Why a Creative Project Manager is Crucial to Any Business
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business world, creativity is becoming an increasingly important factor for success. As a result, the role of the project manager has evolved to include a focus on creativity and innovation. A creative project manager is essential for any project, regardless of its size or scope. Here are five reasons why:
Encourages Innovation
A creative project manager is responsible for encouraging innovation within the team. They create an environment that fosters creativity and encourages team members to think outside the box. This can lead to new ideas and solutions that would have never been considered without the guidance of a creative project manager.
Ensures Effective Communication
Effective communication is crucial for the success of any project. A creative project manager understands this and ensures that communication channels are open and transparent. They facilitate communication between team members, stakeholders, and clients to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
Manages Resources Effectively
A creative project manager is responsible for managing resources effectively. They understand that creativity requires time, money, and other resources. They allocate resources appropriately to ensure that the team has what they need to be creative and innovative while keeping within the client’s budget.
Encourages Collaboration
Collaboration is essential for creativity and innovation. A creative project manager understands this and encourages collaboration between team members. They create opportunities for team members to work together, share ideas, and build on each other’s strengths.
Manages Risk
Every project comes with risks. A creative project manager is responsible for managing these risks effectively. They understand that creativity requires taking risks, but they also know how to mitigate those risks to ensure that the project stays on track.
In conclusion, a creative project manager is essential for any project that requires creativity and innovation. They encourage innovation, ensure effective communication, manage resources effectively, promote collaboration, and manage risk. Without a creative project manager, a project may lack direction, creativity, and innovation, leading to failure.
Do you have a project that needs a creative project manager? If so, contact me for a free chat to see how we can keep your projects on track! Email me at info@itaskvirtually.com
Happy New Year!
Ugh! The thought of making another list of New Year’s Resolutions can make some of us cringe. So, I thought I’d make just one New Year’s resolution this year.
Did you know only 44% of Americans made resolutions in 2015? And of that probably 1 in 3 abandon them by the end of January? So I decided to ditch the list and come up with something different and at the same time increase my profit.
Just yesterday I was going over the past year and making a plan as to how I was going to make this year better professionally. I’m sure all of you were inundated with everything from emails to Twitter and Facebook posts on New Year’s Resolutions, from how to keep them, to the lists to make, apps that remind you about them and what to do when you fail at keeping them, etc. It was this that prompted me to want to write this quick New Year’s post.
Making a list of resolutions can lead to a lot of negativity because when we don’t hold up our end of the bargain and don’t keep to a promise we made to ourselves, guilt sets in, and we get down on ourselves. Who wants that guilt trip immediately into the New Year? Not I and I know you don’t either. Entrepreneurially speaking, when you’re in business for yourself, failure is not an option and neither should be “good enough”.
So here’s what I propose we do instead. This one thing is all you have to do and I know you will have a great, guilt-free year. Day by day you’ll notice a difference in your outlook and your self-confidence. I wouldn’t call it a New Year resolution; I’d call it a shift in perspective because this doesn’t have to anything to do with a list. It has everything to do with our daily perspective.
Here it is; go the extra mile. We’ve all heard it before, but do we actually do it? Every day we are committed to doing things: projects, reports, schedules, meetings, emails, etc. Sometimes we are so pressed for time that “good enough” becomes our best. Don’t let that happen this year!
As Zig Ziglar once said, “There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”
How will this affect your profit? Simple, when you go the extra mile for your clients, they notice. In return, you will gain not only an increase in your self-confidence but also an increase in the loyalty of your customers. People want to do business with people they like, know and trust.
So if you have a project you have to oversee, is it running well? Or is it just good enough to get by? Take that extra few minutes, clear your head, focus and think about what’s in front of you. Ask yourself, “What can I do that takes this from “good enough” to great? If you apply this one thing with each task, you’ll feel great, you won’t feel that you did just enough to get by.
Being professional means going that extra mile, doing your best. So this year, rise above the crowd that makes lists of resolutions and keep it simple. Make just one New Year’s resolution – go the extra mile.
Stats from an article written by Mona Chalabi – a lead writer for FiveThirtyEight. (http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/only-44-percent-of-americans-made-new-years-resolutions/)
iTask Virtually has done an amazing job on designing and placing my Hunting Safari Company on Facebook. They are passionate about their business. My business has actually boomed since they have done the promotion. I can wholeheartedly recommend them to all who want their work done by their Company. This I can say is the full package deal a team full of cutting-edge talent, dedication and passion for the web, Facebook & all types of business designs and development. What I experienced through their commitment is that they always maintain what they do, when they see that there is no activity (Facebook) they let you know & try something new to make it more attractive. They really do a great job!
Dennis Sinclair – Managing Director
https://www.facebook.com/IzingonyamaAfricanHuntingSafari
If not properly thought out, it can be like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. This is definitely not the best way to measure your ROI (return on investment). If direct mail is going to be a part of your direct marketing campaign, there are certain components that must be in place.
A lot of people think, “I’ll do a postcard mailing and the customers will come running through the doors.”. Not so. There are 4 major characteristics of direct mail one needs to incorporate in to the direct mail process from the get go. Below, I list 4 key factors.
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” – Peter Drucker
#1 The Design.
The eye of the customer will catch the overall appeal of the direct mail piece first. The design must be attractive. Use colors that identify with your brand so that the customer receiving it immediately thinks of your product or service.
#2 The Format.
Will it be a postcard, a flyer or a brochure? Bigger is not necessarily better. Use a format that fits with your offer. If you have more than one offer or a sale on a few items for example, a back-to-school sale, a four-fold type of flyer might be better than a postcard. The format is also crucial to getting the best price from USPS. Take a look at Charts on my website. Here I give you the right and wrong way to fold a piece so that the USPS doesn’t reject all your hard work. Yes, that does happen.
#3 The List.
Are you using a list of customer addresses that you have acquired over the years? Or did you buy a list from a list company? The type of list you use is very important in targeting your best customer. The average person moves every few years and your customer may not live at that address anymore. Either way make sure your list is processed through NCOA (the National Change of Address). Not only does it correct the address, but it can drop certain addresses if they’re not complete; this saves you money because you’d be charged for mailing the piece whether it got delivered or not.
#4 The Offer.
What is your offer? Is it a percentage off a product or service? Is it a BOGO offer? Whatever the offer, make sure it’s a good one and an honest one. These days we are all too aware of companies who increase the price of a product before they have a sale. Don’t assume your customers can’t think. Be honest with your customers and you’ll have loyal customers in return. I’ve seen a lot of “offers” from companies that when you do the math, you actually end up paying more than the original off-sale price. With the economy today, people are taking the time to figure out if a “sale” or an “offer” is a valuable one and worth their time and energy to take you up on it and to stay loyal to your brand. Also important is to make sure your offer is consistent with your other advertising efforts. For example, if you’re a tire store doing a direct mail piece on tires, don’t have print ads that advertise an oil change. Be consistent.
By incorporating these items into your direct mail campaign, you can ensure a more successful rate of return for your product or service. There are more things one can use when doing a direct mail campaign and I’ll talk about those in another blog post. Just remember, a well thought-out direct mail campaign can yield excellent results giving you the edge over your competition and keeping your business top of mind.
Photo credit: Freedigitalphotos.net by Stuart Miles.
