Expert insights. Personalized for you.
The 5 Whys root cause analysis tool helps you quickly get past surface assumptions. It helps you dig deeper so you can solve the root cause of the problem. . What is the 5 Whys Root Cause Tool? The 5 Whys is a simple tool used to help you understand what’s really causing a problem. MORE
These virtual team building activities can help your team build stronger bonds and work better together. Even if they’re not in the same room or even the same city. Team building exercises are an intentional way of strengthening bonds across the team. And this is even more important for you as a leader if your team members aren’t all in the same place and can’t work face to face. But by using online team games and activities, you can nurture bonding and understanding between team members. MORE
If you’re managing multiple projects at once, it can be easy to give all your attention to the most difficult projects. It’s easy to stay focused on the riskiest, or the one with the loudest customer, or the most complex. MORE
Communication skills are critical for your career. And great active listening skills can serve you in valuable ways you may not have considered. It seems everyone spends a good chunk of their day with their eyes glued to a cell phone. MORE
If you’re an entrepreneur or consultant who feels overwhelmed and wants to have more control over your work, project management can be a big help to your startup or consulting work. “But isn’t that just more work to do?” ” you ask. Not necessarily. Using some smart approaches can save you time and money if you can work more efficiently. It can actually help you get more done more easily. And that translates to more free time and more money. MORE
Photo by Studio Republic on Unsplash. Stress at work is unavoidable. Use these ten tactics to ease the stress and love your work again! The following article is a guest post by Raymond Chiu. Raymond is the Director of Operations for Maid Sailors Commercial Cleaning Service New York. Stress at work is often unavoidable. But despite it being a challenge, it’s part of life that makes us stronger and helps improve our character. Nonetheless, we don’t want to overexpose ourselves to stress. MORE
A scrum master servant leader can lead his team to greatness with this advice from Geoff Watts’s wonderful book Scrum Mastery. The following is a guest post by Charlie Davidson. Please see the Editor’s note below regarding the variation in spelling of the term Scrum Master. Scrum’s framework is easy to understand but hard to master. The ScrumMaster role is no different. Let’s spend some time exploring the challenges ScrumMasters face and how to overcome them. MORE
This is a guest article from Gilad David Maayan. Agile has been a buzzword for many organizations in the last few years. And while many organizations are “adopting” an agile methodology, many are not fully embracing it. Effective implementation of agile requires a cultural shift. MORE
Quality project managers work with teams to ensure the success of quality improvement projects. I had the pleasure of meeting Olu Jinadu on a flight from Memphis to Detroit. I was traveling to see my aunt in the beautiful countryside of rural Vermont. I sat next to Olu and promised that I wouldn’t talk during the flight. He laughed and said he didn’t mind conversation. So, I asked what work he does in Memphis and he shared that he’s a Director of Quality at Thyssenkrupp. MORE
If you have a project that involves any type of process improvement, a SIPOC Model is a great tool to get your team started. And you don’t need to have six sigma training to use this simple tool. MORE
Getting the Voice of the Customer (VOC) tells you if you’re on the right track in your product or process improvement project. If you want to know that you’re on the right track when you’re leading a process or product improvement project, how can you be sure you’re addressing the right concerns? MORE
This is a guest post by Adrian Johansen. In a matter of months, COVID-19 has impacted pretty much every aspect of our normal daily lives. It’s changed the way we educate our children to the way we socialize and how we get our entertainment. Even more, it’s changed the way we work. MORE
Starbursting brainstorming is a structured technique to help your team come up with lots of ideas in many different focus areas. Use this approach to easily guide your team to generate tons of ideas for your product or service. Does the idea of brainstorming make you anxious? Do your brainstorming sessions run dry quickly? Or do you wish you had a more structured approach to lead the team to create more ideas? Starbursting brainstorming is just the technique you need. MORE
An easy explanation of how to use this powerful problem-solving tool with a simple fishbone diagram example. Have you ever been faced with a problem you didn’t know how to address? It seemed that there were many contributing factors and you didn’t know where to start? MORE
The term Lean Coffee doesn’t sound like a productive meeting session. But that’s EXACTLY what it’s intended to be. It’s structured in a way that allows participants to quickly talk through various topics they choose in a short amount of time. Sounds promising, you say? But then isn’t that what OFTEN happens in meetings with no structure? People just sit around and talk…and there’s often no value. How is a Lean Coffee better than that? MORE
The job title of “project manager” is pretty common these days. But project manager roles and responsibilities can be pretty vague if you’re not already familiar with them. I know this firsthand, just by watching reactions when I tell someone I’m a project manager. When I took my first job as a project manager, my mother asked what I do. My sisters have careers she’s a bit more familiar with: chemical engineer, civil engineer, real estate development. MORE
Are you considering a career move? . Perhaps you’re considering Project Management because it uses many skills you already have. But wait. You’ve also heard that teams are going Agile and that Scrum Master might be a good option. Or maybe you’re already a Project Manager, and you’re wondering if a Scrum Master job might be a good move. If you think they’re similar, think again. Here I’ll explain the difference between a Project Manager and a Scrum Master. MORE
These 7 awesome problem-solving steps can help you solve difficult problems, identify opportunities, grow your leadership skills, and take your career up several notches. When you see peers in your organization handling big problems, are you ever amazed at how they do it? Does it seem like they have some special natural ability you wish you had? Maybe the idea of taking on a big problem intimidates you? After all, problem-solving in the workplace can seem scary. MORE
If you’ve wondered how to develop empathy, it is possible. It may be challenging at times, especially when dealing with difficult personalities or in a charged emotional state. But practicing empathy has a place even at work, and it’s possible to tap into it in appropriate situations. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy. It’s well established that emotional intelligence is a critical trait for strong leaders. MORE
Even if you don’t yet know the term bikeshedding, you’ve likely experienced it. Have you ever found yourself in a meeting discussing something relatively unimportant, yet the time and energy everyone poured into the topic seemed to go on and on? It seemed that everyone had an opinion and needed to have a say. And for this reason the discussion continued far past the time it should have taken. What is Bikeshedding? The term bikeshedding is also known as Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. MORE
There are multiple reasons to consider the importance of creativity in business and your work. And I’m not just talking about your company’s creative department, or that PowerPoint you need to make for your boss. Creativity provides business value in important ways you may not have considered. You may be surprised. But once I explain, I think you’ll agree. Creativity Isn’t Just for Artists. Earlier this fall I traveled to Vermont to visit my aunt and uncle. MORE
Virtual teams need to put forth extra effort for effective collaboration. This list helps you cover all your bases. When you’re working with teammates on a project, you’ve likely got common understanding about how you’ll work together. Group collaboration can produce wonderful solutions to challenges and problem. But for the most effective collaboration, your team needs to follow certain behaviors and guidelines. But what if your team is remote? MORE
Knowing how to network doesn’t come naturally for most pople. But networking – and building business relationships – is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career. After all, your network can help you grow in your career. MORE
When you want to show your appreciation or participate in the office gift-swap, it can be hard to think of a perfect coworker gift that won’t break the bank. But this list of perfect coworker gifts will definitely contain something your coworker will love. Note – this list contains affiliate links. MORE
170 Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash. This is a guest post Annie-Mei Forster. Many team leaders and managers have been leading their teams remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it hasn’t come without its challenges. Many things that were once taken for granted, such as face-to-face interactions at the office and after-work drinks, are now only a distant memory. MORE
Do you consider company culture during your job search? A positive company culture can make a huge difference in how much you love your work. It can mean the difference between dreading going to work each day, or absolutely loving your job. But it doesn’t just happen by chance. Assessing company culture during your job search takes extra work. But it can pay off by helping you choose to join a company that aligns with your goals and values. Which can mean greater career satisfaction. MORE
The CTQ Tree is a simple tool to tell you exactly what your customer wants. Have you ever asked a client or customer what they want, and when you deliver it, they tell you it still doesn’t meet their need? MORE
A focussed team is a productive team. And, a productive team is the one that gets things done. Working toward common team goals can help. The following is a guest post from Vartika Kashyap. Have you ever come across an instance where your focus seemed to be shifting from the goal itself? MORE
When considering a project management career, there are some basic project management skills you need to know about. If you think a project management career is right for you, you possibly already have some great skills you need for the role. There may be skills you already have that can be perfect for helping you move into project management. After all, it is the perfect career. MORE
This is a guest article written by Ashley Wilson. Productivity is a big issue. When a workplace is inefficient, it leads to missed deadlines, eats time, and affects employee morale. In extreme cases, it can even make your company a less safe place to work. But productivity isn’t a standalone issue. It has various causes, including noise and lack of organization. But it also has a range of possible solutions. . MORE
Have you ever wondered what career path could be next on the project manager career ladder? There are many possible options where you can apply the valuable skills you’ve honed as a project manager. I previously wrote about the different career paths that can lead to project management. And a project manager role can be fulfilling and interesting. Projects stay interesting with new challenges, opportunities to collaborate with teams, and the satisfaction of delivering value and solutions. MORE
What Is Design Thinking? Design Thinking is a human centered approach to innovative problem-solving. Design Thinking seems to be a hot buzzword these days. You’ve likely heard it mentioned in meetings or hallway talk around the office. MORE
Networking is one of the most important things you can do for your career. Here’s why you need to prioritize it even when you’re not looking for a job. Many people don’t start to think about networking until they’re looking for a job. Networking can be incredibly valuable for helping you land that next position. As a matter of fact, most jobs are secured through networking. A 2016 LinkedIn Survey found that a staggering 85% of all jobs are filled through networking. MORE
Project Bliss
AUGUST 17, 2020
This is a guest post by Adrian Johansen. In a matter of months, COVID-19 has impacted pretty much every aspect of our normal daily lives. It’s changed the way we educate our children to the way we socialize and how we get our entertainment. Even more, it’s changed the way we work.
Project Bliss
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
A focussed team is a productive team. And, a productive team is the one that gets things done. Working toward common team goals can help. The following is a guest post from Vartika Kashyap. Have you ever come across an instance where your focus seemed to be shifting from the goal itself?
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Project Bliss
JANUARY 6, 2020
This is a guest article from Gilad David Maayan. Agile has been a buzzword for many organizations in the last few years. And while many organizations are “adopting” an agile methodology, many are not fully embracing it. Effective implementation of agile requires a cultural shift.
Project Bliss
JANUARY 30, 2020
What Is Design Thinking? Design Thinking is a human centered approach to innovative problem-solving. Design Thinking seems to be a hot buzzword these days. You’ve likely heard it mentioned in meetings or hallway talk around the office.
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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?
Project Bliss
AUGUST 31, 2020
Knowing how to network doesn’t come naturally for most pople. But networking – and building business relationships – is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career. After all, your network can help you grow in your career.
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Project Bliss
JULY 26, 2020
A scrum master servant leader can lead his team to greatness with this advice from Geoff Watts’s wonderful book Scrum Mastery. The following is a guest post by Charlie Davidson. Please see the Editor’s note below regarding the variation in spelling of the term Scrum Master. Scrum’s framework is easy to understand but hard to master. The ScrumMaster role is no different. Let’s spend some time exploring the challenges ScrumMasters face and how to overcome them.
Project Bliss
MARCH 10, 2020
This is a guest article written by Ashley Wilson. Productivity is a big issue. When a workplace is inefficient, it leads to missed deadlines, eats time, and affects employee morale. In extreme cases, it can even make your company a less safe place to work. But productivity isn’t a standalone issue. It has various causes, including noise and lack of organization. But it also has a range of possible solutions. .
Project Bliss
JUNE 5, 2018
If you’re an entrepreneur or consultant who feels overwhelmed and wants to have more control over your work, project management can be a big help to your startup or consulting work. “But isn’t that just more work to do?” ” you ask. Not necessarily. Using some smart approaches can save you time and money if you can work more efficiently. It can actually help you get more done more easily. And that translates to more free time and more money.
Project Bliss
AUGUST 5, 2020
Do you consider company culture during your job search? A positive company culture can make a huge difference in how much you love your work. It can mean the difference between dreading going to work each day, or absolutely loving your job. But it doesn’t just happen by chance. Assessing company culture during your job search takes extra work. But it can pay off by helping you choose to join a company that aligns with your goals and values. Which can mean greater career satisfaction.
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This eBook describes the process of managing the project budget and its associated costs.
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Project Bliss
MAY 16, 2019
The term Lean Coffee doesn’t sound like a productive meeting session. But that’s EXACTLY what it’s intended to be. It’s structured in a way that allows participants to quickly talk through various topics they choose in a short amount of time. Sounds promising, you say? But then isn’t that what OFTEN happens in meetings with no structure? People just sit around and talk…and there’s often no value. How is a Lean Coffee better than that?
Project Bliss
OCTOBER 31, 2019
When considering a project management career, there are some basic project management skills you need to know about. If you think a project management career is right for you, you possibly already have some great skills you need for the role. There may be skills you already have that can be perfect for helping you move into project management. After all, it is the perfect career.
Project Bliss
FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Networking is one of the most important things you can do for your career. Here’s why you need to prioritize it even when you’re not looking for a job. Many people don’t start to think about networking until they’re looking for a job. Networking can be incredibly valuable for helping you land that next position. As a matter of fact, most jobs are secured through networking. A 2016 LinkedIn Survey found that a staggering 85% of all jobs are filled through networking.
Project Bliss
NOVEMBER 7, 2018
The 5 Whys root cause analysis tool helps you quickly get past surface assumptions. It helps you dig deeper so you can solve the root cause of the problem. . What is the 5 Whys Root Cause Tool? The 5 Whys is a simple tool used to help you understand what’s really causing a problem.
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These FREE most popular templates will help you perform your role more efficiently.
Project Bliss
OCTOBER 8, 2018
The CTQ Tree is a simple tool to tell you exactly what your customer wants. Have you ever asked a client or customer what they want, and when you deliver it, they tell you it still doesn’t meet their need?
Project Bliss
JULY 2, 2020
Photo by Studio Republic on Unsplash. Stress at work is unavoidable. Use these ten tactics to ease the stress and love your work again! The following article is a guest post by Raymond Chiu. Raymond is the Director of Operations for Maid Sailors Commercial Cleaning Service New York. Stress at work is often unavoidable. But despite it being a challenge, it’s part of life that makes us stronger and helps improve our character. Nonetheless, we don’t want to overexpose ourselves to stress.
Project Bliss
MARCH 27, 2017
The job title of “project manager” is pretty common these days. But project manager roles and responsibilities can be pretty vague if you’re not already familiar with them. I know this firsthand, just by watching reactions when I tell someone I’m a project manager. When I took my first job as a project manager, my mother asked what I do. My sisters have careers she’s a bit more familiar with: chemical engineer, civil engineer, real estate development.
Project Bliss
JUNE 15, 2020
These virtual team building activities can help your team build stronger bonds and work better together. Even if they’re not in the same room or even the same city. Team building exercises are an intentional way of strengthening bonds across the team. And this is even more important for you as a leader if your team members aren’t all in the same place and can’t work face to face. But by using online team games and activities, you can nurture bonding and understanding between team members.
Speaker: Luke Freiler, CEO and co-founder of Centercode
After weathering recessions with a wide range of iconic customers, CEO and Product Manager Luke Freiler has seen first hand the impact the Voice of the Customer has had in making or breaking tech companies during hard times. He's going to walk you through an agile process for continuous customer testing that saves you time and gives you full confidence in your products — no matter how many you're sending out the door this year.
Project Bliss
OCTOBER 3, 2017
Have you ever wondered what career path could be next on the project manager career ladder? There are many possible options where you can apply the valuable skills you’ve honed as a project manager. I previously wrote about the different career paths that can lead to project management. And a project manager role can be fulfilling and interesting. Projects stay interesting with new challenges, opportunities to collaborate with teams, and the satisfaction of delivering value and solutions.
Project Bliss
FEBRUARY 11, 2019
These 7 awesome problem-solving steps can help you solve difficult problems, identify opportunities, grow your leadership skills, and take your career up several notches. When you see peers in your organization handling big problems, are you ever amazed at how they do it? Does it seem like they have some special natural ability you wish you had? Maybe the idea of taking on a big problem intimidates you? After all, problem-solving in the workplace can seem scary.
Project Bliss
DECEMBER 15, 2019
Meeting people and socializing during the holidays at work parties and social events can be stressful. These great conversation-starter questions can make meeting new people much easier. When you’re meeting someone new, it can be hard to think of what to say.
Project Bliss
JULY 14, 2020
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash. This is a guest post Annie-Mei Forster. Many team leaders and managers have been leading their teams remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it hasn’t come without its challenges. Many things that were once taken for granted, such as face-to-face interactions at the office and after-work drinks, are now only a distant memory.
Speaker: Peter Taylor, Speaker & Author of The Lazy Project Manager
Social Collaborative Management aims at delivering, at the enterprise level, a common goal for the business while harnessing the performance advantages of a collaborative community. This is a vital paradigm shift that many organisations are trying to understand right now - balancing traditional work and centralised leadership against the value of decentralised teams and trust. But the principles of harnessing collective power, collaboration, and community build an underlying ‘constant change’ capability that is critical in today’s new work environment.
Project Bliss
JULY 25, 2017
Are you considering a career move? . Perhaps you’re considering Project Management because it uses many skills you already have. But wait. You’ve also heard that teams are going Agile and that Scrum Master might be a good option. Or maybe you’re already a Project Manager, and you’re wondering if a Scrum Master job might be a good move. If you think they’re similar, think again. Here I’ll explain the difference between a Project Manager and a Scrum Master.
Project Bliss
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
Even if you don’t yet know the term bikeshedding, you’ve likely experienced it. Have you ever found yourself in a meeting discussing something relatively unimportant, yet the time and energy everyone poured into the topic seemed to go on and on? It seemed that everyone had an opinion and needed to have a say. And for this reason the discussion continued far past the time it should have taken. What is Bikeshedding? The term bikeshedding is also known as Parkinson’s Law of Triviality.
Project Bliss
DECEMBER 1, 2019
When you want to show your appreciation or participate in the office gift-swap, it can be hard to think of a perfect coworker gift that won’t break the bank. But this list of perfect coworker gifts will definitely contain something your coworker will love. Note – this list contains affiliate links.
Project Bliss
NOVEMBER 13, 2019
There are multiple reasons to consider the importance of creativity in business and your work. And I’m not just talking about your company’s creative department, or that PowerPoint you need to make for your boss. Creativity provides business value in important ways you may not have considered. You may be surprised. But once I explain, I think you’ll agree. Creativity Isn’t Just for Artists. Earlier this fall I traveled to Vermont to visit my aunt and uncle.
Speaker: Hope Gurion, Product Leader Coach, Fearless Product LLC
Customer discovery is the lifeblood of product teams to identify the most important customer needs to solve next. Often it's the Product and UX members of the trio who take lead on facilitating this discovery. But what about other customer-facing teams in an organization? How do product teams best partner with these teams to understand customers’ unmet needs and decide which needs to address next?
Project Bliss
MARCH 25, 2020
Virtual teams need to put forth extra effort for effective collaboration. This list helps you cover all your bases. When you’re working with teammates on a project, you’ve likely got common understanding about how you’ll work together. Group collaboration can produce wonderful solutions to challenges and problem. But for the most effective collaboration, your team needs to follow certain behaviors and guidelines. But what if your team is remote?
Project Bliss
MAY 12, 2020
If you’ve wondered how to develop empathy, it is possible. It may be challenging at times, especially when dealing with difficult personalities or in a charged emotional state. But practicing empathy has a place even at work, and it’s possible to tap into it in appropriate situations. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy. It’s well established that emotional intelligence is a critical trait for strong leaders.
Project Bliss
APRIL 25, 2019
Starbursting brainstorming is a structured technique to help your team come up with lots of ideas in many different focus areas. Use this approach to easily guide your team to generate tons of ideas for your product or service. Does the idea of brainstorming make you anxious? Do your brainstorming sessions run dry quickly? Or do you wish you had a more structured approach to lead the team to create more ideas? Starbursting brainstorming is just the technique you need.
Project Bliss
JUNE 14, 2018
If you’re managing multiple projects at once, it can be easy to give all your attention to the most difficult projects. It’s easy to stay focused on the riskiest, or the one with the loudest customer, or the most complex.
Speaker: Greg Coticchia, CEO & Founder of ENTRA
Organizations of all types and sizes are facing common challenges of how to deal with the uncertainty in our current professional and personal lives. How can you plan when you are uncertain of what's next? On a product level, how can you be sure of delivering the ‘right’ messaging, products, solutions, and services to customers? How do you survive to fight the fight another day? In this session, we will discuss important tips for you as a Product Manager dealing with uncertainty. At the same time, we will discuss another important aspect of dealing with uncertainty, and that is building trust, especially while many of us are working remotely or in new or different settings.
Project Bliss
OCTOBER 14, 2019
Quality project managers work with teams to ensure the success of quality improvement projects. I had the pleasure of meeting Olu Jinadu on a flight from Memphis to Detroit. I was traveling to see my aunt in the beautiful countryside of rural Vermont. I sat next to Olu and promised that I wouldn’t talk during the flight. He laughed and said he didn’t mind conversation. So, I asked what work he does in Memphis and he shared that he’s a Director of Quality at Thyssenkrupp.
Project Bliss
OCTOBER 22, 2018
An easy explanation of how to use this powerful problem-solving tool with a simple fishbone diagram example. Have you ever been faced with a problem you didn’t know how to address? It seemed that there were many contributing factors and you didn’t know where to start?
Project Bliss
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
If you have a project that involves any type of process improvement, a SIPOC Model is a great tool to get your team started. And you don’t need to have six sigma training to use this simple tool.
Project Bliss
SEPTEMBER 24, 2018
Getting the Voice of the Customer (VOC) tells you if you’re on the right track in your product or process improvement project. If you want to know that you’re on the right track when you’re leading a process or product improvement project, how can you be sure you’re addressing the right concerns?
Speaker: Johanna Rothman, Management Consultant, Rothman Consulting Group
Many of us are accustomed to planning for either discovery or delivery. We know how to plan for where we want to be for a product (delivery). And, we know how to plan to discover a market (discovery). Right now in 2020, those plans might not be worth anything. The world is still in upheaval—and no one has a crystal ball to know when we should plan more in-depth. Instead of planning for either discovery or delivery, we can use experiments—for all our work. When we focus on experimentation, small bets, and short feedback loops, we can create the kinds of products our customers will love.
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