“Bad news isn’t wine. It doesn’t improve with age.” Colin Powell Delivering bad news does not have to be scary. Unfortunately, your best customer who is the sponsor for the project you manage just placed a freeze on all future project work. This is a big deal. One-quarter of your organization’s projected earnings for the next […]
Contributed by Sonali Malu Do you run your projects using process, or strategy? Sometimes we even hear that these terms are used interchangeably. But they are not the same. A process essentially has certain steps involved to complete it; A strategy may not always have the same set of steps. A process is always a […]
“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” – G.B. Stern Have you ever heard this from a leader? “If I do not yell at you, it means you are doing a good job. Go about your business and be happy that I am not yelling at you.” OR “You get paid for being here; I have […]
Contributed by Leila Rezaiguia For years, leadership coaching has been seen as an integral aspect of any powerful organization. Its prominence has grown as the coaching’s value is now regarded as a worthwhile investment resulting in more effective, engaged leadership. For this reason, more and more organizations are looking for ways to spread coaching […]
Contributed by Heather Redding A team is only as good as the cooperation between its members. The first place you should look to optimize performance isn’t the process but the team itself. We’re all human, and team members will experience friction. If you notice recurring issues, then resolving those issues is your first order of […]
“It is the oddest thing. They are such a nice group of people. Each one of them comes highly recommended and yet nothing seems to be happening.” Joe, the project sponsor explained to Mary Carol. He went on to explain, “I thought that this was such an easy effort that this team could really just […]
At pmStudent we are software agnostic – we do not officially recommend any specific brand of project management software. But we DO recommend that you find what works best for you. It is with that goal in mind that we share thoughts on selecting your software from SoftwareHow. Project management software can be beyond valuable […]
“Alright, if I lend two of my best testing resources to you next week, then you will add me as a member to the Project Methodology Council, right?” asked Jim. “Ok Jim, I really do need two of your strongest testing resources to get us back on track, so if you and your resources deliver, […]
Some of your team members are motivated by the need to feel connected. If you have studied motivational theories, then you have come across McClelland’s theory. This theory basically states that people tend to be motivated either by a need for power, a need for affiliation, or a need for achievement. To be more accurate, […]
As a project manager, you prioritize building and strengthening stakeholder relationships for good reason. Every supplier, investor, employee, and project sponsor involved shares a vested interest in the success of the project and, on a larger scale, the entire company. Author Simon Simek notes in his book that a business’s success is measured by longevity […]
Don't keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. It takes practice to capture lessons learned and to make use of those lessons as we move forward. What could you do better?