Project Management: How to Plan Project like Batman

Project planning is an important step in the project management process.

Project planning is the next step in the process of managing a project once it has been created.
At this stage, the project manager formulates a comprehensive project plan that outlines all the requirements for the project.
This planning phase involves defining project goals, allocating resources, and creating a detailed project schedule.

Knowledge is Power

In a world of super-powered beings, Batman succeeds because he knows more than anyone else, about everyone else. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of nearly every person has ever encountered, and is such a polymath that it’s easier to keep track of what he doesn’t know.

While you’re not going to encounter any supervillains at work (except for horrible bosses), you can still plan the Batman way by being intimately familiar with your industry, your team members, and your clients and stakeholders. Avoid nasty surprises by using project management tools to stay informed on project progress.

Plan Projects Beyond your limitations

Under that cape and cowl, Batman is just a rich boy with daddy issues. And yet he beats super-strong 500-pound gorillas on a regular basis. Why? Because he works past his physical limitations.

Don’t charge into a project when you know you don’t have the project resources to handle it. Instead, think outside the box and find ways to compensate. Borrow from another project team. Take a class. Or even get some outside help.

Make Backup Plans

For every plan Batman uses, he has 5 more just in case. He is able to adapt to any situation because he has already planned for the worst-case scenario, and worked his way up from there.

When creating your project plan, don’t rely on the best-case scenario. Any project manager worth his salt can tell you that most projects don’t stick to the original schedule. Plan for project delays, manpower shortages, bugs, and client resistance, and you’ll be better prepared when these things actually happen.

Be Goal-Oriented

The Dark Knight never takes his eyes off the prize, whether it’s beating down a supervillain or rescuing a damsel in distress. Everything he does moves him closer to the goal, even if it’s not immediately obvious.

Project managers should be the same way. You shouldn’t get so involved in the details that you lose sight of the big picture. The critical path is a great way to keep focused and maximize your team’s effort to get the project done as fast and efficiently as possible.

But perhaps one of the biggest reasons Batman has lived through so many fights is because he never gets complacent. He never stops learning and never stops improving. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word enough, and neither should you.

Image credit: Flickr, Anirudh Koul