More teams are finding it advantageous to incorporate Agile concepts into their traditional waterfall project management structure. This strategy can deliver some big benefits, but a hybrid approach has the potential to present challenges if PMs don’t address a few key issues early in the process. Whether this is your first time implementing a hybrid…
project management tips
Two Project Technology Traps to Avoid
April 22, 2019 by
Project teams can reap enormous benefits with the help of technology. From keeping e-mails flowing when they’re on the go to getting the latest status reports on a can’t-fail initiative, technology empowers people at every level to know more and to accomplish more. But if there isn’t a thoughtful approach behind your technology deployments—or if…
A Proven Project Management Methodology that Fixes the Pleaser Problem
April 17, 2019 by
We’ve looked at some of the problems pleasers can sometimes create within the project team as they try to execute initiatives without upsetting customers. Fortunately, a strong project management methodology gives PMs the tools they need to eliminate many of the issues pleasers commonly trigger. This not only keeps customers and the executive group happier, it…
Project Management: The Problem with Pleasers
April 17, 2019 by
Project teams want to deliver good results. They want to move their initiatives to a successful completion and provide stakeholders with the expected benefits. In short, PMs and others working in the project group want people to be happy with the final outcome. That’s an important attribute for any project professional, but there can be…
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…
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…
Has Your Project’s Critical Path Become a Moving Target?
January 8, 2019 by
Despite your best efforts, it’s possible some confusion could develop around your project’s critical path. The executives’ view on the initiative’s scope might evolve over time, pushing the schedule and budget into chaos. Or your team may not fully understand where the different paths rank in priority, instead treating them all as equally important. No…
Combating Project Alert Fatigue
December 14, 2018 by
The number of system alerts and warnings that appear on workers’ screens every day is a growing concern in many industries and occupations. Between the growing use of technology and the low cost of computing power, more data makes its way into our hands than ever before, but all of that insight comes at a…
Imrpove Your Project Task Duration Estimates
November 16, 2018 by
Accurate task duration estimates are a primary building block of a realistic and dependable project schedule. But teams sometimes get estimates from end users and other stakeholders that are incomplete or contain flawed data. This can lead to big scheduling problems later. How can you get better task duration estimates? It isn’t just up to…
Burned Out? Get Back into the Project Groove
November 14, 2018 by
Project burnout is an increasingly common problem in many organizations. It affects people in every job and at every seniority level, from new hires to the most experienced professionals. Project teams and PMs are particularly susceptible as budgets lean out and expectations increase. The pace of business today doesn’t help any, with near-constant communications contributing…
