Category: Project Management Advice
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7 morale boosting tips for project managers
It is unlikely that you will make it through a career in project management without having to deal with a disenchanted team at least once. You might find your team are looking glum because they are tired, upset with office politics, jaded from previous bad management or worried about business changes. There could be a…
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The 5 mistakes project managers are making every day
Some project managers just can’t see where they are going wrong. They’ve got their qualifications, worked on a project plan, and are doing their best to lead and inspire their team. But for some reason, it’s just not working. For some of these project managers it really is just some simple, everyday mistakes that are…
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Project Risks and How To Identify Them
All projects are different but the best way of identifying potential risks within a complex project is to call on the experience of past projects within the same field. Even within completely different industries there are many areas of potential risks that can be the same or similar. The first approach to take is to…
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What Factors Contribute to a Successful Project?
Factors that contribute to project success can be broadly categorised into five separate groups: 1. The project manager Simply employing a professional and experienced project manager will not guarantee the success of a project. Of course a project manager will be expected to have sufficient business and/or technical knowledge, have good communication, management and…
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How to Draw a Gantt Chart?
It is like juggling numerous balls at once when using a Gantt chart. You can keep your eye on all the balls and know when one is coming down because, in project management, missing even one ball can spoil the whole project. Project management has a large number of tasks. Each of the tasks has…
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How to tell if a project manager is heading for disaster
Project managers tend to be in the business of order, organisation and control. They live in a place where trust goes without saying, and where their actions are always accountable. In most cases this makes project managers pretty safe individuals, always cautious about what they think, say and do and always striving to reach their…
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Managing projects remotely: weighing up the pros and cons
Thanks to the accessibility and relatively low cost of our modern communications technologies, working away from the office just got a whole lot easier. Managing projects remotely is now perfectly possible in any sphere, thanks to all the instant messaging, video conferencing, remote desktop software and other high tech gadgetry around. Having the freedom to…
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Making remote project management work
Project managers who work remotely, whether that is from home, from client sites or on the move, need tools and tactics to ensure they are productive and also that they protect their data. When you are not surrounded by work colleagues or your project team it is easy to drift through the day without achieving…
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Why experienced project managers should still listen to their juniors
In project management, experience counts for a lot. No matter how well qualified you are to do your job, you can’t get away from the fact that 90 per cent of PM skills are learned on the job, not in a classroom. New or younger project managers should, therefore, be open to learning from their…
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Human resource skills for project managers
Dealing with human resources (HR) is a skill all of its own, one that can take much training and experience to be any good at, and a lot of patience to deal with the problems of the staff and management. Let’s start at the basics – what are human resources? What are Human Resources? Human…