Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

Embarking on a new career can have its challenges.  When starting a new position, it's always good to know what is expected of you.  Knowing what is expected, avoids common mistakes and helps to advance careers.  Here are six expectations managers generally have for new project managers:

1. Learn the language. Learn the language of project management.  Know the difference...

Picking the right toolset, and then using these tools correctly for your work as a project manager is very important.  The tools you select and how you use them will either make your practices be more productive or bog you down.

Before there were many online software tools, I used a book called a DayTimer (it is now an online app) to manage my time as a project manager.  I made up...

If you are an aspiring, new, or accidental project manager, a small investment in your career and certification can have a significant impact going forward.  While the PMP® certification can take a minimum of three years to earn, CAPM certification requirements include a high school diploma (or better) and 23 hours of project management training. Many are unaware that they meet these...

Expectancy theory tells us that people are motivated to choose their actions by examining the result and expected outcomes of each behavior. In other words, people will gravitate toward the results they perceive as most desirable and use rational thinking in decision-making.  Use these tips to use expectancy theory to the advantage of your project:

1. Know the wants and desires of the team...

There are four key terms to consider to develop an organizational risk profile before writing your risk management plan.  Only three are in the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition, and you need to read the entire Risk Management chapter to find them. The fourth (do you know which one this is?) is not likely to appear in the Seventh Edition either.  But all four are essential...

Always foster good relationships with the client and the team, and remember that the client has the final acceptance of deliverables. If you are practicing Agile, the client will also be a part of the team. Here are four ways you can use to demonstrate respect for your client.

1. Respect the client's time. Conduct efficient meetings, starting with agendas, and ending with action items and...

Project closing is a critical time for the project manager. For most projects, how the project manager is remembered is shaped by what happens at this point. Wise project managers know that a successful project closure creates opportunities for new and more challenging projects. Here are five essential items to consider:

1. Meet with the client to demonstrate the product and highlight the...

Not all organizations can afford a full or certified project maturity assessment, such as PMMM or OPM3.  But using elementary quality tools that are easy to learn and may already be in use, any organization can improve its project management maturity.  Here's a 5-step example:

1. Collect and categorize key issues metrics weekly (e.g., missed requirements, the amount of variance of...

Decision making is a skill we need to apply to weigh the pros and cons of alternatives and choose the best path forward.  Bad decisions contribute to project risks and can put a team into firefighting mode, correcting wrong decisions after bad choices.  Here are six tips to improve your project and other decision-making efforts.

1. Treat decision making as a process. There are many...