If you've managed projects for a long time, you can start to look like this guy on the right. It seems like you need every skill in the book to manage people, schedules, stakeholders, project finances, risk, and more. Managing project is inherently challenging. Have you ever experienced any of these type of projects? The Impossibly Late Project This type of project … [Read more...]
When I was a junior engineer I was part of a project where the project manager's communication skills were so bad, people were afraid to talk to him. If at all possible, you tried to deal with issues yourself, because if the corner office had to manage something the client wasn't likely to be pleased with the outcome. Do you know someone like that? Now, nobody can … [Read more...]
It is truly amazing how many roles a project manager plays. From leadership to salesperson to technical manager, it really does take a full gamut of skills to complete a project on time and under budget. Following is a list of key skills for project managers to possess: Project management fundamentals. The "science" of project management, including scheduling, … [Read more...]
I've been asked by people who see the project management practices we employ, like project management plans (i.e. risk matrices, scheduling, and so forth), and ask: What is the value of all this? It's a good question. Some of our competitors appear to complete projects flawlessly, with some technical experts in charge and a "go and do the work" mentality. Actually … [Read more...]
Contractual issues between organizations performing a project can be costly and time consuming, not to mention embarrassing for a project manager. I hope you've never experienced major contract disputes with a subcontractor or subconsultant, but in any case, be sure to heed the following 10 doctrines to make sure your projects stay out of trouble. Project Management is … [Read more...]
If there's anything that can get a project manager's reputation into the toilet in a hurry, it's contractual issues with vendors. I've seen a few messy issues in my time, and I don't wish this on anyone. Fortunately there are things you can do on the front end to ensure it doesn't happen to you. Follow these 11 tips to ensure your projects stay out of contract … [Read more...]
A force field analysis is a decision making tool which clarifies the advantages and disadvantages of making a decision. It is an important tool for project managers and executives, and basically anyone who needs to get a firm grasp of the underlying issues before making a big decision. It's pretty basic. In fact, it's so simple you might wonder why it has a … [Read more...]
The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a great way for project managers to organize and prioritize tasks. PERT charts are a central part of any project management course. They are quick to draw and intuitive to use. How to Draw a PERT Chart There are two rules: Tasks (activities) are represented as arrows Milestone dates are nodes PERT charts … [Read more...]
The thing that amazes me about project management in the engineering business is how little it gets used. We engineers are in control of the largest projects in the world, but most engineers have little more than a passing knowledge of project management processes. In this article, I will talk about the following items as they relate to engineering project … [Read more...]
According to the Project Management Institute, less than two thirds of projects meet their intended goals. The other one third are projects that end up with a drastically different scope than they began with, sometimes with different deliverables, or even get canceled outright. The project managers of these projects are not doing any favors for their careers. I … [Read more...]
