21 Unique PMO Use Cases Prove Wrike's Versatility
PMOs have a tough job as they have to play both the roles of quarterback and air traffic controller in determining project priority, when work can begin, where to allocate resources, and reporting on the team and department’s work. They are the go-to person to ensure project charters capture all requirements and impacts to the business before they’re approved to begin work. As work commences, PMOs must monitor and mitigate risks before they knock projects off course. Above all, it’s imperative they know exactly where projects stand and are able to give a comprehensive progress report on all progress at a moment’s notice. Similar to football, where a quarterback is only as good as his receivers, the same analogy applies to PMOs — you’re only as effective as the tools at your disposal. You need to connect strategy, planning, and execution, whether you operate within an Agile or Waterfall methodology. For too long, PMOs have relied on portfolio project management (PPM) tools to get by, but unfortunately, these only offer investment planning and portfolio management, financial planning, cost analysis, and maybe timelines. Traditional PPM setups don’t connect with project execution and collaboration. This is where Wrike shines, offering a combined CWM for PMOs, so they can do it all in one platform and connect strategy to execution to results. This eBook is divided into nine sections, comprising 21 use cases of how PMOs rely on Wrike to connect planning to execution and strategic impact. What’s in the eBook Inside the eBook, you’ll learn: The nine key areas in which PMOs rely on Wrike to get work done The 21 use cases Wrike is uniquely equipped to solve Visual examples of how Wrike enables PMOs to strategize, plan, and execute their work Wrike features that PMOs can use immediately Dynamic request forms: Trigger a pre-planned project from these automated intake forms and route the work request to the appropriate teammate. Customize each form so that you collect all the details upfront and start work immediately. Blueprints: These are especially useful for recurring work as they allow you to quickly create tasks, folders, or projects with attributes you’ve already specified. Create a Blueprint from scratch, save existing work as a Blueprint, or launch new work using a Blueprint you’ve saved. Resource management: With Wrike’s Workload view, project managers get full visibility into each team member’s schedule and workload, can adjust timelines, and reassign work as necessary to accommodate urgent requests or changing priorities. @mention functionality: Just like Slack and social media channels, Wrike’s @mention functionality lets you tag stakeholders as needed to request their feedback or inform them of project updates. Anytime you tag someone, they receive automated notifications in Wrike and email. Shareable dashboards: Get a detailed overview of work progress at an individual, team, and department level instantly. All stakeholders can track work progress in real time, visualize deadlines, and reprioritize as necessary. Critical path: In Gantt charts, focus on tasks that are crucial to completing a project and tasks that can cause work to fall behind. Via the Timeline, all tasks that are part of the critical path turn red, and those that don’t remain their original color. Project scorecard: With budgeting in Wrike, program managers can add custom fields to track budget spend for their entire program while also sharing real-time updates with their team and highlighting key milestones and KPIs. Work breakdown structure: Make large projects more manageable by breaking them down into smaller items, such as folders, subfolders, tasks, and subtasks, while organizing everything into programs that roll up into portfolios. RAID logs and project risk report: Identify and score potential risks based on severity during planning so that they can be mitigated along the way. PMOs can track and resolve these risks using the risk management dashboard. Finally, project managers can monitor risks from start to finish with Wrike’s weekly automated project risk report. Time tracking: Track resource spending against planned budgets in near real-time and lock time entries after approval, whether you prefer weekly, monthly, or a specified interval. If you forget to set a timer, you can even add time retroactively with a few clicks. Cross-tagging: Give full transparency to everyone into work items (those who need it) so they can track projects amongst their workflows. Cross-tag tasks, subtasks, folders, milestones, entire projects, and more. No other CWM can match Wrike’s cross-tagging functionality. Get all the PMO use cases here There are 21 great reasons why PMOs at Siemens, Walmart Canada, and Ogilvy trust Wrike — it’s the most robust CWM solution to help them connect strategy, execution, and results. Get the specifics by downloading the use case eBook here.
8 Project Management Infographics You Have to See
You just became a project manager, or you've been in the field for a while but you're ready to learn more. These great project management infographics from sources all over the net provide interesting education for PMs and PM-wannabes. Check out all these infographics and learn something new about how to define a project. 1. Bust some project management myths you probably believe Myths about remote collaboration, PM certification, paperwork, meetings, and project failure. This infographic busts 5 common myths with cold, hard facts. See the 5 Project Management Myths Infographic. 2. Learn the basics of being a project manager Ever wonder what steps are involved in each project management decision? This infographic breaks down the four important considerations for project managers: scope, resources, timeline, and budget. See the Project Management Level: Legendary infographic on Pinterest. 3. See how to balance hard and soft skills for better project management Discover both the hard skills and the soft skills you need to be a successful project manager, complete with advice on how to improve in those areas. See the Balance of Hard Skills & Soft Skills infographic on Pinterest. 4. Choose between different project management methodologies Once you're working on projects, you'll need to decide which methodology you want to adopt for your team — and Agile or Waterfall project management are not the only options. This infographic covers 16 popular PM methodologies. See the 16 Popular Project Management Methodologies infographic. 5. Know the common causes of conflict in project management You're going to be a project manager, and you're going to have a team of people that will not always get along. It's important to be aware of the most important causes of conflict so that you know how to battle them when they rear their ugly heads. See the Causes of Conflict in Project Management infographic on Pinterest. 6. Everything you need to know about PMOs Who uses PMOs? What kind of challenges and benefits do PMOs bring to their companies? Learn all this and more in a simple infographic. See the What is a PMO? infographic. 7. A rundown of Gantt charts You keep hearing about Gantt charts, but you aren't really sure what they do or why you would use them. This infographic breaks down the history, anatomy, and benefits of Gantt charts for your project planning. See the What is a Gantt Chart? infographic. 8. Lessons in project failure from the Death Star Projects fail. It happens. The best way to bounce back is to learn from those failures. Learn vital lessons from the management mishaps of the Death Star. See the 10 Reasons Projects Fail: Lessons Learned from the Death Star infographic. Which is your favorite? Which infographic is your favorite? Or what new infographic would you like to see us create? Let us know in the comments.
What Are KISS Principles in Project Management?
Think about the last time you had a “Eureka!” moment. Was it because you discovered something sophisticated, complex, and hard to understand — with all sorts of bells and whistles along the way? Probably not. More likely, your last lightbulb moment made you slap your forehead and say, “Why didn’t I think of that before?” Our best innovations and ideas often come when we adhere to a principle with a clear message: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” The emphasis on simplicity has a long history. Occam’s razor, a problem-solving principle dating to the Middle Ages, holds that all other things being equal, challenges should not be multiplied beyond necessity. In modern parlance, we say: “The simplest explanation tends to be the true one.” In business, the KISS principle serves as a reminder that we human beings tend to overthink things. We like to fix systems that aren’t broken. We like to give input where none is needed. We like to add steps to processes to make them feel more “optimized,” even if those steps will only slow things down. But what does KISS stand for, and what does it look like when applied in the real world of project management? What does KISS stand for? KISS stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” The message is just as simple: Don’t make your business processes any more complicated than they have to be. You’ll just end up creating more work for yourself. Even worse, a new initiative you’re launching might produce worse results if you add too much complexity along the way. KISS serves as a handy reminder that complexity doesn’t always reflect improvement. Project managers often like to think that toying with the formula means we’re constantly getting better. But in pursuing diminishing returns, we sometimes make things worse. Leonardo da Vinci once said that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Improvements in business are ultimately about finding those elegant solutions that should make us slap our heads and say, “Duh — why didn’t I think of that?” What is the KISS principle in project management? In project management, the KISS principle or KISS rule is a constant reminder to emphasize the simplest way forward. You adhere to KISS when you avoid attaching unnecessary steps to a process that doesn’t need them. The principle of KISS comes from specific projects in the U.S. military. Some trace the term KISS as an acronym that dates back to the U.S. Navy in the 1960s. According to some, Rear Admiral Paul Stroop had a simple assignment: reduce the cost of naval aerial weaponry under his watch. Stroop could have looked for cheaper equipment and materials. He could have renegotiated with vendors. Instead, he realized that the processes the Navy was using were too complicated. There were too many steps, too much red tape. To simplify, he set an example by asking the people under him to adhere to the acronym: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Another source traces the origins of the KISS project to Kelly Johnson, lead engineer at Lockheed Skunk Works. Johnson let the designers at Lockheed know their designs had to be simple enough that a soldier in a combat situation with basic training and tools should be able to fix it. In battle, there was no room for complexity. Wherever KISS started, the principles hold true today — no matter what kinds of projects you manage. “Keep It Simple, Stupid” examples But that’s the Navy. But what is the KISS principle like when used in business? Consider the example of Tesco, a UK supermarket with a reputation for innovation. Before rolling out one of these famous innovations, Tesco applies three questions: Is the innovation better for customers? Is the innovation cheaper for Tesco? Is the innovation simpler for staff? They’re not game-changing questions. They’re not complex. In fact, they’re all head-slappingly simple. Yet by implementing these questions consistently, Tesco identifies great new ideas and throws out the ones that don’t keep things simple. “Tesco’s secret sauce for innovation simplification was, appropriately, astonishingly simple: the company made people — and held people — accountable for simplicity,” writes Michael Schrage for the Harvard Business Review. “Keep It Simple, Stupid” examples aren’t limited to grocery stores, however. When asked about his “business success formula,” systems manager Thad Eidman said it boiled down to a four-step process: Get a customer Make them happy Get a referral Repeat There’s a reason “KISS” isn’t “KIS.” The final “s” serves as a reminder that as human beings, our knowledge and intelligence have limits. If a simple solution works, our interference can sometimes complicate and distort what would otherwise be an elegant way to handle business. KISS serves as a reminder to remain humble in the face of what actually generates results. Advantages of using the KISS rule Simplicity may sound obvious, but the consistent application of the KISS rule has all sorts of advantages: More emphasis on action: When you keep a process simple, it means spending less time on planning, thinking, and meeting. There are some projects that require consistent dedication to action and nothing else. An easier customer experience: At Tesco, one of the core KISS questions is whether a new innovation will be better for the customers. And if it’s not, Tesco throws the entire initiative away. If you’re just as strict about your KISS principles, you’ll make sure every new initiative passes a similar customer or team experience test. Less opportunity for problematic complications: KISS is just as useful in the worlds of IT and software engineering, where unnecessary complications only add new variables that can throw a wrench in the engine. More creativity: KISS might sound like it’s antithetical to creative projects. How are you supposed to thrive creatively when a project manager wants to emphasize only the practical elements of the project? But consider this quote from jazz great Charles Mingus: “Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can play weird; that's easy. What's hard is to be as simple as Bach.” Sometimes, the best solutions — even in creative disciplines — are the simplest ones. KISS in software engineering Software engineers often like to point to a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” KISS in software engineering is especially important because any unnecessary complication is an opportunity for the code to go wrong. Engineers also stick to a similar acronym, YAGNI: You Aren’t Gonna Need It. This is a warning against adding functionality that people don’t need; it only gets in the way of a simple, clear user experience. Engineers work to avoid “feature creep,” or the slow, consistent additions of new features to software that move it away from its core functionality. A software engineer might point to the best software and how simple it is. For example, Google earned its status as the top search engine, not because of its bells and whistles, but because of its minimalistic home page and delivery of the highest-quality results. In software, additional complexity has real costs. Add too many features, and the software may take too long to load. Add too many bells and whistles, and the user may find it difficult to onboard, leading to less use. In a paper on simplicity in software engineering, Ben Mosely and Peter Marks once said the following: “Considered next to testing and reasoning, simplicity is more important than either.” Their reasoning? An investment in simplicity makes any future consideration for that software easier to understand. Complexity, meanwhile, can make it more difficult to update software, add features, subtract features, or do anything that the end-user might consider an improvement. How to keep things simple with Wrike When KISS was still a new concept, project leaders could make an immediate improvement in their teams’ performance by posting the KISS mantra on the wall. These days, you might need more. Using Wrike to help with your project management efforts, you can use built-in features to perform the following: Eliminate silos by maximizing visibility across the entire team, removing the complexity of sharing files between different teams. Use Kanban boards to organize projects by simple due dates, which gives you one dashboard for reviewing everything that needs to be done today. Build an approval system that auto-assigns files to certain people for review. This will reduce the amount of “red tape” involved with every project milestone. Use your favorite apps. Wrike works well with over 400+ add-on apps, ensuring that you won’t have to use new third-party solutions if you already have a communications tool that’s working for your team. Simplicity looks easy from the outside. But on the inside, it takes real commitment. Complexity quickly crawls into our projects. We think that the more busywork we take on — the more steps we add to our personal formula — the more sophisticated our project must be. But good project management is about finding the elegant solution that simplifies rather than complicates. “Keep it simple, stupid” should be more than an occasional reminder. It should be a way of doing things that informs your actions as a project manager. Want to try using a tool that can help you adhere to the keep it simple principle? Sign up for Wrike today and see how simple project management can be.
15 Project Management Quotes to Live By (Infographic)
Inspiration comes in many forms: stories from peers or elders, images of great feats of accomplishment, emotional videos, and quotes from leaders of today and years past. My preferred source is quotations. I save Word documents full of my favorites, bookmark quote sites after scrolling through them for hours, print them out for my wall, and write them on my hand (literally). Want a better project management tool? Start your free Wrike trial today! Here are 15 quotes I've collected over the years that will motivate you at work. They're quotes about leadership, people management, project planning, and, most importantly, success and failure. Bookmark it, share it with your friends and colleagues, and bring inspiration to everyone you know. These are just some of my favorite quotes about leadership, management, and success. What inspirational quotes or messages do you live by? Share your favorite quotes in the comments, and let us know why you love them! Embed this infographic on your site using the HTML code below: Infographic brought to you by Wrike
48 Experts Share Their #1 Tip for New Project Managers
In our LinkedIn Project Management 2.0 group (you can join us here!), we asked experienced project managers to divulge their #1 tip for newcomers to the field. Not surprisingly, these process fanatics shared a plethora of great tips to help newcomers succeed in this ever-changing area of work. Interested in what kind of advice they had to improve your project management processes and how to get a project manager job? Read through their project management advice below, and see what you can learn as you walk into your first, second, or even tenth PM role. "I think that all the important tips could be summarized with a metaphor: You should be like an Orchestra Director for your team, with a detailed project plan as score." — Jose Ignacio Bernaldo de Quiros Ochoa Everyone Agrees — Excellent Communication is the #1 Indicator of Success Understand the culture Communication is key, and much of that will be informal, so building your network and understanding culture and dynamics are key. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Be accessible to learn more Always allow people to come to you. Be accessible and listen to what project team members will ask or comment all the time. The more you know, the better you are able to make decisions. Buy knowledge and sell solutions unless you want to pay for project deviations. Fábio Issao Watanabe Communicate to identify changes quickly I think that success depends on communication and focus on the goal. Good communication with the team identifies deviations in a timely manner. Good communication with customers can quickly identify changes in scope. Oscar Teran Keep detailed project notes to share Follow up on tasks and Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Keep detailed notes and make sure everyone on the team is aware of what is happening. Monteau (Montee) Outlaw Discuss challenges, roadblocks, & risks Make sure to be transparent within your core and your extended project team, as well towards your managers, owner, sponsor. Communicate roadblocks, challenges, and risks clearly and in advance for everyone to see. Know and accept: no one cares for, or is as committed to your project as much, as you are/must be. Janos Veres Listen to opinions from everyone, even if you reject them later Keep communication channels open for all stakeholders: the team, the sponsor, the customer, the end user, your boss, etc. I am not saying that you let yourself be manipulated by every party, just try to listen before making decisions. Hear every opinion, then make your route. Mehmet Degirmencioglu Respect every opinion as if it were your own Train communication, create empathy with your stakeholders. Respect and value everybody's opinions, even if you don't completely agree. João Rodrigues Challenge ideas to make them better You are hired to manage projects; your team is hired to be the technical expertise to deliver that project. Therefore, if they are telling you something, it's usually a good idea to take in what they're saying and, in some cases, challenge it. If you're not technical, ask for clarification on points you genuinely don't understand. You can also seek advice from colleagues who are more established as a technical project manager. That's normally enough for technical teams to make them think through their explanations, so they'll carry out an internal check to ensure their thinking is sound. Andrew Hudson Build rapport and trust with clients Build rapport with the client. Build trust and then never lose it. Under promise and over deliver. Plan and communicate. Marc Hammoud Don’t Pretend You Know Everything on Day One Always ask "that question" You may not have the experience needed to do things 100% correct the first time, so keep it real and allow people to give you suggestions. My #1 suggestion to newbies is: Always ask "that question". Finding a balance between asking questions or following up offline is a talent you will learn over time, but for now, don't be shy. You might harm your own project by not speaking up until it becomes a show stopper near implementation time. Speak up and you will find your team is truly on your side! John Skowronski, PMI-ACP, PMP Don't isolate your team with overconfidence Do not think you know everything. I've seen too many project managers take a hard line and push things through because they think they know best. That breeds resentment in the project team. I've seen project managers exert their supposed technical or subject authority on a project, only for that project to ultimately remove those additions at a later and more expensive stage. Andrew Hudson Learn from every experience You don't have to know everything about everything — it's ok to ask questions and learn from each experience. Ann Lynne Dodson To Be the Best, Hone Your Leadership & Management Skills Make sure you motivate and lead your team Soft skills are very important. The people involved make the difference between success and failure. You can have knowledge and methods, but you need skills to motivate and lead. Maarten Verreck Manage your people, not just your documentation Following the PM process and keeping up with all the communication tools like the risk log, issue log, schedule, and deliverables should all take a back seat to leading your team. For years I prided myself in being really good at the documentation side of project management, but it never really mattered that much. The most important skill a project manager must master is Leadership! Larry Sparkman Build a bridge for two-way trust Trust is the biggest thing for me, because if I don't trust my technical team then I'm inherently suspicious of them and vice versa. Building a relationship of trust, and therefore openness, is crucial if you are to deliver multiple successful projects. Andrew Hudson Stay flexible to take on every challenge Keep your knowledge constantly updated, trying to develop new capabilities and remaining flexible in terms of project management methodologies to use, etc. Things can change very rapidly in this field, and as the leader of your team, flexibility and a listening ear are most important to manage the risks and change. Nirmal Singh Delegate wisely and lead by example Learn what you can delegate. Learn who you can delegate to. Lead by example. Work harder than anyone else. Treat everyone you touch with respect and kindness. Lori Galster Train your people to be future leaders It should always be remembered that delegation is not purely about sharing workload. Also it gives the team member a sense of ownership and liability and allows them to learn... Today's team member can be tomorrow's PM. Andy Nelson, AMBCS, P2 Cert Practitioner Think outside the box The key for successful PM is communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. Working smarter and offering solutions. Thinking outside the box and strategically looking at the bigger picture. Kassim Toorawa Protect your team You "Protect" the project team, they do the rest. Onur Karabulut And don't forget to proactively celebrate success! The most important part: celebrate with your team who made it possible! Puneet Gulati, MSP, PMP, ITIL v3 Be the Person Who Keeps Work Organized & Meetings Focused Use templates to stay organized Try to stay as organized as you can, use templates and other tools provided by PMI (you can find them on PMI's website). Bhawna Mundotia, PMP Document! Document! Document! Always keep a track record of the work being done. Pietro Cecere Step up and capture ideas during meetings If you are in a meeting that needs focus because people are talking in circles, step up to the white board or large note pad and start scribing their ideas, requirements, comments, issues, etc. — preferably into actionable categories. Do not speak! Just scribe. If they start to focus on what you are writing, then you can ask them if they want to identify owners for each actionable item. Jerry B. Fisher Learn What Inspires Your New Team, Then Achieve Success Together Know the working culture before you introduce change First understand the work/culture/situation, and then make your moves/changes. PMs always want to do something new and different based on their experiences, which is a good thing, but do it smartly. You can't just jump in and start making changes to the system without understanding it; every company has their own limitations, constraints, and culture. Make changes in such a way that they get absorbed in the right attitude. Santosh Maurya Understand everyone's motivations Learn that project management can be as much about politics as handling projects. Remember that not everyone working on the project is actually for the project. Learn the motivations and intentions of not just your team, but also upwards to the stakeholders and business users. Andy Nelson, AMBCS, P2 Cert Practitioner Build a culture of sharing and innovation to build a strong team Foster a culture where everyone's ideas are heard to allow more innovation to take place. The added bonus is that the project team itself becomes a lot stronger — team members are far more open to suggesting and working through ideas if they know they'll be heard, rather than thinking they'll be shouted down all the time. Andrew Hudson Know the Limitations of Your Project Team — And Yourself Don't forget the human The methodologies are great if well-used, but they won't work if you do not remember that you are working with other people. Human responses are not always logical or predictable. Tiago Prado Know your team's strengths Understand the skill set & mind set of the people that you're going to handle in your team. Prabhu M Leave egos behind Be aware of strengths and limitations in your team and, more importantly, yourself. There is no room for egos. Louie Turcotte, Jr Find what sets you apart Determine your specialization and go for it. The best thing you can do is to decide what sets you apart and make that shine. Remember you are turning concepts into realities and it takes creativity to get you there. Develop thick skin and never fall in love with your first draft, no matter what it is. James L Thompson, PMP, CSM, Executive MBA, ITIL Ask Questions to Understand Current Processes, & Keep Them Simple Ask follow-up questions When someone makes a suggestion, I like to follow up with background questions: When and under what circumstances have you implemented that in the past? Why was that approach successful? What made it more efficient, cost effective, etc.? Then I broaden my scope of understanding. Lori Galster Don't make mountains out of molehills DON'T make a huge mind-numbing deal out of the project. Newbies are generally so eager to implement their knowledge or are so psyched up about being in the shoes of a PM, they generally end up overcomplicating simple things. I have seen "accidental" project managers perform better than those who come to the job armed with the whole pedigree of PM tools, techniques, and strategies. It's better to keep work simple and streamlined so that attention can be devoted to planning, actual implementation, and overall scope and quality control, instead of waiting for the heavens to open up and rain down! Trina Moitra Make progress the priority Do not always look at things from a process perspective. Governance is important, but when it impedes progress then there is an issue. Dave Regan Clarify Everyone's Roles & Responsibilities on Every Project Understand your own role first Clearly understand your role and responsibilities and your delegated authority. This will depend on the type of organization you're operating under. Also understand your key stakeholders and their level of influence. Kassim Toorawa Analyze project heartbeats daily I suggest accidental managers follow the RACI model and analyze project heartbeats daily. R- Who is Responsible to do the work A- Who is Accountable for final decisions and ultimate ownership C- Who is Consulted before a decision or action is taken I- Who is Informed that the decision or action has been taken The RACI model is helpful to define/identify/clarify roles and responsibilities. Once you have those, match them up with processes. It's especially useful in clarifying roles and responsibilities in cross-functional processes. For example, an organization may have a person who performs the role of project manager, and may also perform the role of test manager. Hambirrao Patil Beware of role creep Watch for ROLE creep, which is similar to scope creep in a project. In role creep, your role as a PM might be under constant pressure — from academics, LinkedIn groups, co-workers, and especially those working above you. This is because there are so many forces at work around a substantial project, especially in a non-projectized organization where there is no discipline to comply with standardized and repeatable project management processes. There will be pressure to be innovative, be creative, and be an agent of change, and you will have managers asking you to list all your accomplishments. Your ultimate role is always to deliver what is in the WBS and project plan, use a designated process for scope change, risk monitoring, and issue management, and maintain good communication. Michael Ayres MS, PMP, CISSP, CSEP Make Sure You Have a Full Understanding of the Project Objectives, Assets, & Risks Know the project inside out Understand the project — so the planning, objectives, results that the project wants to achieve, and of course know the monitoring plan: what are the indicators, its tools, etc. Marta Acero Set the goals first Establish the goal and objectives (SMART) of your new project. Once this is done well, I would immediately do the PESTEL analysis and build the SWOT analysis. Then, it's planning, communication, and organization. For your project setup plan, you can also use the What, When, Who, Which, Where, etc. model. Osvaldo Mirante, PhD Understand the project needs Having a clear understanding of both the functional and technical definition/needs of the project upfront, with stakeholder buy-in, is extremely important. Muqtader MBA Make sure the project achieves its original goal Focus on specified project objectives! Muqtader MBA Control the project scope Knowing your exact scope of work very well is the key to controlling the rest. Mohammad Hamdan, PMPⓇ Think about what can outside forces could affect your project — positively or negatively Look for organizational process assets that are available to you. Identify the environmental factors that will influence your projects and how they'll be delivered. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Make work actionable Make sure everything is actionable and responsibilities are assigned and transparent. Henriette Ebbesen Laidlaw Allow time for multiple iterations Plan and drive project activities according to strategic guidelines. Allow the project team a few iterations over viable and plausibly valid alternative solutions. Never be afraid to ask the project owner for clarification or adjustment of target, timeline, resources, or scope. Janos Veres Don't forget to manage potential risks You need to understand the organization's culture to make a roadmap and deliver projects on time and within budget. You should also keep an eye on risks arising during the course of project implementation, with a risk mitigation plan in place. Puneet Gulati, MSP, PMP, ITIL v3 Get Buy-In From Stakeholders Early & Manage Their Expectations Along the Way Identify every stakeholder Identify all stakeholders and develop terms of references. This will align all roles of different individuals in the project and make it easier to relate with them. Lesiba Noah Konaite Sell the project to all necessary parties Involve as many as possible stakeholders at the beginning of a project to gain broader buy-in. Andries Venter, Inclusive Project Manager Hold 1-on-1 project feedback sessions Before kicking off the project, connect with all the key stakeholders in 1-on-1 sessions to get their input on the project, their goals, their level of support, etc. This will uncover hidden "gotchas" and misalignment that may come up later if you don't do this. Tom Treanor Make stakeholders believe in the goal, not just the budget Getting stakeholder buy-in on the outcome and benefit of completing the project is more important than stakeholder acceptance of the scope, schedule, and budget. If decision-makers believe in what the project will achieve, they will be more likely to accept changes to the scope and tolerances if you can show that it will lead to a better outcome. If all you've sold is a budget and a delivery date, you're doomed to failure. Chris Cox Continually manage expectations as the project goes on Manage the stakeholders' expectations within given limits. That would encompass all the necessary requirements such as deliverables, scope, etc. John Mpungu Don't Be Afraid of Failure, Learn From It Fail fast, recover faster Failure is an option. Fail fast so you can recover quickly and learn. Sreekumar Govindan Turn mistakes into learning opportunities Don't be afraid of mistakes — learn from them. They are the building blocks for future success in this challenging and dynamic profession! Susan Kirkpatrick, PMP, CSSBB Deliver what the business actually needs A high percentage of projects fail because they don't deliver what the business needs. Even when you have that nice 400-page requirements document that was signed off on, it does not mean everyone understands what is being delivered. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP Ultimate Success Comes From Careful Management, Not Just Careful Planning Manage the problem, not just the Gantt chart Reality drives the schedule, not the other way around. It's not about wrangling Gantt charts, it's about wrangling people and problems. James Radvan Plan to succeed & persevere Every day there is a chance that you will have your back to the wall. Plan to succeed. Coordinate your priorities, delegate to those in your team, and make the project work. Paul Alwood Keep your eye on the overall objectives No one on the business side cares about the Gantt chart or status reports or the PM deliverables. What they are looking for is the capabilities to achieve the business objectives your project will deliver. Thomas J. Dickie, PMP And Remember: Nothing Beats Hands-On Experience You can't fake experience Experience is the most valued ingredient of the perfect PM brew, and that can either come with the salt and pepper of years or from a very competent mentor. There is no way to fake experience. Trina Moitra Expose yourself to real-life situations early on Gain as much experience in project management as you can. Books, theory, and concepts are all fine, but real-life situations are much tougher. The more you face these situations, the smarter you become. There is no better way to learn project management than to expose yourself to real-life situations. Mangal Pandya Rely on your people skills, and push for the success at the end of the project Don't give up. A Project Manager position is not a rewarding job every day. You have to work really hard to get things done (especially in a Matrix environment), so you have to rely on your people skills a lot. (Keep those sharp!) In the end, you will persevere, and when the project finishes successfully, you will love that feeling of success. Bhawna Mundotia, PMP What advice can you share? Understanding the basics of how to start a project management business and how to manage project managers are necessary first steps to take. Have any additional information on how to improve your project management skills? Let's keep the conversation going here! Share your advice and thoughts in the comments below. Tell us what you'd add to this list, or expand upon a piece of advice that really resonated with you. *Note: Some of the above responses have been slightly modified for clarity, grammar, and length.
How to Master the 5 Phases of the Project Management Life Cycle
The Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) outlines five phases of the project management life cycle. We’re breaking down this model (and its importance) with diagrams and examples, as well as how you and your team can maximize each phase for a killer project.
Elements Of Project Leadership
As a Project leader you are dumped in an organization you have never seen before. You get people assigned you don’t know. The organization prescribes methods and tools you don’t like. And of course, there are a gazillion of unwritten rules. Welcome to your project life. You run on partial Information, partial Influence and partial capability. But how do you actually run a project under these circumstances? Answer: Project Leadership. The elements of (my version of) Project Leadership are: Goals and Means on individual, project and organizational level Alignment of goals and means on all levels by communication Goals A project has a goal, an objective. This is part of the larger context of the goals of the organization. Individuals have goals, ambitions, interests. If peoples goals are met, they work happy; if not, they don’t. Job for the Project leader is to align the goals on all levels. Keep on tweaking and adjusting. Make sure everyone understands. Make sure they are all in balance. Means Means are the strategies to reach the goal. This is the set of rituals, artifacts and values shared among the group, the organization and individual. The culture. The culture can be used to create a strong group; it can be in conflict with the dominant structure. Job for the Project leader is to align the means on all levels for maximal effectiveness. Balancing deviance with compliance. Making sure there are rules of engagement the entire team uses. Communication You think that if you are dropped into foreign territory like this, you would get a lot of equipment. Sorry. You get your Swiss Army knife: communication. But in the end, that was all MacGyver needed. About the Author Bas de Baar discusses Project Management in a global, mobile, virtual and multi-cultural world through his popular blog and video podcast “The Project Shrink”. With over a decade spent in the trenches as Software Project Manager within the publishing, financial and public sector, running multi-national teams, he has a lot to talk about. Bas holds a masters degree in Business Informatics and lives with his wife in The Netherlands. He is author of the book “Surprise! Now You’re a Software Project Manager” and is a member of PMI’s New Media Council.
The Project Manager Shortage is Coming: 3 Ways to Prepare
Have you told your project manager how much you appreciate them lately? You probably should, because in a few years, you might not have one at all. Experienced project managers are in higher demand than ever. As the economy continues to recover, organizations worldwide will need to take advantage of this growth with projects that successfully support their strategic goals. But with the increasing shortage of experienced project managers, the very people companies rely on for project success will be the most difficult to find. Almost 90% of respondents to an ESI survey said it was either "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult" to find qualified project managers for hire — and it's only going to get worse. The PM Shortage is Coming The Project Management Institute (PMI) reports that 60% of its members are age 40 or older, and 30% of project managers are projected to leave the workforce by 2018. They'll leave a huge gap in their wake: according to PMI, the shortage of experienced project managers will reach "critical levels" as early as 2016. That’s right around the corner! Get ready: Develop a culture of knowledge sharing and/or mentoring in your company to help junior project managers learn from their more experienced peers. And if your company is one of the almost two-thirds of businesses that hire temporary project management consultants, give your internal team the tools to capture that knowledge to guide future initiatives. PMI’s Pulse of the Profession 2014 report shows that organizations with effective knowledge sharing in place have a 70% success rate for strategic initiatives, compared to a 45% success rate for organizations without it. Find a collaboration tool that will help your project team and managers (whether internal or external) share knowledge, learn from one another, and improve their capabilities. Ongoing Training is Essential Your junior and mid-level project managers may be qualified PMPs with impressive education and credentials, but they may not have the extensive experience it takes to manage increasingly complex, ambitious projects. And with the landscape constantly shifting to embrace a new methodology or project management application, they need to stay on top of the latest trends. You can bet your competitors are. Most companies haven't put enough of a focus on training and development in recent years, and although the economy is rebounding, budgets are still tight enough that devoting funds to training hasn’t been a top priority. But that’s starting to change. This ESI survey shows that companies offering training see an ROI of 501% for entry level project managers, 268% for mid-level, and 358% for senior-level. Get ready: Start a training program now. Helping your project managers gain more experience and certifications will put your company in a better position once the shortage hits, since you’ll be able to draw on your own internal talent rather than resorting to combing the classifieds. And don't just focus on traditional project management skills like risk analysis and project planning — consider where do project managers work best in your organisation. Soft skills like communication, cultural intelligence, virtual collaboration, and servant leadership are becoming increasingly valuable and key to project success. Projects are Becoming More Complex As the economy improves, the number of projects companies are undertaking is growing — but on top of that, projects are also becoming increasingly complex. They involve a larger team, distributed offices and workers, external departments and partners, and multiple stakeholders. And with a significant majority of experienced project managers leaving the workforce, junior project managers won't have the experience they need to confidently navigate these projects. Get ready: Give junior project managers a variety of smaller projects to help them expand their skill sets, learn how to work with different types of teams, and successfully complete all kinds of projects. As your company grows, you need your project managers to grow with it and be able to take on different types of work and more complicated initiatives. If you've noticed the impending project manager shortage, what has your company done to prepare? Share your wisdom in the comments below.
5 Ways to Bring Mindfulness to the PMO
Even though technology has advanced, the workforce is still largely human. When was the last time you took a break and rested in your project management office? Read our list of five common situations and ways to practice mindfulness in your workplace.
What is the Difference Between Project and Portfolio Management?
PM, PPM, PgM. What is the difference between portfolio management and project management, exactly? And where does program management fit in? Here's a quick explanation of each in plain English to help you distinguish the differences. What is Portfolio Management? A portfolio is a high-level view of all the projects an organization is running in order to meet the business's main strategic objectives. It could be every project across the entire company, a division, or a department. Portfolio management involves setting priorities based on the business leadership’s agreed-on objectives, and then choosing programs and projects to undertake based on what will provide optimal business value, the level of risk involved, and available resources. According to project manager Bob Buttrick, while project management is about executing projects right, portfolio management is about executing the right projects. In Agile portfolio management, it's all about leaning into Agile principles and values to organize and plan for programs and projects within the portfolio. Project portfolio managers look at a company’s projects and evaluate whether they're are being executed well, how they could be improved, and whether the organization is experiencing the expected benefits. What is Program Management? A program is a group of related projects that all contribute to the same business objective or benefit. The program as a whole has a clear, defined goal, and each project within the program assists in meeting those goals. Program managers look at cross-project dependencies, risks, issues, requirements, and solutions, and may coordinate with individual project managers to achieve these insights and keep the overall program healthy. They’re less concerned with the success of every single individual project, and more focused on the success of the overall initiative and achieving the larger benefit. Program managers are also concerned with making sure the right projects are chosen or prioritized in order to achieve the most business value. Successful programs work towards improvements that will have a long-term impact on the organization, and unlike projects that have a specific end date, programs may be ongoing initiatives. Organizations manage projects as a larger program because doing so gives you greater control and benefits than you may see by managing them separately. It’s also easier to coordinate and prioritize resources across projects, and oversee progress and outcomes when you look at a group of related projects. What is Project Management? While portfolios and programs focus on a higher-level view of an organization's activities, a project is a single undertaking: a series of tasks that aims to produce a specific product, service, or benefit within a defined timeline. Project managers oversee individual projects, leading teams and making sure projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet the established requirements. They determine best practices, examine processes to improve efficiency, and work with stakeholders to make sure expected benefits are realized, among other responsibilities. Good project management means teams and team members are constantly developing and improving, giving the business a competitive advantage. Learn More About Project Management If you're a new project manager and still struggling to comprehend the vocabulary as well as the processes, then we've prepared a resource that you will find useful. It's called The Project Management Guide for Beginners, and it's online and totally free to browse. Bookmark it for easy reference. Sources: PMfiles.com, Wikipedia.org, ProjectSmart.co.uk
Does Your Team Meet The Standard for Program Management? (Book Review)
In any industry, understanding the accepted best practices is key to remaining successful and keeping up with the competition. Teams looking to master PMBOK, or the Project Management Body of Knowledge, and all of its terminologies and methodologies need to pick up the The Standard for Program Management. Summary and Book Review of The Standard for Program Management Developed by the Project Management Institute, the third edition of this book is a must-read for any program manager or individual aiming to take the PMP exam. According to PMI, those who wish to pass this test typically spend many hours preparing with the help of study aids and groups, demonstrating the value of reading The Standard for Program Management. While this book review highlights key points in the literature, you'll have to read it yourself to really understand why it's regarded as one of the best project management books. Through its 176 pages, you'll uncover a number of topics such as: The PMI program definition Performance standards Key differences between program and project management Program manager responsibilities Project management phases Readers will get an in-depth view of each facet of program management, placing it among the top project management books. Key Takeaways from The Standard for Program Management The comprehensive guide offered in the book is critical to program management success, but in our book review, we uncover a few key takeaways you can apply in your own team. Project management is different from program management: Readers often applaud The Standard For Program Management for its ability to showcase important differences between project and program management. As IBM elaborates, project management involves planning, organizing and directing the use of company resources, and it's often done in short-term increments. Program management, on the other hand, assigns these duties to three levels of management. Those in program management look at a more comprehensive picture of multiple projects. Roadmaps are vital to program success: Much like a book review outlines key points in a work of literature, a roadmap helps you understand how projects fit together to support business goals. The Standard for Program Management emphasizes the importance of creating a high-level overview of each project within the program. According to Forbes, management must ensure this roadmap is feasible, as setting up an impossible timeline for instance, means deadlines will never be met. Don't underestimate the importance of accountability: All team members in program management must have a solid understanding of their roles. As Wikipedia explains, management needs to promote accountability by conducting regular reviews and creating structure for all stakeholders and suppliers. The Right Tools for Program Management Because there are so many moving parts to program management, those in this field must have the appropriate tools to keep track of both people and projects. With Wrike's team collaboration solutions, leaders can monitor progress across multiple departments, ensuring timely and successful project completion. Sources: Amazon.com, PMI.org, IBM.com, Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org
The Ultimate Guide to Project Management
If you're learning about project management for the first time and you've come across our Wrike blog, you'll realize we've written quite a lot of articles on IT project management, methodologies, and leadership strategies over the years. We collected the best of the best into one ultimate guide to help you understand and learn all about project management. Great for knowing where to study project management as a beginner. It's organized here by general topic, so it's easy to find what you need. Project Management Fundamentals: Learning the Basics There is much to learn in the art of managing a project. For beginners to the field, (and for those willing to review the basics) here's a list of common methodologies, terms, and tips on where to study project management as a beginner. These will also be helpful for learning how to teach project management and introduce the basics to your team! Project Management Basics: A Review of PM Methodologies (Part 1) Project Management Basics: A Quick-Start Guide to PM Methodologies (Part 2) Fundamentals of the Scrum Methodology Project Management Basics: A Quickstart Glossary for Newbies (Part 1) Project Management Basics: A Quickstart Glossary for Newbies (Part 2) Project Management Basics: Beginner's Guide to Gantt Charts What Can I Do With a Project Management Certification? What is a Gantt Chart? [INFOGRAPHIC] What is Lean Project Management? Startups Should Lean on Lean Project Management 5 Lessons in Lean Product Development from the Wright Brothers [INFOGRAPHIC] Things a CEO can learn from a project manager: Part 1 Things a CEO can learn from a project manager: Part 2 Ultimate Guide to Project Risk, Part 1: Risk Assessment Ultimate Guide to Project Risk, Part 2: Risk Management Management: Leading Your Team to Project Success Leadership is a skill that is in need of constant pruning. If we cease to learn new things, we set ourselves up for failure. Here are strategies and lessons for honing your management skills and refine your project management approach. How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Project Manager 4 Lessons Hockey Has Taught Me About Project Management 5 Project Management Ideas that Should be Extinct 10 Phrases That Can Ruin Your Project Kickoff Meeting Is your team self-organizing? Who Works More? The Secrets of Male and Female Working Habits in Wrike's New Infographic How to Stay Motivated at Work: The Science of Productive Breaks [INFOGRAPHIC] 8 Attitudes Guaranteed to Sink Your Agile Projects 5 Project Management Lessons to Superheroes [VIDEO] 15 Books Every Manager Should Read Productivity: Tools and Tips for More Efficient Work There are many tools out there that can help you streamline your day, mitigate distractions, and get things done more efficiently. Here's a list of tools and strategies for helping you crank it out. 10 Free Productivity Apps for Getting Things Done How to Increase Productivity at Work: 6 Mind-Switching Hacks How to Set Up GTD Using Wrike Creating GTD Folders in Wrike [VIDEO] 8 Lessons in Increased Productivity from Wrike Customers 10 Encouraging Productivity Proverbs for Your Office Wall (Part 1) 10 Encouraging Productivity Proverbs for Your Office Wall (Part 2) How to Stay Motivated at Work: The Science of Productive Breaks [INFOGRAPHIC] Productivity Lovers, Build Better Habits for Your Project Team What Doesn't Kill You Makes You More Productive [EBOOK] 5 Strategies for Forming Team Productivity Habits [WEBINAR] Proven Techniques to Fight Productivity Killers [WEBINAR] Project Management Software vs. Cloud File Storage: What's the Difference? Professional service contract template Teams and Remote Collaboration: Unifying Your People Nothing is more important than getting the right team in place and forging a collaborative unit dedicated to project success. Here are some tips and strategies for growing your team. 5 Tips for Forming Productivity Habits in Your Team (PMI Presentation Recap) 5 Tips for Embracing Cross-Cultural Differences on Project Teams Top 5 Tips for Remote Collaboration with Wrike 4 Problems with Virtual Meetings that You Can Fix 4 Tips to Improve Your Next Meeting Easy and Effective Remote Collaboration [SLIDESHARE] The Past, Present and Future of Remote Collaboration: Where Does Your Team Stand? 10 Benefits of Cloud-Based Project Management Software The Art of Staying Productive Even Across Distance [EBOOK] Teamwork Across Borders. Secrets to Remote Collaboration [WEBINAR] Wrike for Content Marketing Teams: Collaboration and Copyediting [VIDEO] Top 3 Trends Shaping Project Collaboration Using Wrike for High Performance Marketing Teams Technology: Using the Right Project Management Tools There are many tools used for project management, managing people, increasing productivity, and getting things done. Here are a few of them. 10 Free Productivity Apps for Getting Things Done 25 Online Tools to Run Your Startup How I Use Online Collaboration Tools to Run a Marketing Team Top 9 Project Management Tool Features on the SMB Wishlist Wrike Integrates with Zapier for a World of Automation Wrike and Github: Collaborative Coding Gets Much Easier with Wrike’s API Social Media Resources: Connect with PM Experts Social media is a fantastic tool to connect and learn from experts in project management all over the globe. Here's how to find project managers and thought leaders on major social networks. 20 #ProjectManagement Gurus to Follow on Twitter 5 Project Management Groups to Join on LinkedIn 12 Useful Project Management Boards on Pinterest 11 Ways To Use Social Media To Find Project Management Resources (or just about anything!) Will Your Company's Social Media Marketing Efforts Pay Off? [INFOGRAPHIC] Educational Resources: Learn More about Project Management Sometimes you just need a little more motivation. Or a source of ideas for improving your management skills. These articles list the best reading and learning materials on management and productivity. 20 Online Training Resources for Project Managers 5 Best Project Management Books for Beginners and Accidental Project Managers 15 Books Every Manager Should Read 15 Project Management Quotes to Live By [INFOGRAPHIC] What is a Gantt Chart? [INFOGRAPHIC] Making the Most of Project Management Courses Why (and How) Small Businesses Choose Project Management Software Hope you enjoyed this ultimate guide to project management. Would you add other helpful articles to help people learn? Please share any of your suggestions in the comments. Share this guide with your friends and colleagues to spread the wealth of knowledge!
Wrike Named Leader in Project Portfolio Management
Wrike is honored to be the recipient of a Customer Experience Award for Complete Software and Service Experience by Software Reviews, a division of Info-Tech Research Group. Based on user feedback, we ranked first in Vendor Capabilities and Product Features under “Overall Satisfaction” and “Plan to Renew.”
Your Guide to Project Management Best Practices
Planning and overseeing a project so that it’s completed on time, within budget, and meets expectations is not an easy feat. The best project managers know how to balance stakeholder communications with preventing scope creep, watch out for risk, and clarify roles, responsibilities, and priorities within their team, all while upholding the principles of project management. Steal some of the secrets to their success by using these 10 best practices in project management. 1. Communicate with stakeholders early and often This includes everyone who has an interest in the project’s outcome: team members, sponsors, and end users. Meet in person, if possible, to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the project’s success, set clear expectations, including each stakeholder’s role. Also, provide consistent updates, with real numbers and results, to keep stakeholders engaged. 2. Engage project sponsors Having good project sponsors is the #1 predictor of project success, and yet fewer than 2 out of 3 projects have actively engaged sponsors. A project sponsor’s job is to monitor progress, help resolve issues, and champion the project to other executives — as well as understand the big picture of how the project fits into larger business goals. Essentially, they’re the link between the project manager and higher-ups. Hold regular check-ins with your sponsor to discuss project goals and required resources, and use this Project Sponsorship Checklist to guide discussions and clarify expectations. 3. Manage both risk and opportunity Spend some time imagining worst-case scenarios and their solutions, as well as how you might prevent them from happening. Then talk with your team to get their input, and become aware of any known issues that will definitely affect your project. Just remember that not all uncertainties are bad: don't forget to keep an eye out for opportunities as well, so you can deliver value beyond what's expected. (Learn how to conduct a thorough risk assessment here, and create your own risk management response plan here) 4. Create a detailed work plan, including scope, schedule, and budget Write your project plan in terms of goals and problems being addressed (and what isn’t being addressed), instead of just listing tasks to be completed. This will help focus your work and protect against scope creep. Then prioritize project goals, identify deliverables, and estimate task duration to define your schedule and dependencies. 5. Host a project kickoff meeting Your project kickoff meeting sets the tone for your entire project. Do it right, and your team hits the ground motivated, energized, and focused. So take the opportunity to establish a common goal, clarify roles and responsibilities, define how you’ll measure success, review risks, decide how you’ll communicate, and choose your project management methodology and tools. Be thorough, but try to keep the kickoff meeting as short and straightforward as possible. 6. Document everything Documenting every step of your project is the key to ensuring you not only stay on top of what’s happening, but that you have all the data you need to analyze performance, make better decisions, and learn from your experiences. If a deadline slips, you’ll be able to determine why it happened, and how to improve your work process to prevent it from happening again. 7. Schedule regular check ins with your team When you're managing a project, staying in sync with your team is a must. A short weekly or even daily standup with your project team is a sure-fire way to align on top priorities, get fast feedback, and help clear any roadblocks or bottlenecks holding your team back. The key is to keep things short and focused: what got done yesterday? What’s everyone working on today? Who’s stuck and what can we do about it? 8. Ask for feedback As Cornelius Fichtner says, the P in PM stands just as much for People as for Projects. Good leaders understand that nobody’s perfect, and that we all have areas where we can improve. Asking for feedback from your team is one of the most powerful ways you can grow as a project manager and increase your chance for success. 9. Manage scope creep When new requests start coming in, communicate the impact of those requests on the project’s schedule and budget and know how to calculate earned value. If different stakeholders have competing or conflicting requests, bring everyone together to discuss and clarify goals so you can move forward with everyone on board. This concept can be confused with gold plating. However, gold plating and scope creep in project management can both have a detrimental impact on performance. 10. Hold a project retrospective Even once the final deliverable is submitted, your project isn’t complete until you’ve held a retrospective and recorded lessons learned. Take the time to review what went well and identify best practices for future use, as well as discuss what could have gone better to determine how to help work get done more smoothly the next time around. With these project management principles in hand, you’ll be able to deliver successful projects in any industry — from marketing to IT to construction and beyond. Additional Best Practices for Project Managers: Portfolio Project Management Best Practices IT Project Management Best Practices IT Resource Management Best Practices Get More Project Management Best Practices, Tools, & Advice Check out our Ultimate Guide to Project Management for a crash course on all things PM. You'll find everything from glossaries of terms and implementation tips for popular methodologies, to useful templates and step-by-step tutorials to develop your project management approach.
The PMO Roadmap To Reducing Project Chaos
Whether you’re trying to progress through a single problematic project or are looking to rework your organization’s entire approach to project management, these six steps can serve as a roadmap to help any PMO find their own answers and manage their projects out of chaos.
