Projects can be complex and overwhelming, but we've got you covered! This section is full of resources to help you and your team stay on track and deal with any issues that may arise.
Delegating Duties
Want to make sure that your project is successful? Your group charter will ensure the whole team understands the goals, roles, duties, and deadlines in an easily accessible format. Don't be afraid to adjust the group charter as your project evolves.
Tips
Assign a Project Lead or “Project Manager” who will lead the team and track the progress.
Make sure all team members have a chance to participate and learn from each other.
Tools
Templates
The Group Charter and the Group Inventory tools will help you define your team’s roles and responsibilities. For your convenience, here is a word document file of both the Group Charter and Group Inventory templates.
Budgeting
Many projects require you to create and manage budgets, which can sometimes seem overwhelming. Just remember - you don’t need amazing math skills to manage money. If you carefully organize your expenses, you will be able to track where the money goes, when you might need to access more funds, and how much money you have left to finish the project. The easily accessible resources provided here will help you develop your budgeting skills, for your project and beyond!
Tips
Make a plan! List all your projected costs.
Don’t reinvent the wheel, tweak it! Ask around for similar project budgets as a way to inspire yours.
Keep a buffer for costly surprises!
Review and update your costs regularly to make sure you’re within budget and on track.
Tools
Be Proactive
Knowing what to avoid is as important as knowing what to do when it comes to budgets
Create your own, customized budgeting approach with advice from the Indeed Editorial Team
Troubleshooting
Despite your best efforts, sometimes budgets run into problems. Here are some ideas that can help you troubleshoot unexpected issues
Templates
These templates will give you a place to start
- Microsoft has a range of simple budget templates that are part of any version of Excel
- Best free Google Sheets budget templates
- Apple Numbers software also provides a broad range of free budget templates
Communication
Communication is at the core of all projects. Whether you are communicating with team members, funders, supervisors or project participants these resources will help you convey your message clearly and effectively. And remember - a picture’s worth a thousand words, so be sure to take tons of photos!
Tips
Listen closely before responding!
Be receptive to opinions and ideas that are different from yours. You never know where the next great idea will come from!
During meetings, assign a note-taker, facilitator, and timekeeper to ensure things run smoothly.
Disagreements are good! They can lead to better ideas!
Keep your team updated about delays, progress, or budget changes as soon as possible.
Tools
Student Guide to Group Work
The Learning Commons offers a range of communication planning tools.
More specifically though, we have to point you to the Communicating Effectively resource from the Student Guide to Group Work!
Synchronous or Asynchronous?
Wondering whether you should use synchronous or asynchronous communication? Watch this video to help you understand the pros and cons of each!
Facing Challenges
Groupthink can prevent your team from considering important opportunities or issues with your project. Don’t know what that is? Watch this video to learn more.
Disagreements happen all the time when working in groups. Here’s how you can work through them effectively.
Resolve conflicts productively with the Stop, Name, Ask, Explain technique.
LinkedIn Learning Courses are freely available to students at York University. Consult this web page for more information and to log in using your Passport York account. Once logged in, use the link above to connect.
- Take this free Social Media Marketing Course to learn the three-step recipe for optimizing your social media marketing mix.
- Don’t go in blind when it comes to communication. Learn how to create a Communication Strategy!
Templates
- Here are some ideas to get you started with your communication plan.
- Communicating Effectively Section of Student Guide to Group Work.
Keeping Track of Details
Losing track of tasks and deadlines can derail your project, so paying attention to details is important for successful project completion. Here are some really cool resources to help you track project details like a pro. Don't skip this section!
Tips
Depending on your project timeline, set up daily or weekly checklists to monitor progress.
Tracking details allows you to understand what stage the project is at in relation to where it’s meant to be and to take the necessary steps to adjust the plan, access resources, create efficiencies, or redefine the scope to stay on track.
Collaborative platforms like Microsoft Teams, One Note, Notion, etc. can help the team stay in touch and on the same page.
Tools
Better Communication
Here are some great resources to help you track your project! Watch these videos to learn.
Online Courses
LinkedIn Learning Courses are freely available to students at York University. Consult this web page for more information and to log in using your Passport York account. Once logged in, use the link above to connect.
Try this free LinkedIn Learning Course about Managing Projects with Microsoft.
