Projects provide a window into many facets of teamwork. People with different backgrounds, skills, and areas of expertise must come together around a common mission. They need to communicate effectively as they share information, solve problems, work through conflicts, and reach consensus on difficult issues. Each of them brings important knowledge and competencies. Though some…
common project plan problems
5 Signs Your Project Communications are in Trouble
August 12, 2019 by
Good project communications are a fundamental component of project success. Formal memos, meeting agendas and minutes, quick question-and-answer sessions in the hall—they all contribute to moving your project forward. Your stakeholders need to know what’s happening and what’s scheduled. Your sponsors and the organization’s senior leadership team expect regular updates on progress and notification of…
Control the Project Ripple Effect: Tips to Get Started
July 29, 2019 by
If you’ve ever run into problems in a project, you probably noticed it wasn’t just a single issue that needed to be resolved. Trouble has a way of snowballing, starting out small before it grows into something big enough to bring progress to a halt. It’s also possible for problems to jump across the project…
Conquer Fear and Enjoy More Project Success
June 21, 2019 by
The influences of fear within the project team can be immense. Uncontrolled anxiety is capable of overwhelming people and putting your initiatives at risk of failure. Fortunately, the right steps can help your group conquer its fears and get back on the road to consistent project success. Addressing and managing fear requires a multi-prong approach….
6 Ways to Make Your Project Better
April 17, 2019 by
When your team handles projects on a routine basis, it’s tempting to just plug the information on the latest effort into your software, add in a bunch of time and budget estimates based on previous projects, and start working on the first set of tasks. Stop! This approach sets you up to repeat mistakes you’ve…
Make Your Project Meetings More Powerful
February 25, 2019 by
Does it feel like your project meetings could be better? Maybe they used to be more productive and focused. The discussions might seem less dynamic now, or you’ve noticed that team members no longer leave meetings as engaged on the actions and issues that come out of those conversations. With everything going on, it’s possible…
7 Project Questions to Start the New Year
January 14, 2019 by
The prospect of a fresh, new year offers the perfect opportunity for PMs to take stock of the strengths and weaknesses within their teams. If you’re serious about driving tangible improvement in the months ahead, kick off the year by asking these key project management questions. 1 – Does our project team have the right…
4 Reasons Executives Hate Project Contingency Plans
December 10, 2018 by
If it seems like your organization’s leadership team is reluctant to approve your project’s contingency plans, you aren’t alone. Contingency planning can sometimes be a difficult concept for executives to embrace and the mere mention of contingent planning efforts has been known to derail meetings with C-suite stakeholders. Contingency plans are useful for addressing all…
Is Your Project Data Demotivating Your Team?
November 29, 2018 by
Projects revolve around their project data—information on task durations, workforce productivity, and details about expenditure levels, just to name a few. Once the effort is complete, additional metrics will be gathered and examined. This could include compiling data on the project’s actual impact on manufacturing yield, for example, and comparing it against the initial projections….
When Project Task Assignments Go Bad
November 26, 2018 by
Proper project task assignments serve an important function. By formally making an individual responsible for an activity, the team knows that someone with the necessary skills and expertise is carrying out the task. When assigning tasks, PMs can also monitor workloads so key activities aren’t delayed by other priorities. The entire process sounds straightforward enough,…
