While the sponsor, stakeholders, or management will officially sign off on the completed project, you will also have to finish your tenure as project manager. Along with the need to see that all loose ends are neatly wrapped up, you will want to take time to review the decisions you made and the strategies that you implemented along the way. Which ones worked? Which ones did not work as you hoped they would? Was your style of leadership effective? You may not be able to determine all of the answers yourself. If you have a thick skin, you may want team members to tell you what they liked and disliked about how you ran the project. Ask for honesty and be prepared to receive it.

As the project winds down, you will be faced with moving on to the next situation. In the corporate environment, there may be another project waiting for you. Or, you may be resuming business as usual. Having put so much effort into one specific project, you may feel let down when it comes to an end. Your daily routine may seem boring by comparison. On the other hand, working nine to five might feel like a vacation! Whatever you are feeling as the project winds down, don't allow yourself to give less than your usual commitment to the project. Just as you don't want team members to slack off as they see the finish line approaching, you must tell yourself that although the end is near, you will need to muster up one last burst of energy.

If the project is yours to sign off on, then you need to determine if everything has been completed to your liking, as you are management, sponsor, and champion. Carefully monitoring the project along the way should have eliminated any major surprises at this point. Carefully evaluate what you were looking to achieve and compare it to the finished project that is now before you. Don't sign off on it if you feel that more work is needed. On the other hand, don't pursue perfection at the risk of never having a marketable product, or falling behind the competition. Maintain high, but realistic, expectations.