Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

Over the years since the first PMBOK® Guide appeared, the project management body of knowledge has grown exponentially.  More than a thousand pages are currently in two PMBOK editions needed to understand project management.  In addition, these editions are supplemented by online information, textbooks, and more.  This amount of information can be daunting to an aspiring,...

A statement of work (SoW) is an important document that usually accompanies a contract.  It provides some high-level detail about the work to be performed and the associated roles and responsibilities.  Having a good SoW is always essential to get the best outcomes, and it is crucial for fixed contracts.  Here are five tips to improve your SoWs.

Define success.  After a...

Mind maps are visual diagrams that arrange information, documents, images, and other digital artifacts around more central ideas.  Creating mind maps help people think through problems and issues by allowing them to generate ideas by association. 

Mind maps are easy to create.  Here are some basic steps:

• Decide on the central idea and place it in the middle of the map. ...

Project management can be stressful at times.  Meeting the competing demands of sponsors, stakeholders, and teams can be challenging.  Many mistakes are caused by spending too little time on a task, being distracted, or lacking full attention.

Many project management mistakes are caused by one or more of these issues, which are very common.  So let's make 2022 the year that we...

Project managers need the most flexibility when dealing with project cost management.  Some may never have budget responsibilities, while others may have full responsibility.  Those with some duties will also need to navigate many organizational practices about preparing and presenting budgets.

Here are six best practices that will help and apply over a wide range of cost management...

Hi Everyone!  Ray here.  During this holiday season, I reflect on the past year and those who have helped shape our business. But, of course, it's people like you, our readers, learners, clients, and partners that have made it quite a year for us all! We hope that this year has been just as memorable for you, your colleagues, and your loved ones, and we look forward to working with...

What are the differences between waterfall and agile projects? We can use both methods to manage projects, but both follow different processes.

With waterfall, a project is initiated, then planned.  Requirements are developed in full before proceeding with the project work.  Finally, project execution begins, and the project manager monitors and controls project progress. Once...

What is the minimum passing score for the PMP® Exam?  This is a trick question because there isn't one!  The scoring of the PMP exam is dynamic.  As stated in the PMI Certifications Handbook:

"The passing score for all PMI exams is determined by sound psychometric analysis. PMI uses subject matter experts – project professionals from around the world and many different...

What is the difference between a project manager and a product manager? As far as jobs go, in some small organizations they may be fulfilled by one person.  In reality, however, they are two distinct roles.

A product manager is responsible for a product life cycle.  The product life cycle may go on for years as products gain new features, are sold in more variations, and are...

While the global pandemic meant many started working remotely as early as 2019, the idea of remote teams is not new.  In fact, I've been working with remote teams since the 1970s and found these next 5 tips to be helpful:

Respect differences. The diversity of teams becomes more apparent in remote work situations and you need to respect them.  Whether the remote team is simply in a...