Project Management
Seizing Opportunities for Project Success
Organisations gain competitive advantage by seizing opportunities. We can do that when we run projects too. We need to be open to wins and adopt a benefits and opportunities mindset. Focusing on mitigating risks is not enough. Consider what positive risks could occur. How could you present and leverage them? Risk Response PMBOK 7th edition…
Read MoreIf we learn lessons, mistakes can help us
Learning from mistakes is good. Learning from someone else’s mistakes is better. Learning from what went right is better still. We have all done things that didn’t go so well – sometimes we fail spectacularly. We tend to remember those moments. The embarrassment and sense of failure fades with time but we retain a lesson…
Read MoreProject Sponsor: Three Types of Authority
Projects implement strategy. The Project Sponsor (or Executive Sponsor) is the person responsible for the success of a project. They provide strategic alignment, necessary guidance and resources to the project manager and team. In most cases, they are the original champion of the project, but may also have inherited it from a predecessor. A key…
Read MoreStrategic Success: Lessons from a Marathon
Sometimes, strategy fails. Even a rigorous plan and putting the right people, processes, and systems in place does not guarantee success. One can either deviate from the strategy, or unexpected events occur that throw your strategy out the window. I recently ran a marathon and likened it to the challenges of managing a strategic project…
Read MoreDon’t start a project you can’t finish
Many projects go over budget and take longer than expected. Some just fail or need to be rescued. The Corinth Canal was a fascinating project. Read the story below and consider the lessons at the end. The strategy and strategic abandonment Periander, ruler of Corinth In the 7th century B.C., was losing many ships in…
Read MoreProject Benefits and Benefits Realisation
Organisations run projects because they expect benefits from them. Those benefits may or may not be well defined in project planning. Planning benefits realisation ties your business case to your project outcomes. It avoids playing catch up later and makes it much easier to prove project success. What is a Project Benefit? A project benefit…
Read MoreIt’s a Project Board – Not a Tea Party
I once attended the first ‘steering committee meeting’ for a ‘project’. There were 18 attendees. The meeting took 2.5 hours, including morning tea. The agenda was vague, the participants unprepared and the outcome predictable. There was a wide-ranging discussion and everyone had a say. There were two agreements at the end of the meeting: I don’t know…
Read MoreLessons Learned: 5 key examples from recent project experiences
It’s always important to reflect and learn from our experiences. In this blog, we will share 5 lessons learned from some exciting and challenging projects. Identify Business Drivers One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is the significance of understanding and aligning with the business drivers behind a project. Gain a clear understanding of…
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