Yes, you need to understand project management. Master those technical aspects of creating a schedule and a budget, and leading your team to clearly define the project scope. If you want to be more than an administrator, it is all about people.
Category Archives: Communication
One Small Change One Big Deal
“How could changing a few words in one simple sentence lead to such an uproar?” June thought, incredulous at how upset some of her members were with her. All she had done was update a sentence or two in one of the high-level requirements. It had been a last-minute change that she included just before […]
Create the Ultimate Project Communication Management Plan
pmStudent Contributor George J. Newton helps you excel at planning your project communications. The Project Communication Management Plans provide you with a guide of how you will communicate with all key project stakeholders including the client and the team. Your stakeholders are vital to your project as they provide visibility, set clear expectations of the […]
Ruthless Rules for Productive Meetings
Sonali Malu helps us get the most out of our meetings by being positively ruthless. The emphasis is on positive. Constant communication is a project manager’s main business; be it communication with peers, teams, stakeholders, supporting departments, or clients. A project manager is constantly communicating with everyone, giving advice, providing directions, negotiating, promising deliverables, and […]
The BEST Way to Deliver Bad News
“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 […]
Silence is NOT Always Golden
“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 […]
Prevent these Five Causes of Team Friction and Experience Team Success
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 […]
Tell Your Team Members What YOU Want
“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 […]
5 Tips for Starting & Sustaining Relationships with Stakeholders
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 […]
The Best Speech You Will Ever Regret
Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” Ambrose Bierce You just gave one of your most eloquent speeches. You were inspired, you were passionate, you were a bit witty, and you had the attention of everyone around you. Your words evoked strong emotion in others. Unfortunately, […]