It’s easy to get stuck thinking that job growth and project improvement is something that occurs over the longer-haul of time. But what if you could spend just two hours in one day moving your project forward in the eyes of your managers and team members?

In our never ending push to be all that we can be, here are three simple ways to do something today that makes a difference on a project, no matter where it stands. If you have five projects going on at once, then pick just one.

Ready?

Call the project sponsor

Make an unplanned call just to reach out. And make the topic a “hey, how are we doing” type of discussion. Seriously. My guess is that most of the time you have a conversation with this person, it’s either because you have something scheduled or you need something. Try a different tactic. Be that project manager who reaches out for no other reason then to just basically ask if everything is going OK and see if there’s anything you can do. The person on the other end may be surprised at first, but when the call is finished two things will likely have transpired:

1. You’ll have received some unrehearsed valuable feedback, and might have learned something new and worthwhile about your project sponsor.
2. You’ll have improved your project sponsor’s impression of you, the project and your organization – even if it’s already good.

Send a note to senior management

You’re on top of your project and you know everything that’s going on with it. That’s evident in the detailed status reporting you do every week for your team and customer. Now, take what you consider to be your best project (i.e., the one that’s running most smoothly; is most important to your organization or is a high-earning account), put together a few bullet points about its current status and send this off to select members of your senior leadership.

The idea is to raise positive awareness for your project and for you. Plus, there’s the goodwill gained by the effort you make to keep the higher-ups in the loop. Now your project is more visible and you might have gained a new ally or two in the process.

Send a note praising the team

Finally, take a few moments and comprise an internal “press release” about your project’s current status in which you praise your team for their successful efforts on the project so far. Your team members will appreciate the nod that they’ve just received from you – most everyone wants to be acknowledged for the effort they make and the work they do. The note you send, whether in press release form, a thank-you note or a straight-up email will likely be warmly received for the intention of your efforts.

Any one of these three tips can all be done in one day – probably in less than two hours. And the effects they could have on your team, your project and you could be a positive one that gains momentum and grows over time. Try one of these tips and tell us how it went!

Do you have a tip on the small daily actions you can take to improve the visibility and reputation of your team’s project? Our comment box is just waiting for you!