I Hate My Coworkers By: PMAlliance | - Are you a project manager with a job you love but a bunch of coworkers you cant stand? Maybe theyre a tightly knit group thats slow to accept outsiders, or perhaps they expect you to shoulder more than your share of the workload. Whatever the reason, its a drag to go into the office every day knowing your best shot at happiness is to avoid everyone you work with. Rather than let a bad team vibe ruin an otherwise great job, weve put together some tips to help you keep the peace, re ... Tags:project management consulting trainning pmo
How To Deal With Nightmare Stakeholders By: PMAlliance | - In an earlier post, we talked about four common types of nightmare stakeholders: the name dropper, the empire builder, the vanisher, and the bosser. How can you keep these difficult but important players from wreaking havoc on your project or your team, while also ensuring they remain supportive and useful? Below weve pulled together some tips to help you keep your project on track and prevent your nightmare stakeholders from derailing your teams success.
6 Reasons We Don"t Learn From Project Failures By: PMAlliance | - Question: Whats worse than a project that failed? Answer: Not learning anything from that failure. Examining failures, dissecting their causes, identifying ways to avoid repeating mistakes, and implementing better project management practices are some of the most important methods available to us in our quest to become better project managers. Here weve rounded up some of the most common reasons that even seasoned project professionals dont always learn from their mistakes.
Negotiation Tips: Outside Services By: PMAlliance | - PMOs often face obstacles when trying to gain approval for consultants, niche experts, vendors, and other outside services. As organizations continue to face lean budgets and leaner staffing, how can you successfully negotiate for the outside help you need? Weve put together a strategy to help you demonstrate your external support requirements, reinforce the value of your internal strengths, and evaluate alternate solutions that will still allow your PMO to accomplish its objectives. Tags:project management consulting, pmo, office, training,
8 Ways To Banish Your Inner Micromanager By: PMAlliance | - Most managers value and respect their employees skills, expertise, and capabilities. But even the best managers sometimes find themselves slipping into the dreaded role of micromanagerusually when stress levels are high, time is short, and success feels almost out of reach. Managing employees is an ongoing process, and good managers never stop learning. Here are some tips to help you spot trouble and learn to stop your micromanaging tendencies before they have a chance to take hold.
... Tags:project management consulting training pmo office consultant
Delegation 101 By: PMAlliance | - Delegating tasks is an important way for you to balance your groups workload while also helping team members to grow. But farming out responsibilities can be a daunting task by itself. Weve put together some principles to help you get the best results from delegating within your PMO.
How
Your delegation methods will help to set your team up for success.
Be A Better Communicator By: PMAlliance | - Good communication is the foundation that keeps your team moving forward. But as our communication options expand, our ability to match the method to the need sometimes becomes fuzzy. Here weve outlined the top 3 communication methods, along with dos and donts for each.
E-mail and Instant Messaging
E-mail (along with IM and other social media platforms) has become a ubiquitous communication tool. Fast, efficient, archive-ready, and available on computers as well a ... Tags:project management consulting, pmo, trainning, consultants
Intelligence Gathering: Determining End User Needs By: PMAlliance | - Part of preparing any project for success is pulling together accurate and complete information about objectives, deliverables, and expectations. Gathering this data as it relates to end user requirements can sometimes be trickyconflicting opinions, competing priorities, lack of big picture awareness, and little or no influence over final budget approval can all hamper your efforts. Below are some tips to help you get the information you need, proactively spot potential problems, and deal wit ... Tags:project management consulting, company, pmo, office, consult
6 Ways To Embrace Your Inner Leader By: PMAlliance | - Worried about making mistakes as you move from coworker to leader? Chances are good that you already have many of the tools you need to be a good manager, but the transition can be daunting. Weve put together a handful of tips to help guide you through the process.
1 Trust your abilities.
Why: Your project management expertise will see you through sticky patches, so dont waste time second-guessing yourself. You really do know what youre doing.
Pitfalls Of Big Projects By: PMAlliance | - Juggling multiple smaller projects may be a challenge, but PMs who oversee only one or two large projects at a time have their share of headaches, too. Below we explore some of the pitfalls of managing larger (but fewer) projects.
Exposure to new champions. Because your sphere of influence is often limited by your list of active projects, if youre responsible for fewer projectseven if theyre quite largeyoure probably going to have less opportunity to interact with pot ... Tags:project management consulting pmo office training
5 Tips For Managing Volunteers By: PMAlliance | - Project managers in non-profit organizations, as well as those working on charitable endeavors and personal projects, often coordinate folks who are donating their time. But wrangling volunteers isnt the same as managing employeeshow do you tweak your project management strategies to achieve success with volunteers?
Project Management: Creative Problem Solving By: PMAlliance | - Every successful project team exhibits some level of creativity when it comes to solving problems, but thinking outside the box isnt always easy (or fruitful). How can you boost your creativity and help your team be more innovative, all while staying within the parameters of your project? Weve put together some principles to start you on the path to creative problem-solving.
6 Rules For Handling The Media By: PMAlliance | - Projects with potential media exposureTV, newspapers, etc.require a bit of special care. Use these guidelines to keep your publicity positive and your media relations friendly.
1 Designate a single point of contact. Its hard to control what comes out of peoples mouths, so appoint just one person as the authorized media contact and strictly admonish the rest of your team that they arent allowed to speak with any media representatives. Be sure your designated contac ... Tags:project management consulting software pmo office training
10 Ways To Blend Leadership With Collaboration By: PMAlliance | - For a project team to be successful, its manager needs to find the right balance between individual leadership and group collaboration. If youre wondering how to create a culture within your own project team that supports that blend, weve put together some principles that will point you toward success.
5 Tips For Managing Confidential Information By: PMAlliance | - Projects often involve sensitive information, such as collaborations that havent yet been made public, or budgets that hinge on not-yet-released market data. How can you keep your team (and your company) out of hot water with all that confidential information floating around?
1 Know the regulations. Depending on the type of information youre handling, you may need to adhere to federal or other laws that govern the storage and destruction of your data. Documentation related ... Tags:project management consulting, consultants, pmo, office
Project Management Tips: Stay Productive On The Road By: PMAlliance | - Like many project management professionals, you probably fit business travel into an already busy schedule. How can you maintain peak efficiency through it all? The tips below will get you started.
Stay in touch. Forward your office line to your mobile, or have another team member transfer important calls to you. Get a laptop with built-in wireless access, use a cellular carriers wireless card, or sign up for the hotels in-room Wi-Fi access (be sure its secure or use a VPN) ... Tags:project management consulting, consultants, pmo, office
4 Things To Remember When Canceling A Project By: PMAlliance | - It happensa project you felt certain would move forward has been canceled. How do you nix a project without losing traction in other areas? And what are your chances of keeping the dead limb from sapping the energy from the rest of your project tree? When tasked with killing a project, keep these 4 principles in mind.
1 Do it quick. Once a project is officially dead, immediately switch to kill mode. Dont expend any more energy or resources on the project than are nec ... Tags:project management consulting, consultants, pmo, office
6 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Performance Evaluation By: PMAlliance | - Performance evaluations are often viewed as an unpleasant chore, but you can turn that around if you approach your evaluation as a step toward success. Keep these principles in mind to get the most out of the process.
1 Your boss wants you to succeed. Consider the feedback, suggestions, and constructive criticism as just thatconstructive. Try to quell your defense mechanisms and openly consider what your boss has to say.
Fixing An Out-of-control Pmo By: PMAlliance | - Sometimes, for a wide variety of reasons, a PMO suddenly finds itself scattered and struggling to succeed. If your team is full of high performers but still sagging when it comes to performance, or if things seem to be more difficult than they should be, its time to step back and see what you can change to improve performance and set your team up for success.
8 Ways To Be A Good Change Agent By: PMAlliance | - Project management and change management are inextricably linkedevery project changes the status quoand PMs often find themselves managing the effects of change as much as the implementation of change itself. Use these tips to embrace your role as a change agent.
1 Understand the impact of change. Youre changing how people work and/or interact with their environment, and you shouldnt assume that you know how changes will affect others. Instead, talk at length with en ... Tags:project management consulting pmo consultants office
Setting Individual Goals: 9 Tips For Success By: PMAlliance | - Performance evaluation season is almost upon us, and its time to begin identifying individual goals for next year. Below are a few tips to get you started and keep you going.
1 Invest time now. Spend enough time to be sure you know what you want to achieve, the steps needed to achieve it, and how youll know when youve successfully reached a goal.
Project Management: Upsizing Your Pmo By: PMAlliance | - Adding project professionals to your PMO is usually a good issue to faceit means youre growing or increasing the scope of your projects. But before you charge ahead, remember that there are still a few things you should do to ensure the smoothest transition possible.
1 Introduce new members. Busy managers sometimes throw new folks into the mix with no introduction or fanfare. Take the time to present new members so that they feel welcomed, and their upcoming contributions ... Tags:project management consulting pmo consultants office
Project Management: Downsizing Your Pmo By: PMAlliance | - PMOs can face downsizing efforts for a variety of reasons, including budget reductions and the loss of key business partnerships. No matter the cause, PMO scale-backs can have long-lasting effects on team productivity, morale, and individual performance. By following some baseline principles, you can help lessen the negative impacts and keep your team functioning at its best.
Project Negotiation Tips: Internal Services By: PMAlliance | - Many PMOs rely on some level of internally-provided servicesIT, HR, Facilities, Purchasingto round out their projects. Unfortunately, competing for these resources with the rest of the employee population can sometimes leave your project low on the priority list. How can you improve your chances of getting the services you need, when you need them, without alienating someone?
5 Ways To Manage Change Control By: PMAlliance | - Mid-project changes can throw off your entire plan, from budgets to resource allocationsbut sometimes changes are necessary and appropriate. How your team manages, evaluates, approves (or declines), and integrates changes may make the difference between project success and failure.
1. Have a standard, workable change process. Its important to evaluate change requests against a uniform set of criteria. This will also help to deter requests that are unlikely to meet a formal sni ... Tags:project management consulting pmo consultants office
10 Follow-up Activities Your Project Should Include By: PMAlliance | - Think that projects done? Not so fastthere are a host of items that sometimes dont make the formal punchlist, but they should. Below are some often-overlooked follow-up activities to consider adding to your task list.
1. End user training. An important but sometimes neglected issue, PMs should take charge of making sure users know how to make the most ofand safely useall the new goodies your project provided.
4 Disaster Planning Tips For Your Pmo By: PMAlliance | - This is the time of year when organizations typically start thinking about how operations will continue during small-scale work stoppagesthose caused by events such as snow, urban flooding, and power outages. Use these simple tips to help your PMO maintain continuity and stay on track.
1 Think low-tech. Even if your mobile device syncs your contacts and calendar with a master server, consider keeping hard copies in your briefcase. Ditto for project schedules, purchasing infor ... Tags:project management consulting pmo consultants
4 Ways To Stay Fresh During A Long Project By: PMAlliance | - Long projects offer a unique set of challenges for your PMO teamdeadlines are months or even years away, significant milestones are often few and far between, and the initial rush of new project enthusiasm eventually subsides. How do you maintain your groups morale, encourage long-term innovation, and keep all eyes firmly on the projects goals?
Project Teams: Collaboration Vs. Distraction By: PMAlliance | - Project teams often require a high level of collaboration to achieve their objectives, with team members relying heavily on interactions among the group in addition to partnerships with outside players. While this type of environment can be conducive to innovation and cross-pollination of ideas, it has the potential to lead to reduced productivity if distractions arent closely managed. A few basic principles will help you to reap the many benefits of a successful collaborative environment.
De-stress: Make The Most Of Your Vacation By: PMAlliance | - Vacations are sometimes hampered by a frantic lead-up in the days before, by trying to accomplish too much while youre supposed to be relaxing, and by feeling like youre overwhelmed as soon as you return to the office. Thoughtful preparation and a plan for your return can help lower the stress level of your next vacation.
6 Tips To Tame The E-mail Monster By: PMAlliance | - Are you spending too much time on e-mail? If so, use these tips to turn the tables and make e-mail work for you.
Compose Respond Send
1. Keep e-mails concise, clear, and relevant. By following these three guidelines throughout your communications, youre less likely to waste time on overly verbose messages, or messages that require additional clarification (and composition time) later.
Group tasks when possible. Not only is it good time management, it will also help you get into the groove on tasks you really dislike. If you can tackle all your phone calls, e-mails or memo-writing at one time, youll get through the tasks faster with less opportunity to dread doing them.
4 Small Project Mistakes To Avoid By: PMAlliance | - ts common to assume that small projects are simple and easy, until you try to do one. Small projects can be just as complex as their larger counterparts, and even seasoned PM pros sometimes mishandle them. Improve your project management skills by learning to recognize and avoid these common small project mistakes.
1. Underestimating the scope. Ensure your small project has adequate resources, funds, and other support, and recognize its potential impact on other active proj ... Tags:project management consulting, pmo, consultants, training
5 Ways To Defend Your Project Budget By: PMAlliance | - Project budgets are regularly in the financial crosshairs. While careful budgeting is a priority for every project management professional, there will be times when others in your organization want you to cut costs beyond what you think is reasonable. If you find your budget is under serious fire, use these tips to defend your resources and protect the success of your project.
Move Beyond A Failed Project By: PMAlliance | - Projects that fail to meet objectives are certainly frustrating in the near term, but bewareif you arent diligent in determining the cause(s) of the failure and implementing effective solutions, you might find yourself repeating the same mistakes later, too. Growth as a project management professional will come by peeling through the projects layers to discover the real issues at the heart of the failure. You can then devise methods to address and prevent similar issues, thereby increas ... Tags:project management consulting, pmo, consultants, training
Project Management: Juggling Multiple Projects By: PMAlliance | - Most project professionals have a number of projects going at any given time. Many are in the pre-approval phase (from which they may never emerge), some are in full swing, and others are wrapping up; some may be small, and others large.
Keeping your objectives straight, knowing what needs to be done now (and what must wait for later), maintaining various channels of communication, and adhering to each projects budget and schedule takes focus, excellent organization, and winning ... Tags:project management consulting, training, office, PMO
6 Project Mistakes Every Company Makes By: PMAlliance | - Trace just about every project management war story back to its inception, and youre almost sure to find one of the following six all-too-common mistakes.
1 Not enough money. Budget and scope are related; its as simple as that. If funds are lacking, then the scope must be scaled back accordingly. Piggybacking on another project or tapping multiple too-small line items are rarely successful solutions.
Why Consensus Doesn"t Always Equal Project Success By: PMAlliance | - Project professionals know that consensus among stakeholders is a critical component in moving a project forward and meeting final objectives. But consensus is just one component of many that must be addressed, and sometimes even the most foundational agreements are too flawed to withstand the future challenges that typically arise.
How can you ensure that your project achieves the level of consensus it needs? Getting all involved parties to agree on something doesnt procure the ... Tags:project management consulting, mentor, PMO, training
5 Strategies To Persuade On The Fence Stakeholders By: PMAlliance | - Project management professionals are often called upon to help persuade stakeholders to give a project their support. Below are a few tips to bring these key people into your camp.
1. Ask questions. Dont rely on secondhand information or assumptions. Instead, contact each stakeholder (if possible), and let them tell you about their reservations directly. Once you have accurate and current information, you can begin to address the concerns that are preventing them from giving you ... Tags:project management consulting, consultant, PMO, training
Project Management Firefighting By: PMAlliance | - Many a great catastrophe has started from humble roots. Consider the Great Chicago Fire of 1871: The initial cause of the fire is still unknown (popular legend holds that Catherine O"Leary"s barn on the south side of Chicago was set ablaze when her errant cow, Daisy, upended a lantern), but that it left the city devastated is incontrovertible. Though the loss of a barn is no small tragedy, further calamity could have been avoided if the response had been swift, measured and well-impl ... Tags:project management consulting, consultant, PMO, training
5 Project Management Tips For "scattered Team" Success By: PMAlliance | - Many of todays teams work on shared objectives while being geographically distant from each other. These scattered teams are often highly productive, but members run the risk of feeling alienated, less accountable to the team, and out of the loopscenarios that could put successful completion of your projects objectives in jeopardy. Avoid the most common pitfalls by using these tips to maintain your scattered teams cohesiveness, morale, and efficiency.
Find The Right Business Mentor By: PMAlliance | - Developing a relationship with the right mentor can be a significant step toward reaching your professional goals. Mentors help us gain new perspectives, make better plans, master advanced skills, meet new people, and focus our efforts. Finding the right mentor may seem like a daunting project unto itself, but remembering some simple guidelines will help you narrow the choices to those in the best position to help you succeed.
Project Management Tips: Network For Success By: PMAlliance | - While your immediate project plate may be full, its important that you dont neglect the long-term care and feeding of your career. A robust professional network can yield not only new job offers, but its also a prime place to forge lucrative business partnerships, connect with potential experts and other resources, touch base with colleagues working on projects in synergy with your own, and keep a bead on the state of regional and market-wide trends. The array of available networking pl ... Tags:project management consulting, training, software, PMO
Secure sensitive materials in a locked cabinet or drawer.
Nothing can ruin a relaxing evening (and put you into a stressful state of mind in the morning) like wondering if that confidential file is still sitting open on your desk.
Three Important Tips For Better Business Writing By: PMAlliance | - Most projects require some amount of writingmemos, reports, status updates, budget justifications, personnel requests and other communications all call for clear, and sometimes persuasive, writing. If writing isnt your thing (and for most of us it isnt), then read on for tips to help streamline your writing tasks while improving your skills.
Clarity is key. Remember that the aim of most business writing is to convey information; readers are looking for solid, current data. ... Tags:project management consulting, training, software, PMO
The Project Office By: PMAlliance | - Companies today increasingly recognize that, with respect to project management, they must advance beyond the ability to create occasional success stories through the exertion of heroic effort. They know that a core element of their overall success is driven by the ability to consistently bring their entire portfolio of projects to successful completion: on-time, within budget, and per-specification. In addition, they know that if they can cost-effectively accelerate the delivery of their new pr ... Tags:project management consulting, training, software, PMO
A Phased Approach To Project Management Implementation By: PMAlliance | - Implementing a formalized project management process in an organization that does not have a history of using a structured approach to project planning and control can present significant challenges. A phased approach to implementation is a crucial element of a successful implementation strategy because
it helps overcome resistance to change, allows lessons learned in early phases to be incorporated in the systems installed in later phases, and ensures that a solid foundation of ... Tags:project management consulting, training, software, PMO
Too Much Sisyphus In Your Pmo? Stop Struggling And Start Succeeding By: PMAlliance | - Many project veterans have experienced the frustration caused by the sometimes Sisyphean task of maintaining an experienced and motivated team within their PMO. A legendary king from Greek mythology, Sisyphus was crafty and self-serving. His actions eventually landed him on the wrong side of the gods, and they cursed him to an eternity spent rolling a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down just before it reached the top. When key members of a PMO leave the team for other opportu ... Tags:project management consulting, PMO, training, consultants
Advice On Becoming A Pmo / Project Management Assistant By: ContractPM | - A lot of people want to become a PMO / PMSO (Project Management Support Officer) but it seems like these people are the forgotten voice to my knowledge there is not much written about becoming a PMO, as a result I decided to write this article.
I believe there are a number of levels of PMO; I will attempt to share what I know about how to get a role at each level, in terms of recruitment, training, benchmark of similar roles/typical CV and anything else I can share.
The Recession, The Stimulus And The Pmo By: Mischa Taylor | - In an economic environment characterized by near unprecedented losses in business profitability, jobs and personal wealth, the average business manager or owner is focused on keeping the lights on. Faced with the operational imperative of maintaining an acceptable level of business with fewer and fewer resources, who can afford the "luxury" of a Project Manager - much less an entire Project Management Office (PMO)? Let's face it...project management is a skill that is "nice to have"...it's not ... Tags:project management, project manager, PMO, best practices, economic recession, stimulus, recovery, information technology, prosperity, challenge
