PMcrunch

With the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States and his coming inauguration in January, we are beginning to see what his priorities would be; this is an opportunity to think through what some of the impacts will be in the project management world.

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Organizations of all sizes have been taking a much closer look at their project portfolios in these tough times. One of the bigger questions is “where does innovation fit in in the portfolio?” There are some interesting ideas around this and organizations must reckon with the fact that decisions about innovation could very well set the stage for the future of the company. At the same time, we must reckon with the fact that, in order to reach a future, we must be financially sound through the crisis. I have been thinking a bit about the relationship between innovation and portfolio management in tough times.

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As project managers we are responsible, typically, for our specific projects. Sometimes we might be working on portfolio management and sometimes we may be working in a PMO-type environment that offers project management help around the organization. However, more often than not, we are focused on our individual projects. Regardless of where you fit in to this spectrum, it is good to take a look at the kinds of projects that your company is implementing right now, as this can foreshadow the future for the organization.

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Whatever performance review system is in place, the important thing for project management is that the line organization that holds ultimate responsibility for the project should be the primary input and judge of a project manager’s performance. Performance evaluation is often difficult in matrix-type organizations, such as those that include a PMO. Let’s take a look at some of the challenges.

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How we succeed is every bit as important as what we achieve.  Really, what I am saying is that we need to review our definition of project and program success periodically.  Making our mark on our projects and programs does not need to involve compromising with our ideals for making our mark in a positive [...]

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Much is written on earned value techniques, and I am not going to delve in depth into the techniques in this post. I am only going to emphasize that to whatever degree you practice earned value techniques, the most important thing is to be very detailed about work packages and costs. If nothing else, go about this with eyes wide open.Much is written on earned value techniques, and I am not going to delve in depth into the techniques in this post. I am only going to emphasize that to whatever degree you practice earned value techniques, the most important thing is to be very detailed about work packages and costs. If nothing else, go about this with eyes wide open.

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Basic project management teaches us that quality is defined by meeting requirements, but not exceeding them. If we deliver more than what the customer asked for, it is considered to be gold plating – a bad thing. The premise is that there is a balance as per the triple constraint among quality, cost and schedule, and that it is the job of the project manager to manage that balance. In these tough times, however, how can a project manager produce excellence and in essence exceed customer expectations without gold plating?

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Though I have not heard it made official all indications are that we are in recession. This appears to be not just for the United States but for much, if not most, of the rest of the world. The cause of this recession, of course, is the credit crunch and all issues surrounding that. So the big question is, “What can project and program managers do to cope with this recession?” I have some thoughts, and for reference have tapped into ideas of Jack and Susie Welch.

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Software project outsourcing and managing virtual teams are very hot topics today. They present new opportunities as well as new challenges for project and program managers. Below is a collection of recent articles and posts around the internet on this timely topic.

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All professionals – Project Managers, Program Managers, Executives, leaders of all kinds -  worry at times, and some more than others.  Worrying a lot or a little is actually a controllable habit.  Worrying a lot is little more than trading your peace of mind and taking a negative view of the future.  The urge to [...]

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