Why a Detail-Oriented Approach is Essential in Project Management

Sweating the small stuff can lead to success

Project management is a highly developed process that facilitates the completion of business projects in the most effective way possible, according to defined goals and requirements. Project management training has evolved and now involves various levels of certification that demonstrate learned skills.

One aspect of setting a framework for project management is a detail-oriented approach that is essential for numerous reasons. The main reason for the importance of being detail-oriented for project management is that it ensures accuracy as the team plans and completes the project. Being detail-oriented and accurate go hand-in-hand when it comes to project management.

Details Needed From Conception to Completion

When the idea for a project is first conceived, details are important in order for the project manager to direct and develop the concept in accordance with existing company goals and objectives. An ill-conceived, vague project idea does not have much chance of becoming an effective project that benefits the company and satisfies customers or company leaders.

Projects that are planned haphazardly and without attention to detail may have parts and pieces that fall through the cracks and aren’t addressed in a timely fashion. Project managers that aren’t detail-oriented are likely to experience a multitude of delays from poor planning and logistics that could even have a significant negative impact on the project or even derail it if the customer becomes unhappy.

During the execution phase, handling the details in project management is similarly important so that each team member knows what to do and has guidelines for how to do it effectively. Productivity will suffer when employees don’t know what they are supposed to do or have to constantly ask the team leader what their next task will be.

It’s also important to keep track of details as the project progresses to monitor what has been done and what still needs to be addressed. Being detail-oriented also helps the team make sure that all essential tasks get completed at the right time and in the correct order to ensure that everything goes more smoothly.

Can Project Managers Be Too Detail-Oriented?

When studying project management, professionals may wonder if there’s such a thing as being too detail-oriented. And while a high level of detail is desirable for project management, it is possible that an extreme level of attention to detail, like most extremes, could be counterproductive.

Micromanaging team members does not typically yield positive results, for example, and is likely to backfire and lower productivity rather than increase it. It is also possible to get too caught up in the details of various tasks and spend too much time on them, which will not move the project forward according to the prescribed schedule.

But while extreme attention to detail may not work out well for project management, most project managers do benefit from a fairly high level of detail as part of their best practices. Successful delegation in project management can be a way to encourage attention to detail without getting too extreme about it.

Florida Tech offers many programs for project management training, including certifications through the Project Management Institute, a Master’s in Project Management and an MBA with a Project Management concentration.  Apply now to start earning your project management credential or degree to demonstrate your leadership skills in the workplace.