Projects are like trains rolling down the tracks - Once they are put in motion and they are hard to stop. Stakeholder communication is one of the project manager's most important jobs because the stakeholders define the success of a project. The stakeholders must be identified, actively managed, and communicated with to ensure their buy-in to the final product, or else … [Read more...]
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) specifies the creation of a Communications Management Plan. The PRINCE2 project management methodology specifies an equivalent Communications Management Approach. This plan describes how project communications will be managed, planned, structured, implemented and monitored for effectiveness. A communications … [Read more...]
Many, if not most, project issues can be traced back to poor communication. Like an airplane with many parts, projects are an interconnected network of stakeholders attempting to accomplish a goal. If even the smallest part malfunctions during the flight, disaster can strike. Project communications management are the tasks that are performed to ensure that the … [Read more...]
Projects don't manage themselves. Professional project management requires the development of a plan that outlines how it will be managed. According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (section 4.2), the project management plan fulfills this purpose. Although it includes any and all items that define the management of the project, there are certain … [Read more...]
A RACI Chart (pronounced "racy") is a visual representation of the responsibilities of a project. RACI stands for Responsible - Accountable - Consulted - Informed. It is an excellent way to communicate what the responsibilities of each member of the project team are. In a RACI chart, each project task is assigned to each project member within the project … [Read more...]
Carpenters have hammers, plumbers have wrenches, and programmers have computers. But does a project manager have any tools which help them perform their work better, quicker, or cheaper? Absolutely! In fact, if you don't use these tools you will be at a serious disadvantage to other project managers. And if you do, your career will see an order of … [Read more...]
Projects are by definition temporary, that is, they have a defined beginning and end. For this reason, the project schedule is almost always a major factor in project success. It also means that project stakeholders want to be updated on the status regularly, to ascertain whether the project is on track to complete on time. A project status report contains … [Read more...]
Writing a project report can seem like peering through the morning fog, into the unknown with no sense of direction. But there is a standard structure which, if followed, can pierce the veil and reveal the road to the destination. A project report has a 5 part structure: Executive Summary Introduction Main Body Statement of Problem Description of … [Read more...]
Many project managers have executed the technical work to perfection only to find out that stakeholders were not satisfied because communication was poor. Thus, project communication is sometimes more important than the technical work. Of course, the project manager needs to communicate when unexpected events occur. That's the domain of project risk … [Read more...]
