For many projects, status meetings are a given, mostly because that’s how projects are run in most companies. So, if your company culture mandates status meetings, then let’s make those meetings the best use of time possible. Let’s assume that you already have a basic understanding of how a good meeting is run. You know you should have an agenda, only invite the relevant folks, […]
In a good mood, you arrive in the office with your coffee and a spring in your step. You acknowledge your coworkers as you make your way to your desk. In your email, there’s a message from your boss requesting a meeting. Your coworker’s Project X is not on track and the boss wants you to do project recovery. Your co-worker has been reassigned to […]
In Monday morning’s team meeting, project manager A is asking the team for status. The Quality Manager notes that they are 75% done with testing. PM A nods and makes a note. Perhaps she asks if testing will meet their dates. The Quality Manager says Yes. PM A moves on. But does she really know if testing will meet their dates? How many meetings like […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s a new year and everyone seems to be getting back to work. New project assignments are going out, and it’s time to start building teams. How do you make sure the team you get is the team that can get the job done? Assess the team needs of the project Working with the sponsor, the project manager develops a charter – the description of […]
As project managers, our job is to deliver a defined set of deliverables. Those deliverables may be as small as relocating a team to another floor, or as large as a satellite that hovers over the earth. No matter what the deliverables, the members of the team are crucial to the success of the project. Team development In many companies, team development for projects […]
You’ve been in the organization for a year or two. Learning the business, trying to soak it all in, and noticing there is a definite lack of organization around projects and servicing your customers. This is not a secret from management, but they are not sure what to do about it. Finally, they see you trying to wrangle the alligators, and they decide to assign […]
Plans are nothing; planning is everything. — Dwight D. Eisenhower If you missed Project Initiation: Let’s get this party started! go ahead and check it out now. For some companies, project planning is a nuisance. As project managers, we often must balance the urgency of senior management to see results and the importance of ensuring the team knows exactly what they are trying to accomplish. We know […]
Better status meetings Status meetings are like exercise – everyone should participate, but it’s tough to get motivated. In most companies, these meetings are dreaded events that most folks would do nearly anything to avoid. The Project Manager is not always a fan either. She’s constantly searching for any way to make these meetings better, faster, and more productive – including not having them at […]
