There is a strong interconnection between effective change management and project management. In a large project, there is usually a change management component – and there are a number of situations where the project is an organizational change management initiative. You use the same project management processes when you implement an organizational change management life cycle. It’s the same basic approach whether you’re managing change or managing a project that creates change.

Choosing the right project manager is essential; this is the person who is going to lead your team, coordinate your resources, anticipate and solve problems, hit your deliverables, and get results. Hopefully! Take hope out of the equation, and know you’ve got the best person for the job. A little due diligence during the interview process can help you select the right candidate.

When you have people, you have conflict. That’s not fatalistic; it’s realistic! Diversity in thought, experience, and skills is the spice of a good team, but it also tends to breed internal disagreement. And that’s not necessarily bad. What does have negative consequences is letting internal strife and struggle spiral out of control or become destructive instead of constructive. There is no single right way for handling conflict within project teams, but there are wrong ways: ignoring it, or on the other extreme, firing people. What’s in the middle?

Effective project management is, ultimately, effective people management. Creating a team that works together cohesively and without succumbing to conflict is critical to project success. Technical skill sets are an important consideration. You need to stock your team with A-players in the competency areas required, but you also have to stock it with people who can bring the necessary behavioural and interpersonal skills. Budgets, timelines, technology, and processes don’t make or break a project. People do.

A backup plan allows you to be flexible and nimble in the face of change, which, during any project, is virtually guaranteed. A bit of a misnomer, the contingency plan is not an end-product, but an ongoing event. You don’t put it into place and get to say, “Good; we’re covered. We’re done with that.” Instead, the contingency plan evolves as the project evolves. Integral in project planning and management processes, the contingency encompasses all aspects of a project and reduces uncertainty and risk.