Trusting the Expertise of Project Managers

•Multitasking Projects Quantity vs Quality
To some, project management means multitasking. It means handling a dozen aspects of a project all at once with the assumption that everything will click in the end. Maybe it's the feeling of mass tasks completed all at the same moment that makes this so appealing, in contrast to a linear method, where there's always something that isn't being accomplished. However, depending on the project or person, multitasking can be either good or bad. Every day, you see those that shouldn't be...

•Project Spending Investment and Insanity
For anyone who has worked in retail, you know that customers have a variety of ideas as to what “expensive” means. Terms like “sale,” “deal,” and “cheap” are all a matter of perspective. When I worked in retail, out of all the people who know what they wanted, there were three general ways to make a purchase: 1) spend whatever amount of money for the best product 2) spend a medium amount of money for a decent product 3) spend as little money possible for a minimum quality product Though...

•Web based Project Management
For a web-based retailer to be without the web is a huge problem, but for that retailer to deliberately choose to have no access to the web is unthinkable. I worked for a company that made this decision. The business was an online store that depended on the inventory of three physical locations which did not have the internet. The employees at these locations had no sense of the overall dealings of the company, not only in terms of inventory but also in terms of project management. For...

•Projects and Procrastination
One of my favorite hobbies is to build custom longboards in unique shapes and designs. Though I’m not what one would consider a “rider,” I have a passion for building them. I’ve made roses, dragons, keyboards, to name a few. Once, a friend requested a board from me in the shape of a flying-V guitar. Having built plenty of boards before, I figured I could just whip something up when the time called for it. Despite having months in advance, I put the project off, starting just a few days...

•Project Management Systems and Scope Creep
I received a book once with a cover so ugly that I didn't read it until I was more or less forced. I had been too preoccupied with my other books, covers that had grand mountain scenery or close-up images of time-weathered faces. When I finally read it, though, I couldn't put the book down. It now sits on the shelf where I put all of my favorites. Since then, I have always kept to the common phrase, “You can't judge a book by its cover.” Some projects are shown in a way that makes them look...

•Project Management Templates and the Apple Cutter
In my research on the benefits of project management and work management, I have thought a lot about the power of collaboration not only on projects, but on project processes, methodologies, and frameworks. While it is obvious that there is power in collaboration to get work done, I would like to consider the power of collaboration on how that work gets done. After all the how is ultimately what carries projects through their life cycle. To bring this discussion to a very focused level, I...

•Three Steps Toward Project Phantasmagoria
When a project goes wrong, it can often be traced back to some form of miscommunication. Whatever the mistake may be, a project that fails does so because it exists in a state of what I call project phantasmagoria. As this is not a common term, let me supply a definition. Phantasmagoria is a shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive appearances, as in a dream or as created by the imagination. While there may be some argument about the usage of this word, it is generally agreed...

•The Back Lawn Project Vs The Everest Project
Once, I worked for an outdoor retailer, and I found that there were many different customers with different commitment levels to any one outdoor activity. For example, there were people that went on a hike once a summer and people that hiked every day. Because of this, people were often unaware of the varying costs of gear. Once, a woman who wanted a back lawn folding hut for her five-year-old looked at our tent supply in disbelief; she could not comprehend why anyone would spend a thousand...

•The Snowy Project Management Terrain
Some like to think of project management as a nicely groomed trail with a few ups and downs and a few twists and turns. They say something like, “you won’t get lost if you just stay on the trail.’” But most project managers know that a project hardly ever goes as planned. In my opinion, a project’s “trail” is buried neck-deep in snow, and the only way to reach the end is not simply a matter of persistence – its about having the right experience and equipment. When the manager is sinking to...

•Risk Management and the Charging Moose
While I was at my cabin a few weeks ago, every time I walked out the door there was a moose looking at me. One time, I wasn’t paying attention and I walked directly into a patch of grass where a mother moose and her calf were sitting. She charged, and luckily I was close enough to the cabin to run back inside. Just like this experience, when project management gets too casual, I think it's easy to stop paying attention to risk. Sometimes, in the monotony of menial tasks and processes, one...