How to Innovate in a Bureaucracy
When you’re operating in any environment larger than a startup, the company will inevitably have some processes in place that ensure things don’t run amok. The question becomes: how do you successfully navigate such an environment to get results? How do you innovate in a bureaucracy?
5 Tips to Stem the E-mail Tide
Facing an inbox so congested that you can’t bear to look at it? Spending your days responding to other people’s demands instead of focusing on your priorities? Feeling like you have no hope of making any dent in the pile? If this sounds familiar, read on for 5 tips on how to stem the e-mail tide.
Fete Accompli
Why is it that we don't take the time to honor our accomplishments the same way we obsess over our shortcomings? I'd recommend that project managers institute a process for accomplishment review so that this activity is sure to become a fait accompli.
Reality Check Yourself
I met with a few folks this week who asked me to help them self-evaluate their performance. These conversations prompted me to reflect on some tips for self-promotion, which has honestly never been problematic for an extrovert from a state famous for our overly opinionated and brash self-confidence.
So You Want to be a PM: How to Manage Up
Hundreds of business books dole out advice on how to be a better manager, but the majority focus on how to manage from the top down. One topic that does not receive sufficient attention but is arguably just as important is how to manage not down--but up.
10 Tips for 10 Years
This past weekend, I celebrated my 10-year anniversary of being a project manager. Here are the 10 tips I'd recommend for my 10 years in the project management profession.
How to Get Lucky in Project Management
This St. Patrick's Day, I'm reflecting on the many sources of luck in my life. On this day when we celebrate luck, what should aspiring and seasoned project managers do to get lucky in project management?
(Daylight) Saving Time
On this daylight saving time, I challenge project managers to inventory their outdated practices and habits and ditch the ones that don't realize benefits--especially considering we have one less hour in which to get things done this week. Here are some preliminary suggestions for which project management activities to examine that you may have on auto pilot:
So You Want to Be a PM: The Importance of Follow-up
It's 3pm on a Wednesday, and you just pushed send on the report draft you've been slaving over for the past two weeks. Per your boss's request, you've sent the draft to the client two weeks ahead of schedule to solicit input in advance of the report deadline. With that task completed, you decide to take the rest of the week off. When you show up to work on Monday, your boss asks you where the client comments are. What went wrong?
3 Things PMs Should Stop Saying (and 2 Things They Shouldn't)
Today, I want to share the power of language that PMs use when they interact with their teams (and, secondarily, their clients.) Here are 3 things that PMs (but really anyone in the working world) should stop saying:
7 Tips for Making the Most out of PM Training
So, you're reviewing your PM accomplishments and goals for the year. Given the amount of time or money involved, how do you decide which PM training course is the right fit for you?