PMcrunch

As project and program managers, we are leaders within organizations. Indeed, we lead small, smaller, organizations that are subsets of the larger organizations. As such, we are responsible for making decisions, and in the process, we need to define ourselves. Let’s take a look at this concept.

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There are a variety of project management templates available on the market today.  A common reason that why project management professionals avoid using templates that are out there is that they think they need to customize their own, because their own situation is very unique.  However, if you really give it a try, as I […]

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Basic project management teaches us that quality is defined by meeting requirements, but not exceeding them. If we deliver more than what the customer asked for, it is considered to be gold plating - a bad thing. The premise is that there is a balance as per the triple constraint among quality, cost and schedule, and that it is the job of the project manager to manage that balance. In these tough times, however, how can a project manager produce excellence and in essence exceed customer expectations without gold plating?

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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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Though I have not heard it made official all indications are that we are in recession. This appears to be not just for the United States but for much, if not most, of the rest of the world. The cause of this recession, of course, is the credit crunch and all issues surrounding that. So the big question is, “What can project and program managers do to cope with this recession?” I have some thoughts, and for reference have tapped into ideas of Jack and Susie Welch.

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We are living in an age of “standardization”. It seems that everything is standardized, from processes and procedures to management practices across the board. While we, as managers, try to standardize much ourselves in order to reduce error, create efficiencies, build a common vocabulary, and enhance communication, what happens when things just don’t seem to be working the way we like?

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In today’s information intensive world, managers are inundated with information from many sources. This presents a world of opportunity, but also a challenge in moving ahead. The opportunity is that there is far more valuable information available upon which to base decisions, and the challenge is how to sort through the information efficiently. Let’s take a look at some ideas on how to cope with all this information.

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There is no doubt about it we are in tough economic times. The current woes on Wall Street are only the most recent evidence of our collective economic difficulties. So the big question is how do project and program mangers cope with these difficult times. Many fear the loss of jobs and extended time away from work. This includes team members, it can include stake holders, it can include the project and program managers themselves. It is this fear that is one of the important keys to coping with difficult times.

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Software project outsourcing and managing virtual teams are very hot topics today. They present new opportunities as well as new challenges for project and program managers. Below is a collection of recent articles and posts around the internet on this timely topic.

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