Career development and project management tips for project managers
I had two different laser coaching conversations this week about “thinking too much.” John, not his real name, said he constantly thinks about future possibilities and how projects could unfold. He thinks this is a weakness. My response was to evaluate the value add of this thinking. If you catch yourself in a cycle of … Read more
No one ever told me to, “train up,” said a client who made a successful transition into a desired industry. The truth is you remain at the same level until you demonstrate that you have the capabilities to perform at the next level by delivering above expectations. That’s when others, especially your boss, takes notice. … Read more
“I don’t think I am providing much value to you,” I said to a client who has been seeing me for a while. Then I went ahead to share a bunch of project management knowledge resources. “But Wan, I think you are providing great value,” was the response. There’s obviously a disconnect. What was I … Read more
If you have a long list of identified risks, it can be a dreary task to update your risk management plan or RAID log. Stakeholders’ eyes glaze over. Here’s what you can do to create engagement: 1. Only highlight risks with high probability, impact, and rating.2. Then add a column for an estimated dollar value … Read more
According to Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic: “The time to worry is three months before a flight. Decide then whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. To worry is to add another hazard.“ Likewise, for project managers, the time to worry is … Read more
It usually takes a few sessions after I start working with a new client before we establish a level of trust to go deep and personal. For those of you who have been following me for awhile, I think it’s time for me to share more personally. In August 2020, my wife and I arrived … Read more
In response to my post on How to Solve Stakeholder Management Problems, a reader responded that the term stakeholder has negative connotations to many Indigenous Peoples. In her comment, Denise Tregear suggested replacing stakeholder with the terms “Interested Parties” or “Partners” instead. While it’s true that words have many meanings and I struggle to write … Read more
Stakeholder management is the biggest pain point experienced by project managers. In my survey of project professionals, 80% of respondents mentioned it as a challenge or problem that poses risks to the success of their projects. This resonated with the broader PM community. When I posted the list of common stakeholder management problems to the … Read more
You already know that the biggest pain point for PMs is stakeholder management. What comes after? In my survey of project managers, the #2 biggest pain point was mentioned by one in two respondents. It is resource management, and it sounds like:• it’s hard to get resources for projects; we’re always competing for resources because there … Read more
Over the past several weeks, I reached out to project managers in my network and asked them what their biggest project problems were. The top pain point was mentioned by twice as many people as the second. Make a guess. What’s your greatest project challenge? If your answer is stakeholder management, you are in good … Read more