Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

Stress, burnout, and physical exhaustion impact project managers at one time or another. You need to believe that you can get a handle on what stresses you, and diffuse this stress in ways that maintain your physical and emotional health.  Pressure may be a part of life, but it is essential to find ways to de-stress and not let it get the best of you.

Stress comes from our habits or our thoughts ...

Julia couldn't be more frustrated! There were less than three months to finish the project, and yet everything was going wrong. And to top it all, the budget to complete the work was nearly exhausted.

Julia's problem boils down to ineffective project management. She may have failed to complete the steps necessary to prepare for project success.  She may have also failed to create a proper plan fo...

Project management, like most professional careers, requires practitioners to have some personal attributes to improve their success rates. These attributes far outweigh any single tool or management fad with a catchy name. Here are five qualities needed for focusing your project management mindset and leading successful projects.

1. Continuous learner. A solid understanding of both the art and sc
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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 between a Gantt chart and
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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 to-do lists, re...

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 requirements....

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 to deve
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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 and in regular use. Using the...

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 decision
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