“We’re too busy” kills many justifiable projects before they start. Some organizations overcome this resistance, not because they’re less busy, but because they view their business holistically and fit projects into their daily activities, without hiring expensive contractors. This Project Pointer describes how they manage to pull off this sleight of hand.
The concept of a 40-hour work week is thrown around constantly. And many project plans use this week to develop a schedule. Sadly, a 40-hour work week is a mythical beast. Bob McGannon and I rant a bit about this obstinately long-lived myth. Then we discuss more realistic work weeks and how to apply them in your project schedule.
A job search is a project, so what better way to make it a success than to use your project management skills on it? By approaching it this way, instead of passively waiting for opportunities, you’ll lead your own transition with intention. Anna Anderson and I explain how to apply your skills to your job search.
Technical and business priorities in an agile backlog require constant negotiation between delivering immediate value and maintaining long-term application stability. Stakeholders need to see and understand the trade-offs between the outcomes that they want and the work to maintain technical integrity. This Project Pointer describes approaches to achieve this balance.
A procurement plan is one part of every project plan. However, these procurement plans are often beefier than they need to be, particularly when your organization has existing procurement processes and staff. Bob McGannon and I discuss what a project procurement plan truly needs to have in a lot of cases, as well as when you might need to add more detail to your plan.
A new role is much like a project, whether it is a job, a consulting gig, or a volunteer position. Treat it like one and you’ll do your job well and prepare for a smooth handoff at the end. This Project Pointer describes how managing a role delivers success and gains admirers at the same time.
Padding estimates is a common occurrence because people like to give themselves wiggle room on their assignments. But padded estimates cause all sorts of issues for both the current and all future projects. And yet, this padding continues even though everyone knows that it’s happening. In this video, Bob McGannon and I talk about the damage padding does and how to prevent padding from happening.
Part of a project manager’s job is to manage risk on behalf of the sponsor. It is NOT to stop the sponsor from taking risks, because risk is often necessary to move a business forward. This Project Pointer describes ways to support a sponsor when they decide to take risks.
Understanding your project sponsor’s habits and perspectives can mean the difference between delivering business value and wasting time and money. This Project Pointer provides a checklist of key things to know about your project sponsor to increase your project success.
Rarely do all members of a project team participate from start to finish of a project. As a result, it’s important to have a procedure ready to handle the departure of a critical team member. This Project Pointer describes the basic steps.
