Ever had a workaholic boss? You're glued to your phone, compulsively checking email notifications at 3 AM, and have long given up making weekend plans you'll only have to cancel last minute. While some people love giving their all to their jobs and thrive off of setting and achieving aggressive goals, that always-on mentality isn’t for everyone. If you’re the type of person who needs a firm separation between office and home, working for a workaholic can be stressful, as you feel obligated to adopt their mindset and habits at the risk of your own sanity. If you're feeling pressured to skip your lunch break, answer emails at midnight, and take stacks of work home with you, skip the Irish coffee and read our 10 tips for working for a workaholic instead. 1. Remember that your work style is valid. Even if you give 100% when you’re at the office, you can start to feel like you’re not doing enough just because you’re not answering emails at all hours, or because you leave your work laptop behind when you go on vacation. Remember that your value is based on the quality of your contributions, not just the quantity, and that you don't need to put in 80 hours a week to be a good employee. 2. Don’t assume that just because your manager is a workaholic, they expect the same from you. Chances are, they understand their work style isn't for everyone. So communicate! Talk about how and when you can be reached when you aren’t in the office and under what circumstances. If your manager knows they can get ahold of you when it really counts, they might feel less anxious about having you available all the time. 3. Decide what your limits are and communicate them. If your boss really does expect you to be available 24/7, you'll need to be proactive about protecting your personal time. A good manager will understand that if the work (and worker) is suffering, a change needs to be made. If you’re taking on so much that you can’t be effective at your job, tell your boss that you're spread too thin, and come prepared with solutions to propose. Have a list of projects you think a teammate would be better suited to handle, or suggestions for how to improve processes and make tedious work less time consuming. 4. Once you've set your limits, stick to them. Even if you’ve had “the talk” about work/life balance, old habits die hard, so you may have to remind your boss a few times about your agreement. If you're still regularly getting assignments on Friday evening that are due Monday morning, don’t be afraid to say, “I’m sorry, but I have a prior commitment this weekend.” 5. Schedule an after-hours commitment. Sign up for a 6 PM spin class, or make it known you have to catch the 5:25 train. By having a definite "hard stop" scheduled, you won't end up staying progressively later because you feel pressured to, or because you keep getting handed tasks to complete. Plus, your co-workers and boss will learn to anticipate and accept when you’ll be off for the night. 6. Consider shifting your hours. Will working 10 AM to 7 PM get you more face time? People are more likely to notice those who stay a few hours late more than those who come in early, even though the number of hours worked is the same. 7. Be willing to step up when it counts. It's good to set healthy boundaries, just don't be stubborn when your team really needs you. Chances are, you'll have a few late nights at the office or a big project that eats up a Sunday evening now and again. As long as it's not every weekend, be willing and gracious about stepping up to help out your team when it's important. 8. Keep track of your achievements and productivity. Every time you cross an item off your to-do list or successfully complete a big project, make a note so you can prove that you’ve earned your evenings and weekends. If you’re committed to your work, efficient, and deliver good results, eventually your hours will become a non-issue. 9. Ask for advice. Workaholics spend a lot of time at the office and have likely learned all the ins and outs of your field, which makes them a valuable learning and mentoring resource for you. Take advantage of their knowledge by asking them for advice, particularly on projects that you find challenging. 10. Focus on the positives. Working for a workaholic boss can be a good thing — it can push you to pick up new skills, give you the opportunity to tackle high-profile projects, and put you in the spotlight for promotions. If you’re willing to buckle up and put in a few extra hours, you could be along for an exciting ride! Reclaim Your Work-Life Balance The good news is you don't have to work 24/7 to impress your workaholic boss. Browse our archive of productivity tips and tools to get more done from 9-5, then check out our Q&A with Overwhelmed author Brigid Schulte for the secret to a healthy work/life balance. Sources: Forbes.com, Fortune.com, TheProductivityPro.com, The Wall Street Journal
Everybody sets goals. But success hinges on the ability to execute them. The OKR planning method is all about distilling your goals, focusing on the most important ones, and then following through. OKRs were first developed in the 1970s at Intel by then-president Andy Grove, who wanted to answer two questions: Where do we want to go, and how will we know we're actually getting there? His colleague John Doerr learned the method and later spread it to Google and other top Silicon Valley companies. If you've learned the details of OKRs but aren't sure how best to implement them at your own company, check out these 12 tips from top execs on adopting OKRs successfully. John Doerr, VC at Kleiner Perkins & former Intel salesperson Tip 1. Be patient. You probably won't perfectly nail the OKR process the first time you try it. There’s usually a trial-and-error period, so don't be surprised (or discouraged) if it takes your company a couple of quarters to really figure it out, or if the process doesn't pan out exactly the way you expected. Tip 2: Find an OKR champion. Identify someone (ideally someone in leadership) who’s 100% supportive of OKRs and fully understands them, and enlist them to help educate the rest of the team. They can assist with tracking and grading progress and help fine-tune the process. Tip 3: Go all in. OKRs need to become part of your company culture and DNA. New employees should be trained in the process, all OKRs should be public, and grade and progress reporting should be prioritized. That’s how the process becomes successful and sustainable. Tip 4: No dictators. There must be consensus on collective team and company OKRs, so that they're supported across the entire organization. Tip 5: Ideas should flow up as well as down. Although every team member should link their goals to corporate objectives, corporate goals should also be inclusive of ideas created at the individual level. This keeps senior leadership in tune with the organization, and it gives individuals ownership over what they'll be working on day in and day out. Rick Klau, Partner at Google Ventures Tip 6: Get everyone on board. Everyone. A half-hearted effort will fall flat and is a waste of time, so make OKRs a commitment company-wide. Leadership in particular needs to make it clear that OKRs matter. Check out this email from a Google product manager calling out his team members who hadn't yet posted OKR grades: Tip 7: Find tools that support visibility. Decide what you'll use to capture OKRs and how they’ll be shared — whether it's Google docs, internal Wikis, or another collaboration tool. If you're a Wrike user, take a look at this how-to guide for using OKRs in Wrike. Tip 8: Keep the process lightweight. Don’t weigh it down with heavy documentation or a tedious series of unnecessary meetings. You should be doing the work, not talking about doing the work. Tip 9: Always check the big picture. Draft your personal/team OKRs, then check them against company OKRs to make sure it’s all contributing to high-level objectives. Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO Tip 10: Use OKRs to make your mission actionable. Too often a company’s mission is vague, or just a banner taped to the wall. Use OKRs to make your mission real, feeding your company's culture and sense of purpose. Link your objectives directly to your company mission, where the means are clearly defined as key results. It will keep the entire company unified and moving in the right direction. Tip 11: Show individuals that they matter. Effective leaders show how each person in the company can make a real difference when it comes to achieving high-level goals — every day and every quarter. So when you meet to define individual OKRs, make sure they support important company objectives in a tangible way to keep every employee engaged and motivated. Dick Costolo, Twitter CEO Tip 12: Prioritize communication. Remember that OKRs aren't just a way to measure progress: more importantly, they're a communication vehicle that shows other teams what you’re working on and what you’re trying to accomplish. Make sure teams are looking at each other’s OKRs and talking about them in order to encourage collaboration. Want to learn more about OKRs? If you're curious about using OKRs in your company, take a look at this Slideshare for an outline of the entire process: Related Reads:If You're Not Using OKRs for Quarterly Planning, Stop and Read ThisHow to Use OKRs in Wrike: A 6-Step Guide + Templates5 Tips for Better Annual Planning Sources: http://blog.betterworks.com/keys-okr-success-qa-john-doerr/; http://pando.com/2013/12/06/what-twitter-ceo-dick-costolo-learned-at-google/; http://firstround.com/article/the-management-framework-that-propelled-LinkedIn-to-a-20-billion-company; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJB83EZtAjc
If the marketing field has a golden rule, it’s this: know your customers. And not just in a vague, “females, 18-29 years old” way. You need to know what kind of job your customers have, what their goals are, the daily challenges they’re facing, what they find funny and frustrating — all the details necessary to connect to them on a human level. Only then can you offer an effective solution that will attract their attention and convert them into happy customers. Getting to that level of detail and familiarity can be trickier than it sounds, however. Painstaking market research is time-consuming and difficult to maintain on an ongoing basis, especially with so many emerging channels and trends influencing buyers in new ways. Here are our tips for building an accurate and effective customer profile that’s unique to your best prospects — and keeping it accurate as your market and customer base continue to evolve and you continue to embrace conversion rate marketing. As it turns out, the best resources are right at your fingertips — members of your own team! 1. Talk to sales. Find out the central problem most buyers are looking to solve using your solution, the one question they ask time and time again, and the most common misconception about your product. For instance, if you find that many customers are unaware that your software has a certain feature, maybe add a brief video showcasing that feature to your website's home page, or write a blog post highlighting its functionality and use cases. 2. Consult with customer support. They can offer a treasure trove of insight into your customers’ perspectives and ongoing problems. What common issues are your customers struggling with? How can you make it easier for them to adopt your solution? What resources can you provide to improve their experience with your product and recommend it to others? 3. Keep an eye on online communities. Browse LinkedIn groups, Quora, Reddit, and popular review sites to see what conversations your product is inspiring. How are people discovering your product? Are they using it in conjunction with another tool that you could partner with, or in unexpected or innovative ways you could highlight on your blog? Use these conversations to inform a deeper understanding of who your customers are and shine a spotlight on members of your community. 4. Monitor your analytics. Which pages of your website have the most views? Which blog posts have the highest number of comments or social shares? What kinds of search queries or keywords most often lead people to your site? The more specifics you know about what your customers are looking for and the kind of content that catches their eye, the easier it is to optimize your campaigns. 5. Go straight to the source. Spend an hour or two each week picking up the phone and talking to a few current customers, or sending a handful of personalized emails. Establish and maintain genuine relationships with people who actually use your product, listen carefully to their experiences and insights, and then keep them top of mind when developing your marketing materials. Applying the Power of Marketing Ops to Your Business Once you’ve nailed the buyer persona and attracted a potential customer’s attention, how do you create a marketing strategy that will convert them into paying customers and continue to grow your business? Download our free eBook, 5 Steps to Transforming Marketing Operations for Maximum Growth, for tips on delivering an exceptional customer experience, selecting the right tools to support your marketing efforts, and the key metrics you should use to fuel your success.
Need up-to-date facts and figures for a project management report, article, or infographic? Browse this collection of project management statistics collected from studies and reports from the past five years. The data and statistics below are sorted into categories so you can quickly skim to find the information you need. Simply grab the stats you want and find the corresponding original source information at the bottom of this page. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Benefits of Project Management —1A. Project Management Methodologies —1B. Project Management Best Practices —1C. Agile Project Management 2. Project Management Salaries 3. Project Management Training & Certification 4. Project Management Software & Tools 5. Project Management Industry Growth 6. IT Project Management Challenges 7. Portfolio Project Management (PPM) and Project Management Offices (PMOs) 8. 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Benefits of Project Management 80% of “high-performing” projects are led by a certified project manager. [4] ROI of project managers (including average salary and training costs): Entry level501% ROI Mid-level268% ROI Senior level358% ROI [8] 89% of high-performing organizations value project management, 81% actively engage sponsors, 57% align projects with business strategy. [6] 46% of organizations admit to not fully understanding the value of project management, even though that understanding boosts the success rate of strategic initiatives by 16%. [12] —1A. Project Management Methodologies 59% say either most departments or their entire organization uses standard project management practices. [6] Organizations that use a methodology:38% meet budget 28% stay on schedule 71% meet scope 68% meet quality standards 60% meet expected benefits [4] VS. Organizations that don’t use a methodology:31% meet budget 21% stay on schedule 61% meet scope 60% meet quality standards 51% meet expected benefits [4] Popular Methodologies:41% use PMBoK26% do not use a standard methodology9% use an IT methodology9% use another approach8% use a combination of methods4% use an in-house method to manage projects3% use PRINCE2[4] —1B. Project Management Best Practices Having a knowledge transfer process in place boosts the chance of project success by over 20%. [6] More than 90% of organizations perform some type of project postmortem or closeout retrospective. [9] 64% of organizations say they frequently conduct risk management. [6] 30% of project managers break up large projects into smaller segments, with deliverables and evaluations at the end of each segment. [5] How Project Success is Measured:20% — Satisfied stakeholders19% — Delivered on time18% — Delivered within budget17% — Achieves target benefits15% — Produces high-quality deliverables9% — Achieves acceptable ROI2% — Other[6] Keys to Project Success:48% say the team’s technical skills41% say executive support26% say effective team communication19% say Agile techniques17% say the leadership of certified Project Managers12% say effective soft skills among staff[5] —1C. Agile Project Management 38% of organizations report using agile frequently. [6] 75% of highly agile organizations met their goals/business intent, 65% finished on time, and 67% finished within budget. Compared to organizations with low agility, where only 56% met their business goals, 40% finished on time, and 45% finished within budget. [6] Agile organizations successfully complete more of their strategic initiatives than less agile organizations. (69% to 45%). [12] Agile organizations grow revenue 37% faster and generate 30% higher profits than non-agile companies. [6] Most Popular Agile Tools and Processes:Scrum – 43% Lean & Test Driven Development (TDD) – 11% eXtreme Programming – 10% Feature Development Driven – 9% Complex Adaptive System – 4% Crystal – 3% Dynamic Systems Development Method – 3% Other – 6% None – 10%[4] 2. Project Management Salaries Average Project Manager Salaries: Entry-level$54,953 Managing small, low-risk projects$65,818 Managing medium-size, moderate-risk projects$81,520 Managing large, highly integrated projects$103,047 [7] On average, it takes 7 years in the profession to go from entry-level to managing large, complex projects. [7] Average Salary of Senior-Level PM by Region: .graph .col{ text-align: center; width: 100px; display: inline-block; position: relative; padding-bottom:50px; } .graph .progress{ height: 111px; width: 90%; position: relative; margin: 0 auto; } .graph .bar{ position:absolute; bottom:0; height:50%; width: 100%; } .graph .text{ font-size:12px; padding-top:4px; position: absolute; width: 100%; word-wrap: break-word; } .graph .col:nth-child(1) .bar{background-color:#B85754;} .graph .col:nth-child(2) .bar{background-color:#6E99AF;} .graph .col:nth-child(3) .bar{background-color:#99BE68;} .graph .col:nth-child(4) .bar{background-color:#CC9662;} .graph .col:nth-child(5) .bar{background-color:#88C2C8;} .graph .col:nth-child(6) .bar{background-color:#919097;} .graph .col:nth-child(7) .bar{background-color:#D48AA4;} .graph .col:nth-child(8) .bar{background-color:#A2AFB1;} .graph .col:nth-child(9) .bar{background-color:#B693BB;} .graph .col:nth-child(10) .bar{background-color:#88C2C8;} .graph .col:nth-child(11) .bar{background-color:#7D84A4;} .graph .col:nth-child(12) .bar{background-color:#B85754;} .graph .col:nth-child(13) .bar{background-color:#6E99AF;} .graph .col:nth-child(14) .bar{background-color:#99BE68;} .graph .col:nth-child(15) .bar{background-color:#CC9662;} Southwest US$108,300 Southeast US$98,864 Midwest US$97,778 Mid-Atlantic US$110,096 Northwest US$101,446 Northeast US$103,511 Outside US$108,300 [7] Average Salary of Senior-Level PM by Industry: Energy/ Utilities$147,600 Aerospace/ Defense$116,100 Government – Federal$113,000 Information/ Technology$107,200 Construction/ Engineering$104,800 Financial Services$104,500 Telecommu- nications$102,800 Pharma/ Healthcare $101,800 Automotive/ Manufacturing $99,760 Management Consulting$100,700 Media$94,340 Government – City/State/Local$90,080 NonProfit/ Education$72,920 [7] According to respondents, five days per year of project-focused training reduced the amount of time it took to advance from an entry-level project manager to a senior project manager by 12.6 months. [7] How much do project managers make? In the U.S, Project Management Professional (PMP)® certified project managers make an average of 16% more (approximately $14,500) than their non-credentialed peers in 2011. [6] 3. Project Management Training & Certification 61% of project management practitioners say their organization currently offers ongoing project management training for staff. [6] PM Certification by Department:37% say their entire IT department is certified.33% say IT department managers are certified.26% say Business managers are certified.25% say Business staff is certified (both managers and non-managers).10% say Executive managers are certified.29% say no one on staff is certified.[5] Types of Project Management Training Offered by Organizations: Classroom setting – 28% Online self-paced course – 24% Online situational sessions – 18% Paper-based self-studies – 16% All of the above – 13% Other – 1%[4] Number of PMI Certified Project Managers: Total Number of PMP credential holders: 607,128 # of CAPM certification holders: 25,060Program Management Professional credential holders: 1,027 PMI Agile Certified Practitioner holders: 5,265[14] 4. Project Management Software & Tools 77% of companies use project management software, and 87% of high-performing companies use project management software. [5] Top Business Challenges that Lead People to Project Management Software: Capturing time/cost of projects: 62% Approvals are paper-based: 55% Re-entering lost data: 45% Lack of integration between tools: 38% No central source of project information: 35% Poor visibility & resource management: 31% Poor purchasing processes: 23% Lack of visibility into work in progress: 21%[10] Most-Wanted Features in Project Management Software: 1. Reliability 2. Ease of integration 3. Ease of use[10] 66% said they choose a project management software based on level of support available. [10] Popular Tools for Managing IT Projects:70% use status reports68% use the project plan documentation63% use spreadsheets53% use project management software45% use help desk tickets, work orders, or a task tracking system36% use time reporting at the project level31% use communication templates25% use quality assessments21% use real-time status dashboards20% use a homegrown/in-house solution18% use word processing documents10% use earned value management reports[5] The most important factor in choosing which software to purchase was functionality (40%), followed by ease of use (24%). [17] Most-used features include file sharing, time tracking, email integration, and Gantt charts. [17] Business aspects significantly improved by PM software: Team communication – 52% Quality of final product – 44% Number of projects completed on budget – 44% Number of projects completed on time – 44% Customer satisfaction – 38%[17] 66% of organizations use PM software to communicate with clients. [17] 76% of respondents said they are either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their PM software. [17] 5. Project Management Industry Growth Between 2010 and 2020, 15.7 million new project management roles will be created globally, and the project management industry is slated to grow by $6.61 trillion. [11] An expected 12% growth in demand for project management professionals will result in almost 6.2 million jobs by 2020. [11] Business services (2 million jobs) and Manufacturing (630,000 jobs) supported the greatest number of project management roles in 2010. Business services and healthcare are expected to lead job growth between 2010 and 2020. [11] The healthcare industry is projected to increase project management roles by 30% — a higher growth rate than any current project intensive industry. [11] Estimated Project-Oriented Job Openings 2010-2020: China8,153,340 India3,975,650 US2,348,830 Japan387,560 Brazil347,820 UK177,120 Germany153,230 Canada120,070 Australia74,900 United Arab Emirates18,000 Saudi Arabia12,670 [11] 83% of project organizations reported that they were understaffed at some level. 44% of the reported shortages were for senior-level project managers. 89.4% report that it is either very difficult or somewhat difficult to find senior-level talent. [7] 6. IT Project Management Challenges The average large IT project runs 45% over budget, 7% over time, and delivers 56% less value than expected. [6] One in six IT projects has an average cost overrun of 200% and a schedule overrun of 70%. [1] Nearly 45% admit they’re unclear on the business objectives of their IT projects. [3] Only 34% of respondents say IT projects almost always deliver value to the business. 21% say they sometimes deliver value, and 41% say results are mixed. [5] 78% said their project requirements are usually or always out of sync with the business. Depending on the situation, this may include technical requirements as well. [3] 75% of IT project leaders believe their projects are “doomed from the start.” [3] 17% of large IT projects (budgets $15M+) go so badly they threaten the existence of the company.[2] Top Contributors to Large IT Project Failure: Unclear objectives/lack of business focus Unrealistic schedule/reactive planning Shifting requirements/technical complexity Unaligned team/missing skills Unexplained causes[6] Only 47% say their teams achieve 70-89% of their goals. Nearly 20% say they only achieve 50-69% of their goals. [3] 80% of teams say they spend at least half their time reworking completed tasks. [3] Barriers to Success:38% cite confusion around team roles and responsibilities.31% point to being unclear or disagreeing on what constitutes project success.77% say they don’t always agree on when a project is done, leaving the door open for ongoing rework and scope creep.[3] 7. Portfolio Project Management and Project Management Offices Portfolio Project Management (PPM) 53% of respondents say they have a project portfolio management process in place. [6] The number of firms with a PPM process in place grew from 64% in 2003 to 71% in 2013. [13] Popularity by Industry:Finance – 87% Healthcare – 76% Retail/Consumer – 72% Insurance – 71% Information/Technology – 67% Manufacturing – 66% Automotive – 65% Banking & Capital Marketing – 60% Telecommunications – 55% Energy – 52% Defense – 51% Construction – 34% Other – 51%[13] 26% of firms say they get a 25% or greater ROI from implementing PPM processes. [13] How Companies Prioritize Projects:18% say strategic alignment14% say expected benefits14% say ROI[6] Top 5 PPM Functions: Portfolio tracking & performance monitoring – 75% Portfolio oversight – 68% Portfolio planning, resource allocation, and schedule – 66% Portfolio analysis, project selection, & prioritization – 65% PPM process implementation & management – 61%[13] Top 5 PPM Priorities: Improve resource planning & forecasting – 65% Implement/enhance reporting, analytics, & dashboard tools – 62% Implement/enhance PPM processes – 53% Implement demand management/capacity planning processes – 42% Implement/enhance performance measurement process – 39%[13] Top 5 PPM Challenges: Organization has silo mentality 49% Consistent application of defined processes – 44% Getting reliable/accurate project info – 42% Lack of info on resources- 40% Inadequate PPM skills- 39%[13] 42% of portfolios are comprised of more than 100 projects, while 25% of portfolios have fewer than 20 projects. [4] 55% of organizations surveyed review project portfolios monthly, 23% review them quarterly. [13] Project Management Offices (PMOs) PMO Popularity by Company Size:61% of small organizations ($1B) have a PMO[16] Number of companies with a PMO has grown from 47% to 80% from 2000-2012. 30% of companies currently without a PMO plan to start one in the coming year. [16] PMO Popularity by Industry:Healthcare – 93% Finance – 93% Information Technology – 85% Manufacturing – 78% Professional Services – 60%[16] Benefits of High-Performing PMOs:45% more projects aligned with business objectives28% increase in # of projects delivered under budget$101,000 cost savings per project27% decrease in # of failed projects18% improvement in productivity31% improvement in customer satisfaction[16] 49% of PMOs provide project management training. [16] Top 5 PMO Challenges:Resistance to change within the organization PMO is perceived as unnecessary overhead Not enough time/resources for strategic activities Value added by PMO is difficult to prove Poor resource management capabilities[13] In Organizations Without a PMO, Projects are Managed by:IT managers or business execs – 38% Non-management IT staff – 26% Project managers within IT department – 22% Project managers outside IT department – 9% Outsourced project managers – 1%[13] 8. Project Failure Only 64% of projects meet their goals. [6] 70% of companies report having at least one failed project in the last year. [15] Organizations lose $109 million for every $1 billion invested in projects and programs. [12] High-performing organizations successfully complete 89% of projects, while low performers only complete 36% successfully. Low performers waste nearly 12 times more resources than high-performing organizations. [12] Only one-third of companies always prepare a business case for new projects. [15] 60% of companies don’t measure ROI on projects. [15] Average Project Success Rates:39% of all projects succeed (delivered on time, on budget, and with required features and functions)43% are challenged (late, over budget, and/or with fewer than the required features and functions) 18% fail (either cancelled prior to completion or delivered and never used).[9] Average % of features delivered – 69%Average cost overrun – 59% Average time overrun – 74%[9] Small Projects (less than $1 million) VS. Large Projects (more than $10 million) Small Projects (less than $1 million)76% are successful 20% are challenged 4% fail[9] VS. Large Projects (more than $10 million)10% are successful 52% are challenged 38% fail[9] Large projects are twice as likely to be late, over budget, and missing critical features than small projects. A large project is more than 10 times more likely to fail outright, meaning it will be cancelled or will not be used because it outlived its usefulness prior to implementation. [9] Most Common Causes of Project Failure:Changing priorities within organization – 40% Inaccurate requirements – 38% Change in project objectives – 35% Undefined risks/opportunities – 30% Poor communication – 30% Undefined project goals – 30% Inadequate sponsor support – 29% Inadequate cost estimation – 29% Inaccurate task time estimate – 27% Resource dependency – 25% Poor change management – 25% Inadequate resource forecasting – 23% Inexperienced project manager – 20% Limited resources – 20% Procrastination within team – 13% Task dependency – 11% Other – 9%[6] Despite being the top driver of project success, fewer than 2 in 3 projects had actively engaged project sponsors. [12] 68% of projects don’t have an effective project sponsor to provide clear direction or help address problems. [15] Projects Completed in the Last Year:64% successfully met original goals/business objectives62% were supported by active project sponsors55% finished within budget50% finished on time44% experienced scope creep15% were considered failures[6] Strategic Initiatives:Organizations report that an average of 3 out of 5 projects are not aligned with business strategy.[12] Only 56% of strategic initiatives meet their original goals and business intent. [12] 44% of strategic initiatives were reported as unsuccessful. Top causes: -Lack of executive support -Lack of focus on key initiatives & projects that are strategically relevant -Lack of skills and/or personnel for effective strategy implementation[12] Over 25% of companies don’t conduct a strategic review to identify how a proposed project will benefit the business. [15] 60% of companies don’t consistently align projects with business strategy. [15] Want More Project Management Resources? Check out our collection of articles, free downloadable resources, and interviews with leading project managers for more tips and advice. Sources: Harvard Business Review: “Why Your IT Project May Be Riskier Than You Think” McKinsey & Company: Delivering Large-Scale IT Projects On Time, On Budget, and On Value Geneca: Doomed from the Start? Why a Majority of Business and IT Teams Anticipate Their Software Development Projects Will Fail PricewaterhouseCoopers: Insights and Trends: Current Programme and Project Management Practices 2012 InformationWeek: Enterprise Project Management Survey 2014 Project Management Institute: Pulse of the Profession 2015: Capturing the Value of Project Management 2015 ESI International: Annual Salary Survey 2013 ESI International: Talent Drain Fact Sheet 2013 The Standish Group: CHAOS Research Report 2013 The Access Group: Inbox Insight Survey 2013 Project Management Institute: Industry Growth Forecast – Project Management Between 2010 + 2020 Project Management Institute: Pulse of the Profession 2014 – The High Cost of Low Performance PM Solutions: The State of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) 2013 Project Management Institute Certification Registry, via LinkedIn Pulse. March, 2014. KPMG New Zealand: Project Management Survey 2010 PM Solutions: The State of the Project Management Office (PMO) in 2014 Capterra Project Management User Research Report 2015 document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function (){ var line_width,stat,line; $('.stat-line').each(function() { stat = $(this).find('.stat'); line = $(this).find('.line'); if(stat.attr('data-width')){ line_width = stat.attr('data-width'); } else { line_width = stat.text(); } line.width(line_width) }) });
Time moves fast—but the marketing industry moves even faster. Changing customer needs, new campaign management tools and technologies, and emerging trends make it difficult to keep up and continue serving up fresh campaigns. Now that 2017 is here, it’s time for marketers everywhere to review their strategies and make some new resolutions. What should you focus your efforts and resources on in the coming year? What ineffective strategies or old habits should you leave behind? Which trends will have the greatest impact on your business? Find out in the infographic below: [caption id="attachment_421020" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Infographic by MDG Advertising[/caption] Set Your Marketing Team Up for Success in 2017 Looking for a complete marketing solution to drive your marketing and creative teams? Check out Wrike for Marketers to enhance collaboration and streamline workflows. Further Reading Quiz: What's Your Team's Agile Marketing Score? The Creative Brief Template: Elements of an Effective Creative Brief 5 Steps for Making Your Marketing Team More Efficient
2016 is brand new, and now that you've started a fresh calendar, you're probably eager to find exciting events to fill it with. Look no further than our list of top project management conferences for 2016. Stay up-to-speed on the latest industry developments, pick up tips from respected experts in the field, meet other project management professionals, and have some fun learning new tricks of the trade away from the office. North America Global Scrum Gathering April 18-20, Orlando, FL Scrum experts gather to share their current best practices and creative applications to help your Agile team run more efficiently and effectively. Agile and Beyond May 5-6, Ann Arbor, MI Featuring Lean leadership expert Dr. Jeffrey Liker as a keynote speaker for their 2016 event, this conference focuses on Agile product development best practices. Boston University's Project Management in Practice Conference May 13, Boston, MA This year’s conference focuses on developing the technical skills central to project management success, from scheduling to risk analysis and budgeting. The event, hosted by Boston University, also features notable keynote speakers and hands-on workshops. Change Management Conference May 15-18, Dallas, TX Learn and sharpen the skills you need to lead your organization through effective change management, discover the latest trends and tools, and connect with your peers. Project Management Institute Mega SeminarsWorld June 27-30, Orlando, FL These in-depth seminars hosted by PMI help both novice and experienced project managers advance their careers. Real-world projects and small group sizes mean hands-on learning and valuable professional development. PMI Global Congress - North America September 25-27, San Diego, CA PMI’s annual Global Congress provides insight into current project and business challenges and strategies. This year’s conference will focus on globalization’s effect on the project management industry. PMO Symposium Nov 6-9, San Diego, CA Get a special peek into some of the world’s leading PMOs’ successful processes and strategies to improve your own results. International IPMA Expert Seminar February 18-19, Zurich, Switzerland This high-level seminar focuses on advanced project management topics, from business orientation of projects to strategic project management and more. It will bring together over a dozen international project management leaders to give presentations, lead workshops, and discuss trends, case studies, and research results. RICS and APM Project Leadership Conference February 23, London, England Good project managers recognize and develop talent in others. This conference teaches project managers how to create a talent, leadership, and people strategy for both project and team success. APM ProgM Conference: Equipping Programme Managers for Global Success March 10, London, England Program management is an increasingly digital field, with more tools and techniques emerging every day. ProgM brings together internationally-recognized leaders in program management to discuss the latest trends and ensure attendees have the skills they need to succeed. APM Project Management Conference April 21, London, England The 2016 edition of this award-winning conference will focus on how project managers can develop a world-class mindset as an individual, organization, and profession. This year’s speakers include notable program managers Steve Elliott, Richard Palczynski, and Paralympian gold medalist Marc Woods. PMI Global Congress - Europe May 9-11, Barcelona, Spain PMI’s 2016 international conference will focus on this fact: successful projects aren’t enough for businesses to thrive — initiatives must be aligned with larger strategic objectives. Keynotes from industry experts, product demonstrations, and educational presentations give attendees real-world solutions to the emerging challenges facing project managers. Project Management Africa Conference August 29-30, Accra, Ghana This year’s African conference focuses on applying project management principles for better business results. Attendees will benefit from learning new skills to advance their business, networking opportunities, and a thorough understanding of current tools and best practices. ProjMAN October 5-7, Porto Region, Portugal Academics, scientists, and project management professionals from around the world are invited to submit papers, share their experiences, and debate new ideas at this international conference. What Project Management Conferences Will You Attend? Which events will you add to your calendar? Do you have a favorite conference that we didn't include in this list? Let us know in the comments below!
The marketing technology and marketing operations landscapes are shifting rapidly, as marketing departments adapt to an increasingly digital world and tech-savvy consumers. Find out the current trends, strategies, and common practices for many marketing ops and martech professionals with this collection of current statistics, to help you build your martech stack. 1. Marketing Operations Statistics 64% of marketing operations teams have 10 or fewer members. (Source: Mo-cca.com) 83% of marketing ops teams report to the most senior marketing leader (CMO). (Source: Mo-cca.com) Most-Desirable Skills in Marketing Ops Professionals: -General marketing skills -Analytics skills -Project management skills -IT skills -Change management skills -Lead management experience(Source: Mo-cca.com) 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing, but only 36% believe they're effective at it. (Source: Webbiquity) 73% of B2B marketers use video in their content marketing. (Source: Business2Community) SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads have a 1.7% close rate. (Source: Hubspot) Search Engine Marketing will continue to get the largest share of resources, at 14% of total marketing budgets. 10% of the budget will go to online display advertising, like banner ads and re-marketing/re-targeting campaigns. (Source: Business2Community) 60% of B2B marketers measure success by web traffic rather than sales lead quality or social media sharing. (Source: Business2Community) Many marketing organizations say managing data is their biggest challenge: data storage (36%), data quality (23%), and making data actionable (15%). (Source: The Wise Marketer) 84% of top-performing companies are currently using or plan to start using marketing automation by 2015. (Source: Business2Community) Yet only 5% of all marketers are currently using a full-featured marketing automation solution. (Source: Hubspot) Of companies using marketing automation and ROI metrics, 69% report an increase in total marketing revenue contribution. (Source: CMO.com) 2. Marketing Technology Statistics Scott Brinker's 2015 marketing technology landscape includes 1,876 companies in 43 categories. The landscape has seen year-over-year growth of 170%. (Source: Radius.com) 65% of marketing executives plan to spend more money on marketing technology in the coming year, including 28% who plan to increase spending by more than 25%. (Source: Conductor) 51% of marketing execs say that their marketing technologies are only loosely integrated or not at all. (Source: Signal.co) 76% of marketers say that analyzing performance data has made either "more" or "much more" of an impact on their decision making. (Source: Chiefmartec.com) Only 7% of those in a martech role have "marketing technologist" in their title. Marketing, business, and technology titles dominate. (Source: Chiefmartec.com) 43% of marketing technologists come from a technical/programming background. 33% come from a marketing/communications background. (Source: Chiefmartec.com) Top 5 Skills for Future Marketing Success: 1. Marketing Strategy and Positioning 62% 2. Target Market Identification 44% 3. Web design (including responsive and adaptive) 43% 4. CRM systems and platforms 43% 5. Ability to persuade and negotiate 42%(Source: Chiefmartec.com) Want to Learn More About MarTech? Check out our guide to the top martech conferences and events in 2015 & 2016.
Conferences are perfect opportunities to make networking connections, stay abreast of industry news and trends, and learn new tips and best practices to apply to your business. If you're looking at your calendar to plan which events and conferences you'll attend in the upcoming year, here are 11 top martech and adtech conferences to consider (in no particular order): 1. MarTech This international conference series is the flagship event for marketing technology (the martech definition, FYI). With 1,200 attendees at the 2015 event, marketing strategists and technologists discuss how emerging tech is impacting marketing as a discipline and its potential for improving companies' bottom lines.When: March 21-22, 2016; San Francisco 2. AdTech AdTech brings marketing and technology communities together to share strategies, build partnerships, and examine the future of the martech industry.When: Dates vary by location (worldwide) 3. Programmatic I/O This is the world’s largest conference focused entirely on programmatic media and marketing. It brings together hundreds of marketing executives, media agencies, and tech providers to discuss the future of marketing automation technologies.When: October 29, 2015; New York 4. SM2 Innovation Summit This conference from the Mobile Marketing Association covers emerging technologies that are poised to unlock the full potential of mobile marketing. Past speakers include execs and leaders from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Mashable, Microsoft, and more.When: September 28-29, 2015; New York 5. AdMonsters OPS The OPS conference is focused on digital ad operations and technology. Keynote sessions with industry leaders and journalists from companies like Mashable, Forbes, Yahoo, Advertising Age, and Bloomberg Business, plus sponsored sessions hosted by marketing ops tech and service providers.When: 2016 dates TBD 6. FutureM This 3-day conference is packed with over 100 speakers, 50 sessions, and 2,500 attendees. FutureM looks at the concepts and innovations on both the near and distant horizon.When: October 6-8, 2015; Boston 7. Ignition: Future of Digital Pioneers in media and technology industries, from Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to Bethany Kota, share their insights into what’s in store for marketers and business leaders.When: December 8-9, 2015; New York 8. Marketing Operations & Technology Summit Note: attendees are vetted and limited to marketing professionals who control multi-million dollar enterprise budgets. While the conference hosts keynotes and speakers like any other, the real value is in the time set aside for strategic group discussions with fellow marketing operations leaders. Because you help set the agenda for these discussions, you’ll leave with actionable takeaways for your business.When: October 18-21, 2015; New Orleans 9. WebSummit This major technology conference attracts over 22,000 attendees each year from all around the world. Among the 800 speakers are CEOs and execs from top companies like Pixar, Slack, Adobe, Cisco, LinkedIn, and more.When: November 3-5, 2015; Dublin 10. SXSW Interactive SXSW Interactive spans 5 days of presentations and panel discussions featuring leaders in emerging technology, networking events, and special programs showcasing must-see technology and ideas. Past keynotes include execs from GoogleX, Lyft, SpaceX, and 3D Robotics.When: March 11-16, 2016; Austin 11. The Next Web Listen to 20 curated keynotes, plus fast-paced, 5-minute intros to 100 exciting new startups to get a snapshot of future tech innovations. Past keynote speakers include Kevin Rose, Michael Arrington, David Allen, Kevin Kelly, and Alexis Ohanian.When: November 18, 2015; New York What did we miss? Have you already blocked off your calendar for any of these martech conferences? Did we miss a few? Let us know which conferences are worth attending in the comments below! Wrike for Marketing Teams Find out how Wrike's work management app can help your marketing team exceed customer expectations and get more done.
Project management is becoming an essential part of running a successful company. But in an evolving industry like project management, where trends, top tools, and best practices are always changing, how can you tell if your approach to managing projects is outdated? This infographic collects statistics on various aspects of the project management industry to give you: Insights into the top business challenges leading to project failure The compelling benefits of introducing project management to your company Emerging trends that are shaping the future of project management (and your business!) Take a look at this infographic, and learn more about project management in this complete collection of project management statistics. Share this infographic on social media, or embed it on your own site using this code: Infographic brought to you by Wrike Project Management Tools to Accelerate Your Business If you want to introduce better project management to your business, you can start learning more now. Discover how a project management tool like Wrike can keep all your business projects running smoothly!
Starting a business takes guts, brains, and dedication. But it also takes some shrewd business savvy to know exactly which markets and industries offer your best opportunity for success. You need to strike while the iron's hot if you want to edge out competitors and launch a healthy startup. Click through our latest Slideshare to learn which 10 tech industries are poised for massive growth in 2015: 10 Hottest Industries for Tech Startups in 2015 Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments! Read Next: 7 Ways to Fund Your Startup (Infographic) Dos and Don’ts of the Startup Pitch: Expert Advice from 5 Famous Investors The Ultimate List of Legal Resources for Startups
