Author: MS

  • Project Success in Doubt

    So you have brought your project in on-budget, on-time and it meets the requirements as documented and approved by the stakeholders. But the end-users are not happy and do not consider the project to be successful. The business department for which the project was carried out will now only sign-off the project if a new…

  • Tools for Managing Projects

    Tools for Managing Projects

    For complex projects that will involve many people, many tasks or take a considerable amount of time to implement, there is huge benefit to be had from using one of the many project management tools available to plan and manage the project’s resources successfully. I have worked on some memorable large-budget projects where I have…

  • Studying with Podcasts

    Studying for a professional business qualification using podcasts is becoming evermore popular. It’s an attractive alternative to traditional classroom courses that may be difficult to attend for a variety of reasons. And whilst there are many online training courses as another alternative, these require an internet connection and computer. There are often situations where you…

  • New Ways of Learning

    Professional training courses are vital in all sectors of business if, as a professional, you want to develop your skills and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques. It is easy to fall behind in the latest methods in your particular field very quickly, particularly if you work in a fast-moving business. But it…

  • Project Managers Must Be Realists

    I have often written about the well-recognised traditional project management methodologies such as APM PMQ, PMP and PRINCE2; less so about the Agile and Scrum techniques. But whatever type of method is employed to get a project done an experienced project manager will know that they also have to be a realist. Fresh out of…

  • The Slipping Standards of Project Management

        Standards in project management such as those defined by the PRINCE2, APM and PMI methodologies are essential for well-run projects that consistently deliver on their promises but the practise of project management does not always live up to the theory. In reality many vital phases are rushed or not completed at all. Whilst…

  • Minding Your Ps and Qs

      I have been thinking a lot lately about all the many IT projects I have previously managed in the oil industry and in the “city” (I hardly dare say investment banking in the current economic climate, even though I was not one of the big bonus earning crowd).   And it seems that the…

  • What Makes a Great Project Manager?

      I’ve mentioned often in the past (to anyone who will listen) that one of the key factors in the success or failure of any type of project is the personality of the project manager.     You can train an individual to do a very good job at managing a project but the exceptional…

  • Back to Basics: Project Management You’ll Never Want to Forget

      Ahhh…projects. We can’t operate a business without them. Some people might dread starting a new project. Others might show great enthusiasm that then wanes as the project meanders along. Avoid project dread or lost enthusiasm by properly planning for and executing your projects. These tips apply to larger projects—things that have multiple tasks and…

  • Mistakes in Projects – are they always trivial?

      I have often had to manage risks in a project and have also written about managing risks in projects but reading a project management newsletter recently made me think that for all the information, methodologies, tips and techniques we can read about, talk about and discuss concerning risks in projects, we rarely discuss the…