Some 50 years since the inception of project management, more than 50% of IT projects still fail because they run out of time, resources, funds, etcetera. If pilots flew aircraft like we run projects, no one would ever fly. However, every day millions of people fly for work or pleasure and flights arrive on time almost 90 percent of the time, delayed mainly by weather. Airline travel is also the safest form of long-distance travel with a fatal accident rate of .022 per 100,000 hours flown. We have been flying for just over 100 years, but project management has been around since the building of the pyramids and the Great Wall. Are there any learnings we can take from flying? I think we can. Aviation has always fascinated me. I’m on a plane almost every week and there isn’t a take-off or landing that bores me. When wheels go up, a slight panic ensues as any morsel of control vanishes completely. I am always thankful for the days when the only major task Continue Reading
Project Management Mentoring: Im Tandem zum Erfolg
Wie würden Sie sich fühlen, wenn Sie einen unparteiischen, unabhängigen und kompetenten Freund hätten, an den Sie sich wenden können, wenn Sie eine zweite Meinung zu einem kniffligen Problem benötigen? Jemand, der nicht urteilt (zumindest nicht über Sie), der Ihnen ehrliche Ratschläge gibt und Sie weiter begleitet um sicherzustellen, dass es tatsächlich funktioniert? Jemand, der Ihnen hilft, die Politik zu durchschauen und zum eigentlichen Problem zu gelangen? Jemand, der Antworten für Sie hat, wenn Sie sie brauchen, um Ihnen die Mühe des “try and error” zu ersparen, zumindest meistens ;-) Ich erinnere mich noch an das erste Mal, als ich trainiert wurde. Ich nahm an einem 5-tägigen Führungskurs teil, der uns dabei half, unsere Führungsstile zu bewerten, zu erweitern und zu verfeinern. Um diesen Prozess zu unterstützen, wurde jedem ein persönlicher Mentor zugewiesen. Dieser sollte uns dabei helfen, unsere Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln, damit wir in Zukunft noch effektiver führen Continue Reading
Projektmanagement: So managen Sie Projeke erfolgreich
Alle Artikel, die ich bisher geschrieben habe, sind auf Englisch. Seltsam, weil ich in der Schweiz lebe und die Sprache, die wir in dieser Region sprechen, Deutsch ist. Deshalb habe ich vor, die nächste Artikelserie auf Deutsch zu schreiben. Wenn niemand sie liest, dann war es zumindest eine gute Übung ;-) Der Job eines Projektmanagers ist mit viel Verantwortung verbunden. Während viele Projektmanager in der traditionellen Methodik des Projektmanagements geschult wurden, hat sich diese Welt allerdings stark weiterentwickelt. Als Ansprechpartner einer Organisation, die für die termin- und budgetgerechte Ausführung von Aufgaben verantwortlich ist, müssen Ihre Informationen präzise und genau sein. Projektmanager müssen Ihr Wissen zu Beginn ihrer Arbeit an das aktuelle Arbeitsumfeld anpassen. Das Projektmanagement ist ein fließendes Umfeld mit stetigen Veränderungen, die für eine ständige Neubewertung der Arbeitsweise eines Unternehmens erforderlich sind. Wie also können Continue Reading
Fun in project management? Yes, you can!
Let’s start with the opposite: when do we dislike our jobs the most? I can give you some examples of my practice: I wouldn’t say I like dead ends, and sure I don’t want to be micro-managed. Also, I wouldn’t say I like the lack of leadership and not being equipped with the tools or authority to succeed. I’ve had one or more positions where all of this happened. Not all in one job, though I can think of one specific position that encompassed most of these. Anyway, I’m sure we all can think of a job where we were pushed down, and we were unhappy. We tend to not be at our most productive selves in these types of jobs and under these types of conditions. Believe it or not, but I have always found that I am most productive when the work is fun, and I have a great deal of control over that work. The same goes for the projects that I lead. If I have executive management with a great deal of confidence in my skills and let me run the show with the understanding I will shout out when there Continue Reading
Another (digital) Transformation initiative, really? Think again!
I’ve spent most of my career deeply involved in technological and organizational transformations, working hand in hand with my clients through challenging transition times. Along the road, I have seen some projects succeed and achieve incredible results, while others have made no significant impact. I will share what I have learned, hoping it can be useful for those who are currently undergoing tech renovations or (just) dreaming about them! "Technology alone is not enough. It's technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that makes our hearts sing." STEVE JOBS (after launching the IPAD). Although digital transformation is sometimes understood as the mere incorporation of digital technologies into an organization, the truth is that it means much more than that. The use of these technologies should allow you to better serve your clients as well as improve your internal processes. Let’s start by making your (internal) Continue Reading
Why good project fail, at least sometimes…
There is a hard reality that everybody has to face. Sometimes our performances are less than stellar, and we are not always destined for success. You can’t always be brilliant! This truism very much applies to project management. Not every project will be successful. A project that is not entirely successful is “challenged”. This is the euphemism for over-budget, behind schedule, or any of several conditions that cause the diligent project manager to shudder. In my next blog, I will discuss all of those factors that help to make projects successful. Success is wrought from motivated project teams, good communications, luck, and a number of other critical factors. In this article, I will focus on those factors that are obstacles to project success and will identify for you the reasons that projects fail. Stakeholder Involvement or Support (lack of) Projects often involve multiple stakeholders. These include staff members, funders, senior management, other organizations, and so Continue Reading
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