It is incumbent of the project manager to help the team retain a sense of balance and perspective. A loss of perspective or balance can make all other dependent interactions difficult. Unresolved conflict, or inadequately resolved conflict will...

The foundation of capturing Lessons Learned is – capturing lessons starting on day one of the project. It started with a template. Identify what should be recorded. One place to start to develop one is look at past projects within your...

Lean is an approach to the work that focuses on the value added – or the value the customer receives from the product.  A lean approach coupled with a Kaizen (continuous improvement) approach, results in reduced costs of the...

Perhaps you have heard the parable of the blind men and the elephant. It is similar for many project management endeavors (probably any collaborative or team effort), from scope discussions to schedule generation. Risk management should start...

The law of diminishing returns happens very frequently in project management, product development and likely most business endeavors. We are late, so we add more and more people to the work. This is often referred to as crashing the project, or...

In this "myViewpoint", I take a look at the different levels of "control". I put " around control so as to make sure this is not seen as "command and control". The article discusses the levels of accountability...

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the time of year when project team members are likely to be taking time off on holiday. We all appreciate the opportunity to wind down from work and take a vacation, even if this year –...

The concept of project management is dynamic and has evolved throughout history.  Projects have existed for thousands of years although the term “project” was not coined until ca. 1400. Fast forward to more recent times, it was...

Artificial Intelligence not only supports your need for real-time decision making, but also ensures that you are more than aware of what is happening in a particular project, and how you need to deal with the same. It will also help forecast the...

Audits are an essential part of almost every project and they normally fall under the “Perform Quality Assurance” process. Safety is not any different than any other project area that require regular auditing, in fact, safety comes...

During this article, I'll explain each phase of the project lifecycle and give practical examples of what is included in each cycle, what are some tips to remember and some general tips regarding the lifecycle.
 

This article discusses productive ways to quickly adapt to last-minute changes or issues during a project phase. Key points include effectively communicating as a leader and utilizing your team when situations become difficult.

One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “How can I stay on top of all my tasks?” When you are managing multiple projects, there are a lot of things to do… and it’s important not to lose sight of where you are with your...

Whether you’re shopping for gifts for your team or you are planning a surprise Christmas party for the entire office, this sort of project requires a lot of planning and tough decision-making. Luckily, these are part of your project...

Various quotes and phrase have been “aired” over the years about plans, usually quoting, or at least referring to, Dwight Eisenhower and not so well know one from Sir Winston Churchill, that go along the lines Plans are useless,...