Entries by Bonnie Biafore

What qualifies as a project?

During a recent LinkedIn Live session, an attendee asked “What actually qualifies as a project when summarizing project management experience? Could it be creating a lesson plan or procuring items for a charity auction?”  According to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK®), a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique project, service, or result. Let’s […]

Effective Project Management During the Pandemic

In one of my recent LinkedIn Live broadcasts, someone asked how project management could evolve, given new and changing rules imposed by the pandemic. Here are a few key ways in which project management could adjust to be effective during the pandemic. Focus on using tools for remote work effectively. More than ever, project management […]

Budgeting in an Agile Environment

In one of my recent LinkedIn Live broadcasts, an attendee asked about budgeting in an agile environment. Here are the steps for building and maintaining a sound budget for an agile project.  Step 1. Determine your Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The MVP is the smallest possible product that will satisfy the most important business needs. […]

Pre-requisite Skills for Project Managers

In a LinkedIn Live session with Bob McGannon, someone asked, “What pre-requisite skills are needed to qualify for consideration as a project manager?” While there are many valid answers, here are skills Bob and I look for in project management candidates. Great communication. Project managers constantly communicate, verbally and in writing. Effective communication skills are […]

Dealing with Opponents to your Project

Sometimes you must deal with someone who opposes your project. Here are tips to handle this uncomfortable and quite common situation: Don’t ignore it. This issue isn’t going away. It’s crucial to fully understand the opposition to your project and address it. Otherwise, the opposition will intensify and become more difficult to manage. If you […]

Dealing with Pre-Determined Deadlines

Receiving a project assignment with a pre-determined deadline happens a lot in the business world. Bob McGannon has these tips for addressing this uncomfortable situation as a project manager. Understand the source of the deadline. Government regulations, once-a-year marketing events, and other circumstances can necessitate deadlines. The best place to start is to understand the […]

Choosing Project Team Leaders

The right team leaders can help make your project a success. Here are sound strategies for assigning team leaders to your project.  Add strength to your project leadership. Look for people who compliment and expand your skills. Be realistic about your own skills and how others can augment them. Tell your team leaders how their […]

Managing Variances

Managing the variance from your project baseline is sound PM practice. Here are tips to determine acceptable triple constraint variances (scope, time, and cost) for your project: Examine your company’s behavior. Your business is likely to have common approaches for managing scope, time, and costs. Your project should conform to those norms for tolerating scope […]

SMART Requirements are Agile

SMART guidelines are used to assess requirements in waterfall projects. They apply to agile projects as well: Specific. In Agile, it doesn’t exist initially. Specific relates to the final product. Requirements are captured during development, not documented in advance. However, the end result typically goes beyond the detail and specificity of traditional requirements. When broad  […]

Why You Should Identify Risks Early

Identifying risks early in a project is a best practice. Here are some benefits of this great approach. Obtain critical information for project approval.  Without identifying risks early, an inappropriate project could be launched, wasting money and valuable stakeholder time. Instead, understanding the risks provides a balanced view of the value of project outcomes. The […]