Blog
6 quick ways to decide who should be invited to a project meeting
Deciding who to invite to project meetings is an essential step in ensuring that the meetings are productive and reduce project costs. Here are six ways to help decide who should be on the list. SEE: Ebook: How to make meetings worthwhile (Tech Pro Research) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
5 reasons your business should invest in project management software
It's tempting to say your business doesn't need it, but having software specifically for project management can help with tracking resources, managing schedules, maintaining communication, and more. Project decisions rely heavily on regular communication and collaboration. Effective decision making hinges on having the right information, at the right time, in the right place - in short, right when it is needed. PM software gives stakeholders and decision-makers immediate access to the critical information required to [...]
3 tips for selecting the best project management software for your business
It can be challenging and time-consuming trying to decide which project management solution will fit your company's needs. Here are three ways to narrow the search. To ensure the a particular solution can meet your short and long-term goals, pay close attention to the details provided to make sure project requirements are properly and fully addressed in vendor documents. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
9 stress reduction tips for project managers and teams
Project management is a high-stress job where burnout is a potential hazard. Use some of these tips to help your team and yourself better handle the stressors you are likely to encounter. Many project managers fall victim to the eating-sleeping-and-breathing project cycles. The problem with this is it creates a never-ending loop between a lack of sleep and increased stress. Your body and mind regenerate while you sleep, and not getting enough sleep [...]
How to successfully pitch a project to your CIO
Getting CIO approval for projects can be tricky. Here are some tips on how to create a persuasive pitch and increase your chances for success. Once you have gone through the key justification for the project, the CIO will want to know how much this will cost the company - in terms of budgetary and human resources. If available, provide realistic estimates of the total project. If this is not available, come prepared to discuss [...]
6 ideas for activities that strengthen team communication and cooperation
Engaging in team-building exercises before jumping into project tasks can create stronger and more connected teams that recognize the value of everyone's contributions. Here are a few ideas. In this exercise, the project team is broken down into smaller groups and tasked with finding a way to successfully get the entire team balanced on a small space that is not meant to easily accommodate the entire group. The group must be able to balance all [...]
5 project management trends to watch in 2018
This year, the project management profession will continue to face pressure to keep pace with global best practices, and social and economic challenges. SEE: Software quality control policy (Tech Pro Research) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
3 legal risks all freelance IT pros should plan for
Freelance IT professionals face several hurdles when branching out on their own, including legal liabilities. If you're thinking about becoming a consultant, here are three big ones to watch out for. 2. Non-compete agreement violations: Although becoming less common (and in some states, illegal), non-competes are still prevalent in the technology industry. If you have ever signed a non-compete in the past, you might be banned from soliciting business from companies you have worked with [...]
4 tips for gaining trust from project stakeholders
It's normal for new stakeholders to question a project manager's abilities. Here are four strategies to help build their confidence and improve relationships. If you are a project manager that has had a few failed projects, this history may follow you and may cause you constant discomfort. Stakeholders may have heard rumors, whether based on fact or not, and this may taint their views on your abilities to lead a project to success. View Moira [...]
5 tips for building better relationships with stakeholders and team members
Due to the nature of their job, project managers sometimes get a reputation for being difficult to work with. Here are five tips to get work done without alienating people. Project managers' schedules are typically packed with meetings, constant documentation and updates, issue resolution, and many other tasks, leaving little room for small talk. This can make project managers appear unsociable and disinterested in non-work discussions at times. It is vital for project [...]
What is a project manager responsible for? Here's everything you need to know
In the next few years, you may find yourself either working with a project manager, or taking on a role in this growing field. This quick guide will help you better understand a project manager's job. Planning: View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
7 strategies project managers can use to perfect stakeholder relationships
Building strong relationships with project stakeholders contributes to your success and improves project outcomes. Here are seven tips for creating rapport with team members, sponsors, and others. SEE: How to become a project manager: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
6 ways to increase buy-in from project stakeholders
Gaining trust and cooperation from a project team is imperative for success. Here are some ways to improve communication with stakeholders and make sure they feel like an important part of a team. Once you've been able to identify individual stakeholder motivations and focus on gaining their trust, drawing a direct line between what motivates them and project goals becomes much simpler. Determine how project goals benefit stakeholders and communicate this, allowing stakeholders to share [...]
6 styles of project leadership and how to use them effectively
No two projects, or project teams, are exactly the same. Here's how managers can develop multiple leadership styles to meet different goals and audiences. SEE: How to become a project manager: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic) View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
Why planning is the most critical step in project management
Planning may not be the most enjoyable component of managing projects, but it is the most vital part for reducing risk and failure rates. Here's why. Risk is always lurking in the background, whether at a micro or macro level. What may seem like a minor risk to a task could pose a larger threat later during project execution. Proper planning allows teams to ensure that risks can be mitigated against and that smaller tasks [...]
5 ways to keep people interested and engaged during meetings
If your company or team has a lot of meetings, there's a high risk that participants will lose interest. Here are some strategies you can use to keep attention during meetings. By opening a meeting this way it helps stakeholders establish and maintain a connection to each other that does not feel like work and further bonds team members to each other and the project goals. Opening meetings with an activity can create [...]
6 essential documents for project management success
Here are six key documents that project managers and their teams rely on to successfully guide and execute projects. How to effectively deal with potential risks is always of significant concern to any project manager and their team. The risk management plan identifies any potential risks to the success of the project and documents how those risks will be addressed. Inputs for this plan will come from the project management plan and project charter, the [...]
How to meet project goals by creating a work breakdown structure
A work breakdown structure helps deconstruct a project into individual tasks. Here's how to create one. Ultimately, because the WBS is a process that takes a project and breaks it down into small manageable and measurable tasks, teams stand a greater chance of being victorious throughout project execution. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How to develop a business case for your project
Before any project gets off the ground, you will need to be able to develop a sound business case to present to decision makers. Here's everything you need to know. In this section, you should present your analysis of why the problem exists or how an opportunity came about. It should also identify any risks to the business or department if the project does not go ahead. Make sure to include facts as well as [...]
How to create an effective risk management plan
For a risk management plan to provide the coverage your project needs, it should include six core elements. Here are the details. Risk methodology identifies and defines the approach that will be used as well as the resources, tools and techniques that will be deployed in developing and implementing the risk management plan. This helps to set expectations and ensures all stakeholders are on the same page when it comes to how risks will be [...]