If you’re a project manager for a small company, you have a unique set of job-related issues. You’re probably the only person managing projects and may have responsibilities for several different types of projects – marketing, internal processes, or customer product development. Here are a few tips to make your job a bit easier. Get systems in place One of the biggest challenges small companies […]
Team execution is vital Whether you’re a small business with a small group of employees, or a manager in a large organization there are always a few initiatives that need a team to complete. How do you help the team be successful? Here are a few tips to improve team execution. Define the deliverable For many teams, the main barrier to execution is the lack […]
If your organization keeps good project history archives, you have the inside track on how to plan a new project and what to avoid. But what about the “Lessons Learned?” How are they different from project history? Project history and archives If you’ve got project history and archives available, they should contain all the documentation that was created for the completed project. Those documents include the […]
Building teams is a critical skill for any project manager. Once the team is built, it’s important to keep the team’s productivity high. Here are several suggestions for helping to increase your team’s productivity and manage their workflow. Keep meetings to a minimum Meetings are necessary and universally hated. But just because no one admits they like meetings doesn’t mean they don’t have a purpose. Ask […]
Whenever I start a new project, my first question to the sponsor or client is “What does project success look like?” I can tell a great deal about how the project is going to go from the answer. Here are a few examples: “I’ll know it when I see it.” I’m immediately skeptical. If a sponsor or customer cannot articulate what exactly they want after […]
Small businesses are often in a quandary. They’ve got lots of things to do, but often few resources. How to determine when it’s best to formally plan a project or just do it without a plan? For many small companies, much of this is determined by the owner or the manager. What is important to accomplish? Projects are developed because the deliverable is important to the […]
With all the marketing hype and material out there, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest software tools. Many of these tools can make a big difference in your business, streamlining processes and maybe even bringing in more revenue. How does a busy business owner know whether or not a tool will help, or just drain the life out of your limited human […]
No matter our profession, there are always some aspects of the work that we don’t like. Here’s my list today. Unrealistic management expectations In my career, I’ve had some great managers who are pretty savvy about what can get done and what can’t. Unfortunately, they are outweighed by the folks that seem to have no clue what’s possible and by when. I don’t like working with […]
Project managers seem to be very popular with large corporations, but what about businesses with fewer than 100 employees? Can project management help them? Small business owners and managers tend to have everything on their plate. Marketing, sales, payroll – everything is the owner’s responsibility. Which means that all the projects that are part of those ongoing efforts are being run by one person – […]
Requirements management has always been part of the project manager’s job. It was something that I handled as the project progressed without much thought. In today’s world, requirements management is an important part of the overall project. What is “requirements management?” In short, requirements management is the compilation, monitoring, and control of stakeholder needs for the project. According to PMI, the Requirements Management Plan is a component […]
