Use the Critical Chain Method to meet Project Deadlines
If I told you to change a light bulb and you had two hours to do it, you would probably spend most of the two hours. You'd assume I thought you needed to go the store, or that I wanted it done a certain way, and that I've thought hard....
Demand for Project Managers is Growing
Given the value that project management gives to an organization, it's easy to understand why more and more companies are adopting it as a way to do business. Consequently, the demand for project managers is increasing, and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Almost anyone can benefit....
8 Types of Project Management Challenges
If you've managed projects for a long time, you can start to look like this guy on the right. It seems like you need every skill in the book to manage people, schedules, stakeholders, project finances, risk, and more. Managing project is inherently challenging. Have you ever experienced any of....
Qualities that help you become a better Project Manager
When I was a junior engineer I was part of a project where the project manager's communication skills were so bad, people were afraid to talk to him. If at all possible, you tried to deal with issues yourself, because if the corner office had to manage something the client....
The 5 Most Critical Skills of a Project Manager
It is truly amazing how many roles a project manager plays. From leadership to salesperson to technical manager, it really does take a full gamut of skills to complete a project on time and under budget. Following is a list of key skills for project managers to possess: Project management....
Does Project Management add Value?
I've been asked by people who see the project management practices we employ, like project management plans (i.e. risk matrices, scheduling, and so forth), and ask: What is the value of all this? It's a good question. Some of our competitors appear to complete projects flawlessly, with some technical experts....
5 Risk Response Strategies
Have you ever stopped to brainstorm the risks to your projects? If you're like most technical professionals you just arrive at work in the morning, and start your project where you left off the previous day. You try to dot all the i's and cross all the t's, and then....
10 Doctrines of Procurement Management
Contractual issues between organizations performing a project can be costly and time consuming, not to mention embarrassing for a project manager. I hope you've never experienced major contract disputes with a subcontractor or subconsultant, but in any case, be sure to heed the following 10 doctrines to make sure your....
11 Tips for Bulletproof Vendor Management
If there's anything that can get a project manager's reputation into the toilet in a hurry, it's contractual issues with vendors. I've seen a few messy issues in my time, and I don't wish this on anyone. Fortunately there are things you can do on the front end to ensure....
Using Network Diagrams to Keep Your Projects on Track
Have you ever been involved in a project where unexpected issues outside of the control of the project team cause the project schedule to change? Never? I didn't think so, you're way too good for that. But for the rest of us mere mortals, keeping projects on track is an....
