What is Collaboration and How to VIRTUALLY Make it Work

The novelty of remote workers has worn off. The days of picturing the lady from the marketing department in her fuzzy slippers, rollers, and sipping coffee working on her laptop on the sofa have, thankfully, gone by the wayside. Rather, this image has been replaced by business professionals ranging from engineers, to salespeople, to customer service employees and even Executives calling their home their office. And, it’s set up like a real office with all the accoutrements and trappings thereof, including multiple monitors, laser printers, copy machines, dedicated phone lines, and even water...

Your Team Fails To Meet Targets?

The following video reveals what action you need to take when your team are failing to meet their targets... httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAY5ZsXY94Q   Okay, we've all been there. We've all dragged the chain at some point. If you've ever managed to turn around a consistently under-performing team, tell me briefly how you did it. We can ALL learn from your success......

5 Ways to NOT Act Like a Project Manager

We all have perceptions on how people should act in our personal and professional lives. Mothers should be loving, fathers should be supportive, bosses should be knowledgeable and project managers should be…well, you’ll need to fill in the rest for this one. This is because there are so many different perceptions about how a project manager should act.   This begs the question then…what should a project manager be like? That’s really a personal opinion with hundreds of different possible answers. Some may say they should be firm, stern, kind, nice, concerned, eloquent, good-...

How to Plan a Project for Closure

There are a number of sayings that stress the importance of closing out a project. For example, “begin with the end in mind”, or “it ain’t over until it’s over” are two expressions that highlight the importance that must be placed on closing a project out. It’s your job as a project manager to make sure that the deliverables, activities, and processes are in place to ensure a project comes to a graceful and successful end.     Why Are Projects So Hard to Bring to Closure?   When you think about how to plan a project for closure, you may wonder why th...

I Can’t Move Forward Without Your Approval

Projects in today’s high-tech world are complicated and fast-paced. There are a lot of hard-working people on board to get the work done with the intent of completing one project and moving on to the next one. It’s your job as a project manager to keep the work moving forward…and as much as possible not have it slip backwards for rework, missed requirements, or other reasons that may be out of your control.   To aid in the completion of projects, most companies have created and implemented some form of project lifecycle. The activities that comprise the project lifecycle can b...

Work Management and What is NOT There

You should have seen it coming, but you missed all the signs. Now you’ve been out of work for three months without even a single bite on your resume. How could you have not seen what was happening in front of your very eyes? All the symptoms were there that the company was in trouble, you just weren't tuned into what to look for. You continued to focus on what was there and missed out on what was not there.   You were (and are) a great project manager. It had nothing to do with your performance. You had systems and process and controls in place for work management and time reporti...

Remote Teams and How to Manage Them

Discover top tips and techniques for managing remote teams right here in this tell-all video... httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb3LhwPr7P4   No question... this video is an awesome resource! Tell me what you liked about it most. Oh, and if you have any tips for managing remote teams of your own, I would be soooo grateful if you could spare a few seconds to share them with me in the Comments section below......

Which Project Tool is the Most Useful?

Think about a carpenter’s tool belt. The tool belt that is strapped around his waist gives him easy access to all the tools he needs to do the job. Whether it be a hammer, pliers, screwdriver, or tape measure…they are all within reach for him to get the job done.   But, he undoubtedly has his favorite tool. It may have been the first tool he purchased many years ago when he started his first job. Or, it may be a tool that was given to him by someone that meant a lot to him. This tool has a special place in his heart and one that he uses frequently.   As a project mana...

6 Attributes of a Rock Star Project Manager

Who wouldn’t want the life of a rock star? You get to stay up late every night and sleep in all morning. You tour the world on your private plane and fancy buses. You go from one party to the next, get paid millions of dollars each year, and have tens of thousands of fans screaming out your name. What’s there not to love (besides of course, short-life spans, no private life, and broken marriages?)   We won’t so much focus on the downside of the rock star life, but more along the lines of the screaming fans and millions of dollars each year. What then, are some of the attribute...

4 Things You Should Never Do During a Project Report

You’ve made great progress on the project you're implementing for one of your largest clients. The enterprise-level project is a two year endeavor and you're half-way through the first year. Time is flying by and it’s time again for the Quarterly Executive Project Review. You know which one I’m talking about. The one where you and select members of your team are traipsed in front of the Client’s executive team to talk about the project report,  provide an update on issues, answer their questions and ask for their help in those areas that need assistance.   You’re picturin...