Stalled on a health marketing project? Whether you’re having trouble getting started or are simply not making the progress you’d like, understanding the four phases all projects move through will help you get things moving in the right direction. 

WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

For our purposes, let’s define a project as a set of tasks that need to be completed in order to achieve a specific objective. 

In business, some projects are client facing (like the launch of a new product, marketing campaign or website), while others are intended to improve internal operations (like the implementation of software that speeds up your workflow). 

Some projects can be completed in an afternoon, while others can continue for months – or even longer.

THE 4 Ds OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Regardless of its size, duration or nature, almost every project undergoes several distinct phases during its lifespan. 

These are sometimes referred to as Stage Gates, but I like to think of them as the 4 Ds - the key activities involved in each project phase. When managing a project, you should aim to complete each phase in this order:

1. Discovery (sometimes referred to as State Gate 0 or the briefing phase)

2. Design (Stage Gate 1)

3. Develop (Stage Gate 2)

4. Deploy (Stage Gate 3)

You can use this framework to help you plan a new project and keep it moving smoothly.

And if your marketing project is stalled, assessing which phase of the 4 Ds you’re at will often help you work out what’s interfering with your momentum. (I often find that when I get stuck, it’s because I’m trying to do things out of order, or to move forward on a new phase before completing the previous step).

1. DISCOVERY: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?

The Discovery phase is the time you spend asking questions and investigating their answers. Consider topics like:

• What do my customers or clients want or need?

• Why is this relevant for them, and why now?

• What are my competitors doing?

• What’s the going rate for this type of product or service?

• What’s trending right now?

• What benefit will this initiative bring to my business?

• What logistics will I need to have in place to take this project live?

• What kind of evidence will I need to substantiate the claims I want to make for my product, and is it available?

I sometimes hear clients belittle the time they spend in the Discovery phase of the process as ‘wasting time’ or ‘spinning their wheels’. 

Instead, I encourage you to regard it as something that should be prioritised – but only for as long as it takes for you to get the answers you need. You definitely don’t want to get so caught up in Discovery that you don’t move ahead to the next phases. 

Taking the time to focus on the Discovery aspect of your project up front enables you to move forward with clarity, conviction and speed. 

On the other hand, if you’ve kicked off your project by immersing yourself in one of the subsequent stages without having spent time doing Discovery, you’re at risk of wasting time and / or money due to needing to change direction midway through.

2. DESIGN: HOW WILL YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM

How will you pull together the information you learned during your Discovery investigations? That’s what you need to decide during the Design phase of your project. 

It’s all about creating a framework, outline or clear intention that fulfils all the project needs so that you know what it is that you’re going to be working on. 

In other words, this is where you decide what’s ‘in scope’ for this project. What’s mandatory? What would be nice to have but not essential? And what potential inclusions are actually distractions that should be actively omitted?

3. DEVELOP: PUT THE WORK IN

The Develop phase is where the final product gets created. Whether you’re recording a video series, building a new website or keen to get a new product or service off the ground, this is the time when you need to sit yourself down in your chair and churn it out. 

If this is where your project has gotten stuck, consider whether you’ve made its scope too large or too complex. If so, you might be better off dividing it into several smaller projects and tackling them one at a time.

Alternatively, if you’re not making progress because you don’t have the time or skills to do the necessary tasks yourself, this is when it might be worthwhile outsourcing some or all of the work to an experienced marketing project manager, like me!

4. DEPLOY: MOVE INTO ACTION

When your project is complete and ready to roll, your final step is to Deploy it. 

‘Deploy’ is a military term that’s used to describe sending troops out to the frontline, ready for action and in line with the strategic direction of their leaders. 

Using this term rather than something like ‘Go live’ reminds me that a successful deployment often involves much more than simply pressing ‘Publish’ or opening a shopping cart. 

Those tasks are a critical aspect of Deployment, but in many projects what do you beforehand and afterwards is even more important. 

During this stage of the project, your focus should be on taking actions that enable your project to be fully implemented and utilised. For example:

• How will you get others on board? 

• What training and support might you need to have ready to roll out?

• Where should you be publicising your new offering to your market?

• What creative assets and content do you need to create as part of your marketing plan?

THE BONUS D: DEBRIEF

On important projects, I like to include a 5th D too – the Debrief. 

Taking an hour or two to consider what went well, what didn’t and what you can learn for next time is a great way to help future projects run smoothly and deliver successful outcomes. 

Most importantly, I recommend performing this part of the project process while enjoying your favourite celebratory beverage and congratulating yourself for creating something positive for your business. 

Cheers to you and your project success, and if you’d like to have a chat about how I can help you with your next project, please get in touch or schedule a call with me.