Secrets to Achieving Success

  • Program Manager Skills that Bad PMs Lack

    Several interesting observations are in Perry Wilson’s post in which she compares good PMs to bad PMs who achieve success by way of luck. It prompt me to share my thoughts on this topic in this post. Read more…

    Posted in Project Management - 2 comments

  • Short list of factors contributing to project success

    Continuing the conversation on lessons learned from failures and experience gained from successes, Ronda Levine has prepared a post on factors that contribute to the failure or success of a project. Ronda’s post is additional proof of how easy it is to list reasons for failure and how difficult to define factors contributing to success. Read more…

    Posted in Project Management - 4 comments

  • Invest in learning from successes, focus less on mistakes

    Have you ever asked yourself how much, exactly, you have learned from a failure? And did you ever compare the amount of knowledge gained from a failure with the amount of expertise gained from a success? I believe lessons learned from mistakes are not as helpful to us as the knowledge developed from success. Read more…

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  • Start Effective Email With Catchy Subject Line

    If you are interested in your email being noticed by recipients, you must use a catchy email subject line. Especially when using email to attract the attention of people whom you have never met.  Forming a good subject line that catches readers’ attention is simple if you follow the three rules listed in this post. Read more…

    Posted in Program Manager's Snacks - 2 comments

  • Project Manager Checklist to Achieve Success

    Some time ago I came across an interesting article listing Eight Secrets of Top Project Managers. Reading it prompted me to think about a checklist that project managers can use to ensure the success of a project. Development of this idea has taken some time, but I have finally started building a list; as follows:

    1. Clearly document the scope, goals, and objectives of the project and get sponsor sign off.
    2. Take time to carefully plan the project with the team.
    3. Keep sponsor and stakeholders involved with the project.
    4. Spend time identifying and anticipating problems, and do your best to prevent their realization.
    5. Understand project tasks and work items well enough to identify risks that may occur when the work is performed.
    6. Always use detailed tracking methods and track team progress against the project schedule.
    7. Ensure team members are given clear assignments.
    8. Know your team and listen effectively to them. Work with them on preventing problems and finding solutions.

    I will continue to update this page and eventually complete the list.

    Other posts on this topic:

    ▪ Factors contributing to project success

    ▪ Simple issue tracking for small teams

    If you or your Project Manager has a checklist used to achieve success in your projects, please leave a comment with a link – I would be happy to work on integrating checklists.

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