INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
Agile is a way of working that comes from software development. It’s iterative and incremental in its approach, working in short “sprints,” and building on a foundation of trust, flexibility, empowerment and collaboration. MORE
Before you’re able to analyze the risk in your project, you have to acknowledge that risk is going to happen in your project. By planning for risks, you begin the process of knowing how to identify, monitor and close out risks when they show up in your project. MORE
Let’s face it, we all know that person, or people, who it seems do nothing but complain. Beautiful, sunny day and they say it’s too hot. Cool fall morning and it’s too cold. The coffee is not the perfect temperature! Why do you have to drive so fast!? Do you have to drive so slow!? Why are those kids so loud!? It never ends. In the working world, we have them too. In project management, they’re everywhere! Stakeholders, team members, vendors, functional managers! MORE
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Have you ever heard a child give good news? It can be almost comical. They’re really excited. They trip over words. Lots of hand motions. Smiles galore. This is the best day ever! Conversely, have you heard them give bad news? They first try to hide it from you. MORE
I friend of mine, who is also a project manager, has a knack for taking the most boring topic and turning it into an interesting story. Want to be riveted by the importance of Python programming in the mid-90’s? Get ready for a 20 minute history lesson plus some predictions for the future. MORE
Let’s say you’re well-qualified in your technical skills—be it Java, programming languages, infrastructure, networks or system administration. MORE
“If only there was more time,” goes the lament. Project managers sing this sad song, but don’t expect the chorus to join in. Keeping to the project’s schedule is one of the three prongs of the triple constraint. Time rules all projects. MORE
Recently, I have seen a more online posts asking questions about what project management tool(s) a company should buy: What tool does everyone recommend? My company would like a project management tool? What should we get? I’d like your opinion on a project management tool that is cloud-based and easy to use. PM tool recommendations please! Within 24 hours, there are a number of responses. They range from asking for more information, to recommendations, to sales pitches. MORE
A PERT chart can help you manage your project. But what is a PERT chart and how does it assist project managers when they’re working on larger, more complex projects? What Is a PERT Chart? PERT is an acronym that stands for P rogram E valuation and R eview T echnique. MORE
A project manager’s job isn’t just about managing the work. You are also responsible for your team, and making sure they have the skills required to do their jobs. Part of a resource management plan is to build the skills of your team. MORE
What do you need to know to succeed at project management? Everything! While there’s some truth to that joke, it’s not helpful to the student or the experienced professional who is looking for a way to understand the myriad responsibilities of being a project manager. MORE
I enjoy being part of project management panel discussions. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, someone asks a question or talks about a situation that blows your mind! In a recent panel discussion, one such comment came up. MORE
All projects—especially large, complex projects—need clear priorities. Easier said than done. You can count on technical projects, no matter how well-planned, to involve change orders, re-prioritization and the regular appearance of surprises. It’s just the natural order of things. But still. MORE
Whether you’re making the move to Agile project management in your development group or creating an Agile process for your in-house project management methodology, chances are you’re going to have to sell this change to executives in your organization. And, they’re going to be business people too. MORE
An abundance of information is created, transferred and stored over the life cycle of a project. It seems people are always communicating and making constant updates. It’s easy for something to get lost in the mix. But what if that lost snippet is an essential direction or change? MORE
Good cost estimation is essential for keeping a project under budget. Many costs can appear over the life cycle of a project, and an accurate estimation method can be the difference between a successful plan and a failed one. Estimation, however, is easier said than done. MORE
A project without a plan is like a car without a driver. The project plan is the guide that gets a project manager from concept through execution, and a finished product at its destination. There’s an argument that a project plan supersedes everything else in a project. MORE
The world of project management is vast. It covers many industries and requires a range of skills. But the common thread tying this diverse discipline together are the techniques that project managers use to get the job done. MORE
Tis the season for being thankful; the time of year when we take a step back and appreciate that which is around us. From family, to friends, to career, it’s time to take stock of what we’re thankful for. I’ve been in project management for over 20 years. MORE
If you drive or ridden in the passenger seat of a vehicle and looked at the side mirror, you may have noticed the little sticker that says “OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR.” ” When changing lanes, we check them (most of the time anyway). MORE
As project and program managers, we frequently face adversity. It can come from the team, management, stakeholders, and outside the company. It’s everywhere! Because you’re also leading one of the company’s initiatives, you need to be triumphant despite those adversities that are thrown in your path. It’s our job to take issues in stride and move forward. I was reminded this week of a huge white board a former co-worker had outside her cube. MORE
Competition is all around. Your business is competing for clients and market share. We compete against co-workers to be on a new team or get a promotion. Pro sports teams compete to be the best in their divisions. We may even encourage our kids to compete hard and win. Everything seems to be a competition. Even in the most collaborative of environments, some competition is prevalent. But what about your project? Sure, you negotiated with all types of managers to get the right people. MORE
“Every project manager in your PMO must become expert level in each process group and knowledge area to be successful.” ” That’s interesting, I thought. I replied back on the professional message board that though I agree every PM needs to understand and show competence in each process group, I don’t agree with the concept of being “expert level.” MORE
I’m running in a 50+ mile race in September. It will be the hardest thing, both physically and mentally, I have ever done. Race start is at 5:15AM and on average takes over 12 hours to complete. There is 25,000 feet of elevation change and a number of rivers to cross and mud to trudge through. When I tell friends I’m doing this, they say it sounds miserable. When I research posts about the race, I hear past participants talk about the misery they were in. MORE
Once in my career, I was lucky enough to work with a true Excel spreadsheet master. Chris could make Excel do anything, except he never used spreadsheets to manage a project. He was a wise man. MORE
Communication is fundamental for most everything we do, and that goes doubly so for projects. Without a clear way to disseminate information and have it understood, missteps follow. MORE
Technology will continue to evolve and take repetitive tasks away from humans. This was highlighted on a call with a sales person recently. They were demoing a finance software. Every question was met with: It does that automatically. You don’t have to do a thing. The system does it for you. No, trending analysis is done and delivered to you daily. Our embedded AI will tell you what’s needed. With a couple clicks of a button, the platform did everything we needed and then some. MORE
I looked across the table at this guy as we ate breakfast at a little cafe. He drove me bat-s**t crazy sometimes. He constantly argued, never wanted help to do anything, told me multiple times a day I was wrong, talked loud and at times wouldn’t listen to a thing I said. But, I also loved this guy with all my heart. He’s my 9 year old son. Since he was 5, he has wanted to go to Paris. MORE
One of the joys (or maybe lack thereof) of traveling is the wide array of conversations you overhear at airports and in airplanes. Given we’re a captive audience in an airport Starbucks line or sitting middle seat on a three hour flight, the conversations within earshot are plentiful and sometimes, very colorful. As I crammed into the isle seat of the CRJ, preparing for a quick 38 minute flight home, I got to overhear one such conversation. MORE
Dear Elizabeth: I work in a technical team as a project manager. We do a lot of projects that are innovative (for us), and my development colleagues always seem reluctant when it comes to project planning. They won’t give me timescales that will help me plan. MORE
That’s right, we’re not supposed to talk about death, even when talking about projects! But let’s be honest, some projects are destined to fail. Some are destined never to even start. So why is it then, when we have an initiative “coming off the rails” or the market suddenly shifts, there seems to be a push to keep a project alive? Instead of charging the paddles and clearing the area, we should be talking about how to move it to the next life. MORE
A peer of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous) has been a Scrum Master for a number of years and previously worked at a company that valued organizational agility and agile methods. Unfortunately, her role ended but was able to find another position with a company that has been wanting to be “agile” for some time. This company likes the thought of Scrum, but putting it into practice has been hindered by slow adapting managers, stakeholders and a few team members. MORE
Bridge the Gap Consulting
DECEMBER 9, 2019
If you drive or ridden in the passenger seat of a vehicle and looked at the side mirror, you may have noticed the little sticker that says “OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR.” ” When changing lanes, we check them (most of the time anyway).
Bridge the Gap Consulting
NOVEMBER 17, 2019
I friend of mine, who is also a project manager, has a knack for taking the most boring topic and turning it into an interesting story. Want to be riveted by the importance of Python programming in the mid-90’s? Get ready for a 20 minute history lesson plus some predictions for the future.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Tis the season for being thankful; the time of year when we take a step back and appreciate that which is around us. From family, to friends, to career, it’s time to take stock of what we’re thankful for. I’ve been in project management for over 20 years.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
OCTOBER 27, 2019
I enjoy being part of project management panel discussions. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, someone asks a question or talks about a situation that blows your mind! In a recent panel discussion, one such comment came up.
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How can project planning that stretches over months or years remain relevant and account for new ad-hoc activities that arrive every day?
Bridge the Gap Consulting
NOVEMBER 10, 2019
Recently, I have seen a more online posts asking questions about what project management tool(s) a company should buy: What tool does everyone recommend? My company would like a project management tool? What should we get? I’d like your opinion on a project management tool that is cloud-based and easy to use. PM tool recommendations please! Within 24 hours, there are a number of responses. They range from asking for more information, to recommendations, to sales pitches.
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Bridge the Gap Consulting
JULY 24, 2019
I’m running in a 50+ mile race in September. It will be the hardest thing, both physically and mentally, I have ever done. Race start is at 5:15AM and on average takes over 12 hours to complete. There is 25,000 feet of elevation change and a number of rivers to cross and mud to trudge through. When I tell friends I’m doing this, they say it sounds miserable. When I research posts about the race, I hear past participants talk about the misery they were in.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
OCTOBER 13, 2019
“Every project manager in your PMO must become expert level in each process group and knowledge area to be successful.” ” That’s interesting, I thought. I replied back on the professional message board that though I agree every PM needs to understand and show competence in each process group, I don’t agree with the concept of being “expert level.”
Bridge the Gap Consulting
AUGUST 5, 2019
Technology will continue to evolve and take repetitive tasks away from humans. This was highlighted on a call with a sales person recently. They were demoing a finance software. Every question was met with: It does that automatically. You don’t have to do a thing. The system does it for you. No, trending analysis is done and delivered to you daily. Our embedded AI will tell you what’s needed. With a couple clicks of a button, the platform did everything we needed and then some.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
JULY 13, 2019
A peer of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous) has been a Scrum Master for a number of years and previously worked at a company that valued organizational agility and agile methods. Unfortunately, her role ended but was able to find another position with a company that has been wanting to be “agile” for some time. This company likes the thought of Scrum, but putting it into practice has been hindered by slow adapting managers, stakeholders and a few team members.
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This eBook describes the process of managing the project budget and its associated costs.
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Bridge the Gap Consulting
DECEMBER 4, 2019
Have you ever heard a child give good news? It can be almost comical. They’re really excited. They trip over words. Lots of hand motions. Smiles galore. This is the best day ever! Conversely, have you heard them give bad news? They first try to hide it from you.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
I normally wear a size 12 shoe. For this occasion, however, I was talked into a size 13. The sales person told me to go bigger because of what I was doing. As I looked down at those size 13’s, I could feel my ankles had swollen and my toes were now starting to bang against the front.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
NOVEMBER 3, 2019
Let’s face it, we all know that person, or people, who it seems do nothing but complain. Beautiful, sunny day and they say it’s too hot. Cool fall morning and it’s too cold. The coffee is not the perfect temperature! Why do you have to drive so fast!? Do you have to drive so slow!? Why are those kids so loud!? It never ends. In the working world, we have them too. In project management, they’re everywhere! Stakeholders, team members, vendors, functional managers!
Bridge the Gap Consulting
SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
As project and program managers, we frequently face adversity. It can come from the team, management, stakeholders, and outside the company. It’s everywhere! Because you’re also leading one of the company’s initiatives, you need to be triumphant despite those adversities that are thrown in your path. It’s our job to take issues in stride and move forward. I was reminded this week of a huge white board a former co-worker had outside her cube.
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These FREE most popular templates will help you perform your role more efficiently.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
SEPTEMBER 1, 2019
One of the joys (or maybe lack thereof) of traveling is the wide array of conversations you overhear at airports and in airplanes. Given we’re a captive audience in an airport Starbucks line or sitting middle seat on a three hour flight, the conversations within earshot are plentiful and sometimes, very colorful. As I crammed into the isle seat of the CRJ, preparing for a quick 38 minute flight home, I got to overhear one such conversation.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
AUGUST 21, 2019
I looked across the table at this guy as we ate breakfast at a little cafe. He drove me bat-s**t crazy sometimes. He constantly argued, never wanted help to do anything, told me multiple times a day I was wrong, talked loud and at times wouldn’t listen to a thing I said. But, I also loved this guy with all my heart. He’s my 9 year old son. Since he was 5, he has wanted to go to Paris.
Bridge the Gap Consulting
JUNE 10, 2019
That’s right, we’re not supposed to talk about death, even when talking about projects! But let’s be honest, some projects are destined to fail. Some are destined never to even start. So why is it then, when we have an initiative “coming off the rails” or the market suddenly shifts, there seems to be a push to keep a project alive? Instead of charging the paddles and clearing the area, we should be talking about how to move it to the next life.
LiquidPlanner
AUGUST 14, 2018
Let’s say you’re well-qualified in your technical skills—be it Java, programming languages, infrastructure, networks or system administration.
Speaker: Steven Haines, Founder and CEO, Sequent Learning Networks
Product professionals use phrases like "voice of the customer," and "user experience" so often that it can be easy to lose sight of their actual meanings. How can we, as product professionals, learn to keep customers and users at the heart of our work? Join Steven Haines, globally recognized thought leader and author, as he guides us through a memorable journey demonstrating how you can walk a mile in their customer's shoes. He'll explore how, by developing true empathy for your users, you can ensure you're creating the features and products they actually want.
LiquidPlanner
OCTOBER 11, 2018
All projects—especially large, complex projects—need clear priorities. Easier said than done. You can count on technical projects, no matter how well-planned, to involve change orders, re-prioritization and the regular appearance of surprises. It’s just the natural order of things. But still.
LiquidPlanner
NOVEMBER 1, 2018
Dear Elizabeth: I work in a technical team as a project manager. We do a lot of projects that are innovative (for us), and my development colleagues always seem reluctant when it comes to project planning. They won’t give me timescales that will help me plan.
ProjectManager.com
NOVEMBER 27, 2019
What do you need to know to succeed at project management? Everything! While there’s some truth to that joke, it’s not helpful to the student or the experienced professional who is looking for a way to understand the myriad responsibilities of being a project manager.
ProjectManager.com
DECEMBER 5, 2019
A PERT chart can help you manage your project. But what is a PERT chart and how does it assist project managers when they’re working on larger, more complex projects? What Is a PERT Chart? PERT is an acronym that stands for P rogram E valuation and R eview T echnique.
Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic
We all want to build successful products - and that means satisfied customers. Before anything else, you must understand what problems you can solve. The best way to do that is to get out of the building and start asking questions. But how can you make the most of those conversations, and ensure that you walk away with productive insights? Join Nick Noreña, educator, entrepreneur, and currently Innovation Coach and Advisor at Kromatic, as he covers how we can effectively action our findings from customer discovery conversations.
ProjectManager.com
AUGUST 21, 2019
Good cost estimation is essential for keeping a project under budget. Many costs can appear over the life cycle of a project, and an accurate estimation method can be the difference between a successful plan and a failed one. Estimation, however, is easier said than done.
ProjectManager.com
SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
Agile is a way of working that comes from software development. It’s iterative and incremental in its approach, working in short “sprints,” and building on a foundation of trust, flexibility, empowerment and collaboration.
ProjectManager.com
OCTOBER 10, 2019
A project without a plan is like a car without a driver. The project plan is the guide that gets a project manager from concept through execution, and a finished product at its destination. There’s an argument that a project plan supersedes everything else in a project.
Speaker: Kirui K. K., Co-founder and CEO of Tanasuk Africa
If you want to offer a better user experience, it can be tempting to track each and every data point in your product. However, this can quickly get complicated and overwhelming as you collect more and more data. How do you know which metrics will help you improve? Kirui K. K., Co-founder & CEO Tanasuk Africa, wants you to know that analytics don't have to be complicated to make an impact - no matter the size of your company. Join him as he explains how to create a customer journey map, then use that map to figure out the metrics you need to know - and how to use them.
LiquidPlanner
AUGUST 28, 2018
Once in my career, I was lucky enough to work with a true Excel spreadsheet master. Chris could make Excel do anything, except he never used spreadsheets to manage a project. He was a wise man.
LiquidPlanner
SEPTEMBER 6, 2018
Whether you’re making the move to Agile project management in your development group or creating an Agile process for your in-house project management methodology, chances are you’re going to have to sell this change to executives in your organization. And, they’re going to be business people too.
ProjectManager.com
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
The world of project management is vast. It covers many industries and requires a range of skills. But the common thread tying this diverse discipline together are the techniques that project managers use to get the job done.
ProjectManager.com
OCTOBER 1, 2019
Communication is fundamental for most everything we do, and that goes doubly so for projects. Without a clear way to disseminate information and have it understood, missteps follow.
Speaker: Brittney Gwynn, former Director of Product, Simple Health
If you've ever launched an MVP, you know that the journey has only just begun. How do you figure out what to do next? You know that you need to look at how different user segments react, but how do you quickly distinguish signal from noise so you can iterate and improve? Join Brittney Gwynn, former Director of Product at Simple Health, as she explains how you can use early customer feedback, usage data, and continuous experimentation to optimize your journey to product-market fit. Whether you're at a brand-new company, or looking to innovate within a more mature organization, or anywhere in between, you'll come away with a new skill set, ready to make the most of your launches.
ProjectManager.com
SEPTEMBER 26, 2019
“If only there was more time,” goes the lament. Project managers sing this sad song, but don’t expect the chorus to join in. Keeping to the project’s schedule is one of the three prongs of the triple constraint. Time rules all projects.
ProjectManager.com
DECEMBER 9, 2019
Before you’re able to analyze the risk in your project, you have to acknowledge that risk is going to happen in your project. By planning for risks, you begin the process of knowing how to identify, monitor and close out risks when they show up in your project.
Girl's Guide to PM
OCTOBER 14, 2019
A project manager’s job isn’t just about managing the work. You are also responsible for your team, and making sure they have the skills required to do their jobs. Part of a resource management plan is to build the skills of your team.
ProjectManager.com
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
An abundance of information is created, transferred and stored over the life cycle of a project. It seems people are always communicating and making constant updates. It’s easy for something to get lost in the mix. But what if that lost snippet is an essential direction or change?
Speaker: Hannah Stegen, Customer Service Manager, Crescendo
How can you measure and affect your users' behavior if they're not doing something that's easily measurable? You can monitor usage, activation, retention, and more, but those metrics don't always align with every one of your goals for your users. Hope is not lost, however: with the right framework, you can still make sure your users are on track. Join Hannah Stegen (she/her), Customer Success Manager at Crescendo as she explains how you can monitor even the most complex user journeys by breaking them up into Attitude, Intention, and Behavior.
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