Blog
Turn Your Home Into A PMO
Many project management teams have members who work from remote locations, including home offices, so why not you? Thanks to modern technology, you can set up and operate a PMO from your home, and still be as effective as you are in the office. We’ve got some great tips to help you get that ball rolling! Craft the Ideal Workspace Whether you’re constructing a new room for your office or squeezing into an existing space, you need to make sure that your new PMO workspace is well-lit, clean, and above all, comfortable. You’re going to spend...
read moreDon’t Get Taken: How to Hire a Contractor with Real Skills
When you hire a contractor, you need to make sure you’re recruiting an asset to your team, not a liability who costs an arm and a leg. But it can be tricky if you’re looking for skills outside your area of expertise. How can you be sure that your contractor is genuinely talented, and is not some guy who’s applying because he needs a job? Don’t Mistake Price for Value Cheaping out on contractors doesn’t usually end well—project managers who lowball jobs might hire a contractor that is too unskilled or inexperienced. But more expensive...
read moreWhy the Final Project Stage is the Most Dangerous
As a project draws to a close, you should become more alert, not relaxed. This is because the final project stage is the most dangerous: it’s more prone to mistakes, delays, and complications than any other phase of the project. Losing Momentum It’s possible to sprint your way through short to medium length projects, but longer ones need the entire team (including you) to stay focused for months on end. But this saps energy and morale, and you risk running out of steam as the project draws to a close. Fatigue and complacency encourage...
read more6 Surprising Uses for Project Management Software
You don’t need to build a bridge or write a computer program to use project management software. In fact, this flexible tool can be used for any project that has a lot of moving parts, needs more than two people, and involves minute details that you just can’t trust to memory. Here are just some of the great ways you can bring project management software outside the office: Weddings When you’re planning the bride’s perfect day, nothing should be left to chance. Calendars and task lists help you keep track of fittings, bookings, and the other...
read moreResource: Free Project Management White Papers
Today, we wanted to share with you a list of free resources that we believe will come in very handy throughout your career as a project manager. All these resources are hosted on our website, and they are available for free! You can reach all of our white papers through this project management white papers link here, and download as many of them as you like. Some of the topics that are covered are: Best Practices for Marketing Organizations in Implementing Project Management Software Fighting Internal Resistance in Projects Planning for...
read more5 Signs Your Project Management Process is Hurting You
Every organization, whether a PMO or an internal team, needs an established project management process in order to give direction and organize their teams, as well as promote best practices that will (hopefully) lead to quality projects. Unfortunately, not all of these processes actually help. In fact, some are downright harmful. But you might be so intent on finishing the project that you don’t see your current project management process for what it really is: an obstacle. To help you gain some perspective, I’ve listed a few of the biggest...
read moreSuperhero-level Project Management: How to Plan Like Batman
Batman is one of the comic world’s best fighters, but not because of his muscles or his gadgets. His best asset is his mind: he has plans, and plans within plans, and plans that happen on the fly. If there’s anything a project manager can learn from the Dark Knight, it’s how to think ahead. Knowledge is Power In a world of super-powered beings, Batman succeeds because he knows more than anyone else, about everyone else. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of nearly every person he’s ever encountered, and is such a polymath that it’s easier...
read moreGuest Post: Project Management and the 100 Metre Dash
Who finished fourth in the last Olympic Men’s 100 metres track and field race? What was that runner’s time? How many people know? It so happens that the fourth place finisher, Tyson Gay, is the American record holder for the 100 metre sprint. In the London Olympics, his time of 9.80 seconds would have won the gold at many previous Olympiads. Yet on this occasion he finished only fourth, didn’t win a medal, and so his performance has been forgotten by all but the keenest fans. More people recognize Usain Bolt, the winner with a time of 9.63...
read moreThe Risks of Mixing Friendship and Project Management
As a project manager, it’s important for you to get along with your team, but how chummy is too chummy? Is that even possible? Unfortunately, yes. While friendship in the team is a great thing, and can lead to loyalty and team cohesion, it can raise some pretty big negative issues if handled the wrong way, especially in a highly competitive work environment. Friendship and Recruitment Hiring from among your friends is common practice—that’s what networking is all about. But are you hiring because your friend needs a job, or because the job...
read moreHow to Say “No” and Not Get Fired
Note: This is a different take on a popular topic we published about 2 weeks ago, from another author. Hope you enjoy this one as well! Depending on the person you’re talking to, saying “no” to a manager or client can lead to a very nasty situation. They’re sometimes hell-bent on bad ideas because they’re either misinformed or working off wrong assumptions. If you don’t handle the situation properly, it might do more than just sour the working relationship—it may even cost you a performance review or even the project. But does that mean you...
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