How do organizations know that their project management capabilities are reasonable and effective? Understanding context helps to define the project management practices that are most effective for a given project.
People do what works, and processes that don’t create or sustain value aren’t going to last very long. There is no right way to manage projects; we need to find the ways that work for us.
Improving project management is about getting stuff done better. All too often, we need to look at what we are doing wrong rather than trying to borrow what others are trying to do as being right.
Project management isn’t something you buy from a shelf. It doesn’t come in a shrink-wrapped package. What project management is depends upon how we see it, and what we need it to be.
For many of us, the idea of ‘selling’ makes our skin crawl. Yet getting support for a business case, or to initiate a project, is very much a sales process. What can we do to get past the idea of selling, in order to present a business case that works?
Risk management is one of the most critical practices in successfully managing projects. Our approach towards managing risk goes along way to determining our likelihood of delivering projects well.
Business cases are a tool to justify projects in financial terms. But what happens when a project’s value isn’t financial? The short answer is that it has zero impact on the bottom line. Here’s what to do about that.
Checklists and standards do not constitute methodologies. Processes need to go beyond defining what should be done, and actually define how things need to be accomplished.
Business cases are the most commonly used tool for project justification. They are also the least understood. In that project managers are often the ones expected to write a business case, understanding the mindset and approach underlying a successful business case is critical.
The business case is one of the most common tools used to justify project investments. So why do we get them so wrong? What are the cautions we need to look for in making sure our business cases are effective? A practical guide to the common pitfalls of business case development.
