Preventing Groupthink in an organisation can provide extraordinary benefits for organisations.
Groupthink is defined as a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individiuals reaches a consensus wothout critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. It is based on the common desire to not ‘rock the boat’ or upset the balance of a group of people.
Continue reading “Groupthink – what it is and how to avoid it.”We look at why there has been a change in the way we plan and run our projects.
Projects have been a feature of human development for thousands of years. Think of the pyramids, the Great Wall of China and more recently the Panama Canal. It is only over the last fifty years that the knowledge and learnings from projects have been brought together into a discernable methodology. The project frameworks that have first surfaced were designed for high certainty projects. These definable projects include car production, electrical appliances and the building of a house as examples. These projects usually involve processes that are well understood and usually have low levels of uncertainty and risk.
Continue reading “The Rise of the Agile Methodology”We explore the rise of Agile methodologies in traditional industries.
Industries that have used more traditional frameworks for managing their projects are Increasingly looking to Agile to improve their project delivery. Management and project practitioners have embraced the fundamental advantages that Agile brings which include:
Continue reading “Agile Project Management in Traditional Industries”Today I look at the Yankee Stadium project. Steeped in tradition the home of the Yankees changed significantly through the early 2000s
The Yankee stadium is a baseball venue that is located in Concourse, Brink, New York City. It has two tenants, the New York Yankees Major League Baseball team as well as New York City FC Major League Soccer team.
Continue reading “Megaprojects – Yankee Stadium”The rise of the Agile philosophy began with a weekend meeting between seventeen IT experts in Snowbird, Utah. From this values and principles were developed that changed the world.
The agile methodology continues to be the key framework for software development projects. The implementation of agile has been a key factor in the technological revolution that has occurred over the last two decades.
The defining document termed the Agile Manifesto has been the guide for this innovation and has helped bring us to the modern age that we now live in.
Continue reading “The Agile Story”
Project Initiation
Possibly one of the most important phases of the project, this stage captures:
This article explores the importance of project management and why it might mean the difference between success and failure.
Project management is the application of the skills, resources, techniques and knowledge into a project that is designed to exceed the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. In order to achieve this success, the project practitioner needs to balance the competing demands of stakeholder needs and expectations which include:
Continue reading “Project management – why do we need it?”Use these 8 tips to improve your next PowerPoint presentation.
It does not matter where you are at with your career or still studying, the use of PowerPoint in your presentation is a fundamental skill that you will need to learn. In fact it is an important part in your armoury as a project manager that your presentation skills are at the top level. The effective use of PowerPoint can enhance or ruin your key message.
PowerPoint presentations are a key way to get your message across in an informative and entertaining way. Whether it is looking to pitch an idea or keep management up to date the tips below will assist you in delivering a memorable presentation.
Below are 8 tips to improve your presentations so that you can impress in your meeting or alternatively receive those extra presentation marks!
Continue reading “8 PowerPoint Tips that will Improve Your Presentation”There are three unique characteristics that projects have. They are disruptive, temporary and unique.
Organisations perform work and this comprises operations or projects and sometimes both will overlap. Operations and projects share many similar characteristics which include:
Continue reading “Project Management Basics Part 2 – Project Characteristics”This is the start of a series of posts that will give us a foundation on projects and where they sit in our society.
History of Projects
History has shown us that projects have been with us for centuries. Examples of famous projects include:
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when considering projects through history.
Continue reading “Project Management Basics Part 1- What is a Project?”
