PMcrunch

Fresh perspectives on the world of project management

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Search Results for Planning

Should you work on your strengths?…or your weaknesses?

August 16th, 2011 · 142 Comments

When considering training…or just simply places to place your own efforts… Are you better off working on your strengths or your weaknesses? The answer may surprise you!

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Tags: Soft Skills

Are YOU Agile?

June 16th, 2011 · 1,259 Comments

Yes, I asked if YOU are agile…because I think agile project management starts with the individual…and then the team…and then the organization…  Let me explain my thinking…

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Tags: Project Management Process

Changing Assumptions

January 28th, 2010 · 103 Comments

When we first build our [tag-tec]project plan[/tag-tec], we need to make many [tag-dir]assumptions. As part of our project plan, we need to document what these assumptions are. We also need to acknowledge the reality that many of those assumptions may not prove out as the project unfolds.

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Tags: Project Management Process

Gold Plating: Is It Ever Okay To Over Deliver?

December 16th, 2009 · 37 Comments

[tag-tec]Gold plating[/tag-tec], or the idea of delivering more or better than requested is generally not accepted in [tag-dir]project management[/tag-dir] doctrine. However, I think we need to take this with a grain of salt and consider how to discern when and how we might over deliver.

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Tags: Main · Soft Skills

Getting Good At Task Estimating

December 12th, 2009 · 529 Comments

[tag-tec]Task estimating[/tag-tec] is a critical skill for [tag-dir]project managers[/tag-dir] and [tag-dir]project teams[/tag-dir]. We cannot manage what we cannot estimate. However, realistically, it is very difficult to be able to estimate every possible task accurately.

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Tags: Project Management Process

Creating Your Own Project Life Cycle – But Not From Scratch

October 20th, 2009 · 917 Comments

I have used this. If you don’t want to have to start every project from scratch, then it’s worthwhile creating your own Project Life Cycle. I have found it especially useful – and impressive – in environments where there are a lot of technical people who have little project management orientation, and it has really made a difference. The best part is that it has helped me leverage my strengths – and to think through the project in an organized way.

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Tags: Project Management Templates

Strategic IT Project Management

October 7th, 2009 · 705 Comments

“Managing an IT project is like juggling chunks of Jell-O: It’s neither easy nor pretty.” So it says in an excellent article on IT Project Management is CIO magazine. The article goes on to say, very accurately I think, that “Information technology is especially slippery because it’s always moving, changing, adapting and challenging business as we know it.”

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Tags: Project Management Process

Three Ways To Invent The Future

September 7th, 2009 · 1,570 Comments

As a program or project manager, one must keep an eye on both the near term and long term.  Today, under tough economic conditions, we typically turn to more near-term thinking because the focus needs to be first on survival before considering future plans.  We need to be careful however to not take this near-term thinking too [...]

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Tags: Soft Skills

4 different styles

July 13th, 2009 · 67 Comments

Management styles Almost everyone makes numerous decisions every day. It is these decisions that allow us to manage our lives, enabling us to do the things we want to do, while working with and around: other people, time and the everyday problems which always seem to occur.

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Tags: Project Management Process

Set Your Time Management Goals And Focus On The Big Picture

July 9th, 2009 · 3 Comments

To make the most of your time you need to be focused on what it is you want to achieve. Being focused on the smaller picture rather than the big one will throw you off course. You should sit down and review your time management  and where your time gets used up. When we talk [...]

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Tags: Project Management Process