How do you build your brand as a project manager?
The restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in more project managers working remotely. While this keeps everyone safe, it also means that there is a larger supply of project...
View ArticleWhat’s the link between emotional intelligence and psychological safety?
Following a presentation I gave this week on how project managers can cultivate psychological safety within their teams, an attendee asked me to what the relationship is between psychological safety...
View Article4 ways portfolio managers can help guide executive teams after a crisis
Shifting direction following a crisis can seem daunting for many companies. Portfolio managers are experienced in working with executives to identify and develop directional strategies. The post 4 ways...
View ArticleHow project managers can help the healthcare industry prepare for the next...
The hardest-hit during the pandemic are professionals in the medical and medical supply sectors. Project managers can play a vital role in helping these essential workers and their employers. The post...
View ArticleHow project managers are supporting the manufacturing industry after the...
The manufacturing industry is undoubtedly going to be impacted by the pandemic, making the role of project managers more vital in supporting the necessary changes. The post How project managers are...
View ArticleHow project managers can help companies better navigate security risks from...
Social distancing and remote working during COVID-19 have increased cybersecurity risks for companies worldwide, increasing the need for project managers to work on more security-related efforts. The...
View ArticleGoogle’s new certificates help people get jobs in analytics, UX, project...
The search engine giant said it will fund 100,000 need-based scholarships for the IT-focused certificate programs. Learn more about Google’s Career Certificates. The post Google’s new certificates help...
View ArticleHere’s how project and program managers can improve delivery after the pandemic
COVID-19 has impacted all areas of business, including successful project and program delivery. Following the pandemic, delivery may look very different. The post Here’s how project and program...
View ArticlePlanning for those project disasters that no one wants to think about
Harvard Business Review published an article this week about how boards can prepare for unexpected calamities such as pandemics, natural disasters or cyber-attacks. The authors provided a three-pronged...
View ArticleLet’s flatten five agile fallacies!
In 2015 I wrote an article intending to debunk some common myths about project management. Like many of you, I spent a reasonable amount of time during my first few years participating in online forums...
View ArticleSecuring contingency reserves is the responsible thing to do!
If you have ever taken a course in project management, you may have learned the differences between contingency and management reserves. The former are used to protect project cost or schedule...
View ArticleHow does psychological safety relate to holding space?
I’m always happy to learn something new when it relates to the topics which interest me and even more so when it is something which I should have run across long ago. During an event this week, a...
View ArticleHow to avoid product failure: Tips from Stripe’s product lead
Commentary: Even the best product teams sometimes run afoul of common biases. Here’s how to spot these biases and overcome them. The post How to avoid product failure: Tips from Stripe’s product lead...
View ArticleBut what will our staff do if we don’t focus on their utilization?
Lean thinking encourages us to focus on maximizing value delivered to stakeholders rather than maximizing the utilization of the people, equipment or material resources contributing to value streams....
View Article5 traits other leaders can learn from successful project managers
Some traits make project managers highly effective in achieving goals and collaborating with stakeholders. These skills aren’t exclusive to project leaders; others can adopt them as well. The post 5...
View Article5 lessons project managers can learn from the first 2020 US presidential debate
While the projects aren’t the same as politics, there are some similarities. Here are some ways to become a better manager by learning from the debates. The post 5 lessons project managers can learn...
View Article4 things new project managers should learn to be effective
Being new to project management can be nerve-racking. Fear not, these four things can help set you up for success as a new project manager. The post 4 things new project managers should learn to be...
View Article5 things leaders do that could compromise stakeholder buy-in
Getting stakeholder buy-in is difficult under the best of circumstances; regaining their buy-in after it is lost is almost impossible. Here are some things that can hurt your cause. The post 5 things...
View ArticleWhen migrating systems, these are the right and wrong questions to ask
The right question isn’t whether a migration is possible, but what it will cost, says Gartner’s Henry Cook. The post When migrating systems, these are the right and wrong questions to ask appeared...
View ArticleProject management certification courses: Learn PMP, Six Sigma, Minitab skills
Become an in-demand project manager by learning valuable data analytics and leadership skills in these training courses. The post Project management certification courses: Learn PMP, Six Sigma, Minitab...
View ArticleWhy project work doesn’t get completed early…
I usually advise my students to encourage their team members to not provide padded work estimates, but rather to make schedule contingencies visible and tie these contingencies to milestones rather...
View ArticleThink top-down and bottom-up for agile transformations
A question which I’m asked regularly during my classes is what the best place is to start an agile transformation within a company? Given a choice, I’d prefer to use the cop-out (but correct) answer...
View ArticleC# designer Torgersen: Why the programming language is still so popular and...
C# has been instrumental in setting technical benchmarks for the developer landscape since its creation in 2000. Lead designer Mads Torgersen shares the secrets of its success with TechRepublic. The...
View ArticleBatches? We don’t need no stinking batches! (Or do we?)
Emphasizing flow through the reduction or elimination of batching of work items is desirable but this is not always efficient or practical. So what are some of the factors which might force us to batch...
View ArticleDon’t blame corporate culture for not cultivating psychological safety within...
While speaking on the topic of psychological safety yesterday I was asked whether it is possible to create safety within a team if the prevailing culture of the department or overall organization is...
View ArticleIt is harder to sell when times get tough!
While there are many cases where we might have to use our powers of influence and persuasion to sell stakeholders on supporting what we feel is the right thing, I thought I’d share three specific...
View ArticleIs a lack of psychological safety preventing you from delegating?
Harvard Business Review published an article by Sabina Nawaz this week on some challenges managers face when they delegate work to their staff. The gaps identified with team members being able to...
View Article6 signs that teams don’t trust their leaders
Trust is one of the most important elements in a well-functioning team. When team members don’t trust their leaders it can become problematic for everyone. Here are the signs to watch out for. The post...
View Article6 ways to rebuild trust with frustrated stakeholders
Once trust is lost, it can be time-consuming and difficult to address. If distrust has become an issue, these six tips can help rebuild trust. The post 6 ways to rebuild trust with frustrated...
View ArticleCXOs: Don’t sugarcoat your IT initiatives
If you want staff to embrace technology projects, be honest about all their objectives–the good and the bad. If you’re not, your staff will have their own ideas. The post CXOs: Don’t sugarcoat your IT...
View ArticleHow are you planning for psychological safety within your team?
I’ve delivered a number of presentations this year on the importance of building psychological safety within project teams and the role which project managers play. During these presentations I’m...
View ArticleHow do you hold safe meetings when some team members are invisible?
After I had finished presenting on how to build psychologically safe virtual teams at a conference earlier this week, one of the delegates asked me what suggestions I’d have to help her with a team...
View ArticleBuilding psychological safety within your team means living it yourself!
In a previous article I presented a three step model for building psychological safety within your team. The second step is that you as a project manager, team lead or functional manager need to live...
View ArticleWill you be a champion for team psychological safety?
The final stage in the three-step model for building psychological safety within your team is to champion it. A champion is not afraid of taking on all challengers and you might face plenty of those....
View ArticleDo your team members feel unsafe to lead?
An article published this week on HBR.org indirectly identified another casualty of low psychological safety: future leadership. In the article, the authors highlighted three key reasons why capable...
View ArticlePsychological safety is not about being nice
Daniel Goleman wrote this week in an HBR article with regards to emotional intelligence: “…one of the most persistent things I see people get wrong about the concept is that it equates to being “nice.”...
View ArticleWhat did I learn in 2020?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light,...
View ArticleThe rise of developer-led culture and how it can benefit your business
Developer-led culture entails providing your programming staff a more active role in decision-making and guiding the business forward. Learn how this mindset can help your company achieve its goals. …...
View ArticleContext is critical for learning lessons
Regular readers of my blog will know how much I loathe the term “lessons learned”. I’ve written and spoken frequently about implementation issues such as waiting too long to identify them, storing them...
View ArticleWhat Saturday morning cartoons taught me about project management
When I was a small child, one of the things I looked forward to every weekend was the chance to watch Saturday morning cartoons on TV. Unlike today where where a vast variety of kids programming is...
View ArticleA pilot project is not always the best way to start your agile journey
Many of us would agree that when you are trying to implement a large change, start small. Just as it is easier to swallow a small pill than a huge one, the ability to adopt and sustain change is often...
View Article15 free (for a limited time) courses from LinkedIn that can help you get...
Courses in soft skills such as resilience, focus, and adaptability “are skyrocketing,” the career site said. Jirsak, Getty Images/iStockphoto LinkedIn Learning has identified the top courses over...
View ArticleProceeding without contingency is irresponsible
I wrote an article a few months ago about the importance of securing contingency reserves, so I didn’t expect to return to this topic so soon. However, earlier this week a discussion thread on...
View ArticleA tool is only as good as the inputs and assumptions for its usage
After I had reviewed how Monte Carlo simulation could help a team to understand the distribution of potential schedule or cost outcomes for a release or project, one of the learners in the class I was...
View Article4 tools for effectively managing scarce and dispersed resources
For project and resource managers working remotely, these four tools can improve how well they manage resources. For most Project Portfolio Management (PPM) professionals and resource managers,...
View Article10 essential developer and project management online training courses
Whether you want to pass a Python, project management, or ITIL certification exam, learn how to build iOS and Android apps, or develop games, this online training bundle has you covered. Image:...
View ArticleAn offer to help might make it easier to swallow a bitter feedback pill!
A recent Harvard Business Review article warned of the challenges with using the “feedback sandwich” method. The authors wrote that such feedback might irritate the recipient, cause them to ignore the...
View ArticleInclusiveness of diversity forms a virtuous cycle with psychological safety
In 2014 I wrote an article about the benefits which diversity in team composition can bring to risk identification. With different backgrounds and experiences, team members will usually identify a...
View Article22 project management training courses that help you master Six Sigma, agile...
Whether you want to learn project management fundamentals or advanced topics, this training bundle has it all. You’ll also get tips on acing the Project Management Professional certification exams....
View Article9 quick tips for managing businesses and projects during uncertainty
During times of upheaval, identifying and managing projects can become challenging, especially when teams are disbursed. These nine tips can help keep teams moving in the right direction. Image:...
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