The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Agreed-to, Realistic, and Time-Boxed) model is a standard for defining effective objectives and requirements, and it can also be applied to project success criteria. Beyond SMART characteristics, effective success criteria should also: Be tied to the business value used to justify the project. The project’s success criteria should reflect the project’s […]
Project management has a clear goal: to deliver business value. As a project manager, what can you do to support senior leaders on that value journey. Be predictable. Project methodologies create a pathway from idea to the realization of benefits. A powerful element of a methodology is predictability — for senior leaders and the team. […]
A team peer review helps ensure project integrity and provides learning moments for project managers and reviewers. After confirming the existence of critical control documents like a schedule, risk management plan, and resource plan, the reviewers can search for these points. If they are missing, project management improvements might be needed. All risks describe the […]
Timeboxing is a powerful feature of agile. Rather than make scope static, you fix time and resources and modify scope to get the maximum value in the minimum amount of time and cost. Instead of estimating task duration, you use fixed time periods and adjust the scope accordingly. Here are the principles you can follow […]
Following a project methodology ensures that your project team, customers, and sponsor know what to expect and makes the project team’s efforts predictable. However, there are times when diverging from your methodology may be the best thing to do to ensure project success. Unexpected challenges occur. When market conditions or technological disruptions change suddenly, the […]
The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines value as “the worth, importance, or usefulness of something.” To stakeholders, usefulness is more than quantitative measures of how deliverables satisfy a business case. Qualitative value comes in many forms. Here are several key qualitative values to consider for your projects. Deliverables must work with existing processes. Project deliverables […]
Agile projects rely on different skills than those of traditional waterfall projects. The required skills vary based on team members’ roles. Here are vital skills and knowledge the people on your agile team need. Communication, especially listening skills. Agile involves the constant exchange and implementation of ideas. As a result, agile team members need refined […]
Agility goes beyond the basic principles of Scrum and Kanban. To excel with Agile, teams must adopt behaviors and techniques that enhance flexibility, collaboration, and responsiveness. Here are strategies to improve the success of Agile projects: Allow extra time for learning. Resist the temptation to rush to the next sprint. Give your agile team some […]
I was recently asked how to deal with a micro-managing customer, especially when the sponsor isn’t standing up to them. Here are a few tips for handling this challenge whether you’re a project manager or team member. Trigger a debate. A stakeholder might micro-manage the project team when they feel that’s the only way to […]
It’s important to remember that completing the project Gantt chart tasks or agile backlog items is not the ultimate project goal. Here are the true objectives project managers and their teams must achieve for successful projects. Build capable stakeholders. All products or services a project provides should be easy to use, fit for purpose, and […]
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