Resources:General Advice

Here are some general tips for the conduct of your project. Braden has started the ball rolling with a few tips identified by his initials, [BJP]. I encourage other supervisors to contribute tips of their own. I expect some of them will be counterpoints!

• [BJP] If you fall behind your schedule you must either work hard to get back on track or re-design your schedule. If you do it properly the latter is often a good option. Identify the highest priority outcomes and make sure you can achieve them with the new schedule.
• [BJP] If the project is not going well, make a noise! Let your supervisor know. Let your project team know. Do not leave it to the last minute to try and get things back on track.
• [BJP] Do not let anyone or anything hold you up. You may have to wait for software to be installed. You may have to wait for parts to be delivered. You may have to wait for your supervisor to answer your questions. Do not let these things stop you. Find something else to do, find a way around, get help from someone else or fix the problem yourself.
• [BJP] Things will go wrong. How you handle problems is an important aspect of the project. Fix the problems and don’t just blame other people.
• [DG] Try and get any equipment or software you might need ordered as early as possible through the storeman. It is not unusual for delays in delivery to occur, or for suppliers to run out of what you want at the worst possible time.
• [DG] Ask your supervisor(s) lots of questions and be a active participant in meetings. We are here to guide you through the project as well as assessing your performance.
• [HGC] Break the problem down into manageable blocks. Creating a system diagram that simplifies down to blocks that can be completed within a week or two, will help with the design and management of the project.