Project management

Being able to organize the work time of your team is essential for the success of each project. This is also because a project manager does not always have all the necessary resources to complete the project. And even in the case when the resources are sufficient, during the execution of the project there are … Continue reading "Organize team work time: leveling or smoothing resources?"

In project management, the Earned Value method is one of the most appreciated and well-known project management tools. It is a project management technique that allows to measure performance and progress. It combines the measures of the project management triangle: scope, time and costs. CONTENT INDEX What is the Earned Value Method? The requirement for … Continue reading "The Earned Value Method: What is it and how to use it"

The idea of  how to manage remote working team until just 20 years ago was pure madness. Internet has changed the history, and companies are adapting to it. In the ever-changing and rapidly developing modern world, it is almost impossible to imagine something stable and stationary. CONTENT INDEX Choose the right members for the team Communication … Continue reading "How to manage remote working teams"

With lessons learned, we talk about learning from the mistakes, and not only, of the past. We could apply infinite proverbs to this statement, but we want to recall only one: “Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum” CONTENT INDEX Lesson Learned: the study of Axelos PPM Benchmark How does the process of lessons learned work … Continue reading "Lesson learned. Use the “lessons learned” to reduce the chances of failure of a project"

Project handover can be very simple or extremely complicated. It all depends on the organization of the Project Manager. Projects can be short and can last up a few days or can be complex projects with a lifecycle that can even reach several years. It is precisely for the duration of some projects that some … Continue reading "Project handover: how to manage it"

A project lifecycle often involves many meetings with different purposes. One of these meetings is the so-called kick off meeting or preliminary project meeting. This meeting is an important communication tool between project manager, team and stakeholders. If organized and properly executed, a preliminary meeting can help the project manager in order to handle the … Continue reading "The kick off meeting: how to set up a project start meeting and get the best results"

A project manager has to deal with customer expectations, project deadlines and evolving priorities, all of this while trying to coordinate and manage the team and respond to stakeholder demands. Let’s face it, it is a demanding job that takes time and effort to manage all the parts and sometimes hours are never enough! Project … Continue reading "Project workload: how to plan it to the best"

Stakeholder management in a project can be vital for the very survival of the project. Therefore, including everyone who is interested in the project, as well as all those that can influence the project, is a fundamental step for an optimal start. CONTENT INDEX Stakeholders identification How should a project stakeholder be managed? The advantages … Continue reading "How to manage project stakeholders"

The triangle of talent, not just a simple shape, but the golden triangle of the Project Manager. Would you like to know more? I will try to explain it to you. Let’s briefly think about what are the most important qualities for a successful project manager. Everybody, both those who have worked for years in … Continue reading "The triangle of talents: which skills for the project manager?"

The techniques for estimating a project in project management can be different. Unfortunately, project managers do not always use them. In some cases, project managers choose to do a planning without having supporting data. Of course, even the best project estimation techniques are not perfect, but at least allow to show the client, the project … Continue reading "Project estimation techniques"

Managing the workload of a project, is getting the right balance of tasks for each team member, is one of the most critical tasks that a project manager has to face. In fact, the equitable distribution of the workload in a team is definitely a challenging task, and the temptation to entrust more projects to … Continue reading "How to manage the workload of a project: 6 key suggestions"

The Agile methodology is a project management methodology that uses short development cycles, so called “sprint”, to focus on continuous improvement in the development of a product or service. CONTENT INDEX The key principles of the Agile methodology in the project management The advantages of the Agile methodology The disadvantages of Agile The sixth edition … Continue reading "Agile methodology: advantages and disadvantages of an innovative method"

Who are the stakeholders? When we read the title, this is the first question that comes to mind. If we take the definition of the PMBok, a stakeholder is an individual, a group or an organization that can influence or can be influenced (or perceive itself being influenced) by a decision, activity or result of … Continue reading "Project Stakeholders"

The leadership of a project, in very few words, is the act of guiding a team towards the completion of a project. It is obvious that it is a simplistic definition and that the true meaning of Leadership in a project is much more than that. CONTENT INDEX Different leadership styles How (as project manager) … Continue reading "Leadership skills of the Project Manager: the key elements of the role"

Having Smart goals or, if preferred, a Smart approach to a project, is becoming more and more crucial, in the planning made by the project manager, for the success of the project itself. Let’s try to analyze why. CONTENT INDEX The goals of a project: the premises that lead to SMART SMART goals: what they … Continue reading "SMART goals to plan a project"