PMcrunch

Many project managers are in somewhat functional roles where they are not neccessarily in a typical leadership positions. By contrast, other project managers are in significant leaderhsip roles where they have been given direct responsibility of the outcome of significant projects.

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On your project teams over time, there surely have been “pivotal performances”. Just like in a basketball game there was something that the winning team did throughout the game, that proved to be pivotal to the outcome of that game. There are things that each team member, and the team as a whole does throughout a project, that are pivotal to the projects success. The question is, how do you find those things, and how do you get your project team to turn in pivotal performances, routinely.

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By definition all projects must come to a close. This definitive ending to the project represents the end of the project management process, but that end also signifies a new beginning. Successful execution of the closing process within a project helps to ensure that the value of the project is realized.

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The Student Syndrome is something that we all have experienced one way or another. It is evident that most of us tend to do at least to some degree of cramming for exams, completing papers, completing projects, doing problem sets and more. The student syndrome is based on our human tendency. For example, the student syndrome is demonstrated where, if we have 25 days to do an assignment, we put off most of the work until the final days or hours before it is due!

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Parkinson’s Law – the concept that work expands to meet the time available – is a common human behavioral reality. To deal with it, we can always tighten up the timeframe or define the work and deliverables more explicitly, but it is not always so straightforward to deal with.

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Developing a network diagram is an effective tool in the project planning process. It enables you to think through the relationships among the tasks and deliverables developed at a high level in the project charter, or at a much more detailed level in the Work Breakdown Schedule.

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The TenStep set of free templates are helpful as a very basis step to structured management of your project, and the most helpful piece was the Project Charter. Given my use in framing a relatively small project, I would also say that it has limited use for larger projects, but is still of value as a first cut for any project. That being said, my breakdown was framing a larger project into a smaller, shorter term project that would define the larder project. This could be a great way for others to use the product.

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The earned values formulas can be confusing to those studying for their PMP or CAPM exams. To assist in remembering the formulas for CV, SV, CPI and SPI, just remember three simple rules.

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Making mistakes is not only human; it is an immutable law of nature. No matter what anybody does or says, mistakes will happen along the way – by you, me, and others. It is how we accept this fact and handle them that provides us the opportunity to show our character and skill as leaders.

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Do you know who your project stakeholders are? Effective communications and expectation management starts with understanding the needs of various project stakeholders. To aid in identifying project stakeholders, eight categories are described.

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