Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

On the surface, collaboration is deceptively simple.  It is about actively working together, usually toward a common goal.  But true collaboration is not just about discussion and work.  It is about actively contributing solutions that help to achieve that shared or common goal. So in effect, good collaboration has equal participation which leads to a solution or understanding.

Great collaborator...

The pandemic is winding down, and war in Eastern Europe is ramping up, creating a lot of uncertainty for 2022. But some trends are now coming into focus and will continue throughout the year. Here are five  to watch for as the year continues to unfold.

The future is tailored hybrid projects. The first sign of the first part of this trend is evident in the latest PMBOK® Guide. An entire section ha...

While the role or job title might be project manager, project managers also need to act as leaders. They need to help set the vision for the project and motivate the team to work by influence. Here are six tips to improve your leadership skills to lead project teams better.

Be self-aware—Self-awareness is a crucial leadership attribute. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and use the knowledg...

Mainly during project execution, the project manager must track the work accomplished.  Tracking may be essential if a project is large and complex, has many tasks that span more than a week, or is time-critical. 

As with all project management tools and solutions, the method employed should be scaled to the project.  For example, there is no need for a $20k software solution for a small, six-mon...

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, new, or accidental projec...

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.  This can include things
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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 all try to eliminat...

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 complete, the proje...

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 disciplines – to determine ...

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 ultimately retired.  ...