SMART guidelines are used to assess requirements in waterfall projects. They apply to agile projects as well: Specific. In Agile, it doesn’t exist initially. Specific relates to the final product. Requirements are captured during development, not documented in advance. However, the end result typically goes beyond the detail and specificity of traditional requirements. When broad […]
Identifying risks early in a project is a best practice. Here are some benefits of this great approach. Obtain critical information for project approval. Without identifying risks early, an inappropriate project could be launched, wasting money and valuable stakeholder time. Instead, understanding the risks provides a balanced view of the value of project outcomes. The […]
Great project managers always seem the get the best people for their projects. What’s their secret? Establishing relationships with management works best: You sell your project directly. With a good relationship, you can discuss in detail the benefits and drawbacks of the project as well as the development opportunities for having the manager’s employees work […]
A project charter details the project manager’s responsibilities, but typically not the sponsor’s. Here’s why you should document sponsor responsibilities, too. Identify who manages senior stakeholder relationships. Sometimes, senior project stakeholders don’t know the sponsor. For project success, key stakeholders need to understand and trust the sponsor and his or her motives. The charter should […]
Project managers often ask for a project deadline. That might be a bad idea. Here are reasons to propose a project deadline rather than request one: You need to analyze before agreeing to a deadline. Until your project team analyzes the work required to achieve business outcomes, you can’t be sure the deadline provided is […]
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) breaks down your project into the activities needed to meet project objectives. Here are tips for breaking down project activities: Break tasks down into 8 – 40 hours of effort. To help track progress, break down work so tasks can be completed within a week. If a process takes longer […]
Standardized project communication is part of effective stakeholder management, and yet at times customized reports may be best. Here are tips for when to invest the additional effort to create customized reports: A key stakeholder has unique priorities. Stakeholders have unique priorities. Often, customized reports are needed to address those priorities. For example, your finance […]
I knew nothing about Project, QuickBooks, Visio, Basecamp and other tools when I started. Here are the techniques I use to master software quickly:
Delayed decisions by key project stakeholders can cripple a project schedule. Here are tips for managing your project approval processes to help you stay on track: Determine the final arbiter: Although it’s best to get multiple opinions before project decisions are made, it’s crucial to clearly appoint the final arbiter for decisions. Collaboration is effective, […]
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