Learning to Love the PMBOK®–It Wasn’t Easy
Years ago, I begrudgingly took my project management certification (PMP®) exam. I passed. Almost a decade later, I now teach PMP® preparation classes and see the value of the Project […]
Tag: PM Skills
The Project Manager and the Scrum Master Should be Friends
There is a debate in the Agile community regarding the role of the project manager and the scrum master. These discussions remind me of a song from the musical, Oklahoma. […]
Time: Conserving the Precious Resource
Time is the dominant constraint on all projects. There is a constant race against the clock. Many projects have fixed completion dates determined by external forces. Projects that fall behind […]
Planning is a Process, Not an Outcome
The project schedule is the most recognized project management artifact. Stakeholders embrace the schedule as a sacred covenant with the team. In reality, project plans are just the best approximation […]
Decision Making: 6 Ways to be More Effective
Projects sometimes feel like the movie “Ground Hog Day”—endlessly revisiting the same decision hoping to get them right. This cycle is frustrating, time consuming and unproductive. Instituting structured decision-making processes […]
Project Status is Subjective: Status Metrics
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. […]
Project Leadership: What Gets Measured, Gets Done
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% […]
Peering into the Crystal Ball: 7 Tips for Successful Project Risk Management
Managing risk is a core knowledge area in The Guide to Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK ®). According to the PMI’s Pulse on the Profession®, one of the leading […]
Keeping Projects On-Track
One of a project manager’s greatest challenges is keeping the project “on-track.” Many forces conspire against meeting this goal. To overcome these challenges, the project manager should plan for […]
5 Things to Consider when Initiating a Mega-Project
Mega-projects (aka, massive strategic initiatives) are not just big projects. The scale and complexity of these undertakings can overwhelm the typical enterprise. To successfully execute mega-projects, enterprises should adjust and […]