Category: For the PMO

Does the phrase “Are we there yet?” invoke memories from your childhood? Why did we demand an answer every half-an-hour on a six hour trip? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that, as kids, we had no concept of time, distance or the signs along the way, we were merely little passengers, perched on … Continue reading "Project Teams, are we there yet?"

While effective people management has been cited as one of the key reasons for successful project delivery, the reality is that hostility among team members, conflicting goals, inconsistent performance and unclear expectations are all challenges that we, as project managers, face daily. Over the years, project managers have adopted numerous management techniques (some successful and … Continue reading "Exploring coaching in projects"

I’d written an article previously which listed the benefits a good project schedule can provide, but most of those would be perceived as being of value to a project manager. “All you care about is the schedule!” is likely a complaint that has been heard by most project managers. The danger in such cases is … Continue reading "Project Schedules Should Benefit More Than Just the Project Manager"

A PMI survey conducted a few years back supported the premise that companies which have instituted consistent project management practices enjoy a higher project success rate than those which have not. PMI’s March 2012 Pulse of the Profession publication stated that in organizations which used standardized project management practices, 71% of projects met their original … Continue reading "Increase the Perceived Benefits of Project Management Methodologies"

Most of us relish the idea of “death by chocolate”. What a wonderful way to go! But when it comes to being smothered by something, professionals in the project space more often than not feel stifled by processes…not nearly as delightful as chocolate. So, why do we often feel that our processes and methodologies are … Continue reading "How to avoid death by process"

Any business owner will agree that effective project portfolio management forms an important part of a company’s growth. It is critical, however, to also bear in mind is that there are many elements that contribute to the successful use of technology that supports an organisations project portfolio management needs. In fact, the first step in … Continue reading "Effective project portfolio management"

One of the single biggest benefits of implementing a Project Portfolio Management (PPM) application, is the software’s ability to publish real time status reports. Yet, to achieve credible and quality reporting is a challenge and, typically, some PPM implementations fall short of ever achieving this. Guy Jelley, CEO at Project Portfolio Office, explains that one … Continue reading "Three steps to credible, quality portfolio and project status reporting"

"We‘re installing XYZ software and we need to hire a Project Manager. Go hire me one." How many times have you been handed a job requirement that looked like this? How often have you seen job requirements that left you scratching your head wondering what you should be looking for when hiring a project manager? … Continue reading "What Is a Project Manager Already?"

These days it seems that everyone is a project manager. Even those of us in business-as-usual roles frequently find ourselves leading projects: to roll out a new IT platform, to improve procurement processes, to design a new staff newsletter. There are thousands of examples, big and small. As project managers, we are focussed on delivery. … Continue reading "10 tips for sharpening your project communications"