PMcrunch

Project Management, Six Sigma, Business Analysis, and ITIL all provide domain frameworks, all have associated business certifications, all live largely in the ‘business’ versus technical realm, and all have a strong process orientation. But what does that mean to business professionals and organizations? Here are some thoughts on implications based upon the ITIL framework.

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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. [tag-tec]“Just in time learning”[/tag-tec] can be the answer to these issues.

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Most of us as project and program managers are constantly looking to improve ourselves, our performance, our skills, and our influence on our respective organizations. There are some trends at work that I think we can tap into that can help us to do all of these things and more. They can help us to move our careers to the next level.

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In today’s economy, managers of all kinds are under pressure to right-size their businesses or business units. With the contraction of the economy, sales decreases trigger the need for rethinking, resizing, and reshaping throughout any organization. Projects and programs are no different. Let’s take a look.

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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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Most of the focus of individuals in the project management profession is on improving their own ability and that of others to execute well on projects. Typically, we are able to measure our progress in that regard by measuring performance and results on these projects. There is a process called “projectization” that refers to the general capability of people and organizations at large to manage projects effectively and predictably. Let’s take a look at how this is done at an organizational level.

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As project managers we… well, manage projects! Or, do we? Actually, as I have been thinking about my experience managing projects and my experience managing my own time, I really think all we do manage are tasks. It is actually the practice of project management that simply allows us to manage more complex collections of tasks. Likewise, managing programs enables us to manage all that much more complex tasks, managing a company goes even further, and so on and so forth. This is a revelation to me that I actually find refreshing and empowering.

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Candidates for the PMP exam usually have some level of project management experience career; indeed, it is required in order to qualify to take the PMP exam. However there are many structures, terms and concepts that are part of the PMP exam that PMP candidates need to master. These are the things that you will learn and this is the growth you will experience that takes you beyond your project management experience base. Let’s take a look at some keys for a project plan to pass the PMP exam.

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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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As Information Technology continues to advance, a new approach called Mind Mapping has emerged. This appears to be based in large part on principles that govern the web based on central and then peripheral keywords. A Mind Map or web around your topics of interest can be created. Let’s take a moment and explore some of the possibilities this creates.

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