9 Project Management Lessons Learned from the Apollo 11 Moon Landing
“We can lick gravity, but sometimes paperwork is overwhelming.” —Wernher von Braun, Chief Architect of Apollo's Saturn V Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins may have been the most visible figures of the 1969 moon landing, but the Apollo 11 team included thousands of people led by a select group of program and project managers at
5 Project Management Lessons to Learn from Superheroes
With busy schedules, tight deadlines and many other day-to-day project management challenges, have you ever wished you had a super power to help you cope with them all in a magical way? Inspired by interesting comments to our CEO’s recent post "7 Business Lessons an Entrepreneur Can Learn from Superheroes", we thought of a few
The Ultimate Guide to IT PMOs
Companies with large IT departments and projects have complex needs that require advanced solutions. IT project management offices, also known as IT PMOs, offer oversight, guidance, and tools that will make your organization more productive and make it easier to scale. But what exactly is an IT PMO? What are the core IT PMO objectives and
When to Use a Project Calendar vs. a Gantt Chart
With so many options, how can you identify which project scheduling tool best suits your needs? Here, we’ll break down the differences between a project calendar and a Gantt chart, as well as outline a few scenarios when each one is more suitable.
RACI Improved: Structuring Responsibilities with the Help of Project Management 2.0 Software
In one of my recent posts I wrote that using project management 2.0 software helps project manager guide his team’s work, delegate some of his initial duties and allocate roles and responsibilities so that they are clear to everybody on the team. Project management 2.0 tools also let one apply some traditional methodologies of structuring
The Ultimate Guide to Project Management for Accountants
Welcome to the modern financial professional’s guide to project management for accountants. In this article, we’ll go in-depth into the benefits of using project management methods for every aspect of project-based accounting. We’ll also teach you what the challenges are and how to choose the best tool for your team. Why is project management for accountants
Project Management Methodologies: A Quickstart Guide (Part 2)
Now that you’ve mastered the lingo and have a firm grasp on our first 8 common Project Management methodologies, you’re starting to settle into your new PM role. You’re gearing up for your first project kickoff, and the boss is back in your office: “So, let’s talk methodologies. What do you think is the best
Project Management Methodologies Review (Part 1)
Choosing a project management methodology is like choosing which recipe to follow when baking chocolate chip cookies. One recipe might use room-temperature butter while another recommends melted margarine, or call for dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet chips. Each recipe gives you delicious cookies, but the steps, ingredients and techniques are all a little different to
How 5 PM Experts Create a Fail-Safe Project Management Plan
Poor planning can doom your project before work even begins. Changing expectations, shrinking budgets, and frustrating miscommunications can derail even the simplest project—and make life stressful for everyone involved. A thorough project plan can prevent scope creep, overblown budgets, and missed goals. But actually sitting down and planning a project can be an overwhelming task. How
5 Project Management Ideas that Should be Extinct
Project management has a wide spectrum of effective approaches. Everything from hands-off supervision to management by walking around... And then there are the ideas that should go the way of the dinosaur — disappear in a ball of flames. This is just a list of the top 5 PM ideas that should be extinct. And if they
The Future of PMOs: Understanding the Challenges
The Project Management Office, or PMO, remains an increasingly essential part of a successful organization. And as new technology emerges and companies seek greater innovation, PMOs must evolve to remain relevant and valuable. So what is a PMO, and how do they add value to your organization?
5 Simple Yet Powerful Must-Have Project Management Features
If you’ve decided to invest in a tool, you want to make sure you’re purchasing the right one. Check out these simple yet powerful project management elements to look for when searching for a project management tool.
Project 2.0 Teams: Creating Project Communities
In my two latest posts (about Level 5 Leadership with Project Management 2.0 here and about Leading Collective Intelligence) I wrote about leaders and leadership aspects in Project Management 2.0. Now, it’s time to discuss project teams and their transformations in the PM 2.0 reality. I came across a very interesting blog discussion lately. Social media
4 Lessons Hockey Has Taught Me About Project Management
Here are some of the key lessons hockey has taught me about project management: 1. Hire Flexible Players In hockey you have six players on the ice and three main positions: Forward, Defense, and Goalie. The goalie is the only one that should truly be a “specialist,” which means the other five players need to have some