Project Management Blog

Unlocking the door: Getting your first project management job

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:59:15 +0000

The current economic downturn in the UK has led to a growing number of people looking at career alternatives and over the last six months I have had an increasing number of calls from candidates, who wish to move completely away from their current roles, of which many have been ensconced for a number of years and enter into the world of project management. It is a difficult route to embark on and the following will hopefully provide some stepping stones to securing a project management role. (more…)

The Lazy Project Manager and The Project from Hell

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:45:05 +0000

Peter Taylor’s bestseller, The Lazy Project Manager, has been a project management phenomenon since it was published in 2009.

In it he shows how adopting a more focused approach to life, projects and work can make you twice as productive. The Lazy Project Manager and its sequel, The Lazy Winner, show how anyone can apply the simple techniques of lazy project management in their own lives in order to work and live more effectively. (more…)

Key identified project management trends for 2012

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:03:45 +0000

As the project environment grows in complexity, project management will require team, stakeholder and executive collaboration in 2012 like never before. On-the-job application of training, custom-made project approaches, innovative project tools and smarter resource management will be essential for driving the greatest business impact.

Not only project management, but also the definition of “project success” has changed to encompass more than the triple constraint of time, cost and scope. Collaboration is a common theme throughout many of the identified 2012 trends for project management, which were determined by a global panel of senior executives and subject matter experts. (more…)

Is Your Organisation Prepared to Undertake its Projects?

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:32:58 +0000

This article has the objective of developing an effective project diagnostic model to assess an organisation’s preparedness for undertaking projects. Executive management must address an important question: How prepared is my organisation for undertaking and managing its projects? In other words, there is a need to examine the extent that fundamental principles related to undertaking successful projects are entrenched in the organisation’s culture so that: (more…)

The meaning and purpose of a PMO

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:37:44 +0000

Let me start in the spirit of that classic US game show ‘Jeopardy …

Answer: ‘a PMO’

Question: (and therefore actually the correct answer; that is just the way it works on the game show trust me – or look it up) ‘What is the department or group that defines and maintains the standards of process, generally related to project management, within an organization?’

Applause from the audience and smiles all round. (more…)

Leadership Matters: What it is and how to do it

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:19:13 +0000

‘The Road to Co-operation’ (out in April) reviews the why and how of the Anglo-American collapse in business leadership over the past thirty years. It identifies practical routes back to a genuinely business supportive regime. The key initiative is the involvement in leadership of all stakeholders, not simply those who regard themselves as the agents of the owners. The road from where we are now might look long and hard, but after the first few steps in the right direction, progress might not be too difficult. (more…)

The Elusive Project Sponsor

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:42:06 +0000

A LinkedIn group has recently been formed for Project Sponsors. It has grown to 559 members in two months and has the most vibrant discussions of any group I have seen. Some of the topics are now spilling across into the APM group.

A common theme seems to be the availability (or lack of it) of a project sponsor and how detrimental a sponsor’s absence is to a project. Even when project sponsors are present, there seem to be few commentators impressed with their level of project knowledge or ability. (more…)

Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) and what it means!

Ashley — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:46:34 +0000

On 1st October 2011, the much heralded Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) came into full force and we have received many calls from clients concerned with the implications of their continued use of skilled project management contractors within their organisations now that contractors and agency workers in the UK have the right to equal treatment in certain areas of their employment. (more…)

It seems anyone can be a Project Manager these days!

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:51:22 +0000

Recently, the title of Project Manager has been severely abused to say the least, with programs such as ‘The Apprentice’ seriously misrepresenting just what a true PM does, portraying them as little more than performing circus clowns, incompetent task managers, bullies and chancers. (more…)

Top Tips for Managing the People Factors in Projects

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:36:45 +0000

Most projects have two factors in common i.e. they involve people and they bring about change. These two factors are fundamental to the success of any project yet they are given only scant reference in the ‘models’ of project management.

The psychology of managing people and change is increasingly emerging as a significant success factor in project management. Make sure you pay these factors sufficient attention.

(more…)