Old fashioned project management techniques are best consigned to history along with Rubik’s cubes, giant shoulder pads and Kajagoogoo, right?
Well, while modern project managers have access to far more impressive technology and can move to digital working, there is no reason to completely discard some of the best old fashioned project management techniques just yet.
Talk Face to Face
Have you forgotten the value of talking face to face? These days it is easy to get into the habit of speaking to stakeholders and team members over email, text messages or some other form of virtual communication.
Yet, by doing this we lose so much information and the chance to build up stronger bonds with others. It really is worth making the effort to maintain some form of regular face to face communication.
This is especially true with the people who really matter on your project. As the PRINCE2 qualified project manager you will want to keep everyone updated on the relevant information.
If you work on a virtual basis and simply can’t get together in the same room then video calling will let you do this in a modern way. It isn’t the same as being physically together in the same room but it is a decent alternative if you need one.
Write Things Down – With a Pen!
If you look at more mature project managers who use old fashioned project management techniques you might see that they usually carry something about with them. No, it’s not a Cabbage Patch Kid or a Frankie Goes to Hollywood cassette. It’s a pen.
While there are many more hi-tech ways of noting information in the 21st century there is something especially effective about using a pen and paper. When you write something down in this way there is far more chance of you remembering the details later on.
No matter what else you carry around with you, this is something that you should definitely always have close to hand. Even if you are going to transfer the information to a digital format later, the act of writing it down is still something that brings its own benefits.
Other Old Fashioned Project Management Techniques
If you work near to a more experienced project manager then you might want to ask them for some additional old fashioned project management techniques. Among these, you could find out about keeping written archives, perform whiteboard presentations and picking up the phone to –gasp – actually phone someone.
For many of us, the very best approach is to mix modern and old fashioned project management techniques as the situation demands. Once you have gained your PRINCE2 certificate you will feel more comfortable about doing whatever is need to get the job done.
There is also the fact that you need to take your stakeholders into account. Do you think that they would most appreciate a modern approach or more of a classic approach? Don’t forget that it is not unknown for people to forget best practices over time.
Perhaps it just comes down to keeping an open mind and approaching each new project and take in the way that is most suited to the challenges that it involves.
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