Listening for problems in your project
Listening is defined as “hearing with attention”. I like that definition, because some project managers hear but don’t listen to what is being communicated. In some cases the individual may also be nervous about bringing this news to you, and may therefore emphasize certain parts of the problem and not others. This is one reason [...]
Handling problems in a project
Once this occurs our skills for identifying problems and how to deal with them come to the fore. The first stage is to assess the severity of the problem. If it’s not too bad then perhaps additional resources, scope change or some staff increase may solve the issue. In the same way that we have [...]
Project Management by delegation
One way to ensure buy-in for the project is to transfer goals and responsibilities during the kick-off meeting. Make it clear who is responsible for each task and gain acceptance during the meeting. This is an example of where relinquishing control to others in the team, will help YOU gain more control of the outcome. [...]
Setting up a project kick off meeting
In setting up the first meeting it is vital to establish and affirm quality and delivery guidelines; milestones; timelines for tasks within the project and assign roles to each involved. The kick-off meeting should have the ingredients of our meeting planning skills discussion earlier in the book. It should also address all of the following [...]
Communication etiquette for Project Managers
Crafting the message is another important element that affects the individual’s understanding of a project, ensuring that this is correct can avoid serious miscommunication. Others perception otherwise may be the exact opposite of your own. This does not matter whether you are the project manager or a contributor on the team; many situations arise where [...]
BPM Using analogies or jokes to get your point across-Always Ask
I often use jokes or analogies to get the point across in your project. One important point is to never make assumptions about situations. Always Ask This example shows the importance of the asking before starting into something. His request approved, the CNN News photographer quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport [...]