Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

Here are five common mistakes project managers make, and tips on how to avoid them:

1. React to variance: One week of variation, unless huge, is not going to make or break a project. Better: Look for trends, and don't forget that being under budget and time has consequences as well.
2. Insufficient planning: Top PMs spend more time planning than less effective PMs. Better: Allow some work to start i
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As we've learned from projects like healthcare.gov, Agile isn't always the best method to follow for software development. If we look at its strengths and weaknesses, Agile is not especially well-suited in its pure form for projects with fixed deadlines and fixed scope. It also exhibits limitations in complex projects which require strong integration testing.  So there are other methodologies and ...

If project management feels like it's herding cats, you are probably doing something wrong. Here are 5 steps to avoid the cats:

1. Be sure you develop a definition of success and a clear vision with the project sponsor.
2. Be sure there are clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
3. Do enough planning, so there is a clear plan for the team to follow.
4. Follow the appropriate project and decision-ma
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"Work smarter, not harder" sometimes seems unachievable for the project manager. Here are 5 tips toward achieving it:

1. You do not need to do all the project work too. Delegate effectively, then trust the team member to get it done.
2. Define clear roles and responsibilities. This will avoid questions and issues later in the project and help contain team-generated scope creep.
3. Focus on the most im
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Innovation is often a direct result of good project management - teams find novel solutions and produce superior results (creativity), which can be implemented (innovation). Here are 5 tips for encouraging and supporting innovation in projects:

1. Provide clear objectives, roles, responsibilities, and an overall plan to focus on creativity.
2. Demonstrate value for new ideas: let them be heard and d
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Why do our projects not succeed?

Toward the end of last week, I completed a corporate training for UCSD Extension at a major San Diego/US defense contractor. They were taking the final exam, so I covered some short topics to generate discussion rather than cover new material.  I showed them the results of industry studies by organizations such as Standish Group and Meta Group. I showed them acade...

The working environment can be as important as having a good plan and will improve planning and other outcomes. Support creativity, innovation, and some risk-taking with these five tips:

1. Have a clear vision for the project and communicate it clearly to all stakeholders
2. Encourage open, honest, and transparent communication and collaboration
3. Become a lifelong learner with a mindset of continuou
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For the last two weeks, we looked at two different ways to evaluate project selections to determine which to work on. This type of activity is often carried out by senior management and not the project manager. The project manager is usually involved once the project charter has been developed. A special form of project charter is the Statement of Work or SOW. Its often associated with a contract ...

Last week we looked at the BCR -- Benefit-Cost Ratio as a way of evaluating a project. This week I'd like to look at a related technique -- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The purpose of many projects is to introduce a new product or service. Often this new product or service has a later ongoing operation. For example, if you have installed Oracle Financials, there is a need to develop the customiz...

Fire fighting and herding cats is not project management. To bring your project back to a stable environment, pause and consider the following:

1. Are there unidentified, poorly prioritized, or unmitigated risks that need attention?
2. Is there a sound problem solving and decision-making process in place?
3. Has the team been involved in these processes and bought-in to actions?
4. Have you built consen
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