Blog
How will the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act (PMIAA) impact future government projects?
How will the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act (PMIAA) impact future government projects? View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How to select the right project management methodologies
Deciding on the best PM methodologies to use in your business is not a simple task. Here's how your company can determine the most suitable methodologies for successful project execution. Every discipline has its own vocabulary, and project management is no exception. This list of terms and definitions will help ensure that your PM communications are clear and understood by everyone. Free for Tech Pro Research subscribers. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on [...]
5 ways a negative corporate culture can kill your IT project
Don't let low morale, excessive gossip, employee absenteeism, and other aspects of a negative corporate culture set your projects up for failure. Despite a project manager's efforts to keep projects within scope and tend to all other project management aspects, there are times where corporate culture can play a heavy hand in the unintended disruption of project efforts. There is a close link between the strength of a corporate culture and the level [...]
7 ways to disaster proof your projects
Why wait for a catastrophe to strike your project? Here are seven ways to be pre-emptive and decrease the chances of disaster and stakeholder disappointment. Numerous project failures can be traced back to inaccurate or insufficient business requirements identification. Think of this in terms of the 80/20 rule, where project managers and teams may have been successful in meeting 80% of the secondary project deliverables and objectives, all the while missing out on 20% of [...]
The high (and often hidden) costs of project team dysfunction
Tackling project team dysfunction may not seem like a priority on the surface, but don't be fooled -- it can turn into a voracious fire, tallying significant losses along the way. There are many hard to measure tangible and intangible costs and lost opportunities that result from various levels of team dysfunction; here are just a few. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
6 ways to destroy your project management career
There are many ways to unintentionally destroy your career as a project manager. These are some of the things that could be jeopardizing your future. As a PM, choosing to be in any way exclusive, whether through verbal or written communications or actions, serves to create a team culture fraught with distrust and animosity, and eventually risks buy-in. This creates a situation where individuals who have established a disconnect from the team or [...]
Project communications: What works, and what doesn’t
When you're trying to zero in on an effective project communication style, think about these important factors so your message hits the mark. What doesn't work: Delivering a message that disregards any of these factors can create issues if the message is not received by the recipients in a manner that was intended. Furnishing C-level executives with copious amounts of detail may not be a good idea, and in contrast, leaving out pertinent [...]
How to Align Projects Management With Your Business Strategy
With escalating global competition and complex operating environments, C-level executives will increasingly need to call on their project management offices to ensure all activities align with the overall strategic vision of the business. Project management office (PMO) professionals hold significant knowledge that can help ensure alignment for businesses focused on achieving their vision. In order for businesses of today to reach full operational effectiveness, C-suites will need to unlock the potential of their [...]
11 Communication Skills of Effective Project Leaders
There are project managers and then there are highly effective project leaders. Here are 11 traits that the great ones share. Project managers abound, but highly effective project leaders are much harder to find. The latter are shaped not only by their technical knowledge and capabilities, but by how effectively they communicate with others at all levels. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
Do you have what it takes to be a project manager?
Do you ever wonder if project management is the right career choice for you? It is multifaceted and rewarding, but it is also a demanding job. Here are eight things to consider to help you decide if you’re cut out to be a project manager.If you are trying to decide on career options, and project manager is a position that interests you, consider these eight facets of the job to decide if it is the [...]
Should you outsource your project management?
Evaluating whether or not to outsource your company’s project management functions can be challenging. Before making this potentially risky leap, you have to assess if this is a good move for your business, keeping in mind that what works for your business today may not work in the future. There can be many benefits to outsourcing your company’s project management functions, with equally as many pitfalls. There aren’t any one-size-fits-all solutions based on your industry, [...]
Planning is key to project management success
We’ve all heard the old adage ‘measure twice, cut once.’ While it might be a cliché, in the project management world it takes on a critical meaning: Choosing to rush through or ignore the project planning process can be a formula for failure. Pick any major event, trip or undertaking in your life and think about the time, energy and work put into making sure everything went off without a hitch. Then think [...]
7 tips to transform difficult stakeholders into project partners
Business projects almost always create change, which can also bring about significant disruption, stress and fear. That anxiety can translate into difficult project stakeholders – not to mention at-risk projects and unmet goals. Knowing how to turn these problematic partners into committed collaborators is essential skill all project managers should master. Here’s how. According to a report by the Project Management Institute (PMI), Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide, “Trust is identified [...]
Why your business strategies must constantly change
Change is the one true constant in business. Having defined processes in place to effectively manage change can help companies sustain success.“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” -Lao Tzu View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How PMOs can balance time, cost and quality
‘Triple constraint’ is a term often heard in project management. But how does it translate into achieved or missed project and organizational objectives? Here are six questions project managers need to ask themselves. If 88 percent of C-suite executives agree that project alignment with strategy is vital to organizational success, why are only 56 percent of projects meeting strategic objectives? Furthermore, in a report titled “The High Cost of Low Performance,” the Project Management Institute [...]
The 7 best project management mobile apps of 2015
For teams on the go, there’s nothing like a top-notch project management tool to keep everyone productive. If your company is in the market for a mobile project management solution, these are your top contenders. Project managers’ impressive capabilities can be significantly bolstered with top-notch project management tools. Within today’s realm of project management responsibilities and demands, mobility is no longer a “nice-to-have” option — it’s a necessity. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published [...]
5 practical project management certifications
No matter what your IT role, a project management certification can add value to your role. Here are the top project management certifications, their requirements and cost.Behind every successful IT project, you'll find a highly skilled project manager. From hardware and software upgrades to ongoing security patches, to application development and the rollout of software itself, project managers keep your teams on task and productive. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
10 tips to meet your project planning goals
Project management is both an art and a science, requiring you to focus on and master numerous tasks. These 10 actionable tips will help you meet your goals and achieve success as a project manager. If you’re a project manager, chances are your daily calendar is already filled from the moment you sit down at your desk to whatever time of day – or evening, most likely – you clock out. Many people [...]
6 proven strategies for evaluating and prioritizing IT projects
Within most large organizations – as well as smaller businesses – time and resources are in short supply yet high demand, making project selection more difficult. Evaluating and prioritizing projects can be complex, but this vital first step can negatively impact the business if not assessed carefully.Regardless of business size, industry or structure, many projects today are unfortunately still selected and initiated in a siloed department-by-department manner, without considering the overall strategic impact. What are [...]
Does remote project management really work?
Remote project management may be a great alternative to traditional project management for most organizations, project managers and team members, but is it realistic? There are tangible advantages here, but this is not for the faint-hearted.Does remote project management work? The answer, in general, is yes, it can. Will remote project management work for your organization if you have a top-notch virtual project teams? Not necessarily. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source [...]