Author: MS
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10 Steps to the Perfect Project Meeting
I was in a meeting earlier this week that was typical of so many project meetings I have attended. A rough agenda had been drawn up by the person chairing the meeting but no-one else had seen it before the meeting started so we didn’t quite know what to expect. And one person was…
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20 Things Successful Project Managers Do
The difference between a truly successful project manager and one who is less than successful can often come down to the little things like building up a good rapport with your team and with your stakeholders. But sometimes, no matter how well a team and project are managed, failure seems to loom large from…
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Do Project Managers Need Business Knowledge?
I have been debating recently with some colleagues about whether project managers need to have in-depth business knowledge of the business area in which they are managing projects. By in-depth we specifically meant having previously worked in the business itself before becoming a project manager. In fact, there are some organisations that use…
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The Unique Challenges of Managing Global Projects
Managing a global project presents a unique set of challenges apart from the obvious ones of different physical locations and time zones. There are also likely to be cultural issues that extend far beyond language barriers; as well as issues of efficiency, administration and reporting. Many large companies have a worldwide presence and…
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10 Ways to Motivate your Project Team
I’ve been reading a lot lately about what motivates a person in a work environment and, more specifically, in a project environment. Motivation is one of those things that is different for different individuals but if you can get it right in your project team then a motivated team can overcome all sorts of problems…
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What Does a Project Manager Do All Day?
Being a Project Manager is a multi-skilled role and when I was thinking recently about what exactly that role involved my first thoughts, naturally, were the “managing” aspects. It is fairly obvious that a project manager manages: Budget Schedule Risks Quality Change But being an effective, successful project manager involves far more than simply “managing”…
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Project Management Quotes to Inspire You
Working ten hour days allows you to fall behind twice as fast as you could working five hour days. – Issac Assimov Trying to manage a project without project management is like trying to play a football game without a game plan. – K. Tate A project without a critical path is like a…
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The Yin and Yang of Project Management
Project management can sometimes seem to be a job of opposites – sometimes sitting in front of your screen preparing project plans, documentation and reports. But at other times you’re out and about sorting out problems that could impact the project’s success or diplomatically resolving personality clashes that could lead to a crisis. And whether…
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How Business Analysts Can Deal With Cultural Differences
Many businesses are increasingly operating in a global work environment; using the best teams and people from a variety of regions and countries to complete their projects. In this way they can draw on strengths from certain groups and also minimise costs. Consequently more and more people are working with remote colleagues and collaborating with…
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Project Management Burnout – How To Combat It
There are few project managers who haven’t had to deal with some levels of stress or burnout during their working life, no matter how much experience they have in the field or how many qualifications they have. Project management is a highly demanding and fast paced job, so this should unfortunately come as little surprise.…
