Svprojectmanagement | PMToolbox :: Tools and Resources for Project Management

Time to Campaign!

May 15, 2008

A great way to establish a sense of urgency around the priority work and to produce a way to celebrate real wins is the use of campaigns. Campaigns come in a variety of models; the most effective, in my view, are those designed similar to political... Read more...

Can You Hear Me?

May 15, 2008

Who says the PMO is only responsible for communicating project status reports or headlines when projects are in trouble? Did you ever consider the opportunities for an Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) who coordinates and communicates business... Read more...

So, What?s the Plan?

May 12, 2008

The real power of a corporate vision is realized only when everyone in the organization clearly understands the vision and recognizes how everyone contributes to its success. This is particularly true when project managers are assigned to successfully... Read more...

Now Apply Five Whys to Global Project Management

May 8, 2008

My last blog talked about applying Five Whys to elements within project management and specifically to human and team dynamics. The more challenging aspect is in attempting to apply the Five Whys on global projects where activities are performed in multiple... Read more...

Five Whys for Managing Project Dynamics

May 7, 2008

Five Whys provides a structured yet simple approach to solving problems as they occur during a project and can provide a framework for a team to work through complex problems. It is a simple process at its core. The Five Whys is a question-asking... Read more...

The Power of Memory in Project Management

May 5, 2008

In a recent project team meeting we were reviewing an Ishikawa diagram and root cause analysis as a means to determine the next appropriate steps on an issue we were addressing as a project team when a forgotten data point was brought forward be me... Read more...

Adaption By Fast Observation Of The Environment

May 4, 2008

In this final posting about the Fish Pond metaphor we will look under water to see what we can learn about how (project) organizations can adapt to change. Fish do not simply float around in a tank. Although they once in a while bump into glass walls,... Read more...

The Fish Pond And Preplanning

May 2, 2008

In my previous postings I have introduced the use of a fish pond as a metaphor for leading projects and organizations in our ever changing times. Thinking about a bucket of water can really help us out. It emphasizes the importance of preparation; the... Read more...

Less is More: How to Not Get Trapped Under Microsoft Project

April 30, 2008

Do a quick search for project management jobs and you will usually find an emphasis on the ability to create and manage plans in Microsoft Project. Although nearly every project manager has used this tool before, it is frequently misused and misunderstood. ... Read more...

Managing Complexity: Train Your Brain

April 29, 2008

Every project is unique. Circumstances are always different. Different people. Different goals. To lead a project, or organizations in general for that matter, to success, you need to tailor your approach to the situation. To be able to do this you got... Read more...