Blog
How to facilitate more productive project meetings
There never seems to be an end to the frequency, or duration, of meetings. So when does project work actually get done? Three experts share their tips on productive meetings. Meetings aren't always guaranteed to produce great ideas, foster knowledge sharing, offer take-aways, keep things on schedule or ensure objectives are being met. It takes deliberate effort to establish working strategies that can increase the chances of producing the desired results -- just ask these [...]
Why emotional intelligence is key for project success
Emotional intelligence is the ability to empathize with others, demonstrate emotions, and make decisions based on multi-level awareness. Here's how it affects project outcomes. When it comes to the process of merging two companies during an acquisition, EQ can play a vital role. Jose Costa, group president at automotive franchisor Driven Brands said, "When we identify a target, we begin assessing the organization financially, operationally, technologically and from a leadership standpoint. We then move on [...]
How to stop stakeholders from sabotaging projects
When projects succeed, we hear about team collaboration, but when projects fail many look to leaders. Here's why all stakeholders are responsible for project failures and how to ensure that everyone works together. Based on his experience as an IT project leader and founder of Bold Array, a custom web applications company, Josh Nolan said, "Stakeholders are a key component to projects success or failures...it is always easier to place blame on the project manager [...]
How millennials are changing project management
Millennials are laying new groundwork for how business will be conducted going forward, and project management is no exception. Why the focus on the role of millennials in projects? View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
4 of the biggest IT project stressors and how to fix them
Here's how to deal with four situations most likely to create sleepless nights and frazzled nerves for project leaders. Take ample time to understand exactly what technologies or other tools are needed to help you to do your job better. Identify any time and cost savings or how it will improve the quality of any deliverables. If you don't know this answer, it's almost impossible to get management to approve it. Be prepared to outline [...]
How to set up projects in Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a web-based work management and automation solution for managing projects and tasks. Here's a quick 101 on setting up sheets to manage your project. Now that you've created your first sheet, you're ready to start customizing elements of the sheet/project. (See Figure 5.) Everything is driven off the 'Task Name' column since this is the key field. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
6 traits to look for when hiring your next IT project manager
During the hiring process, think about versatility and longevity with highly-developed soft skills like emotional intelligence, tactful communication, conflict resolution and stress management. Initiative: As a 20-year veteran director of computer operations at Trader Joe's, Richard Lowe has hired several project managers -- some as staff and some as consultants. Today, Lowe is now the founder of The Writing King, offering professional writing services. During his time at Trader Joe's, Lowe said knowledge [...]
How to deal with toxic project team members
Project teams are bound to encounter at least one difficult personality. Here are some strategies to help identify toxic behaviors and keep projects on track. Do other broader factors play a role? View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How small construction businesses are embracing digital transformation and boosting productivity
Construction is often thought of as a non-technical field, yet increasingly, small business owners are embracing software solutions to improve project outcomes and work-life balance. Russell explained that when trades are out on site all day, they often struggle to fit in quoting and invoicing on the evenings or weekends: "If you've ever been on site with a trade, you might see them scribbling notes into an exercise book, or on the back of receipts." [...]
How to select dashboards that improve KPI tracking and increase project success rates
Dashboards can be an easy way track key performance indicators by aggregating project information from multiple sources into one visual display. Here's how to select one that works for your company. Meerschaert and Carpel said visual simplicity and automatic updates are key features for dashboards. "If I can't read the graphs, I might as well be looking at the raw data," said Meerschaert. "I also want a web based tool -- I never [...]
How to set up projects in Mavenlink
Mavenlink offers easy-to-navigate project management software for collaboration and real-time visibility into project performance. Here's a quick introduction into setting up a project. 4. You will see your newly created Activity project view (Figure 3). This view includes the project name, various project views like Task Tracker, Gantt, Time and Expenses, Resource Planner or Files (discussed in Figures 5 - 9). In Figure 3, you'll also see the team members, schedule, budget, and payment information [...]
What to look for when you're selecting business intelligence tools
Effective strategic decisions are informed by access to relevant and timely data. Here are some tips on what to look for in a BI dashboard so you can get the most useful insights. "One glance provides everything teams need to know about the task at hand while delivering the in-the-moment snapshot and progress update project leaders rely on," said Eric Bergman, vice president of product management at Changepoint. "Project leaders benefit from better visibility and [...]
5 project management solutions that work for multiple industries
There are tons of project management solutions out there and they're all slightly different. Here are some suggestions for solutions based on industry. The ability to work with different types of projects, visibility across multiple areas, collaboration, the easy to navigate and use interface, reporting functionality, and resource and project planning make Workfront suitable for these industries that require scalability and visibility: View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
3 strategies for effectively managing change in your organization
Change, within project teams and the company as a whole, is inevitable. Here are three ways to make things a little smoother. In the sphere of project management, change management is a complementary but separate discipline that involves the use of processes and tools to manage changes. Imagine executing a project without factoring in any resulting implications to how that project may impact daily operations. For example, if a company implements a new payroll system, [...]
How to set up projects in Trello
Trello allows groups to create visual, easy-to-navigate projects using boards to get an at-a-glance view into company initiatives and performance. Here's how to get started with it. 3. Next, you'll also have the option to create a team (2) and add members. This step can be done later through the create a new team option if you choose not to do this yet. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How one marketing company used a cloud solution to address project-related security risks
Keeping company data secure can get tricky when collaborating with remote employees and contractors. Here's how AdRoll, a marketing platform provider, addressed that issue using a cloud-based service. Initially, internet performance was a problem for the company's off-site contractors. AdRoll required contractors to connect through virtual private network (VPN) software to the company's San Francisco firewall. Traffic bound for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the internet was then sent out through a central [...]
5 key considerations in managing remote project teams
Working with geographically distributed teams is common, but managing these teams can create significant challenges that leaders need to address. Here are five key considerations. SEE: Remote access policy (Tech Pro Research) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How project teams can improve QA testing
Insufficient testing costs companies significant amounts of money, time, and ultimately customers. Recognizing and addressing the root cause can help teams take corrective action early and avoid losses. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How to build a powerful project manager resume
Project managers have a wealth of knowledge and skills, but showcasing that information in a resume isn't easy. These pointers will help you highlight your most relevant strengths and achievements. In example B, she said, the line item is describing both the quantity and the scope of the skill set and also communicates to a potential employer that the candidate has a range of completed projects lending to expertise. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s [...]
How to build a layered security model into the project management process
Project managers and project teams can make security a key part of every project with these best practices. Hickman also emphasized the need to continually evaluate the institution's overall security posture and ensure any necessary tools are available and are being used properly to counter potential threats. Using strong encryption and having the right authentication system to deal with intrusions, internal threats, and lost, or stolen mobile devices is important, he said. View Moira Alexander’s [...]