PMcrunch

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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Peter Drucker, who died a couple of years ago, was known for his great writings and teachings about management.  Ironically, I am not so sure he actually managed much himself, at least not from the standpoint of being a hands on manager of a larger organization.  However, his 38 books, his many articles, and his […]

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I have encountered misunderstandings numerous times due to different concepts of the meaning of the word ‘plan’. There are various types of plans. In Project Plan Integration, we pull together various aspects of the project plan, which taken separately actually represent separate plans. One of those plans, the Configuration Management Plan, is one that I have encountered misunderstanding over.

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Business or organizational strategy is intended to drive all decisions within an organization. It provides a direction, a rallying point, and a litmus test for decisions at all levels. Hence, it only stands to reason that strategy would drive the project portfolio management process.

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Sometimes I wonder if we are too success oriented. In other words, we as project managers feel that we have failed if our projects fail in anyway, and we define ourselves by project success and project failure. This reminds me of children in school striving all the time to get perfect grades. The problem with this is that sometimes failures produce our greatest successes. Do we have a project management expectation that acknowledges that?

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There has been a tremendous amount of buzz more recently about PMOs, otherwise known as Project Management Offices. Here is what a select group of experts are saying about PMOs today.

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I just finished reading a book which, among other things, highlighted the importance of having passion in your projects. The results of this passion were many compelling and highly successful projects.

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A great question that we can ask ourselves as project managers is, “Would we invest in our projects”? This is probably the single best indicator, if we are honest with ourselves, as to the health of our projects, our positions, our teams, our organizations and more. Here is a look at an investment perspective to managing projects.

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Project organizations really are not unlike other organizations. Like a small, medium, or large sized corporation, projects have specific objectives that need to be supported by its own project culture. Projects inlcude collections of people and stakeholders, surrounding a concept or idea and particular action, take on a persona. Discovering, and even more important creating, and maintaining the character of that persona, is an important job of the project manager and supporting organization.

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