Milestones

No matter the size of a project, there should be key milestones that allow management to understand its progression. That may be a wall sized gantt chart or a brief synopsis. Being able to identify the right milestones and then hit their delivery on time and in budget is the key to project management. I had a very smart over achiever realize in a light bulb moment that the goal of the project manager was just that - deliver on time and in budget. A project is scoped peice of work - not a cahnce to go out and tear down the moon with all these new innovations. Make the plan and work the plan.

Training

Most erstwhile project managers do not have the training they need. They must understand the goals of the project the implications to the organization, the budget implications all in addition to the standard skills of effective commuication, negotiation and the attention to detail needed.

Organizational Buy In

Most organizations that I have helped have an institutional bias against successful projects. At times that appears as not being willing to support the information gathering before a project. At times it is an incessant need to change the requirements, and at times it shows up in an unwillingness to prioritize. It is important to get the buy in and the routine review of the organization with respect to the IT agenda.