Getting on top of your project requires a positive attitude throughout the project cycle. The initializing stage demands an open mind as brainstorming takes place. A lot of patience and sensitivity to project uncertainties, complexities and risks must be exhibited in the planning stage as tasks and risk ownership are assigned to the project team. In the execution stage the project manager needs to exercise good leadership as the team members execute the various project activities. He must ensure that he has a highly motivated team and he must display competent communication skills to avoid uncertainty or "unknown-knowns" on the project resulting from information gaps or blurry information flow. He must ensure that the project activities fall within budget, scope and schedule. The project manager needs to make clever trade-offs as he will often be faced with adjustments to the budget or the project scope. In the controlling and monitoring stage, a clever project manager will ensure project activities strategically aligned to the business goals and objectives do not go off tangent through the use of a rigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanism. And finally he closes off the project by ensuring a highly competent integrative process between project closure and the operational process prior to handover to the client.