If you want to be a better project manager, do you enhance your big-picture thinking, or focus on being more detail-oriented? Ideally, both! For some types of projects, one style or the other can be advantageous. Here are some situations when big picture thinking and detail-oriented thinking are more helpful. Big picture thinking is best […]
The Scope Statement may be the most important document a project manager publishes. It helps define the project, captures what the project will produce, and defines success criteria for those results. A crucial section of the scope statement doesn’t cover what is in scope at all: the part that specifies what’s out of scope. Here […]
A key to success in an agile project environment is to determine your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — that is, the smallest, quickest-to-develop product that provides business value. With passionate stakeholders, keeping the MVP to a minimum can be a challenge. Here are steps to help you define your MVP. Understand the pain or opportunity. […]
Your stakeholders might have concerns about your project — even with the best communication plan in action. This Project Pointer offers a few common-sense communication tips for addressing concerns (that work equally well in professional and personal situations).
The people on each project team have unique skills and strengths. To increase the effectiveness of your teams, look for opportunities to leverage and expand those attributes. Here are four approaches for expanding team member capabilities. Identify and leverage team member strengths. Take time to identify your team members’ strengths and weaknesses. Ask them questions […]
Assumptions are an important and necessary part of launching a project — and you continue to evaluate them as your project progresses. Managing assumptions appropriately helps you reduce project risk. Here are four recommendations for handling project assumptions. Determine when you can validate assumptions. Build a plan for how and when you can validate your […]
The world gets more complex and intertwined, which creates more projects involving complex integrations. What is an integration? It’s when separate systems or components are brought together to build a seamless solution. For example, building a satellite means integrating a propulsion system, navigation component, scientific instruments for research, communication components, and others. Here are […]
Have you ever had to negotiate a project deadline with your project sponsor? It’s daunting, but being prepared makes the interaction easier. Here are my top four tips for preparing to negotiate a project deadline. Identify what’s driving the deadline. Ask questions about desired deadlines and what drives those dates. It could be a legal […]
Sponsors provide financial support, champion the project and make key decisions. So, it’s crucial that you understand how your project sponsors make decisions. By watching for these types of decision-making, you can adjust your approach to get the best decisions and support your project’s success. Fact-based decisions. Project sponsors want facts and data they […]
What should you do if you don’t agree with the project business case? The answer depends on what about it makes you uncomfortable. The project business case is the foundation for the project. Get it wrong and the likelihood of a successful project is low. Here are four issues you might have about the business […]
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Microsoft Project blog
Scott Berkun's website
QuickBooks and Beyond
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