Many of us in the project management field got our start before there was such a thing as a project manager. In fact, many folks today are probably working in the role of project manager, but don’t have that title. That may be just fine, or not. It all depends on where you want to go in your career and how you want to get […]
“The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”—Alan Watts The one item that you will certainly have on any project is change. It always seems that as soon as the project is agreed upon, there is someone who has a better idea and wants a change. As project managers, managing change is the […]
Everyone is always interested in “How did you get here?” and what led me to a career in project management. To that end, I’m starting a new series on ProProjectManager.com. The “How did you get here?” interview. I’ve got lots of friends (at least now) that are project managers and got to that place in many different ways. Let’s get started! My first interview […]
Project management is a very popular topic today. Many individuals are considering it a career while others have the career and don’t realize it. Some just want to use the principles and aren’t very concerned with the title. For most of us becoming a project manager is a journey, not the destination. No matter how many projects you’ve done, the next project is always a […]
Many project managers have no real idea of how to validate their initial project schedule. How do you know that this schedule can get you to your ultimate goal? I won’t try to make this up. The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) has developed 14 quality checks for validating schedules. This agency manages contracts for the Department of Defense here in the U.S, working with suppliers […]
You’ve been working this project for months. Your team is stellar – work is progressing and you’re on track to make your budget, your timeline, and your quality marks. So why isn’t anyone else excited about the project? No one knows to be excited because you haven’t told them to be excited. The art of project management People get into project management for many different reasons. Most […]
Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning. —Winston Churchill As project managers, one of our most important functions is developing a plan. If you missed Project planning – problems, scope, and deliverables, feel free to read that now. Create a work breakdown structure Never fear! I’m not going to do a PMBOK interpretive dance here. There are lots of text books where you can […]
Plans are nothing; planning is everything. — Dwight D. Eisenhower If you missed Project Initiation: Let’s get this party started! go ahead and check it out now. For some companies, project planning is a nuisance. As project managers, we often must balance the urgency of senior management to see results and the importance of ensuring the team knows exactly what they are trying to accomplish. We know […]
Let’s get this party started! As project managers, we’ve all been approached by someone in the company who has a great idea for a new project/implementation/process. After congratulating your colleague for that fine bit of thinking, gently remind them that before anything can be started, they need a sponsor for the project. Send those well-meaning colleagues off to find the person that can really get […]
I think from time to time, we all need to be reminded what exactly a project is and why we’re doing them. Many times we get so “in the weeds” around all the tasks we’re trying to accomplish, we forget some of the basic principles of projects and project management. Projects end I know that it seems that the projects you’re on never end. […]
