PM Anecdotes

Here's twenty fun anecdotes on project management ... I especially enjoyed this quote that rings true in the requirements definition stage of an IT project. It's fine to document the requirements discussion, but important to read between the lines. ...

... "You understood what I said, not what I meant. " ...

Via TechRepublic: Project management tips

Keep Projects on Track

Nice set of tips for keeping your project on-track and staying focused on the goal. ...

... "You should be spending the bulk of your time talking to and corresponding with project constituents – your team, the stakeholders, vendors, consultants and key end-users. " ...

Via Baseline: Save Your Next Project

Cheat Sheet for Managers: 101 Ways to Rise Above the Pack

InsideCRM has an excellent cheat sheet for managers, covering topics such as:

- Body Language
- Meeting Deadlines
- Getting Along with Employees
- Managing Yourself
- Boosting Productivity
- Managing Finances and Resources
- Communicating with Clients
- Keeping Up with Change
- Resolving Problems
- Going Above and Beyond

I've read through the list and there are some excellent reminders and insightful tips here. This is the kind of list that's good to print out and read on the train, keep on your desk, and read periodically to renew your focus.

It's billed as a "common sense" list of advice, but I find that much of it is quite uncommon (you know what they say about common sense). Kudos for the folks at InsideCRM for putting this together.

Check it out...


The Manager's Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders - Inside CRM

Project Management Wisdom: PMThink Readers Speak

We recently asked PMThink readers to contribute the best project management advice they've even received. Here's the compiled list:

"Great organizations, especially those that do well over the long haul, are masters of the obvious and the mundane." - Bob Sutton, Harvard Business Online, May 4, 2007.
(contributed by PMThink blogger Garry Booker)

"Always remember, there is only us" - Alistair Cockburn, on collaboration instead of "us vs them", in Agile Software Development 2nd Ed.
(contributed by John Rusk)

It's about the people...not the processes or tasks. You treat your people right, they'll make sure the project is right.
(contributed by Eric Brown)

"When people don't care about a project they can find a 100 good ways to make it not work that aren't their fault"
(contributed by Jason Bates)

"Make sure you really need a collaboration/project management tool before you try to use one." Many times a PM or collab tool is overkill for something that you could have accomplished in a phone call, a single email or a single document.
(contributed by Isaac Garcia)

Although the PMBOK puts the statistic a little lower, experience shows that -- "100% of SUCCESSFUL project management is communication" (whether it is used for team building, coordination of activities, collection/ dissemination of data/metrics and status)
(contributed by Laurie)

I always try to balance the interest of the people. Always find out how you can make person "A" agree on an idea that contradicts his own idea.
(contributed by Randy, PMP)

"Your success is driven in large part by your ability to leverage the community you build around you."- Scott Allen and David Teten , authors, 'The Virtual Handshake'
(contributed by Jason Bates)

"Never take anything for granted, never assume that something is happening, check"
(contributed by Frederic Casagrande)

"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it"
(contributed by Lucas Rodriguez Cervera)

I also noticed that Frederic Casagrande (who, incidentally, won our drawing) has a great list of additional tips for project managers on his website...

1. You can't manage a Project on your own.
2. Never take anything for granted, never assume that something is happening, check.
3. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.
4. Delegate and remember there is more than one way to complete the same task.
5. Allow the team to take responsibility for the tasks assigned to them.
6. Manage the sponsor and don't let them manage you, you own the project.
7. Be realistic with the expectations.
8. Everything is resolvable, it just may take time to find that solution. If something goes wrong, don't take it personally, it's not about life and death.
9. Look at the whole picture and keep the end in mind.
10. Taking a decision and moving forward is always preferable to indecision and delays.

Frederic runs a nice blog site, Digital Addictions, with some additional great advice. Check it out at: http://casagrande.blogs.com/english/ - Or, if you prefer it in French, visit: http://casagrande.blogs.com/

With all this good advice from our readers and colleagues, project managers can't go wrong.

PMThink Contest: Help Other PMs and Win a Prize!

Here's an opportunity for PMThink readers to help the project management profession and win something in the process.

Here's what we invite you to do. It's simple:

Post a comment to this message stating, in a single sentence, what the best project management advice you've ever received was.

That's it.

PS: I admit, I came up with this question after posting a link to a YouTube video that showed other people's answers to this question. I thought it would be nice to also leverage the collective intelligence of PMThink readers.

In a week or two, we'll pick one of the comments at random (we'll number the comments and drop the numbers into a hat). The winner will receive a free subscription ($39.99 value) to The Project Management PrepCast™, courtesy of Cornelius Fichtner, who was kind enough to donate the subscription to the cause.

Here's information about the PrepCast™ from PMPrepcast.com:

The Project Management PrepCast™ is the first true and "pod-ready" PMP® podcast. Students are able to instantly download all 77 episodes and intensify their studies. The average episode lasts 22 minutes giving the students a total of 30 hours of quality PMP audio material. The podcast covers concepts, tools and techniques in preparation for the PMP® or CAPM® certification exam. We cover material in the PMBOK® Guide, and we include the necessary models, theories and formulas not covered in the Guide.

Of course, if you're already PMP-Certified, you can donate the subscription to a friend, or to the PMI chapter or SIG of your choice. They'll love you for it. Either way, we hope to collect a nice list of PM "best practice" tips for our readers.

PS: When we announce the winner, we'll give you instructions for how to claim your prize.

Sage Advice for Project Managers

Some great advice here...

Project Managers and the Law

In class last week, the discussion turned to the topic of Gentlemen's agreements and their place in project management. The formal answer is that there is no place for them - only what can be referenced in the contract should be done, and done as specified. But the conversation covered some of the greyer areas - suppose it's an internal customer, suppose you have a good long term relationship with the client, isn't the effort of drawing up a contract sometimes greater than the risk of not having one?
It does seem that the constant reference to what's legal does tend to slow down one's ability to deliver. And, as we see from political life, following the boundary between what's legal and what's not does result in a less congenial society. People of good will who want to do a good job and expect others to do the same often find the additional legal processes very burdensome.
So it's as well to be reminded sometimes what the consequences can be of not having the insurance that the law provides. This paper from 2002 by Frances Fowler gives a couple of interesting short case studies. It also gives some guidelines about a project manager's conduct to avoid getting caught on the wrong side.
Legal Aspects of Project Management

Effective Use of Office Politics

Guy gleans some simple truths from Penelope Trunk. Need to influence the organization on your project. Try this. ...

... "Office politics is about helping people to get what they want. This means you have to take the time to figure out what someone cares about, and then think about how you can help him or her to get it. " ...

Via Guy Kawasaki at How to Change the World: Myths of the Workplace by Penelope Trunk

Real World Project Management

There's a good interview on Projects@Work with Susan Snedaker, author of How to Cheat at IT Project Management.

Some key points (paraphrased):

• At status meetings, focus on outcomes instead of endless discussions on issues.
• To insure risks aren't overlooked, appoint a "risk management" person on your project team and/or specify checkpoint milestones on your project.
• To control scope, use past lessons to remind stakeholders of the potential impact of scope creep.
• If you don't like dealing with people ---- well, get out of project management (or at least take a more specialized role on projects).

All good points! Here's the interview...

http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/236152.cfm

Lesson Learned: The Importance of Followup

I was just reading an article about how the DHS (Department of Human Services) never followed up on 17 of the 36 recommendations that were made after child deaths under their watch. The recommendations were supposed to lead to policy changes.

It's a harsh reminder that, while it's nice to gather lessons learned at the end of a project, the lessons are entirely useless if they're "put back in the drawer" with the rest of the project archives.

Lessons learned are supposed to either lead to permanent policy changes or changes in future similar projects. It's important to identify any actions to be taken as a result of lessons learned, along with a clear owner and target date. Ideally, project audits should look to see that lessons are followed up on.

This was an extreme case, but it should serve as a reminder to all of us who are associated with fostering best practice project management processes.

Project Failure Brings Great Lessons

Andrew Makar has an excellent article on Projects@Work outlining key lessons from a prior project failure. I even like his tag line stating that he is "focused on effectively translating project management theory into actual practice." Indeed, that's where the real lessons are to be found.

It looks like it's part of a series---at least a two-parter. This one has lessons about defining clear roles up front, keeping the same project manager throughout the project, maintaining a "living schedule," prioritizing elements in project scope shoulud tradeoffs be needed, and establishing a clear change control process.

I couldn't agree more. Read on...

http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/235962.cfm

Getting Projects Off On the Right Foot: The Pre-Flight Checklist

Something you don't hear much about, but is a critical success factor for projects, is what I call the "pre-flight checklist." As projects are completed, not only is it important to review lessons learned, but it's vital to have a checklist that can be updated as a result. This checklist would be the first thing a project manager would look at upon undertaking a new project.

This is especially true for agile projects, where adjustments are constantly made based on user feedback. Of course, not everything would go on the checklist, but any item that could save time later on a future project is well worth adding. Why reinvent the wheel?

If warranted, there could even be a checklist for various types or categories of projects.

This checklist is different from a pre-project assessment (another underrated tool), where preset questions pertaining to objectives, risk, value, organizational alignment, and more, can be asked.

As the adage goes, projects fail at the beginning, not the end.

Project-Lessons-Learned From Walter Reed

There are more lessons to be learned from the experience at Walter Reed, but here's a good one ... sustaining quality (of service and infrastructure) in the face of closure. If you haven't already, you may be faced with a project to dismantle, decommission, or divest part of your organization. Be ready for this situation. ...

... "When we plan to shut down an operation, the longer the lead time between decision and action, the more discipline we have to apply to making sure that that operation is not victimized, directly or indirectly, by our natural instincts. " ...

Via Snohomish County Business Journal: Lessons

The Nervous Project Manager

"I just wanted to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."

They say it's always good to hire a rich lawyer and buy from a poor salesperson. We might add to that to hire a nervous project manager. I'm of course half joking. Still, it's important to be vigilant about the things that can go wrong, and to confirm that issues are being addressed as required, especially in hot areas such as communication, testing, contingency plans, etc. The devil is often in the details.

This does not mean micromanagement. On the contrary, it's best to delegate work packages to the experts. But it's also important to be aware of what's going on in your project, and circulate regularly among your team. If details are being overloooked, often a gentle reminder is all that's needed.

At any rate, I'd rather have a nervous project manager than one who's running on autopilot.

The Five-Minute Project Manager

Sometimes the best project management tips come from other fields, such as this free "Five Minute Guide to Project Management" from a creative arts website.

Simple, to-the-point, and yet quite effective, this brief guide reminds us of the basics that so often get forgotten in the midst of earned value, critical path, and other favorite topics of PM nerds.

As the article discusses creating a project plan and formally managing subsequent revisions as part of a "contract" between you and the sponsor, let's not forget the importance of defending the right plan.

I was having lunch with a group of CIOs the other day (following a presentation I had done), and all agreed that the number one killer of projects was an unrealistic plan, often agreed to under duress by an intimidated project manager.

Several CIOs present shared success stories of making a case to other senior executives by way of a high level project schedule, outlining the steps needed to achieve results. Often, that's all it takes. Some people I've spoken with have had some luck backwards-scheduling as needed from a given target, either to demonstrate the futility of the desired target, or to raise discussion as to which items can be eliminated.

Anyway, I digress. Here's the article about the PM basics ...

creativepro.com - The Art of Business: Project Management for Creative Professionals

Child's Play: Project Management Lessons From the Classroom

Ah, there's someone else that finds project management lessons in everything. It's a sickness I tell you.

Elizabeth Harrin has an article on Projects@Work about project management lessons she extracted from teaching a group of nine year olds in Paris. Whether it's the importance of giving clear instructions, understanding your stakeholders' environment, or negotiating win-win solutions, everything you need to manage a project you probably learned in kindergarten.

Read on...

http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/235373.cfm

Periodically Recenter on Your Principles

Take a break. Reconnect with your principles. ...

... "Am I doing everything possible in my current project to hold to the principles that got me into all this? " ...

Via tompeters!: Succeed

Project Management and Driving: Staying Tuned In

It had occured to me the other day that project planning is a lot like driving a car. If you constantly look down at the road in front of you, you won't be prepared if traffic suddenly stops or changes pattern. It's better to look out at the near horizon.

And if you listen to the radio for the traffic reports, you'll be able to avoid problems before you even see them.

It's the same with project management. We need to focus on the current planning horizon as far as we can reasonably see (usually we can only see three-to-six months out with any degree of accuracy). And it's equally important to stay "tuned in" through networking, reading what's happening in your organization and the world, visiting your customers and stakeholders, and practicing MBWA (Management By Wandering Around).

The more we're tuned in to internal and external activities that could impact the success of our projects, the better position we'll be in to address problems proactively and head off a traffic jam or a change in pattern.

Project Controller: The Project Manager's Best Friend

Halleluyah! Finally, there's an article saying what I've been saying for years. With projects becoming more and more complex, and leadership and stakeholder management requiring more attention than project managers have time for, there's a need for another role to manage the "control" aspects of the project.

This article by Robert Wourms on Projects@Work details how organizations such as State Farm have had success doing just that. Bring on the Project Controller. As a member of the leadership team for PMI's new standards for program management and portfolio management, I witnessed first hand how valuable this role was, as it freed the program manager up to actually lead the program.

The article shows how the project controller's role can include tasks such as:

1) Educating the team on processes
2) Facilitating Planning and Control sessions
3) Developing the project schedule
4) Controlling progress
5) Tracking and analyzing costs
6) Managing Issues, Risks, and Changes
7) Documenting and delivering status information

So what's left for the project manager to do? Plenty. Supporting this, the article offers a valuable table outlining the role of the project manager vs. the program controller. Read on...

http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/221443.cfm

Unconsulting: Common Sense Lessons for Project Managers

At someone's recommendation, I just finished reading Unconsulting, by David Newman. Fascinating and energizing book for anyone in business.

His book is partly inspired by Peter Drucker's statement, "Only marketing and innovation produce revenue. All other business functions produce costs." To this end, Newman offers that "the bottom line is meaningless if the top line is weak." He points out that, according to studies, "Companies with the same earnings per share that got there from SALES were worth about 30% more than companies who got there with COST CUTTING."

Newman, who, according to the book's back cover, has been called "a younger version of Tom Peters with less hair," offers 95 common-sense "in your face" tips.

A few more key points, paraphrased from the book:

• When consulting, talk to people (especially the impact points such as customers, suppliers, etc.) to gain anecdotal data to gain texture, context, and perspective.
• 95 percent of problems can be addressed by making significant changes to 5 percent of the processes, people, or technology.
• Simplicity defined: Find the shortest way to the best answer.
• Be with the client, not of the client. Rock the boat. You're there preceisely for that reason and to give advice. You're there to do your thing for them, not be a "yes" man (or woman).
• There is no cookie-cutter. Don't sell canned solutions. Listen to the client and look at unique angles to each engagement.
• Bill Cosby says, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
• Don't isolate talent management and organizational development to one department. Institutionalize it in all your management.
• The unconsultant handles an engagement in this way:
  
  "I'll ask some questions, do some research, guide the discussion, help set clear and specific objectives for the work, offer options, tools and answers each step of the way, and then we'll do the work together."
  
  All in all, very refreshing stuff. And a good model for project managers as well. I highly recommend this book. It's not available on Amazon.com, only on Newman's site, but well worth getting. Also, see the wealth of free white papers on his site, as well as his blog...
  
  David Newman: Professional Speaker Motivational Speaker and Keynote Speaker and Business Consultant

Project Management System: Stakeholder Visibility

Transportation industry project management system enables visibility through the project lifecycle to stakeholders. NJIT research team collaborates with users in Houston to customize the system to its needs. A number of installations have been completed across the country. ...

... "The Houston program provides detailed and easily accessible information on transportation projects in the region for TIPs and regional transportation plans. With TELUS, the process is open to citizens and stakeholder groups, not only for project selection, but for tracking project schedules, funding commitments, and related issues. " ...

Via NJIT: NJIT Researchers Help Texans Employ Transportation Technology ...

Leading and Influencing: The Project Manager's Secret Weapon

There's an excellent article by Frank Saladis on allPM about how to lead and influence others. Topics such as boosting your credibility, practicing empathy, and maintaining organizational awareness are discussed, as well as some good tips for engaging team members and obtaining buy-in.

From my experience, these are the things a project manager needs to get right. The rest is just details.

Here's the article. Well worth reading.

Positive Leadership in Project Management – Team Building, Influencing and Leadership By Frank P. Saladis, PMP :: ALLPM Project Management :: Project Manager - Project Management - Information - Forum Manager- PM Tools - Articles -PMI

IT Project Management Book For the Ages

For those managing IT projects, an invaluable resource is Jolyon Hallows' comprehensive book, Information Systems Project Management. Be sure to get the 2nd edition (link is below). It's a bit expensive, but Amazon has it used as well for less money.

Even though I've been managing projects for years, I always like to check out various books to gain new perspectives. This one is exceptional. It offers practical advice with"what if" situations covering most political quandaries, handy checklists (there's a great one on scope considerations), and concise "real word" tips on using various methodologies.

If you're an IT project manager and only buy one book this year, this is it. Of course, if you buy two books, you can check mine out as well. :-)

Amazon.com: Information Systems Project Management With Infotrac: How To Deliver Function And Value In Information Technology Projects: Books: Jolyon Hallows

Einstein Project Management Tip #4: Think Value

And so we continue our series on project management tips from Albert Einstein. Here's another...

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

This sums up perfectly the problem with most projects today. They focus on "success" without fully defining what success means. Project managers and PMOs track schedule and budget metrics. Then, at the end of the project, some capture customer satisfaction, almost as an afterthought.

What really needs to happen is to insure value to the customer, and this usually goes way beyond being on time and on budget. We spoke about the need for clear goals. Surely that's part of it. We also need to deliver in small, frequent iterations to provide the quickest value and get more immediate customer feedback.

Customer satisfaction should be measured and tagged as an index throughout the life of a project, just as Earned Value uses indices to track cost and schedule performance. This allows course correction to be made in areas such as goal clarification, communication, and other areas needed to provide good value.

And when the product has been delivered, be sure that the customer can maximize the benefits of the product through proper training, tips & techniques, next steps, or any other items that will help them get the value expected.

These are the very items I've attempted to address with my Service-Oriented Project Management (SOPM) framework, with its four phases of Understand, Prepare, Iterate, and Transform (UP-IT).

More Einstein tips coming soon...

Einstein Project Management Tip #3: Silence is Golden

Here's our next installment of project management tips from Albert Einstein, the ultimate "PMThinker."

Everyone knows Einstein's famous equation, E=MC2. But he had another one that was also enlightening...

"If A=Success, then the formula is A=X+Y+Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keeping your mouth shut."

How true this is. Often, a project manager's natural tendency is to be vocal and forward. And sometimes, this is indeed warranted. But more often than not, it's a good idea to show restraint and wait to hear all sides before offering your views.

This should not be confused with the vital need to ask plenty of questions. Rather, this refers to the need to think through the issues and hear all sides before voicing definite opinions. Sometimes, silence is golden.

Einstein Project Management Tip #2: Think Flexible

In keeping with our Einstein theme, here's our next project management tip from the great thinker himself.

"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."

While Albert Einstein was referring to the laws of mathematics, surely this applies equally to project plans. We lay out in fine detail what we think is the ultimate plan that supposedly reflects reality. We make what we think are valid assumptions. Then, the minute it is published, things change. Life has a habit of doing that, despite our best intentions.

But we still need to go through the act of planning if we are to think through the risks and have a good chance at success.

Therein lies the paradox. We need to plan, and then we need to constantly revise the plan to match reality. Then we need to plan again. It's a continuous iterative process of course-correction. Perhaps it's why Eisenhower said, "Plans are nothing. Planning is everything."

For most projects, the old adage,"Plan the work and work the plan" should be taken in a different context than its original intention. We need to plan the work, and then we need to "work the plan" (meaning "continuously adjust the plan so that it remains adaptable") , as opposed to merely working "to" the plan.

Stay tuned for more Einstein project management tips.

Einstein Project Management Tip #1: Goals Rule

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of PMThink (yep, we've passed the one-year mark and now have over 1,000 posts - meeting our goal for the first year), I've decided to have a little fun by tapping the mind of the greatest "thinker" of all time----Albert Einstein.

To many, Albert Einstein is synonymous with the word "genius," and rightfully so. In fact, the part of his brain responsible for mathematical and visual/spacial thinking was discovered to be 15% greater than the average human. In addition, it lacked the usual groove that runs through that area, which supposedly enabled his neurons to communicate more effectively. In other words, he's someone worth learning from.

Over the next few weeks, I'll enter some posts highlighting his quotes as they apply to project management. Think Einstein doesn't have anything to do with project management? Think again. Here's the first one...

"Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems, in my opinion, to characterize our age."

The same could be said for project management today. With all the focus on execution and delivery, many project managers fail because they make a huge assumption that the goals and requirements are clear. As we strive to perfect the ability to finish on-time and on-budget, let's not forget the need to make sure that the goals of the sponsor are crystal clear, since that's where most projects fall short.

Stay tuned for more "Einstein project management tips."

Project Management Lessons from Mars

Brian Muirhead, the project manager for the Mars Pathfinder program, had some good tips to share with Projects@Work this week.

Some key learnings, extrapolated from the interview:

• Innovation and bold ideas are often necessary to meet what often seems like an impossible challenge. The trick is to balance the cost and time savings with the risks.
• A diverse team is key. It's better to have people that are different, with complementary skills, than have a bunch of people who think and act the same way.
• A small core team that can share issues, problems, and resolutions, with one person at the helm, is an effective way to run a project.
• Trust, honesty, and personal committment are traits that need to be prevalent throughout the team.
• Test, test, and then test again. Don't rely on luck. If you can't test using the exact situation, then simulate it as best you can, testing as much as is possible.
• A team is only as good as it's weakest link. It's up to the project leader to identify those people that aren't up to the task and remove them or find an area that suits them better.
• Ensure team members have opportunities to make personal connections and grow.
• A project manager must simultaneously provide the glue (keeping the team cohesive and focused) and the grease (removing barriers).
  
  Here's the full interview...
  
  http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/232113.cfm

One-Page Project Status Report; Keeping it Brief

There's a great writeup in Projects@Work about project status reports, including tips on meeting format and frequency as well as a format for a one-page status report.

According to the article, there are 5 Project Status Best Practices:

1. Consistency — The status process should be basically the same for large and small projects, and consistent with their measures of success
2. Escalation — The status process provides a mechanism for escalation of key issues.
3. Simple — One page with the ability to drill down for details when necessary
4. Public — Status is available to all (as appropriate) in order to communicate issues, risks and corrective action measures
5. Inclusive — All projects are required to provide status on a consistent set of metrics

For busy managers who see loads of project status reports, it's much easier to have a consistent, brief summary of what's really happening on each project. They don't need a dissertation on all the details, nor will they get a clear picture just looking at performance metrics. Much like on a business case, most just want the executive summary. Simpler is better. Less is more.

For those looking to improve their status reports (and their credibility with management), read on...

http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/231704.cfm

Software Selection Process; Everything You Need to Know

There's a good writeup on ProjectPerfect offering guidelines and principles for selecting software---from the gathering of internal support through the evaluation and selection process itself.

It's definitely a valuable read for anyone involved in the software selection process.

Here's just a sampling of some of the great tips in the article...

• Tell the vendors at the start what the process for selection will be. They will appreciate knowing what the path is, and how you will reach a decision. It assists their planning as well. You will get far better service if they know when you are going to make a decision.
• Consider an external person to do the negotiation. If negotiations are tough and the vendor feels they have been squeezed dry, it is better for the person who did the squeezing to be gone so that there are less lingering traces of animosity.
• It is a bit like herding cats but you need to keep a single point of contact with each vendor. If vendors can see a chance to influence people at different levels you will soon find all sorts of pressures being applied to you.
• Treat it as a team selection decision, and make sure your team know the process. If you set the path and the criteria from the start, it will help manage expectations internally.
• It is useful to get written agreement from each vendor to comply with the process as a condition to being considered.
• Beware the trap of having their top technical person available all through the sales cycle only to be replaced at the point of implementation by someone who has been with the company for a week. If the vendor is also involved as an implementer, have the implementation team named in the contract.
• The purchase process should be costed into the budget just as the cost of the software and implementation are costed. There can often be many man months of effort required to manage the process and, if not done effectively, will cause major cost blowouts when the wrong software is purchased.
• Another factor touched on a number of times is that much of the work is sequential. There will be gaps in the process – for example between requesting a demonstration, and organising the people to participate. During that lull in proceedings, other work can be done that will contribute to later activities. A software purchase can result in a very complicated schedule.

Here's the full article...

A Software Purchase Process

Team Fun on the Cheap

Is your team suffering from infighting or poor morale?
Do you need a different way to celebrate a milestone on the cheap?

Consider the potluck. Dictionary.com defines the potluck as: A meal at which each guest brings food that is then shared by all.




Although it might be a bit of work for the project management team, organizing a potluck is a cheap way to get the team together. It is especially fun when there are international team members who can showcase food from their respective cultures.

Some tips for organizing your potluck include:

• Schedule it for a Monday. This gives people time to cook over the weekend.
• Create a sign-up spreadsheet with categories like appetizers, entrees, etc., so people can attempt to even the spread.
• For those folks who don't like to cook or don't have time, offer the "bring a staple" option. Every potluck needs plates, utensils, napkins, drinks, table cloths, a clean-up crew, etc. I usually use the "fastest timestamp wins" method for these.
• Book a large enough conference room for several hours around lunch time OR
• If you have a huge team, consider also having people bring in breakfast items (then extend that conference room booking)
• Consider creating a "party favor" for all project team members. We had mugs made with our project name and then filled them with an assortment of goodies in nice party plastic bags (pretzels, candies, nuts, etc.). This was also a team building opportunity because people shared well after the event.

What other ideas do you have for team building events? Let us know!

Project Goals and How to Achieve Them

Sometimes answers come from the strangest of places. I've been reading Jeffrey Gitomer's excellent Little Red Book of Sales Answers, which went to #1 on Amazon.com this week. There are many eye openers, and more than a few tips that project managers can benefit from as well.

For instance, here's what he has to say about the 3.5 reasons why people don't achieve their goals (by the way, he defines a goal as "a dream --- with a plan and a deadline")...

1. Failure to write your goals down and post them in plain view.

2. Failure to make a plan to achieve the goals.

3. Failure to commit, or live up to the commitments they made.

3.5 Failure to make goals that were achievable in the first place

I can say with certainty that every one of these are critical. Many people don't put goals in writing, nor do they develop a plan to achieve their goals. And even if they do, it's not always a realistic plan that considers all the angles.

With projects, like anything we're trying to achieve in life, we must begin with the end in mind. Or, as someone else once said, "If you don't know where you're going, you're probably not going to get there."

The book is chock full of simple formulas like this, that are useful whether in sales, project management, or in life.

PS: See my post from April 8th, Project Managers; Secret of Success Found, for a neat little story about JP Morgan. I think we have a "keep it simple" theme going here.

Recovering Troubled Projects; Seven Steps to Turn it Around

I just read a good case study about rescuing a troubled project, written by Jim Stewart on Chief Project Officer (which, incidentally, has a nice selection of articles).

Here are seven tips Stewart suggests:

1) Don't continue down a failed path. It's never too late to add controls.

2) Don't be afraid to cut your losses and terminate a project that's not generating value.

3) Be sure you have experienced, trained project managers. Keep the good, trainable ones. Reassign the others.

4) Be prepared to make tough decisions. Bypass groups that'll slow you down. Remove troublesome spots (or people).

5) Have adequate and appropriate resources. Allow project managers to focus on project management, not day-to-day technical details or deployment.

6) Don't hesistate to reconsider everyone's role. Avoid redundancy and joint-leadership situations.

7) Re-plan the project with team input. Avoid an unrealistic plan set by management. While management input is valid, only the team knows what's wrong with the project and how long everything should take. Getting team input insures a realistic schedule and garners team buy-in.

Here's the full case study with the lessons...

Chief Project Officer: Case Study: Recovering a Troubled High Tech Project

PMOs; Where's the Value?

A contributor to eProject's eLounge mentioned this excellent article from Chief Project Officer. It's written by Tom Westcott, founder of Project Solutions Group. Several years ago, I saw him speak on scheduling techniques at the PMI Delaware Valley Chapter's Annual Workshop, and was very impressed with his dynamic style and pragmatic approach.

In the article, Westcott talks about how PMOs must demonstrate value if they are to survive, and offers some good tips on how to do just that. Specifically, he says they must create strategic alignment, deliver real value, and communicate frequently.

Here's an excerpt on what he has to say about delivering value:

PMOs must deliver value to survive. Value is not templates, tools, methodology, processes, training; these are means to driving value. Value is gaining efficiencies, achieving cost savings, increasing customer satisfaction, reducing time-to-market, increasing revenue and profit, reducing deficits, or increasing competitive advantage. Too many PMOs wrap their whole mission and existence around the services they provide instead of their impact on the business. Executives buy value.

Too many PMO directors are former project managers who see their role as project management evangelists. This
leads to a myopic view, and often they are ill-prepared or unable to work strategically with executive management. PMO directors need to speak and think in business terms, financial and organizational. Nix the "project-management speak." How does this project benefit the organization and support our strategy? And how can we get it done as quickly and inexpensively as possible? That's what they care about.

For the full article, read on...

Chief Project Officer: PMO or Bust?

Excel Magic for Project Managers

What's the most frequently used project management software?

I gave it away with the title. Yes, it's MS/Excel. And for project managers looking to make the best of Excel, whether for project schedules, budgets, metrics, or even simple issues lists, there are a surprising number of short-cuts and fancy things you can do. I just got a copy of This Isn't Excel, it's Magic, by Bob Umlas. It's quite a handy little book.

While I wouldn't say it's for someone who never used Excel before, it's not for tech-weenies either. It's a short book with extremely useful tips the average Excel user can benefit from. In reading through it, there were quite a few "Wow, I didn't realize you could do that" moments that can save quite a bit of time.

The best part is that these were all tips that made use of the basic product, not a bunch of fancy scripts. Also, most tips were no longer than a page or two--with pictures. I'd definitely recommend it for those looking for a quick way to get more out of Excel.

How to break the glass ceiling

I just can't ask a question (see my blog below) without offering a solution.

If you don't look out for #1, you won't become #1.

Tips for breaking through the glass ceiling:
1) Hobnob with the bigwigs
2) Don't nitpick
3) Sell yourself
4) Ask for more money
5) Have fun
6) Take risks

Click here Are Women Happy Under The Glass Ceiling? - Forbes.com, go to the bottom of the page and click on "Click here to learn how to break the glass ceiling" for more detail about these tips. It's worth 3 minutes of your time!


See my post below

Project Management Monthly Tips from Computerworld

Computerworld has a new monthly column in their Project Management section called Managers' Forum. In this month's inaugural column, it addresses three issues:

• Getting responsiveness from people who don't report to you
• How much a manager needs to understand technical details
• What to do when a senior manager asks for an impossible date

All in all, the host, Paul Glen, offers sound advice that should prove useful to project managers.

I'm glad they decided to start with the "soft skills," which are by far the most difficult challenges project managers face. It should be a useful column that we'll be sure to link to each month.

Managers' Forum - Computerworld

Free PMP Exam Video Lecture Series from TSI

As reported in PMForum, TSI (True Solutions, Inc.) is now offering a series of 47 videos as part of a "PMP® Lunchtime Lecture Series." It's completely free, and is geared toward those studying for their PMP or CAPM exams, or those already certified that are looking for tips or refreshers. Even the companion documents are free.

For anyone studying for their PMP exam, it's bound to be an excellent resource.

PMI PMP Training, Exam prep courses

Common Sense for Project Managers

I've often said that people tend to look for complex answers to achieving success, when straightforward solutions are usually best. I guess that's the utilitarian in me talking.

Well, author and executive coach Bud Bilanich, otherwise known as "The Common Sense Guy" has the same idea, and he offers loads of common sense advice on his blog site.

Check out his blogs that cover "101 Common Sense Tips for Building a Great Career," among other topics. They seem like --- well---common sense, but as we all know, common sense is not so common.

Bud Bilanich The Common Sense Guy

Project Blogs; A New Way of Communicating

Since communication is 90% of a project managers job, and one-way email blasts and static web-sites have proven to have limited benefit, there must be a more effective way of communicating in today's rapid-fire environment. And you're looking at it.

Blogging is fast becoming a standard tool in project management. It can be used for sharing information during requirements analysis, communicating globally, offering podcast updates, daily tips, or any number of areas where fast and daily communication is needed---which is most of the time.

The best thing is, unlike email, it stays up on the web, where people can see comments posted against the blog, and can search for specific keywords or topics. It's also a good way of encouraging crosstalk among project stakeholders. And with tools like Audioblog, you can even integrate audio and video if needed.

The brief below shows two specific examples of project blogs in action. I'd love to hear from others who are using blogs for their projects, and how they're working out.

Using Blogs for Project Management

Remote project team communications

For anyone who's been the only teleconferencee into a physical meeting, you'll know the sense of frustration when someone says "I'm just passing out copies of this document...". Of course, without the document you were unable to participate or contribute to the topic. This is ineffective use of your time whatever the topic. If this is a project meeting, the danger of having a team member being disconnected is in rework, missed deadlines or poor quality.
The example above is just one instance of uneven availability of information. For any meeting, it is critical that you do the preparation to make sure that communication is effective. And one basic requirement is to make sure that everyone has equal access. If there are reference documents, make sure they are distributed ahead of time - early enough for them to be read before the meeting. If there are functions to be demonstrated, make sure that remote desktop display such as WebEx is available.
This document gives some tips for working with distributed teams.
Project Management Tips and Techniques - Managing a Dispersed Project Team

Implementing Project Management Policy; Making it Stick

According to Albert Mehrabian, a UCLA professor, within 30 days, people forget 90 percent of what they have learned unless it is repeatedly reinforced.

This is why it's futile to roll out project management policy, or even processes, unless there is some facility to repeatedly reinforce it. How do we do this?

Let's look to Dale Carnegie for advice. According to Dale Carnegie, there are only three ways we memorize something:

1. Impression - Visual impressions work best, since the nerves leading from the eye to the brain are twenty-five times as large as those from the ear to the brain. Use pictures to get people to remember things.
2. Repetition - Practice makes perfect. Work with people, coaching them regularly. But don't expect miracles up front. It must be done in iterations, getting one part right at a time. With practice, and some mistakes, the new way will become second nature.
3. Association - Create associations that will make things easy to remember. Try to make connections with some "easy-to-remember" fact, or even an acronym of some sort.

Having a policy manual can help people up front, but it typically gets put aside and ignored within a few months at best. To really make important policies and processes stick, conduct frequent project reviews and proactive coaching. Use the above tips for helping to reinforce new methods. But above all, don't expect overnight results. Focusing on one area at a time will increase chances of long-term success and increase morale as well.

To implement an entire new way of working and attempt to hold people to it on "day one" is counterproductive, de-motivating, and futile.

Leadership Tips of the Day

Good leadership should be positive, participative, and supportive. Here are some great quotes on the benefits of of these leadership styles, to get everyone thinking as we approach the new year, courtesy of "The Motivational Manager" newsletter from Ragan's Management Resources ...

"If you lead through fear you will have little to respect; but if you lead through respect you will have little to fear"
- Anonymous

"The leader must have infectious optimism... The final test of a leader is the feeling you have when you leave his [or her] presence after a conference. Have you a feeling of uplift and confidence?"
- Field General Bernard Montgomery

"The key to success is to get out into the store and listen to what the associates have to say. It's terribly important for everyone to get involved. Some of our best ideas come from clerks and stockboys."
- Sam Walton

"You do not lead by hitting people over the head--that's assault, not leadership."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Someone once defined the manager, only half in jest, as that person who sees the visitors so that everyone else can get the work done."
- H. Mintzberg

Leadership Tips From Jack Welch

I don't think I've seen a better list of tips anywhere than this list of 25 tips from Jack Welch.

Also, as an added bonus, here's a list of values, from Jack Welch's book, Winning. These same values can work on an organizational scale or when rolling out project management processes and methodologies (more on that later).

• Leaner is better
• Eliminate bureaucracy
• Cut waste relentlessly
• Operations should be fast and simple
• Value each other's time
• Invest in infrastructure
• We should know our business best. We don't need consultants to tell us what to do.

Very inspiring. In the project management world, waste can include any processes or forms that don't bring real value. As for infrastructure, that can be broadened to include any tools that will support our efforts to get where we need to get, including EPM (Enterprise Program/Portfolio Management) tools.

Now that we've seen his core values, here's the full list of Jack Welch's 25 tips for successful leadership ...

25 LESSONS from JACK WELCH - Business Leadership and New Management Secrets

Troubled Project Dilemma: Fix or Kill?

We've all been faced with projects that run into unexpected problems. It happens to the best of us. Sometimes, despite the best of planning, things can begin to go south. The situation may be that the project now risks running overbudget or being delivered late, or it may be that unanticipated quality problems were discovered.

Our first action should be to not overreact and to try to fix what's wrong, working out alternatives if needed. But if all else fails, then we may be faced with a tough decision. Do we continue to fix it, accept the situation and manage expectations, negotiate a change in schedule, budget, or scope---or do we kill the project?

Similar to going bankrupt, killing a project late in the game should only be a last resort. Even then, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about doing it. The article below from High Context Consulting offers some good tips, most of all that an alternate solution must be proposed.

Specifically, it says:

• Build a case including alternate options to meet original needs.
• Gain support of stakeholders and a champion.
• Present recommendations to leadership.
• Do not play the blame game.
• Learn!
  
  Here's the full article...
  
  High Context Consulting � Blog Archive � On Killing Projects

Making Megaprojects Work: Tips for Successs

There's an excellent article in Computerworld on managing megaprojects. I've summarized the lessons into three key points:

1) Understand the business need and engage stakeholders; If everyone's on board up front, it'll be a smoother ride.
2) Don't skimp on change leadership and training; It can make or break your initiative.
3) Expect breakdowns! Big change isn't easy. Encourage feedback, but make people part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Great advice for anyone managing a megaproject that brings fundamental change to an organization.

The full article is below....

Managing Megaprojects - Computerworld

Not Motivated? Read this Tom Peters Report

I've long admired Tom Peters' PSF (Professional Services Firm) approach, where he suggests that each and every one of us in business operate as if we are our own professional services firm. When you think about it, it's truly liberating. In fact, his Project 50 book is one of the best project management books I've read.

In this free eBook, Project 05, Tom Peters rants on his favorite topics, such as: PSFs are everything, Why the MBA should be abolished, Why CEOs are idiots, Leadership tips from Lord Nelson, Why everything should be Decentralized, Passion over Process, and more.

If you're not fired up now, you will be. Highly inspiring and motivating. Check it out...

http://www.tompeters.com/blogs/freestuff/uploads/Project05.pdf

Communications Newsletter for Project Managers

Since we all know from PMI that communication is 90% of a project manager's job, why don't more project managers focus most of their self-improvement efforts in that area?

Several months ago, I subscribed to an excellent communicatons newsletter from Ragan Management Resources. It's an 8-page newsletter chock full of tips, anecdotes, and ideas for anyone who needs to communicate in their jobs--and that certainly applies to project managers.

I've found it invaluable, and among all the project management publications I read, this is where I get most of my ideas from.

The website is below. You can view a sample issue and test out a trial subscription. The full subscription is $109, but well worth it. And no, this is not a paid advertisement.

Communication Solutions

Project Management Jobs

Looking for a job in project management?

Post your resume for free on the Project Management Institute (PMI)'s website.
Browse jobs by state, province, or industry without logging in!
The site has about 3,700 resumes, 200 job openings and over 4,000 registered employers that search the site.
There are also career links, tips and tools.

Happy hunting!
Go to Link

Source: Nov 2005 edition of PM Network (PMI's mag)

PowerPoint Presentations; Think Billboard, not Memo

While perusing Edward Tufte's forum on information presentation, one of the forum members posted this extremely useful link on presentation Do's and Don'ts.

For example, one tip is to think of how billboards are designed, not detailed memos. Billboards make simple brief statements and show a compelling picture where appropriate. Effective Powerpoint slides should do the same.

Of course, Edward Tufte rightfully cautions about the overuse of Powerpoint (better to speak to the audience and just use slides to illustrate charts or periodically for effect - Powerpoint should be a supporting player, not the main attraction). However, when Powerpoint is used, the tips in the tutorial below are invaluable.

Presentation Graphics Slide Show

Project Managers as Facilitators - 10 Tips

Although this is PMThink!, we have to admit that the PM is not the only person expected to think on a project. Sometimes the PM even needs other experts to think within a timeframe and do so as a team. This is especially when being a good facilitator is a good skill for a PM to have.

Being a good facilitator often includes:

1) Make sure the environment is set-up right for the work (post-it flip charts, enough light, etc.)

2) Kick-off the meeting right (ideally you will have sent these prior to the meeting)

• Allow time for introductions if people are new to one another
• Review basic ground rules, get buy-in and/or adjust as necessary (e.g., turn off all mobile devices, silence is concurrence, only one voice at a time)
• Present the meeting objectives, get buy-in and/or adjust as necessary
• Present the agenda with proposed timeframes and get buy-in and/or adjust as necessary

3) Invite the team to get started according to the agenda

4) Guide the group carefully; do NOT voice your personal opinion unless you are acting as a facilitator/subject matter expert rather than "only" the facilitator; if you are a good facilitator people will generally feel that they didn't actually need you!

5) Encourage everyone to contribute; monitor people's reactions - encourage people to talk if their facial expressions indicate that they may be confused or if they disagree, etc. Some people aren't extremely comfortable speaking-up in a group setting but will when prompted.

6) Watch the clock but allow good discussion to continue as needed

7) Put items that require follow-up or can't be resolved in the time allowed on a "parking lot" list

8) If applicable, divide the group into teams to solve problems, bring them back together and allow the "team captains" to explain each solution. Then, have the team discuss the two solutions until one is reached. This can encourage teamwork and increase the speed to a solution, especially for a larger group.

9) Determine next steps as a group; review parking lot items and ASK who would like to own each task

10) Let the team know that they did a good job. Thank everyone for their participation. Encourage them to let you know how the meeting could be improved in the future.

See also: http://www.fao.org/Participation/ft_faclt.jsp

Project Managers Are Too Soft; Says Neal Whitten

I've been reading Neal Whitten's book, No-Nonsense Advice for Successful Projects, and I must say it's an amazing book (I've long admired his column in PM Network magazine). While not a "how to" book, it offers plenty of practical advice for achieving project success. Rather than focus on a methodology or project management fundamentals, it offers just what the title says: No-nonsense advice. It especially focuses on the "soft" leadership skills that so many project managers lack.

It reviews the need to ask questions; ways to provide and seek mentoring; how to recognize professional immaturity; how to deal with superiors; tips for creating the right project environment; how to handle being given a project target end date; reasons to use rolling wave planning; why to avoid multitasking; why to focus daily on your project's top 3 problems; and many more practical tips.

Check his list of examples of actions (or inactions) that illustrates "too soft" behavior by project managers - which Whitten cites as the #1 reason why project managers fail. He's right on...

Power Snippets

Managing Business Intelligence (BI) Projects; A Primer

From Addison-Wesley comes a great article outlining a roadmap for managing BI projects. As the article points out, BI projects are not for the faint of heart.

It lays out preparation activities, key roles, and other tips and techniques. But even if you're not managing a BI project, there's great advice here for anyone managing a large scale technical project. Check it out...

A Business Intelligence Roadmap: Project Planning

Project Management: Connect Team With Big Picture

Post explores the challenge of project and program management to balance the natural tensions between the individuals and the larger transformation of an organization. Good tips for the project management office, PMO.

Project Management: Connect Team With Big Picture: Via Brave New World of Project Management: A Philosophy of Whole Systems

... "The best project managers are those who can relate and keep both their team's needs and the larger management team's needs met. Otherwise the project becomes the task without purpose, which in turn will end up undermining team's morale. " ...

Event: Project Management: Core Business Discipline ..

Event: Project Management: Core Business Discipline: Via Montgomeryadvertiser.com: Project management consultant to speak ...

... "Bill Stewart, a pioneer of the Project Office concept, will speak Oct. 19 at the Auburn University Montgomery TechnaCenter. He will offer tips for creating rapid change in an organizational culture and methods to foster acceptance of project management as a core business discipline. " ...

Can't Retain Your Project Managers?; Here's why

Seems that an epidemic is sweeping the project management community; Project managers, frustrated with the lack of support, just aren't staying put in their place of employment.

According to ProjectMagazine, we can slow this exodus down by doing the following:

• Offer training opportunities to increase knowledge areas
• Assess the changing workforce culture
• Measure the company's turnover rate
• Become more employee oriented
• Hire the right people
• Set up effective [culture] Change Management

This excellent article from ProjectMagazine expands on this and offers great tips on how to retain project managers and drive a more employee-focused culture.

PROJECTmagazine - turnover

Project Stress: Work Balance

Project Stress: Work Balance: Via Conquer Stress: When are you coming home? Five practical tips to realizing

Lonnie Pacelli comments here about stress, project work, and work life balance remind me of a recent lunch conversation about: when work equates to play. I wonder, when the passion for work/play is so strong, if a good balance has been achieved ? ...

... "Consciously (and honestly) decide what is really important - Saying that work/life balance is important is one thing; truly meaning it is a different game altogether. You may want to believe you place other things above work, but wanting to believe it simply doesn't mean it's so. Make a conscious, realistic declaration on where your priorities lie, then examine your behaviors or ask a friend, relative, significant other, or spouse. Taking the first step toward the quest for work/life balance means eliminating the gap between what you desire and what you do. " ...

5 Tips to becoming a Great Project Manager

1) Create a sense of urgency
2) Don't under- or overestimate
3) Stay on top of things
4) Keep internal and external dates a secret
5) Be persistent

This is not a job for people with thin skin. (I couldn't agree more!)

For more see: Webgrrls International

Project Management Common Language: Prince2

Project Management Common Language: Prince2: Via InformationWeek: Tips For Doing The IT-Business Tango ...

Valerie Potter writes about techniques to improve communications between business and IT folks, such as establishing a common project management language, like Prince2 ...

... "Use a common language that everyone understands. Shimmin recommends using the Prince 2 project management standard. Have a corporate mandate that requires standardized language and elements, a risk log, a management log, a project plan, and enforce it. " ...

Project Portfolio Management Made Easy

Harvey Levine, past president of PMI and author of Practical Project Management: Tips, Tactics, and Tools, has written an excellent article on Project Portfolio Management and its integration with PPM tools. Well worth reading for a concise, yet thorough overview of PPM...

Integrating Project Portfolio Tools with Traditional Project Management Tools

Business Sponsors Critical to IT Project Success

How many of us have had IT projects fully embraced and sponsored by a senior business executive?

I didn't think so.

Unfortunately, lack of full participatory business sponsorship is one of the leading causes of IT project failure. This article from Computerworld offers some compelling reasons why business sponsors fail to get involved, and offers some tips on how to remedy the situation.

The Elusive Executive Sponsor - Computerworld

Hit Project Barriers: Think Productively Like Genius

Hit Project Barriers: Think Productively Like Genius: Via Creativity Portal: Leonardo da Vinci: Qualities of a Genius and How to Think Productively

Runel Soria provides insights on creative thinking emulating the genius mind. Helpful tips for project managers when project teams hit the wall and need creative solutions to problems ...

... "eight strategies encourage you to think productively, rather than reproductively, in order to arrive at solutions to problems. These strategies are common to the thinking styles of creative geniuses in science, art, and industry throughout history. " ...

Is a PMO Unnecessary Bureaucracy?

This Computerworld article is from May, but worth revisiting.

Overcoming the impression of being a bureacratic waste of time is a common challenge many IT organizations face when starting a PMO. This article offers some good tips for facing the challenge. Read on...

PMOs Viewed as Unneeded Bureaucracy - Computerworld

Free Project Management Info and Training Site

This excellent site from James Chapman offers details on project management principles, training plans, step-by-step guides, a sample project management policy, tips for using MS/Project, an MS/EXCEL spend plan, and best of all, a scalable methodology guide. Did I mention all of this is free on the web?

See for yourself...

Project Management Principles & Training

Project Risk Monitoring: Milestone Tracking ...

Project Risk Monitoring: Milestone Tracking: Via Software Tech News 2-2: Software Risk Management - The Practical Approach

Practical tips for risk monitoring ...

... "Risk Monitoring: This provides timely risk visibility and resolution. Incorporate techniques such as milestone tracking, tracking of top risks, guarding against new vulnerabilities from prior fixes, and continual risk reassessment. Insist that at any one point in time the program manager, the principal investigator/technical lead, and each developer be able to state his three top risks (i.e., priorities, or watch items). These are dynamic, and as each one is resolved, another should move up to take its place. Finally, ensure that the feedback loop stays active. " ...

Presentation Skills for Project Managers

Perception is reality. A project manager can be great at the "science" of project management, and yet still be perceived as ineffective. Often it comes down to a simple lack of presentation skills. After all, communication is 90% of a project manager's job, according to the Project Management Institute.

Here's a great site with tips and techniques for those who struggle with giving presentations. And it's geared towards Chemical Engineers, many of whom are "communicatively challenged" (how's that for political correctness).

Presentation Skills

Project Management tips for fixing bad projects

Max Wideman's website is a neverending source of intriguing discussion and enlightening information for project managers. Check out this interesting brief on fixing bad projects...

Max's Musings - Fixing Bad Projects