---
title: "Executing the Project"
section: "Project Management"
sectionId: "project-management"
date: "2026-05"
---

Executing a good project is all about engaging people. The schedule and plan are inert — people make them real.

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## The Accountability Principle

Great project managers prove that every request, every commitment, and every missed deadline matters. This earns them high levels of respect and follow-through from the team.

- When you keep your commitments, you become trustworthy
- When your team sees you as trustworthy, they are encouraged to keep theirs
- **By keeping your own commitments with precision, you earn the right to hold others accountable**

Your job as a leader is not to manage people but to help them manage themselves. That means **clearing the path** — removing obstacles so they can do their best work.

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## Weekly Accountability Sessions (~30 minutes)

A cadence of visibility and accountability produces not only reliable results, but a high-performance team.

Run short, focused weekly huddles — not another status meeting, but a structured check-in:

- **Review the schedule and budget** — are we where we should be? If not, why not?
- **Surface blockers** — how can we help each other? Where does the path need clearing?
- **Make new commitments** — each team member commits to specific actions for the coming week
- **Report on last week's commitments** — did you do what you said you would?

### Why these sessions work

- No one feels isolated — people see that their work is a needed contribution, not busywork
- The team views the project as a whole, not just their slice of it
- The project manager learns exactly where to clear the path
- Problems surface early, when there is still time to fix them

Keep the meeting quick and agenda-driven. 30 minutes maximum.

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## Handling Missed Commitments

Don't let people miss commitments without consequence. If nothing happens, the team loses respect for you — even those who usually keep their commitments may start to slip.

If someone has a **chronic accountability problem**, address it directly:
- This can be one-to-one or in front of the team, depending on the situation
- Either way, the team needs to know you are handling it

**How to have a performance conversation:**
- Make it clear the conversation is about project outcomes, not personality or character
- Be direct: when commitments are missed, goals cannot be achieved
- The goal is for the person to understand quickly and clearly what needs to change

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## Giving Positive Feedback

Most people are never called into a one-on-one meeting simply to be thanked and told what they did right. Do it anyway.

When giving positive feedback, structure it as:

1. **Intent** — state why you are having the conversation
2. **Facts** — describe exactly what they did
3. **Impact** — explain the effect it had on the project or team

Telling people exactly what they did well and why it mattered gives them everything they need to replicate it.

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## Execution Principles

- Keep your own commitments first — accountability flows downward from you
- Your job is to clear the path, not to stand in it
- Build the team, not just the deliverable — your job is not just to finish the project
- A cadence of visibility creates accountability without micromanagement
- Remember, your job is not just to finish a project — it's also to build a great project team