I’ve had younger project managers ask me about what it takes to lead really large projects and programs. You can imagine their shock when I suggest they should consider laziness.
Why PMOs Fail and How To Avoid It
At least 50% or more of PMO’s fail within the first 3 or 4 years of inception. Here’s what you need to know.
Project Management Wisdom from a Samurai
There is a quote from Musashi’s writings that gets to the heart of what distinguishes a skilled project manager.
Let Reality be the Judge
Being a partner at a small business marketing agency taught me a variety of lessons. One of the most important ones is not to get bogged down with differing opinions. It’s easy to get hung up on a specific creative design, marketing tactic, tagline, etc… This is particularly difficult for me because I maintain strong viewpoints and I […]
Overcoming The “Transformation” Hype
It seems like the word transformation crops up about everywhere you look these days, so here’s a little secret. Since we haven’t yet achieved maximum hype, just insert the word “transformation” into any project title and it will significantly increase the odds that it will be supported or funded. Case in point. Maybe you have […]
Always have at least 3 goals
This topic seems so obvious it almost pains me to write about it. Yet, I’ve got to come out and say it. You need to know what you want. I can’t count the number of times I’ve started a coaching conversation with someone who wasn’t sure what they really wanted. All too often people take […]
Prioritizing Projects
Once I was interviewing for a project management position and was asked “What would you do if your stakeholders wanted you to deliver multiple projects, on accelerated timelines, without enough resources?” My response was simple. Tell them “No” and then outline realistic options. I explained there are generally three things you can do. Use logic […]
Killing Zombie Projects
Zombies make for great television because they’re just so darn hard to stop. Whenever you think they’re down for the count, they come back stronger than ever. Now brace yourself, because this might come as a shock. Zombies exist in real life! Well, at least “zombie projects” do. If you’ve worked at a large company […]
The Yin and Yang of Careers
When it comes to careers, I maintain a belief that there are two general orientations towards your experiences. These can be thought of as yin and yang, or opposites of the same underlying characteristic. They are breadth and depth. For example, a career in depth is focused on developing a high level of expertise within […]
Exploring Project Benefits
There’s an old quote from Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt that goes, “People don’t want to buy a quarter inch drill bit, they want a quarter inch hole!” One of the main insights from this statement is that businesses must shift their thinking away from an internal focus of what they produce, and instead […]