PMcrunch

If you are at all like me, achieving work/life balance is a challenge. As I think about it, there are a few key things that present the greatest obstacles – and thus provide the starting point for managing the situation.

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I have used this. If you don’t want to have to start every project from scratch, then it’s worthwhile creating your own Project Life Cycle. I have found it especially useful – and impressive – in environments where there are a lot of technical people who have little project management orientation, and it has really made a difference. The best part is that it has helped me leverage my strengths – and to think through the project in an organized way.

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  NetSuite Pricing All of the technology and business contacts I regularly talk to keep telling me cloud computing. But what is it, what does it really mean for business and what are the financial and physical upsides?

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Market research is an essential element of any organization that wants to offer products or services that are focused and well targeted. Business decisions based on good market research can help minimise any risk and should pay dividends in the longer term. By making market research part and parcel of the business process and conducting [...]

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These tough times are different from past recessions in that “visibility is low”. What I mean by that is that it is not just a matter of seeing that sales had declined a certain amount, or that certain costs had reached a certain amount; it is not just that there is a general slimming or pruning of weaker competitors across the board. The problem is that it is very hard to predict with any reasonable level of certainty what is going to happen next and, thus, we find ourselves driving through our challenges “with low visibility”.

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Marketing projects are important to companies, simply because they provide the opportunity to increase the top line of the business. That is, they are initiatives focused on driving revenue, as opposed to controlling costs. I have been thinking about three keys for how to lay out the requirements for such such revenue-enhancing marketing projects.

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360 Degree Feedback is a popular mechanism for learning about performance. It is valuable for both the managers involved and for the individuals involved, as all can know more about each other in the process. However, as with all other performance review processes, there are some issues with 360 degree feedback. Let’s take a look.

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Many people who consider getting into the project management profession are also considering other options, such as earning a degree perhaps in project management. There are also certificate programs where students earn a certificate in project management. The options for programs like this are many. Earning a certificate could include going to school full time, night school, or various online courses. Another option is simply to take some kind of training in the classroom, or online, or maybe in independent study groups, or some combination of those, and simply earn a certification like the PMP Certification.

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There are many posts in the forums and blogs on the topic of whether it is better to go for a PMP or MBA. I think there is great value in both, but I think they serve 2 different purposes. Having earned both a PMP and an MBA, I have some definite thoughts on this, but of course in the end it is a personal decision.

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The business analysis function is one that needs to be managed with care and the wisdom of experience. Business analysts handle requirements management, systems analysis, business analysis, requirements analysis, or consulting. The various activities around these functions take place throughout the project and require continuous monitoring, starting at a high level near the beginning of the project. This post explores key business analysis activities throughout the project lifecycle.

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