Small businesses are often in a quandary. They’ve got lots of things to do, but often few resources. How to determine when it’s best to formally plan a project or just do it without a plan? For many small companies, much of this is determined by the owner or the manager. What is important to accomplish? Projects are developed because the deliverable is important to the […]
Here’s the next profile in my series “How Did I Get Here?” focusing on how and why someone became a project manager. McDowell Graham has 20 years’ project planning and business process engineering experience; 11 years’ experience with supporting Federal agencies; and 5 years in SharePoint site collection administration and content design/development/delivery. A Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Black Belt, and ISO […]
With all the marketing hype and material out there, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest software tools. Many of these tools can make a big difference in your business, streamlining processes and maybe even bringing in more revenue. How does a busy business owner know whether or not a tool will help, or just drain the life out of your limited human […]
Anyone that has been a project manager for any length of time has heard of Lessons Learned. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines Lessons Learned on page 544 of the PMBOK Fifth Edition: The knowledge gained during a project which shows how project events were addressed or should be addressed in the future with the purpose of improving future performance.” PMP Exam tip In fact, if you […]
No matter our profession, there are always some aspects of the work that we don’t like. Here’s my list today. Unrealistic management expectations In my career, I’ve had some great managers who are pretty savvy about what can get done and what can’t. Unfortunately, they are outweighed by the folks that seem to have no clue what’s possible and by when. I don’t like working with […]
Project managers seem to be very popular with large corporations, but what about businesses with fewer than 100 employees? Can project management help them? Small business owners and managers tend to have everything on their plate. Marketing, sales, payroll – everything is the owner’s responsibility. Which means that all the projects that are part of those ongoing efforts are being run by one person – […]
Art and science have so much in common – the process of trial and error, finding something new and innovative, and to experiment and succeed in a breakthrough. –Peter M. Brant, American businessman. Those of us who spend many hours involved with projects, sponsors, teams, and deliverables often don’t have the time or the inclination to look at the bigger picture. For those who are […]
Requirements management has always been part of the project manager’s job. It was something that I handled as the project progressed without much thought. In today’s world, requirements management is an important part of the overall project. What is “requirements management?” In short, requirements management is the compilation, monitoring, and control of stakeholder needs for the project. According to PMI, the Requirements Management Plan is a component […]
As project managers, our job is to deliver a defined set of deliverables. Those deliverables may be as small as relocating a team to another floor, or as large as a satellite that hovers over the earth. No matter what the deliverables, the members of the team are crucial to the success of the project. Team development In many companies, team development for projects […]
You’ve been in the organization for a year or two. Learning the business, trying to soak it all in, and noticing there is a definite lack of organization around projects and servicing your customers. This is not a secret from management, but they are not sure what to do about it. Finally, they see you trying to wrangle the alligators, and they decide to assign […]
