Look at pretty much any job specification for a project manager and you will see (in the UK at least) a requirement that candidates are PRINCE2 certified. For those not familiar with it, PRINCE2 is a UK government endorsed, project management methodology. It stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments (see what they did there!) and [...]
Read 'Do Project Managers have a future?' >>
Burn-down graphs (or charts) are most often associated with the Scrum methodology increasingly favoured by many software developers (you can get to grips with it in this 10 minute video). They help you to visualise how you are progressing through your work backlog. Very simply put, it shows how quickly are you getting things done, and [...]
Read 'Graph Burn-Down to Burn-Up the Work' >>You’ve made plans, got people on board and kicked off your project.. but as the focus turns to delivery, how do you keep the momentum going? We’ve found that much of the trick of successful project management is helping people to make clear commitments, which are visible to the entire team, and then doing everything [...]
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I’ve come across two very different approaches to making plans over the years (OK it’s more than two, but I’m trying to keep it straightforward)… The first approach is where someone locks themselves in a darkened room with some ‘gantt chart software’… they think about the sequence of tasks; they phone people up and say [...]
Read 'Two types of project. Which one’s yours?' >>
Before you read this you’ll need a pen and a piece of paper… OK. Draw a square. Now draw a triangle on top of the square. On the right hand side of the triangle, just on top, draw a rectangle. Now inside the first square you drew draw four other squares – but make sure [...]
Read 'A Different Way of Planning – Milestones' >>