Though some teams wouldn’t consider starting a project without a workable and realistic master plan, other groups routinely begin executing tasks before their overall strategy has been finalized and communicated. For PMs wondering why a project team would start work before having a high-level plan in place, the reasons can often be traced to a…
Project Management Blog
Embracing the Omnichannel Movement in Project Management
January 28, 2020 by
Between continuous technology innovation and an increasingly global marketplace, many companies are rethinking their business strategies. Add in changing workforce and supply chain dynamics, and project teams are also taking a fresh look at the supporting processes they use to engage stakeholders and maintain strong connections across multi-discipline groups. Expectations around communications have changed in…
Are You Ready for Real-Time Project Updates?
January 22, 2020 by
Information is a key asset for project teams. It drives decisions at every level and enables PMs to not only mitigate risks and sidestep problems, it also gives them the insight to capitalize on opportunities and consistently achieve excellent results. But the turnaround time for team members to retrieve, analyze, and act on data has…
Manage Today’s Project Stakeholder Expectations
January 15, 2020 by
The pace of business today can be downright frantic at times. Given the scope of activities within a normal project and the number of people involved in even relatively small efforts, PMs often face additional challenges keeping up. Not only does their team have access to more technology tools than ever before, they also have…
Is Your Project Too Big to Succeed?
January 13, 2020 by
We’ve all heard the phrase “too big to fail,” but PMs should also be mindful that some projects could be too big to succeed. That doesn’t mean these monster efforts can’t get to the finish line—they’re often strategically important, and failure is simply not an option. Instead, it means project teams need to take some…
5 Signs Your Project Might Be Unrealistic
January 9, 2020 by
An unrealistic project can happen to anyone. It’s one thing to put together a project plan that makes sponsors happy and has a good chance of being approved. It’s something else entirely to craft a plan that’s realistic and workable. Project managers are sometimes left to perform a delicate balancing act as they strive to…
Is Your Project Team Running Out of Energy?
January 3, 2020 by
The fast pace of project planning and execution can sometimes take a toll on team members. Nonstop communications, coordination across multiple stakeholders and cross-functional groups, the expectation of real-time data availability and analysis, and driving several projects through different lifecycle phases simultaneously—it can drain your team’s energy if you aren’t careful. By keeping an eye…
Achieve Project Planning Excellence
December 17, 2019 by
Every project begins with a plan. However, a good planning process—one that’s thorough and thoughtfully structured—does more than ensure your team’s can get the upcoming initiative to the finish line. Taking the right steps during the planning phase also sets you up to perform your best. Your process should cover some broader strategies, such as…
7 Risks of Big Projects
December 13, 2019 by
Big tasks can be difficult to execute, but what about big projects? Maybe it’s an initiative that extends for several years, or an effort that encompasses far more stakeholders and functional groups than usual. As a PM, you’re probably eager to stretch your skills and gain new expertise, but sometimes big projects come along that…
Sell Your Executives on Project Portfolio Management
December 5, 2019 by
The use of an effective project portfolio management strategy helps organizations ensure they gain maximum value from their project investments. By bringing the entire project pipeline under central control, everyone maintains better awareness of where and when resource consumption is scheduled, how today’s staffing and funding decisions may impact tomorrow’s efforts, and which strategic projects…
