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•Why Do So Many IT Projects Fail
That's the $10 million question, isn't it?
The C-suite points at their PMO and project managers. They in turn point at individual project team members and right back up to the C-suite. Everyone points at their project management software. Who do we blame for the abysmal project success rate? (The Standish Group's 2009 Chaos Survey indicates that 66% of IT projects fail.)
I think there's more than enough blame to go around.
As we've talked about recently, the IT project failure rate...
•Work Management Success It s All About People
Finding a better way to get work done is not about technology, it's all about people.
Regardless of the project management software you use, technology tends to treat people more like raw materials managers can push around a time-line like pawns on a chess board. Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in project software—I'm just suggesting that it's the people making up project teams that are actually responsible for getting work done. Project management software doesn't write any...
•The Role of Project Management Software in the Work Management Process
Friday afternoon I was speaking with one of our product managers about the paradigm shift I think needs to take place to facilitate a broader adoption of project management software across the enterprise. Before coming to AtTask, I managed projects, but would never have considered myself to be a project manager. I was responsible for organizing the team and getting things accomplished, but wasn't managing software projects, so I didn't feel I fit the project manager mold.
As I've talked to...
•Effective Project Management Meets the Needs of Executives Project Managers and Project Teams
While speaking with a colleague of mine about project management and project management software yesterday, we discussed what organizations that do project-based work need—and what any business project management software should include—to help organizations focus on those things that will help make them more competitive and profitable.
We agreed that the list was relatively short:
1. A solution that will help business leaders sift through project requests and evaluate each request based...
•Why Do End Users Matter
There are literally dozens of project management software solutions available in today's market. In fact, it seems like almost every day there is a new solution that comes up in my Google Alerts. How is anyone supposed to know which software is best suited for their needs when the choices include enterprise project management software the requires a huge commitment in resources and time for implementation to light-duty project management offerings that are no more than a centralized task...
•Six Common Mistakes that Plague IT Projects
As an “accidental” project manager, I used to think the challenges I faced and the mistakes I made were the result of my background (or lack of same). I have come to the conclusion that regardless of your level of project management training, there are some pretty common mistakes made by a lot of project managers. It doesn’t really matter whether you espouse Waterfall or Agile, if you make these mistakes, your project will likely fail:
1. The project manager sets unrealistic deadlines for...
•Prioritizaton and the Drive By Project
There always seems to be a lot more to do than there is ever time to do it.
Keeping people busy doesn't seem to be a problem for most organizations, the issue for businesses trying to remain profitable in tough economic times is keeping people busy doing the right things. For those with a lot of project based work, the need to prioritize initiatives and spend resources working on the right projects is critical.
I don't think it's a matter of prioritizing the good projects from the bad...
•Project Management Visibility is a Two Way Street
I think most of us would agree that top-to-bottom visibility is something most executives expect to achieve with their project management tools.
That being said, what about visibility from the bottom to the top?
As a boy, arguing with my dad was an exercise in futility. When he said, Mow the lawn this way or edge the lawn that way, I didn't need to know why—I just needed to do it that way. He practiced what we call today, a command-and-control management style.
If you'll indulge a...
•The Pain of Change Excuses or Roadblocks
No two organizations doing project-based work are exactly the same. Depending upon the maturity of the organization, project teams might use spreadsheets and sticky-notes or sophisticated project and portfolio management software. Managing change is an almost daily requirement as an organization’s project management needs change and evolve.
Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Although Franklin wasn’t talking about project-based work, he could have...
•Don t Be An Anti Social Project Manager
Whenever I speak with someone about project management and social media I tend to get one of two reactions. They either see the value right away or they don’t get it at all—dismissing the socialization of project management out of hand. After a few minutes of conversation, their negative attitude seems to boil down to the following two arguments:
1. They are put off by what they consider the trivial nature of current social media like Facebook and Twitter.
2. Democratizing the project...
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