In project management, back and white are your friends – murky gray is not. As a project manager, you want to deal with clear and verified information, not assumptions. When assumptions are made and not validated, mistakes get made, timelines get delayed, and projects fail. Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous […]
How To Manage The Inevitable Conflict
No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to avoid conflict. Over the years, I’ve learned working with human beings means that some degree of conflict is unavoidable. Conflict and disagreements most often occur because of misunderstandings and differences in communication, or worse, because of the illusion that communication has taken place. As […]
3 Powerful Consequences Of Face-To-Face Collaboration
As we push toward a larger vaccinated population within our country and throughout the world, plans and expectations for society’s new normal are anxiously being discussed and debated. While many look forward to eliminating some of the more bothersome outcomes of the pandemic—like mask requirements and social gathering limits—other byproducts of the pandemic, such as […]
What Your Client And Team Needs Most: THE TRUTH
“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” I’m guessing you not only heard a certain voice when reading this, you may have also visualized the scene and context of this quote. It ranks as one of the most recognizable cinematic quotes yelled by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. The fact is, not only can your client and team […]
The Most Successful Project Managers Do This
I won’t make you read all the way to the end to get the answer: they communicate effectively and aren’t afraid to do so through conversation. This one trait will determine the success of any project manager responsible for any project. No two team members are the same – this you know. Like any personal relationship you have […]
Managing Known And Unknown Unknowns
If you could look into a crystal ball and predict everything that would happen in the future with perfect detail, you’d be more than just a successful project manager. Unfortunately, none of us have that ability. Instead, we plan for and adapt to all the unknown circumstances life throws at us as best as we can. […]
Are You Managing A Project Or Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro?
Some might argue the experience feels one and the same. Project planning is very much like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The “easy” part is sitting on your couch routing your climb, outlining the things you’ll need, and identifying the support team you’ll need to complete the ascent. But what happens once you start climbing? Everything changes. […]
The Power of an Agenda
How many meetings have you attended that didn’t start on time, didn’t have any structure, and didn’t result in concrete action items, didn’t have an agenda? Perhaps these painful experiences are the reason so many despise meetings or check-ins. The purpose of a meeting session is to encourage progress in a project, not take away […]
Why I Need to See Your Face…And Not on a Screen
As we come to the close of an unprecedented year, it is interesting to consider the challenges, changes, and new normal that will carry into the new year. Over the last several months, many corporations have been forced to implement a remote working environment due to the global pandemic. As a result, there have undoubtedly […]