Project Management Is For Life, Not Just The Office
There are many ways to endure a pandemic lockdown. And sometimes the wisdom of the crowd can be wrong. So over March and April this year, as most of the country went big on bread making, moustaches, and home-schooling, I went another route. “Why change your life just...
How Optimism Can Ruin Your Project Plan
A well drilled project team has every member clear on their role. Watching a well oiled project machine at work is a beautiful thing. Getting the right skills into the right roles is key to smashing the Iron Triangle and over the years successful project team members...
The Lean Project Charter
I’d always been a fan of producing a project charter, otherwise known as a project management plan or PID, as I always found it to be a useful way to help structure my thinking about the project delivery approach and to get buy in from stakeholders on that approach. ...
Is The Problem Worth Solving?
How many times have you seen businesses dive head-first into a project without first validating the true impact of the problem on the business? There are few things more frustrating as trying to solve a problem that nobody can articulate. And of course, the typical...
Stakeholder Satisfaction? It’s All In The People…
What’s the best way to evaluate a project’s success? Your usual touch points are an on time delivery, within budget and to the original scope. But the reality is few projects meet all these targets. And every one missed is a hammer blow to what really counts -...
Sponsors and Project Risk
Reading The Tea Leaves is about smart sponsorship, looking for the first shoots of trouble and moving quickly to flush out the problem before it can take root.
The Power of No
Every great project manager knows when to say no. Although yes can often be easier. Especially with the sponsor staring you in the face, asking the impossible and slowly tightening those purse strings... But seriously - the project manager who can’t say no will...
PMs – Natural Born Worriers
Let’s face it… worrying and PMs are made for each other. Managing projects is a tricky business, and the PM who says they never worry is likely a liar. Truth is, you’ll always worry about your project. It’s what you do with that worry that separates the good from the...
Everyone Knows a Nay Sayer
Every project has its nay sayers. You know them… the difficult stakeholder, the questioning tech lead, the uncertain CMO… if you’ve not met them personally we can guarantee you’ve met someone similar. Living in the detail and slowing the project down, it can be quite...
Identifying a Natural Born Project Manager
Spotting a great project manager is easier than you think. Some businesses take a relaxed approach to the role. It’s not unusual for resident subject matter experts to find themselves project managing, or for someone with excess capacity to find themselves shoehorned...