PMcrunch

What do Six Sigma, ITIL, and Project Management have in common? These three disciplines all have associated business certifications, living largely in the ‘business’ versus technical realm, and all relate in some way to processes. But how can these disciplines relate to one another in such a way that greater value is created for the individual as well as the organization?

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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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The benefits of conducting an annual employee survey is widely accepted but many organizations have been put off by the amount of effort those annual surveys take to deploy.

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Leaders must be able to depend on their people — especially the commitments they make. Projects and programs are built on estimates from the people we depend upon. When there’s a pattern of delay, or poor estimates, intervention is required.

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Often times in our careers, we feel stuck or stalled, whether in our organization, department, career, or even personal lives. One thing that we can do is to take a good hard look at what it might be that has us stuck. Then identify a problem, or opportunity, and start a project around it!

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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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Determining project requirements has many challenges, but one of the most common that I have encountered is what I call the “Solution Trap”. I have usually identified this when someone states something like “What I need is a …” This is usually a hint that there is an underlying problem that needs to be surfaced and further investigated.

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The old adage goes like this: “It is much better to tell someone what to do than how to do it”. Violation of this rule is often the cause for less than optimal performance. Here are some reasons why and some ways to handle this common management miscue.

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