Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

I frequently receive questions such as how do I get started as a project manager and how do I learn more about project management.  It takes time to learn.  You will also need to learn not just best practices but the practices your organization already employs.

This post is not about training or competency studies but relationships. Building the right relationships ensures you get the...

With the move to more remote work, this is a good time to think about improving virtual team communication.  Fortunately, I've been working with remote teams since the 1970s, so have learned a few important lessons along the way.  Communication, for some, is difficult face-to-face and even harder when working remotely.

Here's a perfect example of how not to act with remote...

A project charter is a document that initiates a project.  While some project management standards suggest specific formats and topics, real projects often use other documents in place of a project charter.  These may be contracts, statements of work, memoranda of understanding, or other similar documents.

The best project charters provide the most salient details, allowing the...

To start this week's topic, let's look at a definition of change management. According to the PMBOK Guide - 7th Edition, "Change management, or enablement, is a comprehensive, cyclic, and structured approach for transitioning individuals, groups, and organizations from a current state to a future state in which they realize benefits."

Note that the critical elements of this definition are about...

Working from home comes with some fantastic benefits. One is the ability to customize your office so it best fits your needs. Studies suggest that by 2028 at least 73% of departments will have remote positions. Everyone from project managers to consultants like the PPC Group can work from home or elsewhere. Because of this, home office design is more critical than ever....

Last week we looked at tips for construction project managers.  While project management remains the same across industries (with the exception of some terminology), project managers in different industries will face different issues and challenges.  This week, let's examine 5 tips focused on IT project managers.

Develop strong interpersonal skills. There are many strong and diverse...

Managing any construction project can be time-consuming and stressful.  There are a lot of disciplines and people involved, even in smaller projects, and there is always pressure to finish on time.  So here are five tips specifically aimed at those new to construction projects.

Solve one problem at a time.  There will always be issues but be sure to tackle them one at a...

Your project management career is a journey, not a destination. If you treat it as such, you are more likely to succeed. So rather than rush to get a certification, take the time to learn and absorb the knowledge. Here are some reasons why you should look at it this way.

Project Management Takes a Lot of Knowledge

Just as human knowledge doubles daily, project management knowledge expands...

On the surface, collaboration is deceptively simple.  It is about actively working together, usually toward a common goal.  But true collaboration is not just about discussion and work.  It is about actively contributing solutions that help to achieve that shared or common goal. So in effect, good collaboration has equal participation which leads to a solution or understanding.

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Emotional intelligence (aka EQ) is recognizing, comprehending, and responding to our own emotions. As with leadership, there is much debate over whether EQ is learned or occurs naturally. But despite the controversy, project leaders need to develop and expand their EQ.

Why is EQ important for these leadership roles? First, self-aware leaders can better leverage their strengths and improve their...