You’ve just been asked to lead a project. It’s a great opportunity – but also slightly terrifying. Where do you start? What if it all goes sideways?
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
At Elev-8, we work with managers who are brilliant at their day job… and suddenly find themselves managing projects with zero formal training. No Gantt charts. No RAID logs. Just the messy, human reality of pulling people and plans together.
In reality, most of what makes a project succeed isn’t technical. It’s how you set the tone, get people aligned, and keep momentum when things get messy (which they will).
Why this matters
Project work shows up in nearly every role now. Whether you’re launching a new initiative, running a campaign, or improving a process…it’s a project.
The problem? Too many projects stall because:
- The goal wasn’t clear
- Roles weren’t nailed down
- Risk conversations got avoided
- Everyone assumed someone else was owning it
It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about creating enough clarity and safety for your team to move forward, speak up, and adapt as things change.
A quick pulse-check
- Have you ever started a project without a shared goal (and hoped no one would notice)?
- Do you get stuck chasing updates or unclear on who’s doing what?
- Do meetings go in circles with no real decisions?
If yes, that’s not a skill gap. That’s a facilitation and mindset gap. Which means it’s fixable.
Try this with your team: the 10-question kick-off
Before you jump into actions, ask these with your team:
- What problem are we actually solving?
- What exactly are we delivering, and what’s not in scope?
- What does success look like?
- Who’s this for, and what do they care about?
- What could trip us up?
- What deadlines actually matter?
- Who’s doing what?
- How will we work together?
- How do we communicate (without death-by-meeting)?
- When and how will we review progress?
It’s a simple reset that stops chaos before it starts.
Final thought – People over process, always
The best project managers aren’t spreadsheet wizards. They’re the ones who:
- Ask the right questions early
- Create clarity and accountability
- Spot tension before it explodes
- Know when to step in… and when to get out of the way
You don’t need a qualification to run a good project. You just need to be intentional, human, and a bit braver than the chaos around you.
Want to go deeper?
Project management for non-project managers is one of 30+ proven, practical sessions in our Ready to Go suite of management development topics. Built to help your managers lead with confidence, clarity and care.
