The Best of Project Management

The Best of Project Management
A selection of professional insights from the Blog archive
ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 1

Since 2008 our project management professionals have been sharing knowledge,
experience and learning with online readers via the Project Manager Blog. Their
collective wisdom provides a wealth of how to, top tips and best practice advice, for
project managers, teams and businesses.
To make their writings more accessible weve created a series of Best of project
management topics available free to download and share.Here is a collection of
excerpts discussing project management processes at various project levels including
portfolio project management, program management and enterprise project
management
Enjoy!
Jason Westland CEO
ProjectManager.com
What is Project Management? .................................................................................................................... 3
3 Techniques for Project Management ....................................................................................................... 5
4 Ways to Perform a Preemptive Project Management Job ...................................................................... 7
Beat Them to the Punch .............................................................................................................................. 9
6 Tips for Creating a Project Budget.......................................................................................................... 10
Keeping Projects Under Budget ................................................................................................................ 12
How to Define Your Project ....................................................................................................................... 13
6 Tips to Start your New Project ............................................................................................................... 15
Understand the Value of the Project Management Solution You Offer ................................................... 18
5 Things You Need to Monitor During Projects ........................................................................................ 21
What is Project Portfolio Management?................................................................................................... 21
Project Portfolio Management and Benefit Realization ........................................................................... 23
Top Tips for Portfolio Management .......................................................................................................... 26
What is Program Management and How Does It Compare to Project Management? ............................ 26
Whats the Difference Between a Project and a Program? ...................................................................... 29
The Challenges of Enterprise Project Management ................................................................................. 31
What is Enterprise Project Management Success? ................................................................................... 33
An Introduction to Project Management Processes ................................................................................. 36
Understanding Critical Path Management Concepts ................................................................................ 39
Overcoming the Challenges of Online Project Management ................................................................... 42
30 Day Free Software Trial ........................................................................................................................ 46
What is Project Management?
Rather than get bogged down in the technical details and job description of what a
project manager does and what would be considered the best definition of project
management, we will focus more on the spirit of project management. Simply put,
project management is the glue that holds everything together.
Anyone that has been successful in a project manager position or worked in a Project
Management Office that was effective knows what that means. It means the upper
executives that are removed from the day to day details of the project will look to this
group for their level of comfort within an organization.
If you focus on the following five areas and view these as the principles of what project
management is, you will quickly garner the respect and confidence of those around you.
1. Communication
Communication is at the top of the list if you
want to know what project management
skills are about. Project Managers are the
central repository of any and all information
related to the project. A project manager is
not expected to have all the answers,
especially in a technical environment, but
they will know where they can get the
answers.
Whats more, a project manager that is a great communicator will, as a rule of thumb,
never just forward information on to others without adding some value to the
information beyond FYI. They will help others understand why this information is
important, what impact this will have on the project, why this is a good thing or a bad
thing, and what action is expected of the person that is receiving this information.
2. Collaboration
This is a critical area that can make or break a project manager. Project Management is
about not taking sides, but rather making the right decisions. Your team will appreciate
the fact that you make objective decisions for the good of the project based upon input
from all. When it comes to collaboration this is where online project management
software can help.
3. Teamwork
The way we work is changing and even our definition of
Team is changing. The new teamwork can be defined as a
group of people with certain skill sets and expertise
coming together for brief periods of time to accomplish a
common objective.and then disband to potentially
come together again (or not) on the next project.
Project Management is about managing these new teams. Its about getting people up
to speed fast, establishing trust quickly, and then delivering resultsall within a fraction
of the time it used to previously take.
4. Resolution
You can be assured that something will go wrong on your project. You can have all the
communication, collaboration and teamwork in the worldbut something will go
wrong. Its the nature of the beast. Project Management is about bringing these
problems to resolution quickly.
Project Management is not about pointing fingers, affixing blame, or tracking down the
culprit. Its about taking the high road and getting the problem fixedfirst. Then, if
theres a deeper problem that needs to be addressed, perhaps a team members
performance, project management is about resolving those issues with discretion and
good judgment.
5. Celebration
And finally, project management is about celebrating a job well done. Theres nothing
like a group of people with different backgrounds, functions, and skill sets coming
together for a brief period of time and accomplishing something great. How you
celebrate is up to you. It may be just the quiet inner satisfaction you receive from
knowing a job has been done well, to getting everyone together for a fling. Take some
time to pause, reflect, and appreciate each other. Youll be renewed and energized for
your next project.

3 Techniques for Project Management
The 3 techniques for project management below will cause you to ask questions about
how you are currently doing things and if there are any areas in which you could
improve.
Innovation
The first of the three techniques for project management has to do with Innovation.
Innovation concentrates on creating new and more effective or efficient ways of doing
things that did not previously exist. What are some areas you could apply innovation in
when it comes to your job as project manager?
If you are a New to the Job Project ManagerIf you are new to a particular company
and serving as a project manager then you have a great opportunity to objectively look
around the organization. Take this opportunity to get some innovative processes and
procedures in motion. This is also a great time to do something new because you have
not been sucked into all the meetings that have a tendency to consume nearly 80% of
everyone elses days. You can look around and see if there are any obvious approvals or
process checkpoints that are missing that could quickly be implemented and make
wholesale improvements to the company in no time at all.
If you are a Been there for a While Project Manager The trick here is that it
depends more upon how you sell the new ideas to management. You will undoubtedly
be involved within the politics of the organization and you need to make sure the right
people understand your reasons and motives for wanting to implement something new.
Then, you need to find the time and resources to get something new done. This is no
small feat in a company that is already operating at top speed to throw something new
in and expect it to get done in a timely manner. But, it is possible as long as you come up
with an innovative new idea, follow-through often, and do what you can do to assist
with the innovative efforts.
Renovation
What are some areas that could use renovation within most companies when it comes
to project management?

Project Plan Templates Many years ago somebody had a great idea to put together
the latest and greatest starter templates to work within your company. These templates
worked great5 years ago. Since then they have been put on the shelf and not updated
since. Much has changed over these past 5 years. This is a great opportunity where you
can start renovating as a project manager. Dust those old templates off, throw out the
bad, keep the good, and update them to be even that much more accurate for the new
projects that are starting.
Outdated Processes In a similar fashion as project plan templates, there were great
processes and procedures that were put in place a number of years ago that are now
badly in need of renovation. People are probably doing things just because they have
always done them that way, or perhaps not doing something important that needs to be
addressed now as circumstances have changed. This is another great area where you
can make a huge difference and hone your techniques for project management by
bringing this processes up-to-date.
Administration
The last of the 3 techniques for project management
have to do with administration. This is probably the
less glamorous of the other 2 techniques for project
management but it is important nonetheless.
Administration focuses on:
Ensuring the Results of Innovation are Working Properly If youve identified

something brand new that you want to implement as a project manager in your
company, then the last thing you want is for it to fall flat on its face. These are the
activities that are related to you staying on top of the innovation you introduce, and
make sure it is implemented properly and producing the desired results. If its not, make
the necessary adjustments. If it is working properly, then focus on letting relevant
stakeholders know the results.
Ensuring the Results of Renovation are Working Properly -Its sometimes more
challenging to change something that already exists than it is to introduce something
entirely new. You will need to stay on the administration side of things at this point to

make sure people are accepting the changes, have been properly trained, and are
comfortable with how their daily routines have been changed due to this renovation.
Innovation, Renovation, and Administration are three very broad techniques for project
management. If you embrace the spirit of the three words above you will find yourself
always on the lookout for those areas you can change and improve as well as the best
way to track and monitor the progress that has been made.
4 Ways to Perform a Preemptive Project Management Job

If you have a project management job where part of your responsibility is managing
projects on behalf of your companys clients, then this is a great place to start exercising
preemptive project management. Clients will typically not be involved in the day to day
goings on of the project that you are managing on their behalf. But, they have an
insatiable need for knowing what is going on with their project.
Its up to you as the Project Manager to let

them know. This could be as simple as a
preemptive phone call to inform them of
the latest. Take this opportunity to let them
know a particular milestone was reached, or
perhaps there is a risk that surfaced on the
project that they need to know about. They
may not necessarily like the news, but they
will appreciate the fact that you called them
ahead of time informing them of the current
status or issues surrounding their project.
The alternative to performing this type of preemptive project management job is for
them to call you. They may have to leave a message. You may be busy working with
other clients. They have to call back again and leave another message. Their anxiety is
beginning to escalate because they havent heard back from you yet. They then choose
to escalate, taking their concern of you not getting back to them up the management
chain at your company. This, of course, opens up a whole new set of issues that you
dont have time to deal with. You can preempt all of this pain by just making a simple
phone call.

Plus, it doesnt need to be a phone call either. An email will suffice, take them to lunch,
or even a quick text (project is 2 days behind but will catch up) is all it takes to put their
mind at rest. The options are endless about how you can preemptively keep someone
informed about the status of their project.
Take them Off Hold for Moment

What if you are genuinely busy or even slightly overwhelmed? If you are overwhelmed,
long-term you need to talk with your manager about getting that resolvedbut short-
term there is even something you can do about that when it comes to performing your
preemptive project management job. Take the person off hold and tell them youll be
right with them.
You can do the same thing with your project management job. You may get into the
situation where someone has been on hold for a long period of time. Let them know
that you know they are there, you understand their concern and their issue, and youll
be able to help them. It may not be on the time frame the client would like, but they
know their turn is coming up. This will perform wonders when it comes to preemptive
project management.
Create Preemptive Project Management Systems

Most people in the business world like a routine. Meetings are scheduled the same time
each week, reports are due the same time each week, and you get paid the same time
each week. Schedules are good. In your project management job, make sure you have
implemented a preemptive project management schedule as well.
What does this consist of? Start with a regularly scheduled status meeting with the
client. This could be every week, every two weeks, or possibly every month (a month
may be too long, however). Then, throw in a regularly scheduled project status report
that includes the key metrics youve all agreed to as being important. Finally, set up a
quarterly executive review where project sponsors and other stakeholders can be
apprised of the latest with the project and any assistance that may be necessary from
them.

What does this do? It minimizes the ad hoc,
one-off phone calls asking about the project
status. If a client knows that they have a
weekly meeting on Wednesday to discuss
project status, they will most likely wait until
that meeting to hear the latest. Plus, they
know they will also have the opportunity to
bring up any questions or concerns they
may have as to how the project is
progressing.
Keep these meetings simple. You should have systems and processes in place that
quickly provide you the information you need to get everyone on to speed quickly.
These meetings can be no more than 30-minutes and the reports can be a one page
summary of current status, next steps, risks, and open items for discussion. Some
people on their project management job feel as if they need to burn through reams of
paper providing an update on everything under the sun. This is a waste of time. Focus
on the 80% that is important and the 20% that is unimportant will fade away.
Beat Them to the Punch

One thing that may feel like warfare in your company is
when something goes terribly wrong on a project and there
are different stories and or reasons why. This is when the
blamestorming sessions begins and everyone starts to
run for cover. Take this opportunity on your project
management job to perform preemptive project
management as well.
Create the opportunities to meet with the executives or

project sponsors that this project rolls up to. Make sure that they have the fact set from
your point of view. You never know how someone else is going to paint the picture of
what happened, and its incumbent upon you to provide your input at this time as well.

6 Tips for Creating a Project Budget
Without a clear project budget you will find it impossible to manage your project work.
One of your first tasks on the project will be to work out how much the whole thing is
going to cost. Even if the project sponsor already has a budget in mind, youll still want
to do your own calculations simply to check that the sponsor doesnt have an unrealistic
view of how much he or she will have to pay out to get this work done. Here are six tips
for creating a realistic project budget.
1. Dont Do It Alone
Just like your project schedule, you cant create a budget
alone. Who knows how much the quality control software is
going to be? Your subject matter experts, thats who. When
you have your work breakdown structure or at least some
idea of the requirements, you can call your team together
and work together to come up with the costs. Involve
whoever you need to in order to get realistic estimates.
2. Work Out the Deliverable Costs

There are two types of costs that your project will incur and
the first type is the cost of delivering the product or outcome. Say you are building a
house. In order to build it, you need to buy some bricks, concrete, roofing tiles, paint
and lots of other stuff. These are all costs of producing your final product and are
categorized as deliverable costs. In your project this could be purchasing software,
hardware or equipment.
3. Work out the Project Management Costs

The second type of cost is the cost of running the project itself. In our house example, a
project management cost would be the fees paid to the architect and project manager,
hiring the digger, travel costs for the builders and training for the junior carpenter.
These are all costs of doing the work and stop when the project is over. In your project
this could be training, meeting room hire or consultancy fees.

4. Include the Cost of Decommissioning
Dont forget to put some money in the budget for decommissioning what was there
before. In our house example, lets say that when the new house is built, the old shabby
house that you used to live in is going to be demolished. That part of the project will
also cost money and thats something that often gets forgotten.
To take a software project as another example, the cost of decommissioning could

involve shutting down the servers that the old software was hosted on, gathering up all
the training manuals related to that obsolete product and disposing of them or any
other tasks involved in not using that product any longer. As most projects change
something or introduce something new, it is worth spending a bit of time working out if
the change itself is going to incur any costs. Then you can put these in your budget (and
your project plan dont forget that you also have to do the work to decommission old
systems!).
5. Add in Some Contingency

However good you are at estimating your
project expenditure, unless you have done
exactly this project in exactly this situation
before it is very unlikely that youll get
your budget accurate to the penny. Thats
where contingency comes in.
Its often difficult to work out how much contingency to add to a project budget, and
how to add it. The key is to estimate how risky the project is. The higher the risk, the
more contingency you will need. Some parts of the project may be riskier than others.
On a high risk phase where you really dont know if your estimates are any good, add a
bigger chunk of contingency. On a lower risk phase, or later in the project when you
should know what you are doing and how you are going to do it, add a bit less. This is a
good way to justify contingency, especially as the alternative is slapping 10% on the final
figure without much science behind it to explain why.
Having said that, if you really are stuck and you have no idea how much contingency to
add, 10% is as good a starting point as any!

6. Know the Process for Spending it!
A budget is great, but at that point it is only some numbers on a piece of paper or stored
in an online project management tool. Its not a stack of real cash that you keep in your
desk drawer and pay out to contractors (maybe thats why it is easier to talk about
project budgets than your personal household budget). There is real money involved
somewhere, but project managers dont get to see it!
Thats why you need to understand how you can spend your budget. Once it is
approved, you are authorized to use it for your project, and that means youll need to
talk to your Finance team about the process for spending it. There is probably a process
that involves purchase orders, authorization forms and approving invoices and to be
honest, its probably a pretty easy process. There arent that many ways to make a note
of what will be spent and then authorize an invoice when the goods are received so
dont let your colleagues in Finance tell you that its really complicated! If you dont
know what process to follow, sit down with someone at the beginning of your project
and have them explain it. Take some notes of your own so that you know what to do in
a month or so when your first invoices start arriving.
Many new and experienced project managers find it daunting to set up a budget but
there isnt that much to it. Work with your project team and other experts in the
company to put together a comprehensive list of costs that tie in with what you are
going to deliver. The numbers might be bigger, but it is just the same as running a
household budget, and if you can do that, you can easily manage the finances on your
project too.
Keeping Projects Under Budget

Learn tips and hints for keeping your projects under budget at all times by watching this
video http://www.projectmanager.com/keeping-projects-under-budget.php

How to Define Your Project
Motivation, Vision, Project Objectives (MVP) is one way to make sure that your project
starts off with the best possible chance of success. Having some clarity about the
motivation, vision and the project objectives means that you know why you are working
on a project, what it is supposed to achieve and how you will demonstrate that you
have achieved it. Lets look at each of those elements in a bit more detail.
Project Motivation
First up, motivation. What is the motivation for doing your project? Ill give you a clue
it is not because your project sponsor says so.
Understanding the reason why the company is investing in this project is essential to
knowing why you are working on it. Otherwise, why bother? Projects are expensive,
both in terms of the manpower required to run them and the cost to the organization of
any resources and equipment required.
It is far easier to motivate your project team (and yourself) if you understand how this
project contributes to the companys strategic objectives. Ideally, all projects should tie
back to the strategic objectives of an organization, and yours should be no different.
Ask why this project was started. Who will be affected by it? Talk to your project
sponsor and see what he or she says, and then pass the information on to your team.
And if your project sponsor doesnt know the motivation behind the project, you might
want to suggest that you both stop working on it immediately.
Another way to look at motivation is to ask yourself (or someone else) what would
happen if the project didnt go ahead. What is the burning platform that has spurred
the organization into setting up a project team, allocating a budget, and finding a
project manager to make this change? The answer may surprise you.
Project Vision
The project motivation is about something that has already happened some action,
activity or strategy that encouraged the company to set up a new project. The project
vision is about what is going to happen in the future.
Understanding the project vision helps you understand where you are going with the
project, and where you need to get the team to be. After all, if you are asking them to
follow you to the end of your project plan, they should at least know where they are
going.
The vision is about who benefits from the project and what those benefits will be. This
could be information that you will find in the project business case, but you might have
to look hard to find it!
Many business cases struggle to justify project benefits in any tangible terms, but there
should be some business reason for working on the project. If it isnt clear from the
business case, talk to your sponsor. They probably have a clear idea of what they want
to get out of the project, so they will be able to tell you what the end state should look
like. If they cant, that is a sign that they are the wrong project sponsor for the job, or
that the project is doomed before it starts. Double check what it is you are supposed to
be doing!
The project vision also incorporates what the best solution is (and your project sponsor
might not know that bit). Part of your project may be scoping out the best solution for
the job using the technical resources available to you, perhaps through prototyping or
by running a proof of concept exercise. Or you might find that your solution evolves
over time, especially if you are working on an agile software project.
Either way, the end vision should include getting to the best solution, and if that
changes half way through the project, be flexible and shift your project plan to
accommodate those changes.
Project Objectives
Finally, the P in MVP stands for project
objectives. You do know your project
objectives, right? And everyone in your team
knows them? Ideally you should all be able to
talk about your project objectives easily say
you were stuck in an elevator with the CEO
and she asks you what you are working on.
Could you call up your project objectives and
explain them in straightforward terms in the
couple of minutes that you have with her
before the elevator starts moving again?
Project objectives shape success. They are the manifestation of how you will deliver the
vision, and a concrete example of the motivation for the project made real. They are not
something that you can make up by yourself you will need to involve the team in
coming up with the objectives.
Take everything you know about the motivation for the project, plus the vision, any
other information that you have from the project sponsor, and sit with your team to
work out how to translate all that into some clear objectives for the project.
Setting objectives shouldnt be difficult. You probably do it for yourself on a personal

level every year as part of your performance review, or maybe you set objectives for
your team members if you have line management responsibility. Use the same approach
to set project objectives. Make them clear, achievable, in line with the project vision,
and measurable. When you complete the project you should know if you have achieved
them or not, so dont come up with anything too vague or youll never know if you have
reached them!
MVP is essential for setting up your project to be on track for success, but it isnt enough
that you alone have this information. Make sure that you discuss the motivation, vision
and project objectives with your project sponsor and team so that everyone has a clear
understanding of why you are doing the project, how you will get there and what you
will deliver by the time you complete the project. Working out your MVP will give you a
great grounding for successful teamwork and strong project delivery. Dont start
without one!
6 Tips to Start your New Project

Starting a new project is an exciting time. You get to work on something new, perhaps
with new people. Its one of my favorite things about being a project manager the
opportunity to move on to different teams and different initiatives means you really do
get to know about all kinds of areas of a business.
However, the start of a new project is also the time where you need to set the tone of
the project and ensure that everyone is aligned to their new objectives. Its your
opportunity to begin things in a good way and make a professional start to a project.
Here are 6 tips to consider when you start any new project.

1. Assemble Your Project Team
What is a project without a team? You may already have a good idea of who needs to be
on the project team, but if not, talk to your project sponsor about who would be best
placed to contribute to the project. You may need to involve other managers as well and
ask them to make their own team members available on a full or part time basis to
provide their specialist skills to the project.
Think about all the business areas that will need to be represented on the project and
aim to include someone from all of them. You may also need some technical resources,
so talk to the relevant technical team leaders to see whom you can bring on to the
project.
2. Hold a Kick Off Meeting

When you have your project team in place, get
everyone together for a kick off meeting. This is a
great opportunity to have everyone meet for the
first time. Use the meeting to do introductions to
all of the team members.
There are a number of icebreaker-style games

that you can use to get people talking. My
favorite is to ask each person to find 5 things
they have in common with everyone else in the
room. This could be something as simple as liking the same type of food or having
children at the same school, but Ive also done this exercise with teams and found
people who have lived abroad in the same country (albeit at different times) and who
play the same sports.
It is an easy way of focusing on common ground. If you can get people working together
during this meeting, perhaps on putting together a project charter or some rules of
engagement for the team, then even better! You can also use the time to clarify the
roles and responsibilities for each individual as well as the project aims and objectives.
3. Set up Your Project Schedule

Your project schedule will need to be created with input from the team, but some of the
basic stuff you can put together yourself. For example, set up the right resources in your
enterprise project management tool and make sure everyone on the team has access to
the online system. You can enter some of the project tasks that relate to project
management, such as the preparation of key documents, reporting milestones, the
overall structure such as phases or stages and budget milestones.
If your Project Management Office has provided templates as part of the online tool,
you can use them to save yourself some work. Once the basic project schedule structure
is in place you can work with other people in the team to prepare a list of tasks that can
then be transferred to the project management tool for everyone to see and update.
4. Set Up Your Project Filing System

Many online project management systems
have document repositories or the ability to
store documentation in a central place online.
If yours does, set it up now so that you have a
strong foundation for your project filing
system.
Decide on how you will name documents and

whether you will use version control (I recommend that if your project management
tool has a version control feature that you switch this on for your project).
Create folders and sub-folders if you need to and ensure that everyone on the team has
the right level of access. For example, you may want to grant core project team
members access to read, write, delete and edit documents, but some other
stakeholders may only need access to read what is there. If you arent using an online
project management tool, you can do the same exercise with shared network folders (or
even paper folders and files!).
5. Write a Project Initiation Document

A project initiation document explains what the project is going to achieve and provides
some detail about how you are going to get there. You might also hear it referred to as a
project charter or a project definition document. Whatever the name, you need one!
It is a good idea to use a template if you have one so that you can save some time
putting the document together. The project initiation document should include aims,
objectives, key success criteria, an overview of the major project milestones from your
schedule, a list of people involved and what their role is, a high level estimate of the
budget and a reference to any standards that you intend to use during the project.
In practice, you can include anything you like that sets the scene for the project and
helps explain clearly about what you are going to do. Get everyone on the project to
agree to the contents and ask the project sponsor to sign it off it is a great way to
confirm that you have really understood the brief and the document helps everyone
understand what is expected of them.
6. Create a Risks and Issues Log

Finally, your project needs a risks and issues log. Again, use a template if you have one.
If not, you can create a simple log in a spreadsheet package, or any other tool that
works well for you and your team.
The log should include key information about the risk and issue as well as your action
plan to address it and the name of the person responsible for carrying out those actions.
Youll also probably want to include the date it was identified. Once your columns are
set up, you can start populating the log with the risks and issues you have identified
during all your initial discussions and preparation for the project. Work with your team
to come up with as many things as possible that might cause problems for the project in
due course, and log them all.
Understand the Value of the Project Management Solution

You Offer
val-ue [val-yoo] noun relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college
education, the value of a queen in chess.
And, I would add another example to this definition: the value of project management in
an organization. That is ultimately what you do by providing your project management
services to the company you work for (either as an employee or a contractor) and the
project management solution you offer. You need to view yourself as that project
management solution, or at the very least a big part of it. Thats why its critical that you
understand the value of the role that you provide.
The Danger of Value Decreasing Over Time
Some Project Managers may not be valuable. Thats right; they may not bring with them
the relative worth, merit, or importance to deem them as valuable. How could that be
possible? you may ask in horror. Consider the following three areas when it comes to
how some project managers may discount their value.
Do Nothing More than be a Scribe

The meeting is getting ready to start. There are a dozen people in the room. The
projector is firing up. You can feel the anticipation and excitement as decisions are going
to be made, issues resolved, and opportunity uncovered. The air is filled with electricity.
Introductions are made and then someone asks whos going to take notes?. Either you
volunteer or worse yet, someone volunteers you to do this task.
Now, dont get me wrong. Im a big proponent of a Project Manager taking notes
because it allows you to shape and mould the direction that project needs to go in after
the meeting. But, if that is ALL you do and that is ALL people think you are good for,
then that begins to rapidly marginalize your value as a Project Manager.
The value of the project management solution you offer needs to go way beyond just
taking notes. You need to provide your input, make decisions, voice your opinion, and
be just as engaged and passionate about the success of the project (if not more so), than
anyone else in the room. Just taking notes wont cut it. You may find yourself on the
path to losing value as a Project Manager if thats all you do.
Do Nothing More than Schedule Meetingswith Everyone

Meetings are the bane of everyone that works in a corporate environment. Theres a
meeting for this and a meeting for that. Theres a meeting about the meeting that is
coming up (you know there is) and then a
meeting about the meeting that was just held.
In between meetings, maybe people can
schedule some productive time to work. Not
sure, well be certain to meet about that as well.
Your job as a Project Manager if you want to
bring value is not to schedule MORE meetings,
but to schedule FEWER meetings. Its your job

to know what is important enough to meet about and more importantly, who needs to
be at this meeting. Some will do a shotgun approach and invite anyone and everyone
that has even remotely heard about the project. They will then sit there for an hour or
two wondering why they are even there, provide no input, and daydream about being
somewhere else.
Want to provide value with your project management solution? Find ways to get the
right answers without having to hold a meeting. If you do have to hold a meeting, keep
them as short as possible and only invite those that need to be there. This will take
homework and research on your part and there is nothing wrong with that. Thats part
of the value you bring. Make sure the right people are there and make sure those that
dont need to be there can spend time on something more productive.
Just be a Virtual Status Checker

Its the end of the week and your getting ready for your weekly project update meeting.
You start firing off your tirade of status emails to everyone on your team with
interrogatory subject lines such as Whats the status? or Where does this stand?, or
How much longer?, and a slew of similar questions. You ask for everyones status
updates so much you would have thought you invented Facebook! My take is thisyou
shouldnt have to ask anyone about their status. Why? Because youre spending time
with the team. You are on the front line with them. You know enough of the details of
the project to be dangerous and allow you to do everything you can to move obstacles
out of their way.
You should always be prepared and anticipate the question about whats the status
yourself. Again, free up your resources to do valuable and productive work, not answer
email after email about the status of their work.
Not Valuable = Not Included

How do you know if people dont see value in the project management solution you
offer (also known as YOU)? Youll start being left out! People will not freely volunteer
information you need, you wont be invited to ad hoc meetings where key decisions are
being made, and you wont know what happened until sometime after the fact. This is a
painful place to be as a Project Manager that can be avoided by making sure you retain
your value.

5 Things You Need to Monitor During Projects
Learn how to monitor your projects by watching this video offering five tips
http://www.projectmanager.com/5-things-you-need-to-monitor-during-projects.php
What is Project Portfolio Management?

Project portfolio management is the ability to look at each project individually for their
particular ROI to the company. Once chosen, project portfolio management will monitor
this group of projects ROI and the contribution toward the companys bottom line.
The purpose of project portfolio management is to not succumb to the unrealistic

expectation that every initiative that is presented to the company can be undertaken.
There are a lot of reasons why projects that may not be in the overall best interest of
the company are under consideration.
For example, it may be that one of these projects is a pet project of one of the
executives. Or, it could be a commitment that a salesperson made to a client in the
hopes of garnering additional business. These projects may support an individuals
personal agenda, but not necessarily tie into the overall strategy of the company.
Regardless, both projects take time and resources to complete. We all know that time
and resources are limited. In answering the question about what is project portfolio
management; there are 3 main purposes that project portfolio management serves:
1. Ensure Projects are Aligned with the Strategy of the Company

Theres nothing more wasteful than working on a project that has nothing to do with
the short-term or long-term strategy of the company. How can this happen within a
company? What likely occurred is that at some point a particular project was aligned
with corporate strategy. Corporate strategy then shifted and somebody forgot to tell
the poor souls who were working on this project that the project is longer needed or
relevant. Its hard to believe that this happens, but it does and it typically occurs
during times of restructuring the company, or mergers with another company.
Project portfolio management prevents this type of disconnect from occurring. PPM
remains in sync with corporate strategy and ensures that each project supports the
companys direction. It looks at each project from a few different angles and answers

the questions of whether this project supports the current strategy of the company, is
tied into long-term growth, or if its just a bad egg.
Tough decisions need to be made for those projects that are not supporting corporate
direction. They need to be cut from the roster in order to free up time and resources for
those project that do support the overall direction of the company.
2. Ensures Limited Resources are Assigned to the Proper Projects

Another aspect in answering the question about
what is project portfolio management has to do
with resource assignment and prioritization.
Now that the list of projects has been culled
through, you are left with a list of projects that
still cant all be done at the same time.
Its part of the responsibility of project portfolio

management to determine which projects are
the most important and then assign resources
accordingly. Keep this in mind if it is your
responsibility to assign resources across
different projects.
Shared resources seldom work very well. This is when one resource is split across
multiple projects, multiple project managers, and/or even multiple departments in a
company. This is usually a recipe for disaster as one group is going to have needs that
get in the way of another group. This will cause frustration and stress for the shared
resource and contention between project managers.
As much as possible keep each resource assigned to one project, one project manager,
or at least staying within their own department.
3. Ensures Resources are Optimally Deployed Across Projects

The final purpose when answering the question of what is project portfolio
management is to manage the resources that have been deployed across the various
projects. This is where common sense project management comes into play.

Its now that this common sense project management rolls up information from multiple
sources. Theres more of a big picture perspective as the individual projects are
aggregated into an overall view of how these projects are performing within the
company. This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the ROI of the
projects that have been selected.
The companys upper management is going to want to have a regular snapshot of how
their portfolio of projects is performing. This could be compared to the quarterly
statement you receive that lets you know how your investments performed over the
past quarter. Youll have to work with your management team and determine the
frequency of these updates. A good rule of thumb is to provide this type of information
at least monthly and more frequently if needed.
What is project portfolio management? Its the ability to choose, prioritize, execute, and
report out on those projects that directly support the corporate strategy. It ensures that
the ladder that everyone is working so diligently to climb is not leaning against the
wrong wall. Think about the project portfolio in a similar manner as your personal
investment portfolio. You are looking for the right balance of risk/return that will help
you meet your long-term goals. Adopting project portfolio management in your
organization will help reach that proper balance!
Project Portfolio Management and Benefit Realization

Project portfolio management process is about
managing and understanding the big picture. Its the
high altitude view of things. Project management is
about bringing the project to completion. Project
portfolio management is about determining whether
it is the right project to bring to completion. There
are a number of things to keep in mind when making
this type of decision:
Do the Projects Support the Strategy of the

Company? Every company has a strategy to
execute. It is their plan for competing in the marketplace, delivering products and
services that fulfill needs, and making necessary changes as the market dictates.
Project portfolio management ensures the right projects are being worked on.
Are the Skill Sets of our Employees Up to the Task? Another point for consideration
when it comes to project portfolio management is to ensure employee skills are
appropriate for the projects being undertaken. A company can make the decision to
adopt a new strategy, which will rid them of some projects in progress and bring new
projects to the table. Project portfolio management is about having the foresight to
expect some retraining of employees to accommodate the new projects.
How Long Will It Take To Realize an ROI? The 35,000 foot view of project portfolio
management focuses on benefit realization and creating value. Portfolio managers
understand that they wont get their money back the day after a project goes live.
There may be a substantial amount of time, resources, and cash that need to be
poured into supporting a project. Project portfolio management will allow for
tracking operational efficiencies due to the project being implemented.
Its up to the project portfolio manager to ensure they have the information that
addresses the above questions. How can this be done?
Monitoring Project Portfolio Performance

Monitoring and managing a project portfolio is similar to yet different than managing a
project. One of the biggest similarities is that there needs to be regularly scheduled
meetings to review the performance of the portfolio. These meetings do not need to be
nearly as frequent as project status meetings.
Depending upon the size of the company and how many projects are involved, they can
occur once every two or three months. Special preparation for these meetings is
necessary, as upper management and top executives are typically in attendance. What
should be considered at these meetings? The following are a few points to consider:
Is the Portfolio of Projects Still Strategic? One of the first concerns that need to be
addressed when reviewing the portfolio is whether or not its still relevant to the
companys strategy. Strategy can change based upon the current direction of the
company. A portfolio of projects that supported one aspect of the business three
months earlier may be outdated. The competition may have gone down a new path,
so what was needed three months ago is no longer necessary or viable.
Is the ROI Still Enticing? A big focus of project portfolio management is to
understand the value and benefits that are being returned to the company. You will
want to review the ROI of projects in the portfolio based upon where things stand

currently. It could be that a return of 35% has dropped to 20% as a result of higher
amounts of time spent on the portfolio and certain cost overruns.
How are Individual Projects in the Portfolio Doing? Project portfolio management
also involves understanding the particulars of each project that make up the
portfolio. Think about your 401(k) statement: The first page usually includes an ROI
percentage that reflects an average of all funds or stocks your money is invested in.
You can then drill down into as much detail as you would like for the individual funds
or stocks that are included in your 401(k).
The same principle applies with project portfolio management. You need to provide a
general overview of how the suite of projects is doing. However, you will also want to
include a summary of each project in the portfolio, which is where project portfolio
management software comes in handy.
Include information such as: Is the project on track? Is the project on budget? How
much longer until completion?
The management review board can then make certain decisions based upon this
information. They can decide to kill a project in the portfolio that is not performing as
expected. Or, they may decide to add resources or increase scope for a project that has
taken off and is doing better than anticipated.
Isnt That What a Project Management Office Does?

Based upon the descriptions above it may sound
like project portfolio management is similar to what
a Project Management Office (PMO) does. Not
really. A PMO is much more tactical in nature and
project portfolio management is very strategic. A
PMO does manage multiple projects at the same
time. However, it doesnt typically pick which
projects are going to be managed or decide
whether or not they are a good fit for the company.
What a PMO does do extremely well is provide

recommendations to the project portfolio management team. The PMO will know which
projects are performing well and which projects are sub-par. They have the inside scoop
on the prospect of finishing on time and within budget, or if things are getting a bit out
of control. Its the PMOs responsibility to keep management up to speed with these
necessary details.
Top Tips for Portfolio Management

Learn about portfolio management and how to manage an entire portfolio of projects
based on standard project management principles.
http://www.projectmanager.com/top-tips-for-portfolio-management.php
What is Program Management and How Does It Compare to

Project Management?
In its simplest terms, program management can
be seen as the role or function between project
managers, the sales team, and the client.
The company has to be large enough to fund

such a role, but the results are well worth the
investment. The program manager settles into
the role of helping the company (internal or
external) realize business value from the projects and processes that are underway.
The program manager has a broader scope than a project manager and is focused on
project work, day-to-day operations, and new areas of business within the client, billing,
and other business related functions.
But, what is program management compared to project management? The following

outline some of those differences and how each role can complement each other:
Programs can (and should) Change Over Time

Programs are aimed at providing business value. Business value is derived from
providing goods and services to the marketplace that buyers want to purchase.
Its no surprise that the market changes based upon buyers needs. For example, when
was the last time you said I need to buy some thermal fax paper to fill up my fax
machine? Probably at least 10-15 years ago.

Innovation, buyers needs, and a shifting marketplace necessitate change. Programs are
put in place to accommodate this change and move respond accordingly. On the other
hand, projects are (and should be) resistant to change. Projects are set for relatively
short periods of time and need to come to completion in order for the value to be
derived from them.
Does this mean that they should never change? Of course not. But, it does mean that
projects need to have a certain sense of stability and the ability to come to be finished
up so the next project can be started on.
Program Management Success is Based Upon ROI

Something every program manager needs to have in
their back pocket are the numbers. What are the
numbers? A big part of what program management
has to do with is knowing how your activity affects
the bottom line. If this amount of money is spent on
a new project or implementing a new process then
what amount of money will come back as a result of
that investment? The success of the program is
measured upon those results being favorable.
When comparing what is program management to project management, the success

metrics are a bit different. A projects success is based upon the ability for the project to
come in on time, in scope, and under budget. Its the project managers job to manage
the triple constraint and make sure those three critical elements stay on track.
Program Managers Manage Project Managers

Another fundamental difference between program managers and project managers is
that program managers will manage project managers. A program manager will be
responsible for delivering on a number of different projects that make up the program.
There could be three or four major initiatives under way for the purpose of providing
business value.
Rather than manage these projects directly, a program manager will work along with a
project manager (or project managers) to accomplish the work. This will involve mid-to-

high level updates to the program manager where the project manager will give a
thumbs up or thumbs down about how things are going with their project.
Based upon how things are going, the program manager can then choose to get
involved and escalate stubborn issues for resolution.
On the other hand, in comparing what is program management to project management,

a project manager is responsible for managing the technical resources on the project.
These are the people that are responsible for actually getting the work done and are on
the front line. This is where the project manager uses all of the necessary skills and
abilities of influence, persuasion, and determination to keep the projects on-time, in
scope, and under budget.
Program Management is More Political

More political than project management? Yes.
Not that project management doesnt come with its
political challenges, egos, agendas, and a crop of
other energy sapping drama, but it does have a
greater chance of surfacing in program
management.
Why? Because you are dealing at a higher level, with higher stakes, and more people
involved. Budgets are bigger. Decisions are bigger. Egos are bigger. Agendas may be
hidden. You have to navigate not only through your environment as a program manager
but you may also find you are pulled into your clients political environment as well.
Then, meshing the two organizations together can be somewhat tricky at times. A
project manager will deal with similar issues, but most likely not quite as complicated or
potentially hazardous.
There is always going to be the push and pull that goes on through the normal course of
a project between managers and resources. Project managers always have to deal with
the familiar refrain of too much work to do and not enough people to do it, but time
and again make it work.
The above are just a few of the differences when you compare what is program
management to project management. If you enjoy jumping into the deep end of the
pool and learning how to swim, then you will most likely do well at program
management. Its challenging, each day is different, there is the ability to identify and
create opportunity, and you are able to see the results of all your hard work.
Whats the Difference Between a Project and a Program?

There are some big differences between projects and programs. If you work with a
Project Management Office (PMO) team then youll probably have a good idea of what
these are. Here are four of the main differences.
Structure: A project is well-defined. You

know what you are doing and the
Project Charter sets out exactly what the
scope and objectives are for the project.
A program tends to have greater levels
of uncertainty. The team is also bigger.
The program team is supervising and
coordinating the work on a number of
projects so while the core team may not have that many people in, the wider team
includes the project managers and all the project team members.
Effort: This is the most significant difference between projects and programs. A
project represents a single effort. It is a group of people forming a team working
towards a common goal. A program is different; it is a collection of projects.
Together all the projects form a cohesive package of work. The different projects are
complimentary and help the program achieve its overall objectives. There are likely
to be overlaps and dependencies between the projects, so a program manager will
assess these and work with the project managers concerned to check that overall the
whole program progresses smoothly.
Duration: Some projects do go on for several years but most of the projects youll
work on will be shorter than that. On the other hand, programs are definitely longer.
As they set out to deliver more stuff, they take longer. Programs tend to be split into
tranches or phases. Some projects are also split like this, but not all projects last long
enough to be delivered in multiple phases.
Benefits: A project team works towards achieving certain outputs, that is, what you
get at the end. For example, this could be a set of deliverables that form a software
package, or a new retail branch, or whatever it is that you are working on. The
benefits of a project tend to be tangible: you get a thing at the end of it. A program
team works towards delivering outcomes. Outcomes can be tangible but are often
not. The benefits of a program are the sum of the benefits of all the different
projects and this could amount to a policy or cultural change, or a shift in the way an
organization works.
Similarities Between Projects and Programs

All that might make programs seem really different to projects. However, while projects
and programs do have differences, there are some characteristics that are similar to
both. Here are four traits that projects and programs have in common.
They are temporary: Projects and programs are not long term endeavors. They exist
for a while until the work is done, and then the project or program structure and the
team are disbanded. This is part of what makes project and program work so
interesting you can always see the end and you have the opportunity to work on
lots of different initiatives over your career!
They have business cases: This is similar to all
the work that a company does, even the
business as usual stuff. Projects and programs
should only start when they have a valid
business case. In other words, as project and
program managers, we only work on activities
that will add some real value and that have
already been shown to make good business
sense. There is no point in wasting time
working on something that isnt going to
benefit the company.
They are aligned to strategic objectives: It
should be easy to see how the projects and
programs you work on line up to the companys strategic objectives. If this isnt
specified in the business case, ask your project sponsor. It should be easy to see that
the work your team is doing on the project or program directly contributes to the
companys goals. Otherwise, whats the point?
They deliver change: This is the big one projects and programs both deliver change.
You do a project or a program and at the end something is different. This could be
something big, or something small. Programs tend to have larger goals for changing

the status quo and often include an element of cultural change but the concept is the
same.
Do you now think that you can define projects and programs as two different things?
One definition of a program is a temporary organization created to coordinate, direct
the work and supervise the delivery of a number of related projects that all contribute
to a particular outcome. A project, on the other hand, is a temporary organization
designed to deliver a particular output.
The Challenges of Enterprise Project Management

Enterprise Project Management is the holistic view of
how programs, projects, and even day-to-day
operations support the overall mission, objectives,
strategies, and goals of a company. The following are
some areas that can help you prepare as you make
the shift from a small-company project manager to
an Enterprise Project Manager.
1. More People Are Involved

The greater number of people involved opens the door for much larger
accomplishments, but also could allow for greater mistakes and misunderstandings to
arise. Youll want to be on high-alert in the enterprise project management space to
over communicate and be accessible throughout the lifecycle of the project to make
sure things are going as expected.
2. More Approvals are Necessary

Enterprise Project Management doesnt flow quite as easily when it comes to making
changes. There has been a tremendous amount of due diligence conducted on each
project to make sure it fits into the overall corporate strategy and objectives. What may
seem like a small change to you as a project manager may upset the entire apple cart.
You will find that it is now necessary to run routine changes, regardless of how routine,
by project sponsors, project review or governance boards, or other bastions of
corporate governance

It may seem like an extra layer of unnecessary administration, but the intention is good.
The purpose of these approval processes is to make sure that nothing deviates from the
intended mission and purpose of each project and how it fits into the overall corporate
strategy.
3. More Politics Surround Projects

You are now dealing with massive amounts of
money, peoples reputations and careers, as
well as egos and bravado that are many times
the by-product of very successful people whose
attitudes go unchecked.
You may find yourself in the middle of a turf war

where one VP is looking to overtake some of the
responsibility of another VP in the organization. You want nothing to do with this spat,
but you are smack dab in the middle of it because the project you are managing
supports the hidden agenda of one of the VPs. Yikes.
4. Activities Can Take Longer

Its an interesting phenomenon that occurs in larger companies that the amount of time
necessary to get something done will expand to the amount of time that is available to
get that particular thing done. You will probably find that there are people in various
departments in the company that you have no idea what they do! They may have been
on the payroll for years, show up at all the important meetings, say all the right
corporate buzzwords, but then never produce one piece of a tangible deliverable for as
long as youve known them.
The other very real thing that occurs within a larger company is the incessant
interruptions and reprioritizations of what is important that occurs on a daily basis. Both
activities will wreak havoc on a project schedule and quickly put a project behind the
eight-ball. Be aware of this reality in enterprise project management and stay on top of
your deliverables on a regular basis to make sure they remain on track.
5. Theres More Scrutiny

Theres a whole bunch more people to analyze, critique, offer suggestions, or even
sabotage the enterprise project management work you are doing in a large company.
When you move up to the major leagues there is less room for mistakes to be made.
People watch for errors very closely and you will find they are less forgiving and the
consequences could be sizable.
Does this mean that you need to be constantly concerned about making a mistake? Not
at all. Mistakes are how people grow. However, you need to be very mindful to not
make the same mistake multiple times. There are a lot of people watching that you may
not have a direct relationship with who can determine the future of your enterprise
project management career.
Enterprise project management is an entirely different way of managing projects than

what you may have been familiar with at a smaller company. Bigger budgets, more
people, longer durations, and bigger results make it all very exciting. Keep the above five
points in mind as you transition to this larger role and youll soon find yourself
navigating the corporate scene with the best of them!
What is Enterprise Project Management Success?

What are some things you could do once you find yourself in the enviable position of
managing a mega Fortune 500 customer? Here are 4 steps you can use when you are
navigating the swirling waters of enterprise project management:
1. Dont be Intimidated
Its easy to become intimidated whenever you move into the arena of enterprise project
management and start working with larger companies. There are some things that could
be a bit overwhelmingFor example, just the whole process of getting to meet with
your project sponsor. You dont pull into their parking lot, park your car, walk into the
office and ask for whoever you are meeting with (who quickly pops into the lobby to
bring you to his office around the corner like you do a small company).No, rather you
pull into their campus, circle around an overcrowded parking deck or parking lot in
search of a space and then walk a mile or so to the entrance. You then enter into a
cavernous lobby with larger than life posters spewing the corporate propaganda and
marketing campaign for the current fiscal year.
You need to check in at the security desk for a retina and bio-metric scan (OK, maybe
thats pushing it), but they do want your license and signature as well as who you are

seeing and the time you entered. Then, you sit and wait in the massive lobby for your
benefactor to pick you up.
You stare across the expanse at the other poor blokes who are going through dry-runs
of their presentations, going through last minute calculations, and sweating profusely.
The Wizard of Oz doors open and a friendly face emerges. Youre in! You make it to the
elevators and take the 10 minute walk to their office. Intimidating? Initially, yes. But,
what you will quickly find when it comes to enterprise project management, is that even
the largest companies are just as disjointed, disconnected, and reliant upon patches,
workarounds and e-mailed spreadsheets as smaller companies.
Once you realize this fact and that you are not working with the entire company of
10,000 people but rather a small group of about 50 people your blood pressure will
quickly get back to normal. You can now focus on the task at hand and get to work on
the project you have been sent there to implement.
2.Transition from Vendor to Vendor Partner

Partner is a word that is used WAY too much these days to describe the relationship
that companies have with each other. A partnership doesnt exist if one party is paying
the other party to do work on their behalf. A vendor/purchaser relationship exists.
However, there are two levels of this vendor relationship that exist:
Vendor: The first is a straight-up vendor. This is

somebody that comes in and does a job and
then leaves. There is little camaraderie
between the teams and the vendor is kept at
arms length from the organization. Plus, watch
out if something goes wrong on the project.
Each party will do what they can to protect
their own self-interest rather than open up to
each other that there is a problem that may
best be resolved in a joint manner. This is not
the ideal relationship to have in an enterprise
project management situation but it is also one
of the more common relationships that exist.

Vendor-Partner: The second level is that of a vendor-partner. This is when both
teams get a kick out of working with each other. One team needs what the other
team has to offer and appreciates what the vendor-partner brings to the table. The
vendor-partner feels this vibe and will go above and beyond to deliver exceptional
work. What if theres a problem? No secrets to hide in this relationship. Either side
will admit if they messed up and work collaboratively to get things back on track.
Most relationships will start at the vendor level. The faster you transition to vendor-
partner the more successful you will be at enterprise project management.
3. Become Part of Their Team

Find your niche and function within the relationship between your two companies.
Specialize in one area and do it extremely well. For example, the other team may sorely
lack organization. You specialize in being organized. Freely provide your organizational
services to the team. In no time at all, youll hear we cant start this meeting yet
because [insert your name] isnt here. Lets find him and then we can get started.
Thats a great place to be when the team from the large company needs you to be there
before they can begin.
4. Lead Their Team

Now that you are no longer intimidated by such a large company, are considered a
vendor-partner and have become part of their team, the next logical step is to lead their
team as it relates to the project you are implementing between the two companies.
Sure, you are always going to be managing your companys piece of the enterprise
project management puzzle, but we are talking about managing their team as well.
Once you have established such a high level of trust you will find yourself being able to
give direction to their team members directly, in order to finish the project.
Accelerating Project Success

Learn 10 ways to boost the level of your project success
http://www.projectmanager.com/accelerating-project-success.php

An Introduction to Project Management Processes
This introductory article to project management processes focuses on the 5 main
process areas that are in place to move a project from point A to point B at a very high
level. Youll be able to see how a project moves from one process to the next on its
course to completion.
In each of these process areas are hundreds of books and tens of thousands of pages
written about the breadth, depth, and nuances of each process area. We encourage you
to explore those areas further that you find of particular interest.
Initiating Project Management Processes

The first area to consider in this introduction to project management process flow is the
initiating process. As the name would suggest, this is the very beginning of any project.
Actually, its a step or two ahead before the actual project work begins.
It is during this process that the business need for the project is being clarified and
justified, stakeholders that may play a part in the project are being identified, and high-
level expectations and budgets are being discussed.
The type of project this could range from is anywhere from a project that a client is
requesting, a request from your company to create a new product, or a way of
simplifying an internal process to make it run smoother or take less time.
There are two main questions that need to be answered at this point:
Should this Project Even Be Considered? People will come with all types of
projects that they consider important to implement. Some projects are for the
greater good of the organization. Other projects may not be quite as noble and are
designed to only benefit a very small group of people. Management needs to
consider at this point whether the benefits of the project are worth expending the
required resources to get it done. They could also contemplate whether there may
be a better way to achieve the same, or better, results with less cost being applied
toward the endeavor.
Is This Project Even Possible? If the answer to the question above is YES, then the
next question is whether this project is even possible. For example, the advantages
of the project may be obvious and the number of people who benefit from the
project is great. However, it may cost one million dollars to get it done and your

company is nowhere near the point of being able to cover such an expense. Or, the
idea for the new project may be profound, but the technology doesnt exist at this
point to support the project.
Planning Project Management Processes

At this point of an introduction to project management processes is the project
planning process. You have answered yes to whether the project should be considered
and if its even possible. You have the green light to move forward. Now you need to
start digging into all the activity related to planning the project.
There is a big misconception about the planning process. Many people feel as if the
project plan is just the list of tasks that are required to get the work done. Its the
schedule of activities that outline who does what, how long it takes, and who works on
the next task. Not so. Thats the project schedule and is just one part of the project
planning process.
The project plan is much more comprehensive than just a project schedule. Its during
this process that you put your plans together for ensuring quality as well as how
information about the project will be communicated. You define the reasons for your
project, the intended results, the required work, and breakdown of roles and
responsibilities. Plus, you should contemplate any assumptions, constraints, risks, need
for personnel, funds, and other project related requirements.
This process is a big deal when it comes to getting the project right the first time.
Despite the importance of the planning process, many project managers will be
pressured to skip this step and move right into executing the project. Resist this
pressure (and sometimes even temptation) to do so! You will quickly find that the time
you spend during the planning processes will make the rest of the project go that much
smoother and faster.
The Executing Process

The next process to consider in an introduction to
project management processes is those around
execution. This is where the rubber meets the road, so
to speak. The executing process is actually two-fold:

There is activity surrounding preparing to do the work and then there is doing the actual
work. This is important for a number of reasons.
You wouldnt imagine a construction crew showing up to work in the morning and their
boss saying OK guysgo do whatever you want. Use whatever tools you have. Dont
worry about how things are done. Just go work. That would be ridiculous and
financially disastrous. Rather, their manager will organize the work for the day, make
sure everyone has the proper equipment and tools, and then send them on their way to
get their specific tasks done.
In executing the plan, you will need to:
Prepare for the Work This is the stage where you make sure everyone knows their
project roles, understand each others roles, knows what needs to get done (and
how), and has the necessary tools to get the work done.
Perform the Work - Its at this point of an introduction to project management
processes that the work can actually begin! All the resources can start following the
path of the work that needs to be performed. Quality should remain at the forefront
of this process area as the team works well with each other, you look for
opportunities to proactively manage and reinforce positive behavior, and
information is shared seamlessly across all involved in the project.
The Monitoring and Controlling

Processes
The project is now up and running and progress is
being made. This process area of project activity
concentrates on budget vs. actual.
We all know the purpose of a financial budget. You may run certain P&Ls as a project
manager at your job, or certainly have a budget set up at home. You establish how
much you should spend in each area and then compare what you actually spent. Based
upon the difference you may have to make some adjustments to get your budget back
on track.

The same activity is occurring during this phase of the 5 process areas. You will have
established certain metrics that must be maintained during the life-cycle of the project.
These may be financial, schedule, number of defects, or a host of other metrics that
would be appropriate to your project. It is now your job to compare the performance of
your project against these metrics, make any adjustments that are necessary and keep
everyone informed as to the results.
The Closing Processes

Finally, you make it to the closing processes in this introduction to project management
processes. This is where you obtain the necessary sign-offs and approvals to officially
deem this project as complete.
You should also compile a list of lessons learned from this project that can serve as best
practices for your next projector better yet, worst practices that you never want to do
again. Youll also want to release the resources from this project to be able to work on
the next project. Also the lessons learned from one project to the next are invaluable.
There are the five steps in project management processes that make up an introduction
to project management processes. Initiate, Plan, Execute, Monitor and Control, and
Close out your projects for the best results!
Understanding Critical Path Management Concepts

There are a number of terms that are used when it comes to understanding the critical
path method. The following are some of these
terms:
Critical Path: This is the longest list of sequenced

activities that must occur on a project prior to it
being complete. These activities have no float or
slack time. This means if an activity that is on the
critical path takes longer than expected then it
will cause a delay in the delivery of the project.
Earliest Start Date: This is the earliest date that
an activity can be started. This will be dependent
upon activities that are ahead of this particular

activity. For example, you cant put the icing on the cake until the cake has been
baked and cooled.
Earliest Finish Date: This is the earliest date that a task or activity can finish. For
example, you cant take the cake out of the oven until a certain amount of time has
passed in order for it to be fully baked.
Latest Start Date: This is the absolute latest date that an activity can begin without
delaying the completion of the project. For example, if the cake above needs to be
baked by 4:00 and it will take 3 hours to bakeit must be in the oven by no later than
1:00.
Latest Finish Date: This is the absolute latest date a task or activity can finish without
delaying the completion of the project. Again, in the cake example, it may take an
hour to finish frosting the cake. If it needs to be done by 5:00, the latest it can finish
baking is 4:00 in order to allow one hour of time for frosting.
Float: This is the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without pushing the
final schedule back. Items that are on the critical path have zero float.
Non-Critical Path: These are the activities have a certain amount of Float time
available to them. If this activity is delayed, your project can still finish on time.
Why is the Critical Path Management Important?

Usage of the critical path management method is important for a number of reasons.
Primarily, you want your project to be completed in the shortest amount of time
possible. You can compare it to using the stones to get across the river. You want to
choose the shortest and most direct path from one side to the next. Likewise, you want
to bring your project to completion in the shortest amount of time possible. The critical
path method allows you to:
Identify the Longest Pole: There may be a number of poles used to keep up a tent,
but the longest one is the one that needs to be in the middle. All the other poles are
secondary to the longest pole. The critical path method will let you identify which
pole is the longest and allow you to focus in on making sure everything goes just
right with those activities.
Keep a Watch on Activities near the Critical Path: The critical path method will allow
you to identify those items that will certainly cause a delay to your project. However,
it also allows you to keep an eye on those activities that have minimal float time
baked into them as well. For example, you could have a task that has only 5 days of

float time. Something goes wrong with this particular task and the team struggles to
get it done in time. Six days are burned up attempting to bring this activity to closure.
You now have a new critical path as this particular task is now running behind with a
negative float of 1 day. Knowing which activities are close to the critical path can
be a topic for your weekly status meetings. One of the risks that could be discussed is
whether one or many of these near-critical path items could indeed slip into the
critical path. Then, come up with ways to minimize this risk from being realized as
well as a plan to mitigate the impact if it does occur.
Critical Path Management Allows for a Visual Representation of the Duration of the
Project: Many programs that implement the critical path method create a network
diagram. This will provide you with a visual representation of which activities lie on
the critical path, which ones are close, and which ones are safely on the non-critical
path.
What can you do if you dont like the Critical Path?

You may not like what you see once you have scheduled your project using the critical
path method. You may find that the project is going to run longer than the client would
like to see. Or, there may be a show or event coming up where this project must be
complete in order for your company to make a big impact. You have a couple of options.
1. The first is that you can crash your project schedule by adding more resources to
the project. If it takes one person 8 hours to perform a task, you could have one
more person join and cut the time down to 4 hours. This works well in certain
situations and not so well in others. If its a routine project that just takes time to
complete and no special training, then it works well. An example of this would be
someone may work in the bindery of a print shop and throwing more people at a
collating project can significantly reduce the time for completion. It doesnt work so
well in more technical projects where the time to bring someone else up to speed is
longer than the actual time to finish the task.
2. Another option is to fast-track the project. Use the critical path method to identify
every possible instance where items on the critical path could perhaps overlap. It
may not have to be a lot, but one item may be able to start just before the previous
item ends. If you find you can do this for all the critical path tasks then you may find
that you can shave off a considerable amount of time from the schedule.

Overcoming the Challenges of Online
Project Management
Recent studies by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics has
indicated that nearly 25% of American workers are
telecommuting at least some portion of their work-hours
each week.
This means that 1 out of 4 workers are spending some time

at home each week on tasks that would have previously
been carried out at the office or other location of
employment. This type of work behavior was unheard of
just a handful of years ago.
This is something that all businesses need to take seriously because once workers have
been able to successfully work from home, its hard to get back into the office commute
routine.
Take Atlanta, Georgia for example. There are a number of people who live in what is
termed as inside the perimeter. This is the Interstate loop that goes around the City.
The people that live inside the perimeter are fortunate enough to have relatively short
commute times into the office. Those who live outside the perimeter can expect to
have at least 45 minutes to up to 1 hours ONE WAY into the office! This means 1 3
hours are spent each and every day getting back and forth to work.
Lets just take an average of these two times and assume 2 hours are spent each day
commuting. This comes up to over 11 hours per week on the road for a 40+ hour work
week! This is one major reason why people are opting (and employers are allowing
them) to work from home.
People in the Information Technology sector are on the forefront of this shift which has
led to a unique set of challenges for online project management.
How can you effectively manage projects among people that rarely see each other face-
to-face? Is this even possible, or is it something that will come to a disappointing
realization that it doesnt work?

Can Online Project Management Work?
Lets answer this question with a resoundingYES. Online project management can be
very effective.
Over a decade ago many IT projects were being

outsourced to other locations outside of the US.
It took creative project managers to come up
with ways to figure out how to manage projects
with people that are thousands of miles and
multiple time zones away. Some project
managers did very well in figuring this out and
others are still working out the kinks.
Regardless, managing projects across multiple locations has become par for the course.
Resources are typically spread across multiple offices over many States. Plus, theres the
team member that may be working from home due to sickness or other personal issues
and is able to move forward with the projects they have been assigned.
Project managers and team members have become instrumental in making this new
way of workingwork.
Tips for Online Project Management

The Internet is something many of us take for granted. It really wasnt that long ago
when the Internet was just starting up.
Remember your first web page that displayed hello world? It was absolutely amazing
to be able to put something as simple as hello world out there for everyone to see!
Now, 20-25 years later the Internet is Wide Open. Free conference calls, free video
chats, enormous file transfers and the ability to control each others computers are the
way we get things done these days. The Internet obviously paved the way for online
project management. But, there are some challenges when it comes to online project
management.
The following are some challenges you may encounter. Follow our tips to overcome the
challenges of managing projects across different locations and time zones using online
project management tools

Different Schedules
Time zones that vary by 3-6 hours can become very
challenging when it comes to finding the block of time
available to schedule meetings, conference calls and get
collaborative project management work done.
When teams are not used to working together this way

they will throw out a certain time to meet. How about
10 AM, one team member in South Carolina will say to
another team member in California. Sounds good
ends up in where were you? when one party was on
the line and the other wasnt.
Solution: Find that window of time that works for both locations. It may only be an hour
in the day that the work schedule overlaps. Just know that this is the window that you
will have your conference calls and opportunity to meet with the other location. Hint:
Microsoft Outlook allows you to display multiple time zones next to each other in their
calendar.
Select the calendar view > right click on the Times on the left side > select Time Zones to
display the window Multiple Time Zones Tick the box to Show an additional time
zone select the time zone that applies and Voila! Scheduling across multiple time zones
just got that little bit easier.
Multi-Tasking
Multi-tasking is the bane of any online project management exercise. Huh? says the
team member on the other end of the line. Sorry, I was on mute. Can you repeat the
question? Huh? They were on mute so you have to repeat the question? You dont
have to repeat the question because they were on mute; you have to repeat the
question because they didnt hear you. They were multi-tasking. They may have been
checking email, engrossed in an Instant Message conversation or even carrying on
another phone call or stepped away from the phone. There are a host of reasons why
people didnt hear you. Its up to you to manage this type of behavior.
Solution: There are a number of ways in online project management to make sure your
team members are tuned into the conversation at hand.

1. First, you can have them run part of the meeting. This will at the very least keep
them engaged in that section and give them a feeling for how it feels when others
may not be paying attention to what they are saying.
2. Second, if you are on with a client and you know there is a question that they need
to answeryou can say their name first. Bob, I know weve been talking about this
for some time now, what do you think we should do here? puts them on notice that
a question is coming their way and for them to snap out of whatever they were
doing. Is this the best way of performing online project management? No. Ideally,
they are engaged in the conversation all along the way. But, this is an alternative to
give them a wake-up call that they need to tune into the conversation.
3. Third, and I dont like this one, you can have your conference calls on a live video
chat. I dont like this one because it implies that you dont trust your resources and it
takes some of the appeal of working from home out of the equation. Nobody wants
to see you in your baseball cap and sweatshirt, but thats what theyll get if they
video conference you in.
The bottom line is that you need to find people that are trustworthy, engaged and
responsive in order to work from home and you wont have to deal with the multi-
tasking issue.
Bad Connections
Sorry, can you repeat that? I have a bad connection should not be something that is
uttered in online project management. Its an assumption that everyone has very good
Internet connections, phone connections are impeccable and there are no technology
obstacles to making this work.
Solution: If you are fortunate enough to work from home, set your home office up the
way you would your office at work. Make sure it is quiet, private and professional. Resist
the urge to take a call on the road while you are running some errands around town.
People can sense when you are dialed in and engaged and you need to make this your
primary focus.
Online project management is something that is very achievable. Take the time to train
your team with the above guidelines and youll end up with happier and more
productive teammates.

30 Day Free Software Trial
There are two key differences between ProjectManager.com and its competitors.
The first is that we give you all of the features you need to plan, track and report on
projects efficiently. The second key difference is that our competitors charge a high
upfront price as well as annual maintenance fees for new releases.
Here at ProjectManager.com we offer you all of the features you need to manage
projects, at a small monthly price of just $25 per user. That simple! When you sign up to
ProjectManager.com, you also get for free:
Unlimited Projects
3 Gigs of Document Storage
Client Login
Free Upgrade to New Releases
Take Action, Sign-Up for a 30 Day Free Trial Today!
Take a Free Trial

Create your own Projects
Sign up to boost your project success
Any questions? Email support@ProjectManager.com and

one of our friendly support staff will be happy to help. We
also recommend a visit our resource library if you would
like access to further:-
project management tips

video tutorials
project management templates

The Best of Project Management

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

The Best of Project Management

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

The Best of Project Management

A selection of professional insights from the Blog archive

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 1

Jason Westland CEO

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 4

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 5

Ensuring the Results of Innovation are Working Properly If youve identified

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 6

4 Ways to Perform a Preemptive Project Management Job

Its up to you as the Project Manager to let

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 7

Take them Off Hold for Moment

Create Preemptive Project Management Systems

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 8

Beat Them to the Punch

Create the opportunities to meet with the executives or

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 9

2. Work Out the Deliverable Costs

3. Work out the Project Management Costs

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 10

To take a software project as another example, the cost of decommissioning could

5. Add in Some Contingency

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 11

Keeping Projects Under Budget

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 12

Setting objectives shouldnt be difficult. You probably do it for yourself on a personal

6 Tips to Start your New Project

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 15

2. Hold a Kick Off Meeting

There are a number of icebreaker-style games

3. Set up Your Project Schedule

4. Set Up Your Project Filing System

Decide on how you will name documents and

5. Write a Project Initiation Document

6. Create a Risks and Issues Log

Understand the Value of the Project Management Solution

Do Nothing More than be a Scribe

Do Nothing More than Schedule Meetingswith Everyone

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 19

Just be a Virtual Status Checker

Not Valuable = Not Included

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 20

What is Project Portfolio Management?

The purpose of project portfolio management is to not succumb to the unrealistic

1. Ensure Projects are Aligned with the Strategy of the Company

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 21

2. Ensures Limited Resources are Assigned to the Proper Projects

Its part of the responsibility of project portfolio

3. Ensures Resources are Optimally Deployed Across Projects

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 22

Project Portfolio Management and Benefit Realization

Do the Projects Support the Strategy of the

Monitoring Project Portfolio Performance

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 24

Isnt That What a Project Management Office Does?

What a PMO does do extremely well is provide

Top Tips for Portfolio Management

What is Program Management and How Does It Compare to

The company has to be large enough to fund

But, what is program management compared to project management? The following

Programs can (and should) Change Over Time

ProjectManager.com 2013 All Rights Reserved 26

Program Management Success is Based Upon ROI

When comparing what is program management to project management, the success