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Project Management for Aspiring, New, and Accidental PMs
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Julia couldn't be more frustrated! There were less than three months to finish the project, and yet everything was going wrong. And to top it all, the budget to complete the work was nearly exhausted.
Julia's problem boils down to ineffective project management. She may have failed to complete the steps necessary to prepare for project success. She may have also failed to create a proper...
Project management, like most professional careers, requires practitioners to have some personal attributes to improve their success rates. These attributes far outweigh any single tool or management fad with a catchy name. Here are five qualities needed for focusing your project management mindset and leading successful projects.
- Continuous learner. A solid understanding of both the art and...
Embarking on a new career can have its challenges. When starting a new position, it's always good to know what is expected of you. Knowing what is expected, avoids common mistakes and helps to advance careers. Here are six expectations managers generally have for new project managers:
- Learn the language. Learn the language of project management. Know the difference...
Picking the right toolset, and then using these tools correctly for your work as a project manager is very important. The tools you select and how you use them will either make your practices be more productive or bog you down.
Before there were many online software tools, I used a book called a DayTimer (it is now an online app) to manage my time as a project manager. I made up...
If you are an aspiring, new, or accidental project manager, a small investment in your career and certification can have a significant impact going forward. While the PMP® certification can take a minimum of three years to earn, CAPM certification requirements include a high school diploma (or better) and 23 hours of project management training. Many are unaware that they meet these...
Organizational change can be a difficult topic. It is also an important topic, as many times, project managers work on projects that organizations are not prepared to receive. Project managers may need to create organizational change, but the organization believes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." This mindset is perhaps one of the most difficult to overcome. Here are three...
Project closing is a critical time for the project manager. For most projects, how the project manager is remembered is shaped by what happens at this point. Wise project managers know that a successful project closure creates opportunities for new and more challenging projects. Here are five essential items to consider:
- Meet with the client to demonstrate the product and highlight the...
Not all organizations can afford a full or certified project maturity assessment, such as PMMM or OPM3. But using elementary quality tools that are easy to learn and may already be in use, any organization can improve its project management maturity. Here's a 5-step example:
- Collect and categorize key issues metrics weekly (e.g., missed requirements, the amount of variance of...
Decision making is a skill we need to apply to weigh the pros and cons of alternatives and choose the best path forward. Bad decisions contribute to project risks and can put a team into firefighting mode, correcting wrong decisions after bad choices. Here are six tips to improve your project and other decision-making efforts.
- Treat decision making as a process. There are many...
Project managers, coordinators, and administrators are three distinct roles that often get blurred within an organization. It is important to understand the distinctions:
1. Project Manager (PM): Ultimately responsible and accountable for all aspects of a project and its successful delivery, including planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing, or some component of these in...
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