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: Self-Development
Making Sense of Agile and DevOps
There has been a tectonic shift in how software is developed. Terms like Agile, CI/CD, DevOps, BDD, and TDD are new additions to the IT vocabulary. These new practices and […]
Controlling the Runaway Meeting
It is a common phenomenon. Something happens, usually something bad. Daily meetings are organized. Anyone connected with the event is there—from senior executives to junior staff. There is incredible focus. […]
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 […]
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: Linguistic and Cognitive Bias
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. […]
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% […]
The Lifeguard Analogy, Mindfulness, and the Project Manager
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, […]