Welcome to Week 3 of Fredo's Lessons, where I share my knowledge and insights to introduce you to the core concepts of project management.

This week, we're breaking down the key concept of how projects function from start to finish through different phases, referred to in PM speak as the Project Management Life Cycle. It’s important to note here that we are referring to a predictive project as opposed to an adaptive project, but that’s a lesson for another week!

Think of the project life cycle like making a playlist for a party. We can’t just throw a bunch of random songs on there and expect it to be fire; it's about creating a vibe and creating the right vibe takes care and attention throughout the process. Let’s go through the different phases real quick using the example of making a playlist for a party.

🎬 Project Initiation: Establishing the Vibe

You're tasked with curating the playlist for the party, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Before you can start adding songs, you have to know who's coming to the party, the kind of music they like, the vibe you’re going for, how long the party is going to be, etc. This will require you talking to your friends beforehand to get on the same page. That's pretty much what project initiation is, setting the vibe and making sure everyone's on board.

🧠 Project Planning: Building the Playlist

Now, it’s time to go through your library and start adding the right songs. In project planning, you're making the ultimate to-do list. You lay out the tracks (tasks), figure out how long each song's gonna play (timelines), and get your speakers (resources). You're also thinking about any potential things that could go wrong like the speaker dying (risks). Planning is where you make the ultimate roadmap for your project. 

🎶 Project Execution: Hitting Play

With your playlist ready, it's time to get the party started. This is where you and your friends (your project team) enjoy the music, singing and dancing along. Project Execution is where your project comes to life and the work is being done that you planned for.

👀 Project Monitoring & Control: Vibe Check

After you hit play, you don't just walk away until the party is over, right? Similarly, after the project kicks off, you got to keep an eye on things. Project monitoring is like adjusting the volume and ensuring the vibes stay high, changing the song if everyone isn’t feeling it. In this phase, you're tracking progress, making sure tasks stay on schedule, and dealing with any hiccups that might pop up.

🔚 Project Closure: Shutting it Down

Just like every party has to come to an end, so does every project, remember from last week all projects are temporary. In project closing, it's like reaching the last song of the night. You check if you've played all your favorite tracks, make sure everyone's had a blast (stakeholders). Project closing is like the morning after when you recap the night with your friends, share highlights, and talk about what you could do for an even better party next time.

If you are interested in going into more detail on the project life cycle, please check out Fredo’s Links below.

Keep rocking with me, and remember to share! Every subscriber will get a free Fredo’s Template once we hit 250 🚀

💻 Fredo’s Links 💻