HOW TO GET PROJECT APPROVAL IN 3 STEPS

You’ve got an amazing idea. An idea that could save your company money, improve processes or make people’s lives easier. Regardless of your industry or position in the company, there will be a time when you need to get manager approval on a project. Below are three steps to ensure your project is approved. It’s a simple as being prepared, understanding the fiscal cost and the associated benefit for the company. Most importantly, it’s about communicating effectively.

Step 1: Research & Prepare

Your mangers have a lot on their plates, meaning they want meetings to be as impactful as possible, for both your sake and theirs. Before sending a calendar request to your boss or manager, set aside time for research and review. Ask yourself:

• How does this benefit the company? – This is the most important, as it’s why this project would even be considered. What is the potential ROI or how it will make the company more efficient?
• What is the cost? – How much will the company have to spend in time or money to get this project up and running?
• Who does this impact? – Will this just impact you, your entire department or the company as a whole?
• What are the moving parts? – Are there factors that still need to be worked out? If so, when and how will these factors be completed?
• Are there potential issues? – If so, what are they? How can you prepare to overcome and avoid those issues?
• What objections or questions might your manger have? – Near the end of the meeting, your manager is going to have some feedback. Prep as best you can for any foreseen apprehension or questions they might have!

If you are asking for resources and assistance, you’ll need to have answers to the above before initiating this meeting. Work to have a strong understanding of the inner workings of the overall positive impact this will have on the company – this will encourage your manager to approve your request.

Step 2: Communicate Successfully

Now you’ve done the leg work, half the battle is done. The other half is ensuring you are effectively and efficiently communicating your overall vision. It is essential to put together a clear, concise and aesthetically pleasing presentation that showcases the positive impact your project would have on the company. Include the facts from your research and preparation. Practice your presentation before you meet with your boss, ensuring you are confident in the meeting. Ask yourself:

• What format will be the most understandable? – A PowerPoint, Prezi, Word document?
• What are your main take-aways? – When your boss leaves the meeting, what do you want them to remember?
• How should I approach introducing the idea? – Explain the problem, then the solution or just jump into the benefits to the company?
• Should the presentation be branded or designed in a certain manner? – How will the project be received in the format you’ve chosen?

When you reach the time of the meeting, bring copies of your presentation for your reference and for your boss; they can take notes and keep the presentation to refer back to. When going through your idea, encourage feedback and questions, this shows you are dedicated to their understanding of the project.

Step 3: Revision & Implementation

Once you’ve communicated your idea to management they may approve it as is, but chances are they’ll have tweaks or revisions to add. Be open to suggestions and have a plan for perfecting your project to ensure it will be the most beneficial to the company. Be ready for a potential process of edits and re-submission. When your project is finalized, you should be ready to implement. In order to hit the ground running, ask yourself:

• What phases should I divide the implementation into? – What steps need to be worked out first in order to have a smooth implementation?
• Who will you need to announce the changes to: your department or the entire company? – Are there big players that should be told about the idea first?
• What is the most effective way you can communicate these changes? – Is this something you can just email to those affected? Or do you need to set up an onboarding meeting?

Having a game plan drawn out will not only help you get your project in place, but will convince your boss you are ready to take ownership of a project that will benefit their company.

What tips do you have for successfully getting project approval?

All the Best,

Jeff Beckham