insights Mastering the Art of Project Management: Best Practices

What is project management? 

Project management is the process of overseeing a project from planning through to completion. 

As one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, AtkinsRéalis is well-positioned to help organizations navigate the complexities of their projects, ensuring efficiency, quality, and successful outcomes. 

What do project managers do? 

Project managers work collaboratively with their teams to deliver high-quality projects and technical excellence for clients. 

They are responsible for overseeing projects from initiation to completion, employing industry best practices whilst building strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders. 

What makes a good project manager? 

Projects come with a lot of different complexities, and stakeholders, and require exceptional leadership, communication, time management, and organization skills to manage all of these elements. 

Along with these soft skills, project managers require technical expertise, industry knowledge, and an understanding of how different teams operate. This allows them to guide stakeholders, encourage collaboration, and ensure the project is running efficiently and effectively. 

What are project management best practices? 

Understanding processes and techniques that have been proven to be effective in the successful execution of projects is a key part of a project management role. Here are some best practices that can help you to take your career to the next level: 

• Developing clear objectives and understanding the scope of the project - setting and sharing goals with stakeholders can help to keep everyone on the same page and make well-informed decisions. It can also act as a north star where people can revisit these objectives as the project progresses. 

• Project planning - a detailed project plan including budgets, timelines, communication strategies, and how to allocate resources can go a long way. There are a lot of moving parts in project planning and this level of detail can create clarity for both clients and stakeholders working on the project. 

• Establishing regular communication - regular communication channels can help to keep everyone informed on progress, blockers, and any changes. The more information stakeholders have, the more efficiency you will be able to achieve as you can gain access to the right information and support from your teams. 

• Tracking objectives - continuously monitoring project progress and comparing actual performance with planned outcomes allows one to anticipate for unexpected challenges or changes. 

• Documenting milestones and progress - regularly documenting milestones and lessons learned during and after project completion means you can apply this knowledge and improve processes for future projects.

Project management careers at AtkinsRéalis 

If you’re interested in pursuing a career with a varied workload, plenty of progression opportunities and where you actively use your strategic thinking skills, project management could be for you.

What’s more, you will have access to industry experts and the latest technologies so you can employ project management best practices and stay at the forefront of innovation. 

Wherever you are in your career, explore our project management opportunities today. 

Or if you can’t find what you are looking for, sign up for job alerts.