Blog
Are ethical concerns and workplace abuse valid reasons for a PM to quit a project?
A high degree of commitment, ethics, dedication, and hard work are hallmarks of project management professionals, and yet sometimes PMs quit projects. Find out possible reasons why. Marked irreconcilable conflict can result from various things including workplace abuse, unethical behavior, legal issues, safety concerns, or extremely damaging workplace behavior. The first sign of conflict is not a reason to quit the project, but if there is marked conflict that infiltrates many levels with no chance [...]
7 LinkedIn groups every project manager should check out
If you're a project, portfolio, or programme management professional who wants to share and receive career advice, consider joining these LinkedIn groups. This group is affiliated with ProjectManagers.net. The members help project management professionals seeking project manager (PM) jobs, and they discuss managing projects, methodologies, and other topics. It's also helpful in researching project management certifications in the US, Canada, UK, India, and Europe. Members are PMs, PMO leaders, consultants, PM software vendors, [...]
What to do when projects are always over budget
If projects are perpetually over budget, it could signal bigger underlying problems that need addressing ASAP. Let's take a look at two out of the many possible causes of continuous project budget overruns, and then explore how to address each one. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
5 tips on identifying the right project stakeholders
Stakeholders play a vital role in the outcome of projects. Here's guidance on selecting the ideal stakeholders for your specific project. There may be many different stakeholders throughout the life of a project. Typically, stakeholders fall into one of three categories: View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
8 steps to breaking bad news to difficult project stakeholders
There is no easy way to deliver bad news to anyone, especially difficult project stakeholders. These pointers will help cushion the blow. Once the root cause and any breakdowns along the way have been identified, work with your team to determine possible ways to resolve any issues that can be fixed. If something can't be resolved, make sure to identify the reason(s) and the impact to project outcomes. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published [...]
PMI certifications: What these IT certs could mean for your salary and PM career
Before deciding whether to strive for any or all of the Project Management Institute's certifications, you should know how the certs could impact your career and income. Cost: The PMP certification's fee is US $405.00 for PMI members and US $555.00 for non-members. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
7 great IT certification exam simulators for project managers
Talk to anyone who has taken the Project Management Institute's certification exams, and they'll tell you they're difficult. These resources will help you pass three of the tests on your first try. Exam Central offers a web-based PMP exam simulation with over 1,000 questions that are based on the 5th edition of the PMBOK Guide. The site provides detailed answers and progress reporting charts. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
10 tips to help you ace PM certification exams
If you're planning to write any of the project management exams, here are 10 simple tricks for being successful on your first attempt. Tip 2: Allow at least six months before writing any of the project management exams. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
The importance of being ethical in project management
For guidance with ethical concerns, project managers should refer to the Project Management Institute's code of ethics, as well as the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act. Here's what the PMI Code of Ethics means for PMPs: View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
Project management 101: Understanding Six Sigma and its business value
Learn the basics about the project management concept Six Sigma, which drastically reduces defects, waste, and time while lowering costs and enhancing customer satisfaction. Since then many other organizations have adopted Six Sigma, including Honeywell and General Electric. GE's former CEO Jack Welch is quoted as saying that Six Sigma is "a quality program that, when all is said and done, improves your customer's experience, lowers your costs, and builds better leaders." View Moira Alexander’s [...]
Kanban: The benefits of using this agile PM framework
Scrum and lean are just two types of agile project management. Learn about the Kanban agile PM framework's history, guiding principles, and benefits. Kanban is highly versatile in its application and is used within various industries, including the following and more: View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
5 surefire ways to avoid project failures
Millions of dollars are wasted each year due to poor project performance, according to the Project Management Institute. Discover how to keep project failures at bay. 2: Ensure the EPMO/PMO, programs, portfolios, and projects have the full backing and support of project sponsors from start to finish. From the PMI report: "When more than 80% of projects have an actively engaged executive sponsor, 65% more projects are successful. Yet, on average, only three in five [...]
5 keys to project success, according to a PMI survey
For the first time in five years, more projects are meeting original goals and business intent and are being completed within budget, according to PMI's 2017 Pulse of the Profession report. In 2016, businesses categorized as champions experienced significantly less waste. Benefits realization maturity levels were high in champion organizations, and overall these companies typically enjoyed success rates 92% of the time and wasted almost 28X less money as a result. View Moira Alexander’s article [...]
4 ways sponsors can improve project success rates
A PMI report indicates that insufficient project sponsorship correlates to project failures. Here are steps project sponsors can take to improve the odds of delivering a successful project. SEE: Project communications: What works, and what doesn't (TechRepublic) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
Six Sigma: A cheat sheet
Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to improving business processes that's often used by project managers. This Six Sigma guide covers its benefits, uses, methodologies, belt levels, and more. Six Sigma was first introduced in 1986 by Bill Smith, an engineer at Motorola, and then registered as a Motorola trademark on December 28, 1993. The term Six Sigma means that 99.99966% of all output is expected to be defect free. View Moira Alexander’s article as [...]
How project managers can succeed with procurement management
Check out these tips on how to successfully use procurement management in your projects. Also, two experts share their experiences on what simplifies the procurement process for their businesses. SEE: Ethics policy: Vendor relationships (Tech Pro Research) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
Project management certifications from PMI: A cheat sheet for professionals
Here's what you need to know about the eight project management certifications offered by the Project Management Institute. The prerequisites are: View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How to address project scheduling difficulties
With every project comes the risk of scheduling conflicts that can create unforeseen complications. Hear from a few project managers about how they avoid these situations. Meerschaert says that in order to keep on schedule at CenTrak, she pays close attention to timelines and monitors the team's work to help quickly identify if tasks were over- or underestimated before the project goes off the rails. She's also had much success by using effective communication to [...]
Cheat sheet: What project managers need to know about RFIs and RFQs
Project management jargon can be trip up even the best PMs. Experts offer tips on how to create and answer requests for information (RFI) and requests for quotes (RFQ). RFPs: If companies are unclear on how to resolve a particular issue, they may send multiple vendors an RFP seeking their solutions. This document is more formal and contains specific guidelines. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
9 great networking venues for project management professionals
Here are some annual conferences and events where IT project leaders can network, share ideas and potentially partner. 5. APM Project Management Conference has built a reputation for bringing together influential and thought-provoking speakers from the project management profession. This is a conference intended for project leaders who challenge boundaries and look to develop best practices. The event offers featured speakers, a full day of activities and networking opportunities. The 2017 conference will be held [...]