staff can see the progression and essential milestones, can create an efficient culture of trust propelled by productivity.

Now that we understand why project management is important in the HR department, let’s review some of the key benefits.

Benefits of HR Project Management

Project management in HR can help the team be more efficient, productive, thoughtful, and confident in their approaches to tricky employee situations as they can rely on their internal procedures to support their decision-making. Effective project management practices can keep momentum steadily moving forward, especially during high-volume times such as the submission of an employee’s annual performance review during a designated month.

HR project management can also benefit the staff in the following ways:

• Increases efficiencies in the recruitment process and eliminates too much back and forth between HR and the hiring managers which generally slows down the hiring process.

• Provides a way to expect the unexpected in project schedules by analyzing previous experiences and having contingencies in place to deal with those factors.

• Holds each team member involved in the project accountable for their part which eliminates the chance of duplicated efforts.

• Builds transparency and trust with effective project management practices.

• Encourages collaboration by providing a platform that allows for seamless communication in the HR department and throughout the organization.

• Supports high productivity by keeping the timeline moving.

• Promotes flexibility through constant communication, which allows for flexibility and the implementation of manageable adjustments.

• Tracks all major active and long-term projects especially those considered high priority including projects requiring buy-in from leadership where scheduling and availability may be a critical issue.

• Enables the team to plan out projects in a shared platform so that all the most important data is in one centralized location.

• Sets clear expectations of the team members participating in the project’s lifecycle so that everyone understands the necessity of their role and the importance of their individual contributions.

• Helps prepare HR managers to give important updates about project progression to leadership which includes company-wide events such as Town Hall. This can also happen at a smaller level such as weekly/monthly team updates.

• Provides insights into team priorities and identifies limited resources, allowing the staff to pivot direction if necessary if other demands were to come up.

• Allows visibility in your team’s commitments to manage workflow and avoid over-scheduling and overwhelm which can heavily impact motivation and productivity. This also helps to maintain a fair and evenly distributed workload throughout the team.

• Enables you to improve communication with other departments by using an interconnected platform, eliminating the constant need for emails.

HR Project Management Examples

HR project management not only benefits HR but also the entire organization. Let’s now take a look at some of these practices in action!

1. Recruitment – The recruitment process can certainly be complicated given that there are many parts to manage. For example, the hiring manager contacts HR/recruitment to discuss their hiring needs. This includes:

• Formalizing a job description
• Appropriately pricing the position
• Setting expectations about the interview process (who manages what)
• Testing (if the position calls for a skills test)
• Interview coordination
• Hiring decision/compensation package
• Verbal/Written offer and acceptance (or rejection) of offer
• Background check
• First-day scheduling – official meeting with HR for paperwork and logistics with associated department

The recruitment team needs a way to track this entire process from beginning to end. By tracking all these pieces of recruitment procedures, the team will be able to easily track where potential candidates are in their consideration process. This also makes it easier for the team to update the hiring managers in a timely manner instead of fishing through emails. The recruitment team can access a platform that simply pulls all of this information together in one central location.

2. Onboarding – Just like with recruitment, the onboarding process has various steps:

• First-day meeting with new employee
• Official employment paperwork
• Photo-taking (for badges, website, etc.)
• Tours (if applicable)
• Orientations
• Training

This is another opportunity where HR project management benefits both the staff and the new employee! Before the new hire has even started, a project management system can help the new employee know what to expect during their first week. If using the right system, new employees can feel more prepared with a customized checklist and a list of documents they can send beforehand, which expedites the onboarding process. HR can then interact with the employee on a whole new level, request that certain documents be corrected prior to the meeting with HR, setting the tone for their first day.

3. Performance review process – HR also manages the performance review process. The majority of organizations have a basic structure(or similar) for performance reviews:

• 30-day check-in (beginning of intro period)
• 60-day check-in (mid-way through intro period)
• 90-day check-in (the last of the introduction period)
• Annual review period (1 year from hire)

It’s important to remember that performance reviews are interactive discussions between a manager and an employee. The manager has an opportunity to have a fluid conversation with their direct report, talk about areas that need improvement, and what is working well. Conversely, the employee also has the opportunity to provide the same feedback to their manager. Having an efficient HR management system that can not only keep track of performance appraisals and their due dates, but can also track which ones have already been submitted, pending, or complete. It can also be a fantastic way to access the feedback and file it away in the employee’s file.

Project documentation is a vital part of any business. It ensures that all employees are on the same page, projects are completed efficiently and effectively, and processes are standardized.

Without a good system in place, employees will waste time trying to track down information, projects will be messier than they need to be, and company processes will not be as streamlined as they could be.

However, many businesses don’t have a good system for project documentation in place, which can lead to a lot of wasted time and money.

In this article, we will discuss what project documentation is and how to create a good management system for it. We’ll also take a look at the benefits of having such a system in place!

What Is Project Documentation?

Project documentation is a collection of documents and files that are related to project management. These can include things like scope statements, requirements specifications, planning reports, or meeting notes, for example!

The purpose of these documents is to maintain accurate records about what has been done already. Also, providing visibility into who owns which tasks within each project at any given time. A good system in place helps employees save time when they need information. It also helps managers track progress, so they know where everything stands on all their projects at any moment’s glance!

It can include any of the following:

• Project scope and objectives (e.g., a list of goals and stretch goals)
• Requirements or specifications for what needs to be done (e.g., how many people will work on it; what tools they need access to)
• Processes for everything from employee onboarding, break schedules, customer service, etc.
• A list of steps to follow when completing tasks/activities related to this particular project, as well as their status updates, so everyone knows where things stand at all times.

The Benefits Of Having A Project Document Management System In Place

When it comes to project management, having a good system for document management can have a lot of benefits.

Here are some of the top advantages:

Monitoring and Control

It helps keep track of information that has been relevant at different stages throughout your projects’ lifecycle, so everyone knows where they stand at all times!

Collaboration

It allows employees to collaborate more effectively by giving them access to documents related specifically to the task they’re working on right now. This means less time spent looking through other people’s material instead of focusing exclusively on their own duties & responsibilities.

Reduces Risk

When there is a good system in place for managing project documentation, then any potential risks can be identified and addressed early enough before they cause any significant issues – and this goes for both internal and external risks.

Standardization

Standardization of company processes is one of the main benefits of implementing a good system for project documentation.

It means that everyone within the organization will be working to the same set of standards, which makes it easier to manage projects as a whole and track progress. This can save businesses time & money in the long run.

Easier to Find Documents

When everything is well-organized and filed away in the correct places, it becomes much easier for employees to find what they need quickly and without any fuss. This can save a lot of time during the course of a project!

Less Wasted Time

When employees don’t have to spend so much time looking for documents, they can focus on their work and get more done.

It is also easier to find errors before they become costly mistakes. When everything is well-organized, it’s easier to identify issues early on before they become major problems later down the line!

Improved Communication Between Teams

A project document management system can help improve communication between employees and managers. It allows them to have better insight into what tasks are being completed by whom, so there’s never any confusion about who owns which task within each project at all times.

Project Management Document Types

There are different types of documents that you may need to create when managing your project documentation:

• Meeting Minutes: these document everything that was discussed during meetings, including decisions made, action items assigned, and deadlines agreed upon.
• Issue Logs: these logs track all issues (and their resolutions) encountered during the course of a project.
• Change Log: these logs track all changes that have been made to the documentation during its lifecycle, including who made those changes, when they were made and why they were necessary.
• Status Reports: these report on how well each team member is doing with their assigned tasks, which helps keep everyone accountable for what they’re supposed to be doing.
• Project Plan: This document lays out the entire project, including its goals, objectives, tasks, and deadlines.
• Design Specifications: these documents detail what needs to be done in order for a design project to meet its requirements.
• Project Risk Register: this document lists all risks that are associated with the project, along with what can be done to mitigate those risks.
• Project Calendar: this document lays out when tasks need to be completed and by whom, so everyone is aware of what’s happening when.
• Task List: this document contains a list of all tasks that need to be completed for the project, along with their associated deadlines.
• Project Checklist: this document is a handy checklist of everything that needs to be done in order to launch a project successfully.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, as each business will likely have different documentation needs. What’s important is that any document your business creates has a proper place that is easy to access.

Project Document Management Best Practices

While there are many benefits to implementing a good management system for your project documents, it’s crucial that you follow best practices in order to get the most out of them!

Here are some tips on how we can do just this:

Organize Documents By Project Or Team Member Name

This makes it easier for everyone involved with each specific task or activity-related document within their projects at any given time. It also helps keep things organized, which improves productivity levels as well as reduces the chances of misplacing documents.

Create A Master Folder Structure

This will act as the primary repository for all project documentation, making it easy for employees to know where everything is and find what they need with ease.

Include A Table Of Contents In All Project Documents

This helps make navigating long and complex documents much easier, as well as allowing employees to quickly get an overview of a document’s contents without having to read through every single page.

Use Templates Whenever Possible

Templates help ensure that all project documents are consistent in terms of layout, font choice, style, etc., which makes them easier to read and understand. This also eliminates the need for employees to spend time formatting new documents from scratch each time a new project starts.

Include Version Numbers

This allows employees to keep track of different versions of documents and which one is the most up-to-date. This is especially handy when multiple people are working on the same document at the same time.

Store Documents In Electronic Format

Not only does this save physical space, but electronic files can also be easily searched, sorted, and accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. Plus, they’re less likely to get lost or damaged than their paper counterparts.

Label and Date All Documents

This makes it easy for employees to quickly find what they’re looking for, especially if there are multiple versions of a document. It also serves as a form of record-keeping, so you can track how changes (or lack thereof) have affected your project over time.

It becomes easier to track when a document was created, who last modified it, and why. It’s also helpful for quickly finding documents based on keywords like ‘project plan’ or ‘budget.’

Make Sure Everyone Has Access To The Right Documents

This will help ensure everyone is on the same page throughout any given project, which will lead to better results in less time. You can restrict access to sensitive information to ensure that only the relevant employees can access classified documents.

Keep Refining Your Processes for Project Document Management

Project document management is not something that can be set and forgotten. You’ll need to keep refining processes as time goes on to make sure your project documents are in tip-top shape.

How to Start A Project Document Management System

The first step in creating a project document management system is to identify what documents your business needs and why. This can be as simple or complex as you want – it just depends on how much time/money you’re willing to invest into this process!

Next, determine where those documents will live (e.g., online folder or project management system). Once these steps have been completed, it’s time for employees to start filling out their respective documents within the new system so that everyone knows what their responsibilities are at all times.

Once you’ve created your document inventory, it’s time to start creating the actual management system. You can create a system of folders on your business’s intranet, but the best option is likely to be using a dedicated project management tool such as Teamly.

Once the new system is in place, the next step is to train employees on how to use it. This can be done through quick tutorials or by having employees shadow someone who is already familiar with the system.

It’s also essential to enforce the new system by holding employees accountable for using it correctly. After all, the whole point of implementing it is to make everyone’s lives easier!

Archive Old Documents, Don’t Throw Them Out

When it comes to document management, one of the most important things businesses can do is archive old documents instead of deleting them. Not only does this help reduce clutter and keep your business organized, but it also provides a valuable archive of information that can be accessed when needed.

Here are some tips on how to archive your old documents:

Start by identifying which documents can be safely archived. This can be done by sorting documents into two categories: active and inactive. Active documents are those that are currently being used or referenced. In contrast, inactive documents are ones that are no longer needed or relevant.

Once you’ve identified which documents should be archived, the next step is to create a system for doing so. One way to do this is by creating a specific folder for archived documents.

Another common method is to use a project management software that has an archive function. This makes it easy for employees to find what they’re looking for, even if they don’t know where it’s located.

You’re also creating a searchable archive of information that can be accessed when needed by archiving old documents. This can be helpful for businesses that need to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

While the saying “Okay Boomer” may have kicked off what appears to be a war of generations, the truth is that generations have been butting heads for centuries.

“[Young people] are high-minded because they have not yet been humbled by life, nor have they experienced the force of circumstances.”

Rhetoric, Aristotle, 4th Century BC

Had Aristotle had a Twitter account, rest assured that the generational frustration would have been much better known. Social media has made it much easier to not only point out differences between generations but also enable the creation of stereotypes that have trickled into our workplaces.

Thankfully, there are a number of studies that show, without a doubt, that a generationally diverse workforce is not only good business but makes for much more effective teams.

Working Generations

At this time, there are five distinct generations that occupy the workforce or are in positions of authority and influence over the workforce conditions.

The Silent Generation (born between 1928-1945)

While the majority are formally retired, you will still find them sitting on boards as well as other positions in which we rely heavily on their experience. This generation experienced both WWII and/or the Great Depression so it’s no surprise that this shaped their views and work habits. The Silent Generation tends to value tradition and loyalty above all else and are significantly more likely to have spent their entire career with one employer than other generations. Given their experience with the Great Depression, they are known to be thrifty which can be excellent quality in the workplace but sometimes hinder their ability to embrace new technology or take risks. Other words often associated with The Silent Generation include resilience, determination and work ethic.

Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964)

This appropriately named generation was the result of a steep increase in children being born following the war. Boomers don’t tend to get enough credit for the role that they played in challenging the status quo and initiating some of the most profound movements and changes in our history. Because of their sheer numbers, Boomers grew up in a world of competition meaning those that worked the hardest, saw the advancements in their careers and reaped the rewards as a direct result. Because of favourable economic conditions, most Boomers were able to afford things that are considered luxury today such as homeownership and affordable education. They are known for their discipline and hard work.

Generation X (born between 1965-1980)

Sandwiched between two very loud generations, Gen X is often forgotten or tends to be lumped in with either Boomers or Millenials depending on the year they were born but there are important distinctions that set them apart. After women entered the workforce, birthrates dropped significantly making Gen X much smaller than the Boomers before them. They are known for being incredibly adaptable and resilient, the first generation where it was common for both parents to work outside the home. Gen X has a unique perspective on technology because they have lived through the development of it all, knowing both life with and without it. Though not to the extent of The Silent Generation, Gen X also lived through a recession in the 90’s and that certainly encouraged them to be resilient, thrifty, and flexible.

Millennials (born between 1980-1995)

If you ask any Millennial, they will tell you that they got the short end of the stick and that isn’t entirely untrue. Being raised by a generation that valued good employment, many Millennials were pushed into post-secondary education at a time the cost was significantly higher. While Gen X technically has the most student debt, they have much better employment prospects to manage their payments than Millenials. It isn’t all doom and gloom though, Millennials have challenged the notion that money is the ultimate driver and they demand a work-life balance and want to work for businesses that care about something other than profits. They value connection and work best when they are inspired. Millennials are also known as the pioneers of remote work. When it comes to technology, they are significantly more tech-savvy than previous generations and have high standards of working conditions.

Generation Z/Zoomers (born between 1996-2015)

Zoomers are looking to change the world and they have the best technology in their back pocket to support their movement. Young, energetic and incredibly diverse… just don’t call them Millenials… they really don’t like that. While many Millennials enjoyed their childhoods without social media, Zoomers live on it and it has shaped how they interact with the world. Their name is also appropriate as they are very quick to figure things out, especially technology, taking very little time to learn a new program or even research topics of interest. Much like Millenials, flexibility is a must for this generation and they are driven to work for organizations with a purpose other than just making money.

Managing Distinct Generations

Every single person is influenced by the world around them and although we live on the same planet, experiences differ greatly depending on time, location and even resources available. These experiences shape our motivation as well as our sense of purpose which ultimately effect our work habits and preferences. The sooner that you can embrace this idea, the closer you will be to having a fully functional intergenerational team.

But this won’t come easily.

For example, older generations tend to gravitate towards phone calls or physical meetings over texts and emails that younger people tend to prefer. If your assumption is that young people lack social skills to have phone or in-person conversations, you will miss the true motivation behind this preference and miss an opportunity to understand how experience shapes this preference.

While it is true that the thought of a phone call can be anxiety-inducing for some people, the preference for text or email is actually often based on the consideration of time, their own but also someone else’s. A text or email can be answered at the earliest convenience while a phone call is assuming that someone has the time, then and there, to chat. If you are used to being available and value a short and concise call as was the norm in older generations, this is a non-issue. However, if you are used to the flexibility and less micromanagement of your time, a phone call can feel very intrusive.

There is no right or wrong way to communicate but understanding the motivation will go a long way to opening those doors and building mutual respect. Understanding the origin of these differences opens the doors to a reasonable compromise and reduces tensions.

10 Tips for Managing an Intergenerational Workforce

How you manage or participate in an intergeneration team will vary greatly. There are a lot of personalities at play and generalizations (even the ones given above) can create an unnecessary block. Take a step back and consider implementing the following tips to build cohesion in your team.

1. Throw Out Harmful Stereotypes

It isn’t helpful to take stereotypes into your workspace but it is helpful to understand the different generations that make up your team to better meet their needs. Stereotypes generally focus on the negative so shift your perspective to some of the positive attributes that we understand from different generations and use that as a starting point.

A recent study found that even the threat of age-based stereotypes meant that people did not perform as well and were less likely to work towards longer-term professional goals. If you assume that a Millenial will be entitled, or that a Boomer may push back the thought of updating new technology, you will miss out on the unique perspective that comes with that generation.

Check your unconscious bias at the door and get to know people as individuals. You may be surprised.

2. Understanding Motivations

Consider the conditions of the time that certain team members entered the workforce. Did they start their career in 2020 when a global pandemic forced people to work remotely? If so, chances are that they have come to expect a flexible work environment with the option to partially or full work remotely. If someone started work during any period of recession, they likely value stability and predictability over flexible work arrangements.

While these are generalizations, giving yourself a starting point based on significant historical events will give you an idea of what to expect. From here, simply ask! People are happy to share what motivates them to work and the conditions that they would work best in. Many people share motivations and differ only in how they reach for them.

3. Communicate Preferences

Most issues can be mitigated if only people would clearly communicate. Make it a priority to sit down and speak with your team and provide a safe space for them to express their work and communication preferences… there is no need for guesswork!

There is a time and place for just about every style of communication so finding a balance and offering a compromise will go a long way to building mutual respect. Showing that you will embrace a style opposite of your preference will give a positive example for someone else to move a little bit too and find a happy medium.

4. Educate Your Team on the Value of Diversity

At this time in history, there is really no excuse to not value diversity in the workplace. Whether you have a small or large team, prioritize getting a diverse group of people around the table, age is just one of the measures of diversity but is a great one to start with. Consider also ethnicity and gender identity.

There are sufficient studies from all disciplines including economists that show diversified teams see more success. The initial challenge of finding your balance as it related to managing an intergenerational team is well worth the outcome.

5. Embrace Commonalities

In your quest to mitigate differences, don’t forget to highlight commonalities. What are the common values present in your team? You may be surprised to find more overlap than expected because people can live and express the same values in different ways.

Just about everyone in the workforce wants to:

• Contribute beyond themselves
• Be fairly compensated for their work
• Feel valued and appreciated
• Provide for themselves/their family
• Be happy

These are all things that we can get behind and anything that gets in the way of those desires will cause frustrations among the team.

6. Be Flexible

At first glance (at least for this Millenial), you may assume that flexibility is simply time and space-related. That is certainly true, all studies are pointing that the new generation of workers is expecting their employers to offer some kind of flexible working arrangements but there are a number of areas that you should expect to be flexible in. Do not bend completely in one direction if your team has a diverse generational makeup. Some people truly prefer traditional work hours and expectations and their preferences are valid and should be respected.

Another way to be flexible is in offering personal and professional development based on the needs of your team. Consider what each person is interested in developing or even exploring when it comes to professional skills. Allow your team to work across silos (within reason) and encourage collaboration where ever possible.

7. Respect boundaries

This is one of the hardest parts of managing an intergenerational team and the larger the age gap, the more profound the distinction tends to be.

As younger generations enter the workforce, so do their more progressive views on a number of issues and topics that were once considered taboo to utter in the professional environment. We have them to thank for helping to reduce the stigma and draw attention to a number of important issues such as mental health, gender identity, and diversity. That said, this can cause some tension in an environment with a workforce that was used to simply going to work and doing a job.

It isn’t possible that every single person will agree but it is necessary that they understand why an organization will place a higher value on their stance on these issues. A good example is that of race relations. A 2020 Pew Research study found patterns in responses to the question of Black being treated less fairly. The younger the generation, the higher likelihood that the respondent would indicate that they believe that Blacks are treated less fairly than whites.

The word “respect” often gets thrown out in conversations between generations because their experience has shaped how respect is given over the years – some people feel respect needs to be earned and others that it is implied. This is a balance that will have to be struck within your team.

8. Commit to Learning

Learning is everyone’s responsibility, not just the young people starting out but also the senior-level employees who have been in the workforce longer than the young ones have been on this planet. At its core, committing to learning about each generation is a sign of respect and will help to mitigate any frustrations that may come with differing motivations.

Committing to learning starts at the individual level but can be facilitated through management by creating and structuring teams with complementary personalities and motivations but different perspectives. These pairings will help to break down the silos and appreciate commonalities.

9. Provide Unconscious Bias and EDI Training

While it may seem like a cop-out, outsourcing unconscious bias and EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) training is a smart and easy way to start the conversation about working with different groups of people.

10. Set the Standard

There is no better way to encourage change than to walk the walk and talk the talk yourself. Make an effort to connect with people of different generations. This does not mean treating everyone the same, that will inevitably leave some people left out and unappreciated. Respect and acknowledge differences, be intentional about connecting with your team no matter what your position is.

Stop running project chaos and start planning for the unexpected…

Contingency plans are intended to handle situations in which things fail to go according to plan. They let you keep pursuing your project’s objectives with confidence even when everything appears to be going horribly wrong.

A contingency plan in project management is an important part of what you do.

During the course of any project, there are times when circumstances may change dramatically or even go out of control, requiring your project to be re-evaluated. As you make your initial plans for your project, it is recommended that you include both what should happen and what could go wrong and what you will do if the situation arises.

The steps for what to do when something goes wrong depend on the magnitude of the problem, and what’s causing it. This article aims to give you an idea of what steps to take, what considerations need to be made, and what the key elements are for creating a contingency plan.

All fields require a contingency plan

Contingency planning is essential for any endeavor. It’s what coaches do for their team when they are preparing for the next game, it’s what governments do when they build alternative bridges, and what hospitals do when they prepare for pandemics.

It’s what project managers do to plan for what happens if a team member gets sick, or if there is an emergency shutdown of the company’s building, or if the client isn’t happy with what you’re delivering.

What is a Contingency Plan?

A contingency plan is what you use when something unexpected happens to your project plan. Contingency planning ensures that your projects stay on course by helping you prepare for obstacles, making a way for better solutions to arise should you encounter difficulties along the way.

For example, what would you do if you client had to cancel the project in the middle? Or what if one of your team members doesn’t return from vacation on time, leading to a delay with completing certain parts of the project?

If you are not prepared you might have to abandon what you’re doing and come up with a different solution in a hurry. This is what contingency planning will help you avoid, so you can finish what’s been started.

Having a contingency plan in place for what to do when things go wrong ensures that your project won’t get derailed by what could have been prevented.

Purpose of a contingency plan.

When Apple did their IOS 14 update in the summer of 2021, it really put facebook in a bind. That update made it very difficult to retrieve users’ personal information. This made it more difficult for Facebook to track users behavior, resulting in less ad revenue.

Whatever your opinions are of whether this was a good thing, what it illustrates is how important contingency planning is.

Problems like this happen for all businesses of varied sizes. This is why it’s important for companies to have contingency plans in place. Contingency plans are born out of what is uncertain or what could happen that would be detrimental to your project.

Sometimes it’s not what you do but what you don’t do that puts your company in a bind.

Number of problems…

You can run into a number of problems when your team is executing a project. You could have a lack of deliverables, a lack of funding, or not enough time. The printer could break down, people could get sick, supply chains can get bogged down.

Many things can go wrong like:

• Your client’s not satisfied with your work.
• Your client decides to cancel the project leaving you without a source of income for your business.
• Significant changes in product requirements.
• Market changes.
• Even weather conditions could make it difficult for a collaborator to show up to perform what they have been contracted to do.

Whatever the case may be, you need to answer the question: what do you do when your project strategies are put in jeopardy? This is what contingency plans are for. They are meant to be the anticipatory steps in what to do when things break from the original plan.

Don’t fall into the trap…

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you don’t need a contingency plan because you’re certain your project strategy is solid.

Even what seems like the most foolproof project needs contingency plans in place, because what if your suppliers drop out? What if nobody shows up on time? What if you run out of supplies or money?

A project manager’s job is all about mitigating risks and preventing problems before they happen. If you don’t do this? Well, then by definition it’s what is known as a “risky project.”

All projects need contingency plans just in case something goes wrong, and what that will look like is different for every project.

How to write a contingency plan in 4 simple steps

It’s now time to create your project contingency plan.

Remember your contingency strategy should be placed within the broader context of your project plan. Which means, you should have answered the following questions: What is the scope of your project? Who’s going to do what? When are they going to start and finish what they’re doing? How much is this going to cost? What equipment is needed?

Remember, contingency plans should be developed before work starts, and should cover what you’ll do if things go wrong. So after your ideal plan is written it’s time to hedge it against the potential pitfalls.

Step 1: Sketch out your project flow.

Picture what’s going to happen throughout the life cycle of your project. The better you are able to identify and articulate what the project flow is, the easier it will be for your team to understand what contingency plans need to be made.

Answering the following questions will help you identify what could go wrong:

• What’s the project’s objective?
• What are the major milestones and the corresponding tasks needed to accomplish the project’s objective?
• What are the major tasks and their dependencies?
• Who are the project’s key personnel, and what talents or talents do they have in their roles on the project?
• What resources are required for the major tasks?
• Is there specialized-uncommon-equipment used to complete the project?
• Is the project dependent on a specific location?
• Is the project dependent on a specific time of the year?

These questions may seem tedious but many of them are basic questions that directly relate to your project. And once you get a handle on what the major project milestones are, you’ll be able to identify what your contingency plan should include.

Step 2: Create a list of risks for each major milestone.

Here is where you can get creative and try to think of what could go wrong.

Let’s use an example of a project that’s dedicated to adding a new and updated store page to your company’s website.

The milestones may look something like this:

1. Initial planning meeting with key personnel to determine what the project entails. For the sake of the example our key team members will be product suppliers, web designers, coders, copywriters, media buyers, and customer support.
2. Determine what products need to be included on the page.
3. Create a mockup of what the store’s new look will be like; using what was learned during step 2.
4. Order the products.
5. Research the marketing. What keywords are needed for the new page? What are the demographics of our current customers?
6. Design, code, and implement new webpage on companies website.
7. Launch website.
8. Start running ads for your store.
9. Check in with customer support.

There are several risks that could happen at each of these milestones. One of the risks is what if your supplier decides they don’t want to work on what you’re asking them to do? What’s your contingency plan for this problem?

Or let’s say your ads get great traffic, what happens if your servers can’t handle the amount of viewers?

What if your traffic source, for the sake of argument, is buying Google ads and gets rejected because of a bug in Google’s algorithm?

All of these problems can be mitigated with contingency plans.

Step 3: Determine what actions to take if problems occur.

This is where things get a little bit fuzzy and you may have to rely on your team member’s talents and expertise.

Once you know what normal project completion looks like and the potential risks, determine what the contingency plans should be for what could go wrong with each task, milestone, and dependency.

Example:

Let’s say because of supply chain issues in the wider market you run the risk of not being able to get what you need from your supplier. There are several things that could happen.

The supplier may not be able to give you what you’re looking for because of what they think the market is going to do.

Maybe there’s a chance they will, but it will cost significantly more money for them to do so. Maybe what you’re asking for can’t be done. Or what if what your supplier is telling might not be the only option?

Is there another product that has most of what you need and it won’t cost what they want for their products? Do you have to use this supplier at all, or could you find what you need somewhere else?

Creative solutions are what helps create contingency plans.

Once everything that might go wrong has been determined, the project’s necessary actions will be outlined. And once it’s clear what resources are needed for each stage and how long it’ll take, your contingency plans will be what helps you to execute what needs to happen.

Step 4: Share and periodically revisit your contingency plan.

The last step of contingency planning is to share what your plans are with both team members and any project stakeholders. This ensures everyone has the same information which means no one will be caught off guard if something goes wrong.

Then, after each milestone, revisit what you’ve done so far, what worked well, what could have gone better, what you can do to improve what’s going on in the project.

Have you ever written someone a letter and then it sat on your desk for a week because you didn’t get around to finding a stamp and putting it in the mailbox?

It’s so easy to mentally check something off as “done” before it’s “done done.”

Yet the intended purpose of something like a letter isn’t achieved until the other person receives it. In project management, these sort of tangible tasks are known as deliverables.

Every project involves completing them. Writing code, planning a budget and creating slides are all examples of deliverables. Service businesses like consulting have deliverables as well.

It’s only by handing these deliverables off to their intended recipient that a project can flow from one task to the next.

For this reason, creating good deliverables and bringing them to completion are integral to success in project management. In this post, we’re going to cover two methods for developing and completing deliverables. But first, let’s define just what deliverables are.

A Definition of Deliverables in Project Management

A deliverable is the completion of a specific and tangible amount of work that includes handing off the newly created increment to the appropriate person. For example, in software design, you might design some software, write it, debug it and do quality assurance, but the customer needs to receive it before it’s complete.

The Project Management glossary defines deliverables as:

“Any tangible outcome that is produced by the project. These can be documents, plans, computer systems, buildings, aircraft, etc. Internal deliverables are also produced as a consequence of executing the project, and are usually only needed by the project team. External deliverables are those that are created for customers and stakeholders.”

And so a deliverable, generally, is something that you can really touch and see. It’s a physical item or a file on a computer.

For many projects, the ultimate objective is a deliverable, such as a house or an airplane. However, smaller deliverables accrue throughout the entire project. They include things like reports, code repository and powerpoint slides.

Teams have deliverables they share amongst themselves. This could be something like debriefing the client, writing up a summary, then presenting the summary to the team.

Or at a retrospective, the team may create goals for the next sprint that are written up and shared with the project leader.

Examples of Deliverables

Deliverables look a lot different depending on the type of industry you’re in. Let’s look at some examples of deliverables within various types of projects.

Construction

Deliverables are easy to grasp in a visual, tangible setting. In construction, the final deliverable is whatever the project is set out to create: possibly a house, an office building or a parking lot.

But the team completes many smaller deliverables as it moves toward the end goal. In the initial stages, the architect submits plans to the client, and the contractor makes a bid. And throughout construction, each completed step is another deliverable. This includes laying the foundation, building the frame, adding wiring, electricity and insulation, mounting drywall, installing flooring and tiling, and finally things like appliances, cupboards and lights. Final deliverables are tests to ensure the building is up to code.

Software

The final deliverable in a software project is usually something like an app, a website or an e-commerce site.

Many software teams complete projects in an agile framework these days. This means they select small individual batches of work to complete in one iteration which takes around two weeks. At the end of this iteration, they’ve created a deliverable, called increment, which is one small portion of the final deliverable. This increment is passed onto the client for review.

The team has many internal deliverables throughout a project as well. For example, if the project is running over budget one person may be assigned with coming up with a plan to rein in costs, then write it up and present it to the rest of the team.

Consulting

Consulting, essentially, is giving advice. People come to a consultant when they have a pressing need and believe the consultant has more insight or expertise into the area than they do. The service, then, is the answers to questions that the consultant provides. Since advice isn’t tangible, this doesn’t qualify as a deliverable.

However, oftentimes this advice is presented in a tangible way. If you’re laying out a migration plan for a company to go from an old system to a new one, a deliverable may be a flow chart that visually represents the path and timeline you recommend the team follow.

In another instance, a consultant might advise a company on how to go mobile. This assignment would require a lot of research and interviews, and so the deliverable would be a report which summarizes the research and concludes with a recommendation.

And so even a project like consulting includes deliverables in its project planning.

In sum, deliverables look a lot different depending on the type of industry and the nature of the service provided. However, deliverables are always a tangible product. Many deliverables are completed in a short time frame of a week or two. And a large project is the compilation of a long series of deliverables.

Checklists for Deliverables

In its simplest form, a project is a list of tasks that leads to a desired outcome. Project management is about creating this list and developing a strategy to complete everything within the project’s budget and timeline.

This isn’t an easy job. When a task is too vague and includes only a few specifications, a team may create something different from what the client had in mind. It’s also easy for a team to mark something off as done before it’s really complete. This prevents a project from moving onto the next item on the list.

In order to prevent these two scenarios from occurring, it’s good to have some systems in place. Let’s look at two list exercises to assist with this; one for creating deliverables and another for completing them.

The “Is-is not” List

Have you ever asked someone to pick something up for you at the store, and what they brought back was the wrong brand or the wrong flavor? At this point, you realize that you needed to have explained your request more clearly.

The same thing happens in projects all the time. The client or project manager communicates a deliverable, but the team hears something completely different.

In order to keep a project on track, the parameters of a deliverable need to be outlined so that everyone understands the expectation. One easy way to do this is with an “is-is not” list.

This list entails making two columns on a sheet of paper, with “is” and “is not” written at the top of each column. The stakeholders in this particular deliverable then each contribute to determine what the deliverable will and won’t be.

If the deliverable is a marketing plan, for example, then some items in the “is” column might include: “under 30 pages,” “organized with headers to be readable and scannable,” “uses photos alongside text,” and “include a social media plan.”

The “is not” column might include: “no long paragraphs,” “no passive voice” and “no magazine ads.”

This list is useful in defining all sorts of deliverables. Even though it’s a simple exercise, it really gets everyone clear on the expectations.

The Done Checklist

Have you ever walked around an office looking for a report, and then someone pulls it from below a pile of papers and says they finished it last week?

If so, you’re not alone. It’s easy for all of us to think we’ve finished something, mentally check it off as done, and move on to another task entirely. However, as mentioned earlier, the deliverable isn’t complete until it’s been received by the intended recipient.

The Scrum methodology has created something called the “Definition of Done” to address this issue. Here is how Ken Schwaber’s organization, The Home of Scrum, defines it:

“Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review.”

(In this definition, “increment” means the same thing as “deliverable.”)

The Definition of Done, essentially, is a list of all the criteria that must be accomplished to mark a deliverable off as complete.

To this end, many teams create a “done checklist” around a deliverable, to ensure that everyone understands the hoops that need to be jumped through before calling it a day.

For example, on a software team, the “done checklist” might include: writing code, testing, debugging and quality assurance. The final item on this list always includes presenting the deliverable to the end user, who is either someone in the office or the client. The value really hasn’t been added until this final step is “done”!

In sum, deliverables need to be created with a lot of TLC, and it takes stick-to-itiveness to bring them over the finish line. Having processes in place helps to achieve this.

Final Thoughts on Deliverables

A deliverable is easy to see and touch and measure. For this reason, clients like to see deliverables in a project. For example, it adds some weight to include things like slide decks or reports to a consulting proposal.

This leads to a tendency for a team to define success around the deliverable. This isn’t always the best bullseye to aim for, however. The real objective in any project is adding value to the client. That’s ultimately what you’re working to deliver.

To this end, it’s usually good to plan small deliverables around shorter time frames. Clients may not entirely understand what they want in terms of a final deliverable at the beginning of a project. They may only be able to clarify their overall objective.

When a project is completed piecemeal, it creates an opportunity for the client to look at what has been developed and assess how the project is going.

And so rather than look at a deliverable as one enormous task, it’s generally much safer for the team to get into the practice of decomposing projects into smaller units that can be completed in a short time frame. Based on the feedback from the client, the team can then determine its next plan for deliverables.