Projects involving technology are challenging for project managers. But it’s rarely the technology that presents the challenges. Here are ways to avoid common traps that trip up PMs leading projects with technical components. Projects are really about business processes. Projects to deploy technology typically produce two things: increased productivity and/or reduced cost. What delivers these […]
Adopting agile methodologies successfully requires the right mindset. For this iterative and adaptive approach to thrive, you need to embrace the following elements and characteristics. Speed and experience. Agile produces outcomes quickly, but that speed comes at a cost. You need dedicated experienced people on the team to produce quality outcomes and you need management […]
What criteria do you use to accept a deliverable? Have you ever even thought about it? I recommend applying more scrutiny to whether a deliverable is complete when closing a task. Here are criteria for deciding whether to accept a deliverable and close project tasks. Deliverables have been produced and can be reviewed. You can’t […]
We usually don’t get to pick all of our team members. When you can, focus on individuals’ characteristics that will, when combined, give you the best possible team. Here are five key traits for a successful project team. The ideal mix of skills. Every project team needs the proper mix of technical and business skills. […]
In a recent survey, AI in project management was my readers’ top topic to explore further. AI’s benefits are often highlighted, so let’s look at potential pitfalls using AI in project management. For an ironic twist, I asked an AI tool to identify the five most significant traps. Beyond best practice — required practice! Any […]
Project team members come with diverse personalities. Let’s look at how to take advantage of different personalities and their work preferences throughout your project. Important! As project managers, we might assume a person’s personality limits their abilities. For example, extroverts like to talk, but they‘re still able to actively listen to stakeholders. Be careful not […]
A big challenge in project estimating is dealing with the requestor! Leaders often have a number in mind. They might want you to deliver an unachievable objective or expect an unreasonable level of accuracy. Here are a few techniques to handle a challenging estimate requestor. Point out unknowns. Because projects are unique, they include things […]
Project managers need foresight to anticipate potential issues and handle project curveballs. Developing foresight takes time so here are five tips to help you expand your foresight. Learn from the past. Most organizations keep project files but few people ever look at them. Take time to study previous projects in your organization, successful and unsuccessful […]
The justification for a project isn’t always obvious. There could be a lot of negotiation to address conflicting business needs. And it can go beyond juggling the triple constraints of cost, scope, and time. When the team is struggling to agree on project justification, here are some trade-offs to consider. Resources versus project finish date. […]
Harmony between the project manager and project sponsor increases your ability to achieve project objectives. Because each relationship is unique, you must build it with intention. Here are critical items to understand to increase your harmony with your sponsor: Your sponsor’s perspective of their strengths and areas to improve. Everyone has strengths and areas for […]
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