Great Project Managers Don’t Stick to the Plan

I love being a project manager for Camvio. I also love being a mom. Ironically, the two have a lot in common.

I start every project the same way: with good intentions and a little bit of a copy/paste mindset. You know the process, you know what has worked before, and you go in thinking, “Okay, we’ve got a plan.” I prepare the best way I can. I gather the resource information passed down from sales, set up a project plan, and communicate expectations internally.

Almost every time, I’m reminded pretty quickly that projects are rarely copy/paste. Just like kids or pets, every project is different. They all need something a little different from you. What worked for one might not work for the next, and sometimes you have to pause, take a breath, and reassess the plan.

That happens all the time in project management, especially when you’re implementing a SaaS like Camvio. You can be moving right along, and then all of a sudden a new release drops in the middle of deployment and BAM, things change. Clients change, too. They change their minds, their vendors, and their plans. And honestly, I’m okay with that.

In a fast-paced environment, you have to be agile. That’s what helps us stay at the top of our industry. On more than one occasion, a client has asked for something new in Camvio, and just like that, we pivot. The plan changes, the conversations shift, and we figure out how to make it work. That’s one of the things I like most about working in this space. We are always learning, adjusting, and growing right alongside our clients.

To me, being a good project manager is not about sticking to the original plan no matter what. It’s about knowing when something needs to shift, being able to adjust, and keeping everyone moving forward. Just like being a parent, I’m going to do my best, stay flexible, and keep showing up for what is needed.

In the end, seeing a project come together makes all of the communication, problem-solving, and pivoting completely worth it.