While I love and adore strategy, I also have a soft spot for project management. The two truly do go together, so it’s hard to say which comes first to ensure your business and projects are sustainable and supportive for your brand. (I take that back … Strategy. Strategy comes first. But project planning is an essential part of things, too!)

What I mean is…without planning, it’s very hard to meet the goals you’ve put forth in your strategy. It truly does work together. And doing project management in a vacuum is never successful because you’re leaving out those essential strategic pieces.

Your project schedules are a critical element of successful project management. So, I’m going to share a few things to keep in mind as you’re creating your next project timelines. That way, your next project can be efficient, in total alignment with your brand strategy, and ultimately, successful.

Keep in mind these are tactical pieces of project timelines to remember after you’ve done the strategy part. If you want some help with strategy, check out my blog posts around strategy or Two-Minute Tips to get started. Let’s dig in!

Project Timeline Must-Have #1: Clearly-Defined Turnaround Times

I have seen turn-times take down many promising projects. Realistic timeframes for all steps of your project are a must, but most essentially are the timelines for the people on your team who will be responsible for doing the things.

Clearly defined turnaround times for team members will ensure that each person has enough space and breathing room to do their best work, which means the best project outcome for you. Build into your project timelines enough extra room to account for:

• Minimum turn-times
• Rush fees (is the rush even necessary? Not if you plan well!)
• Team workload so they do their best work
• Bandwidth to do your part

By making this your first step, you’ll ensure your project is both on-strategy and can be efficiently completed to the highest possible level by all involved.

Related Reading: Turn Your Ideas Into Action in 3 Steps

Project Timeline Must-Have #2: Review Time

Oftentimes, we think we can just review something once and be done. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Kind of like making a grocery list, you gotta go over it a few times to make sure you’re getting everything you need without having to make a second trip to the store.

I work on a lot of teams and even though each person is doing their own reviews and proofing before handing over final deliverables, I’ve still seen errors come through. It’s not a fault, we all do it! A review will catch those overlooked mistakes. 

Not to mention, we’re all human and will interpret creative direction or strategic guidance differently. It’s important to make sure you not only have time to review for errors, but that you also have time to make sure the project is in alignment with your vision, and your strategy. 

So, be realistic about it and make sure you account for review time in your project timeline schedule.

Related Reading: 6 Simple Steps for Project Management Success

Project Timeline Must-Have #3: Multiple Rounds of Revisions

Not only should you have review time, you also need time to implement said reviews and make sure it’s all to your liking. Plus, how many times do you get something right on the first try? Sometimes it takes a couple iterations to get it right, so make sure you’re giving your team that same flexibility and grace!

Because of that, I encourage teams to have multiple rounds of revisions and also leave time for it in the schedule. This goes double if it’s a cornerstone project that you want to build your business upon.

Not to mention, I’ve seen project schedules implode and panic set in when there’s only time for 1 review in the schedule… but Review #1 turns into Review #2, #3, #4, and so on. Then, before you know it, the due date is right around the corner and everyone is panicking to finish in time. The quality of your project suffers, the sanity of your amazing team suffers, and your strategy suffers. It’s a lose-lose situation. 

So, when you’re including review time in your project schedules, consider…

• How many rounds of reviews is realistic?
• Who needs to review/give approval on what aspects of the project?
• How are you sharing feedback?
• What is the review chain of command?
• Are the edits completed by your team or outside contractors?
• Are you seeking reviews from other sources, like beta testers?
• What are the standards against which you’re reviewing your project (strategy docs, success metrics, etc)?

And of course, leaving time for that in your project schedule will ease any need to rush or delay the project because the person responsible for adjusting the final deliverables isn’t available.

Related Resource: Two-Minute Tip: 3 Things You’re Missing In Your Project Schedules

Project Timeline Must-Have #4: Testing and Final Proofing

No matter how many rounds of revisions you do, please … I repeat, PLEASE include time in your project schedule for a final (maybe for, like, the 5th time) review. I know it sounds excessive, but take it from me, you’ll want to do this. There’s always something that escapes notice — whether it’s double-checking an opt-in form to make sure it triggers the right confirmation email, doing a double-check for grammar and typos, or doing a final check to make sure your site works just as well on mobile as it does on desktop. Regardless of what it is, always reserve time for a final once-over of everything.

If you’re hosting a summit, run through things as if it were the day of the presentations so you know all the tech works together. Or if you’re launching a funnel (or anything in between), do a final quality check and go through each step “as if” it were live. If you’re sending something to the printer, check to make sure everything is in alignment and that it matches all of your printer’s specs. Or if you’re scheduling an email, send yourself one final test and check everything as if you’re a reader on your email list. 

And if you have someone on your team who is meticulous and detail-oriented, have them review it at this final stage too. It’s always good to have a second set of eyes (especially if it can be someone who didn’t design or develop the piece you’re reviewing). 

Not only will it calm your nerves that you’ve checked it all, you may catch unexpected bugs or errors that weren’t noticed before. This is also the time for a final check that everything is in alignment with your strategy. So, leave time for any fixes that may come up in this final quality check.

I usually recommend leaving at least 1 day in your schedule for final quality check/proofing, and then at least 1 – 2 days to address any final changes you might catch. If you find something, then you’ll know you’re covered from a timing perspective without having to delay the project. And if everything is on point and no final changes are needed, then you’ve just gained a little breathing room at the end of the project! Win. Win. 

Project Timeline Must-Have #5: Unexpected Hiccups

I know it’s natural to be optimistic with your schedules, especially if you’re excited about the project you’re working on! So, we map out project steps, action items, and best-case-scenario dates assuming everything will work smoothly. But how often are we in a good groove when a curveball comes our way and flips everything upside down? 

So, I don’t want to be Debbie Downer. That’s no fun. But I do want to encourage you to balance optimism with realism in your next schedule. 

What does that mean? Simply put …  give yourself buffer time. It might sound simple, but it’s important to plan out your project timeline to include some padding before the train has left the station. Oftentimes, trying to adjust the timeline when the curveball hits and the project is already underway causes unnecessary stress and friction. You’re frantically updating dates and panic-messaging your team and they’re having to shift their other work around to juggle new deadlines. It’s chaotic and oftentimes means the quality suffers as a result. 

So, accounting for the unexpected will give your project and your team the best shot at being successful.

Account for things like:

• Tech blunders
• Emergencies
• Mental health and sick days
• Weather issues
• Delays on reviews or deliverable deadlines
• Extra time needed to adjust deliverables based on reviews
• Being overly optimistic on the original project timeline

Having time for general “life” stuff that always happens will ensure you stay on your project timeline without crunching the schedule and still delivering the best to your clients or customers.

Related Reading: 7 Project Planning Mistakes to Avoid

Following these tips will ensure that your project timeline is efficient, successful, and intentional. You can also use these tips even if you aren’t actively working on a new project! Keeping the baseline projects that you always have running on schedule without crunching your team goes a long way for team retention and the quality of what your brand puts out there!