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Project Status Reporting – 6 Key Considerations
Project Health Check
OCTOBER 9, 2017
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Project Managers (PMs) live and die by the Plan.
Project Health Check
Cancelling Projects: The Project Isn't Being Done Right
Project Health Check
NOVEMBER 27, 2017
In part 1 of this article series, we accepted that Projects sometimes need to be cancelled. In part 2, we look at how sometimes the Project being worked on is no longer the right Project. In this part 3, we will look at the other cause of cancelling: the Project isn't being done right.
Cancelling Projects - It's Not the Right Project
Project Health Check
NOVEMBER 20, 2017
In part 1 of this article series, we accepted that Projects sometimes need to be cancelled. In this part 2, we look at one of the two reasons we identified: it's no longer the right Project.
Cancelling Projects - Should We?
Project Health Check
NOVEMBER 15, 2017
Work in Project Management long enough, and eventually you will come across everything - this will include having a Project you were working on cancelled.
Organizing for Customer Centricity
Speaker: Tatyana Mamut
Most companies today say they are “customer centric.” Yet many still make decisions primarily based on competitor threats, technical architecture, or executive opinions. So what sets apart those that talk the talk, and those that walk the walk? Join Nextdoor's Head of Product Tatyana Mamut, PhD as she outlines the 7 habits of truly customer-centric companies.
Project Start-Up: The Plan for a Plan
Project Health Check
AUGUST 8, 2017
Du ring the Project Start-up and planning phase, projects will execute detailed planning processes to produce a Performance Measurement Baseline of Cost/Schedule/Scope and an associated Project Management Plan.
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Cancelling Projects: How?
Project Health Check
DECEMBER 4, 2017
In part 1 of this article series, we accepted that Projects sometimes need to be cancelled. In part 2, we look at how sometimes the Project being worked on is no longer the right Project, and in part 3, we looked at the other cause of cancelling: the Project isn't being done right.
Introducing the PRINCE2 Principles
Project Health Check
OCTOBER 23, 2017
PRINCE2 is a popular UK Project Management methodology, that continues to gain traction in other locations around the world. Now managed by Axelos, it is part of a comprehensive and integrated best practice suite along side other methodologies such as Management of Risk (M_o_R) and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP).
The Tyranny of the Urgent - and how to manage it
Project Health Check
AUGUST 27, 2017
Urgent requests: it seems like most requests we get are. I took over a role recently, and rather than a detailed Knowledge Transfer plan covering many topics over a number of weeks, it basically took half an hour. Most of what I do is respond to urgent requests".
What is Lean Six Sigma?
Project Health Check
OCTOBER 2, 2017
Lean Six Sigma, a management buzzword that seems to persist and many don't understand. But what is it and how is it related to Project Management? Lean Six Sigma is an approach for Process Improvement Projects, combining many different conceptual tools depending on the situation.
Build Product Progress with a Strong Data Culture
Speaker: Nima Gardideh, CTO, Pearmill
Have you ever thought your product's progress was headed in one direction, and been shocked to see a different story reflected in big picture KPIs like revenue? It can be confusing when customer feedback or metrics like registration or retention are painting a different picture. No matter how sophisticated your analytics are, if you're asking the wrong questions - or looking at the wrong metrics - you're going to have trouble getting answers that can help you. Join Nima Gardideh, CTO of Pearmill, as he demonstrates how to build a strong data culture within your team, so everyone understands which metrics they should actually focus on - and why. Then, he'll explain how you can use your analytics to regularly review progress and successes. Finally, he'll discuss what you should keep in mind when instrumenting your analytics.
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Introduction to Kanban
Project Health Check
MARCH 5, 2018
Ka nban is something that features in both Lean Six Sigma and Agile software development. It descended from the Lean improvements of the Toyota Production System, and is a proven approach to optimise effectiveness of a production line system.
PRINCE2 Principles: Manage by exception
Project Health Check
FEBRUARY 19, 2018
We’ve all been there, a manager taking far too much interest in our every action at work, micro managing our day to day lives. We may have even fallen accidentally into this trap ourselves, spending far too much time in the detail.
Project Assumption Management
Project Health Check
AUGUST 21, 2017
We all make Assumptions every day, mostly without thinking about it. The reason we don't think about it is because we are so confident they are true; be it how something will turn out, what someone will do or what something is like.
Scrum Experiences & Suggestions
Project Health Check
DECEMBER 11, 2017
Agile is an approach which is extremely prevent in the IT industry, to the point where unfortunately the word “agile” tends to be thrown around everywhere, often out of context.
What Is (and Isn’t) Product Management?
Speaker: Steve Johnson, VP of Products, Pragmatic Institute
Product Management is one of the most exciting - and most misunderstood - functions in technical organizations. Is it strategic or tactical? Is it a planning role or a support role? Many product professionals are unclear about what is (and isn't) product management. After all, product management spans many activities from business planning to market readiness. In this session, we’ll examine many product activities and artifacts for product strategy, planning, and growth, and introduce a simple tool that you can use in your organization to clarify the roles of product management and others. Steve Johnson explores the many roles of Product Management in this fun talk focused on why product managers should obsess on problems instead of solutions.
Scrum Meetings: 7 Steps To Get Them Right
Project Health Check
OCTOBER 16, 2017
Agile is a methodology which is getting more and more traction in the IT industry, to the point where the word is agile is thrown around out of context and with incorrect capitalisation. There are many variants, but a feature now common to many is the idea of a daily Scrum meeting to manage the work. In our experience, how this meeting is planned and executed will set the tone for the entire project, and how effectively they embrace the true Agile approach.
Dependency Management
Project Health Check
SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
Let's talk Dependencies. A Dependency is a relationship between two activities, and is most often encountered in the Project Schedule. In this case they are used to structure the order of tasks, to help you plan the Project.
Book Review: Project Management Pocketbook
Project Health Check
SEPTEMBER 11, 2017
This is a new one for us - Book Reviews! Continued learning and development is important not just for Project Managers, but for practitioners in any field; this development needs to be a combination of new in-the-field experiences, and the theoretical grounding it is based upon.
Knowledge Transfer
Project Health Check
SEPTEMBER 4, 2017
When you're starting a new project, you of course identify staffing requirements as part of your estimating. You start to "put bums on seats" as you ramp up the project towards the Execution phase and on-board your project team.
Walk a Mile in Your Customer's Shoes
Speaker: Steven Haines
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. This phrase blur is dangerous, as it can pull our attention from what should be our real focus: our our customers' and users' needs. 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. You'll come away understanding: How being customer focused gives you a competitive advantage. Tactics for developing empathy for your users. How to encourage innovation through better customer understanding. September 11th, 2019 11:00AM PDT, 2:00PM EDT, 7:00PM BST
What's your Data Point?
Project Health Check
AUGUST 24, 2017
There's lots of talking on Projects; too much really. And so little of value said. People lurch from meeting to meeting, telecon to telecon, wear out the carpet on their mobile phones. People proffer opinions, half baked viewpoints, analysis and hot air.
Lessons Learned - A suggested Process
Project Health Check
AUGUST 14, 2017
In our Precious Blog entry we reflected generally on Project Lessons Learned. Now let us spell out a structured Process that we suggest: Plan Lessons Capture - Lessons Learned (L.L.) need to be pro-actively orchestrated by the Project Manager, they won't just happen by accident.
Project Lessons Learned - A Reflection
Project Health Check
AUGUST 6, 2017
Here's the thing about Lessons Learned: you're not learning them. In our experience, most organisations at best identify them - but is anything actually learned? Is changed behaviour ingrained into the lifeblood of the organisation? We have our doubts.
Issue Logs
Project Health Check
AUGUST 2, 2017
Project Risk Logs are pretty well institutionalised, and we mentioned them in our last blog post. But what about Issue Logs? We've heard Issues defined as an impacted risk, an unknown question that needs answering, or just a general spanner in the works that will cause you to go off-plan.
The Magic of Intent: Start Knowing The Goals of Your Users
Speaker: Terhi Hanninen, Senior Product Manager, Zalando, and Dr. Franziska Roth, Senior User Researcher, Zalando
It's important to know your users - what are their preferences, pain points, ultimate goals? With user research and usage data, you can get a great idea of how your users act. The tricky part is, very few users reliably act the same way every time they use your product. Join Terhi Hanninen, Senior Product Manager, and Dr. Franziska Roth, Senior User Researcher at Zalando, as they explain how they were able to reach a new level of user understanding - by taking their user research and segmenting their users by point-in-time intent. You'll leave with a strategy to change how your product team, and organization at large, understands your users.
Processes and Project Management
Project Health Check
JULY 30, 2017
We regard Processes as the bedrock for successful Project Management. I think W.
Risk Management: Known / Unknown Unknowns
Project Health Check
JULY 29, 2017
On February 12 2002, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld made a now famous remark that has since went on to be commented on widely by critics and thinkers.
Risk Identification Workshops: An Overview
Project Health Check
SEPTEMBER 25, 2017
Risk Management is one of the well established fundamentals of Project Management. Whatever system or tool you use, the basics of rating risks with some degree of severity and impact is well understood, and then doing something to stop it (because they usually are threats). But I have a challenge for you: look back over your last Project and consider - how many of the issues that occurred along the way were from impacted Risks that were identified on your Risk Log? I predict very few of them.
Cost Estimation for Projects: How to Estimate Accurately
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.
How To Take Action on Customer Discovery
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.
How to Prioritize Work When Everything Is #1
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.
Will a Project Management Certification Help Your Career?
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.
How to Make Your Project Management Meetings Zing
ProjectManager.com
AUGUST 8, 2019
If you’re like every other project manager I have met, there’s a good chance you spend a lot of your time in meetings. And I shan’t rehearse all the arguments about why that time is valuable and how poor meeting practices can erode that value and turn a meeting into a liability.
Writing a Great PMO CV
Arras People
AUGUST 19, 2019
We started off down a path to finding a great PMO role, so far we’ve looked at what it is you’re actually selling in the employment market and then we’ve started with the background prep we need to do before starting to write a CV.
Your 2-Part Metrics Audit for High-Value Products
Speaker: Sam McAfee, Product Development Consultant, Startup Patterns
You know what they say: what's measured improves. As product managers we're in a golden age of being able to get all sorts of metrics and run all sorts of experiments. But what are your measurements and analytics focused on? Are they really truly objective? Do they contribute to the ultimate vision of your product? And is everybody clear on that vision? Join Sam McAfee, Product Development Consultant, as he takes you through a two-part measurement audit. First, you'll learn how to make sure your measurements actually align with your product strategy. And second, you'll learn how to evaluate your culture of using measurements, so future experiments will more consistently provide high-value results.
The PM Skills You Can Forget About (And the Ones You Really Need to Know)
LiquidPlanner
SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
What are the project management skills that you really need to focus on today? I hear from project managers every week who aren’t sure what skills they should be building on.
10 Places to Get Free Project Management Templates
Girl's Guide to PM
JULY 12, 2019
You’ve got responsibility for a project. And yet… somehow the organisation doesn’t have the documentation you need to get it started, keep it on track and close it down successfully. So you turn to the internet to find the paperwork you need. Let me make it easier for you.
Team Collaboration Software: 3 Must-Have Features for Productivity
ProjectManager.com
AUGUST 20, 2019
The promise of technology doesn’t always coincide with reality, but this is not the case with team collaboration software. Social media might be working out the kinks, but in business, team collaboration software has brought people together.
Risk Management: When All Hell Breaks Loose
Project Risk Coach
JULY 29, 2019
What would you do if all hell breaks loose in a critical company project that you are managing? You lose two of your best team members. Your budget is shot. A key stakeholder is breathing down your neck. Behind schedule by four weeks. You haven't slept well in two weeks.
Task Management For Project Managers
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