Project Planning Best Practices: How to Set Realistic Expectations

Setting realistic expectations is an essential part of any project planning. Without realistic expectations, projects can become derailed and end up costing more time and money than anticipated. It is important to understand the scope of a project, the resources available, and the timeline for completion in order to set realistic expectations.

Best practices for setting realistic expectations include understanding the goals of a project, assessing the resources available, and managing stakeholder expectations. Doing will ensure that everyone involved in a project understands what they need to do in order to achieve success. With careful planning and communication, teams can ensure that their projects are completed on time and within budget while meeting all stakeholders’ needs. The following are examples the common steps involved in developing a project plan.

• Define the stakeholders, who need to be included in the project.
• Identify potential hurdles and outcomes that might affect your project during or after completion.
• Determine your timeline for completing the project and how much time you will need before beginning development.
• Create a budget for your project and identify any sources of funding that can help fund it.
• Select methods of communication throughout the process that allow everyone to share information with each other.