Blogs on leadership and management
Project management relies on metrics to chart and manage performance. Good metrics are valuable. They measure the right things and provide the project manager, team, and stakeholders with actionable information. They also support and reinforce constructive team behaviors. By contrast, bad metrics can lead the […]
Status reporting is one of the most important functions performed by project managers. The profession strives for objective reporting and metrics. However, by its very nature, status reporting is subjective. To be more effective, project managers should: Accept and recognize that status is subjective; Recognize […]
Leadership is the holy grail of project management. According to CEB Global, project managers that possess entrepreneurial (leadership) skills are 40% more likely to deliver project outcomes, but only 30% of project managers have these skills. A recent article in the Project Management Journal, “What […]
Projects are about people! People, process, and technology are the essential components of any organizational analysis. When it comes to software development, people are more important than either process or technology. According to Frederick Brooks, author of The “Mythical Man Month”, “the quality of the […]
Lifeguards are taught to only go into the water as a last resort. Going into the water puts both the lifeguard and the victim at risk. The phrase, “reach, throw, row, and go” is drilled into trainees to break the natural impulse to immediately jump […]
At the weekly executive operational review meeting, the atmosphere was tense. We were having issues with the order processing systems and the sales reps were unable to install and fulfill the orders for the new product line. A raspy voice from the row of people […]
Say you are assigned to a new project. What process do you follow to determine your approach to engaging the team? Do you analyze the project’s organizational structure? How do you decide which role and power type to use? The project’s organizational structure influences the […]