"Plans get you into things but you must work your way out."                                       --Will Rogers

A common misconception in project management is that the hard work is done when the project plan or timeline is completed. All the team members should know what to do and when to do it; all you have to do is sit back and check off tasks. Right? Wrong.

A project plan is a guide; a living document that changes as life happens. Like any roadmap, you have to refer to it often and make corrections along the way. The reality is that team members do not refer to it on a daily basis so it is up to the project manager to use their personal management style to follow up with team members to verify results.

The key to success is knowing how to manage change. Everyone expects there to be issues along the way. But the true advantage of a project manager is their ability to deal with the change and still bring the project in on time and within budget.