PMcrunch

Gold plating, or the idea of delivering more or better than requested is generally not accepted in project management doctrine. However, I think we need to take this with a grain of salt and consider how to discern when and how we might over deliver.

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Task estimating is a critical skill for project managers and project teams. We cannot manage what we cannot estimate. However, realistically, it is very difficult to be able to estimate every possible task accurately.

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Often on our projects there is none a perfect match between the talents of our team and the challenges of the project. We do the best we can to match capabilities and prior experience to the needs of our current projects but as reality has it each project is unique. We try to “are the best athletes” but invariably there are going to be some gaps in the skills required. “Just in time learning” can be the answer to these issues.

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I recently read a foreign post where somebody asked if project management was good preparation for the job of CEO. There were a variety of comments most of which I find somewhat discouraging saying that, project management was inadequate preparation for a CEO position and that CEO positions involve a lot of different skills. While arguably these things are true, I think that we can take a positive take on that question and ask “What would differentiate a project manager who might on the CEO track from one who is not?”

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We all want to learn more and indeed “speed learning” is a requirement in today’s fast paced world. I recently heard an interesting quote from an entrepreneur who said that he looks it what he has learned as an entrepreneur and he realized that he already been taught that in business school but he wasn’t paying attention.

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The term taxonomy refers to the categorization or breakdown to more clearly defined entities that can make an overall grouping of knowledge more understandable while there are many precise definitions for taxonomy, this should suffice for this particular discussion. The question is what taxonomy means to the project manager. [Read more →]

I have worked on all kinds of projects.  I’m well aware that project requirements will pit you against limitations of all sorts.  Indeed, we all recognize that we operate in a world of constraints; however, sometimes WE are the biggest constraint of all.   This leads me to the question, “Is your project bigger than yourself?”

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On our projects, and in our programs and project portfolios, we often struggle with how to make changes.  From my own personal experience, the most challenging part of change management has always been the area of making incremental changes versus making wholesale major changes.  Let’s take a look. 

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Most good managers in project and program management know the importance of maintaining relationships with team members and stakeholders.   Basic human relations can go a long way in improving overall program and project quality.    However, I have learned that there is a community beyond our immediate team members and stakeholders that are worth considering in everything we do.

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Whether new or experienced managers, we need to always be mindful of our delegation skills.  Most important to remember is that not only can our delegation style change, but the people, tasks, and circumstances can change also.  Thus, it is important to periodically ask ourselves "How are my delegation skills right now?" because the answer may have changed!

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