Project managers are as diverse a bunch as projects can be themselves. Perfect project managers don’t exist, any more than perfect people do. However, some project managers are undeniably easier to work with, better at what they do and ultimately more successful and in demand. So, what exactly distinguishes these project managers from the rest? […]
What Makes the Perfect Project Manager? Read More »
In IT Projects, when something unexpected happens, I get better results when I respond, than when I react. You may have sussed this for yourself ages ago but my epiphany, strangely, came when I met a St John Ambulance community first responder. He was telling me about a traffic accident that he’d attended. He was
Managing IT Projects: Respond Don’t React Read More »
I was reminded of an old Monty Python sketch today. Did you ever see Life of Brian? One of the characters Reg, played by John Cleese, asks “What have the Romans ever done for us?” One by one, other characters pipe up with loads of suggestions … medicine … roads … public order … Eventually,
Have you ever taken on an IT Project, only to find that a major challenge either wasn’t mentioned in the handover from the departing Project Manager or, if it was, it was implicit – not explicit. It’s like those horror movies where a family buys a house only to find out, after they move in,
How to deal with what wasn’t in the IT project handover Read More »
With the success of my first eBook, I am delighted to publish Volume II. The book covers a wealth of topics from Stonseed’s Project Management as a Service and our IT services, to an array Project and Programme Management issues. Volume II of Straight Talk on Project Management is now available for download as an
Straight Talk on Project Management VOLUME II – Free E-Book Read More »
“Beware of Jim, he’s a bit of an ogre!” I was once warned about a project leader at a new firm I had joined. Jim wasn’t the chap’s real name, by the way, and “ogre” wasn’t quite the word that was used. Anyway, it turned out that “Jim” wasn’t really an “ogre”. He was just
How to be assertive and why IT project leaders must be Read More »
This journey started with sprouts. Run with me. My epiphany came last Christmas when I asked a family member why, having peeled the sprouts, she was now cutting a little cross into the base of each one. Her answer was, “I don’t know, it’s just what my Mum always did.” We Googled it and it
7 Dysfunctional Beliefs of IT Project Management Read More »
Originally published on CIO.com Traditionally a project is judged complete when it is transitioned into service. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate this endpoint. A CIO asked me this recently because his team was expressing an interest in extending their role so that they could assess their project ‘from the other side’. Traditionally, as a PM
Where does an IT Project Manager’s job end? Read More »
There was a time when collaborations between music artists were a rarity. Queen and David Bowie, George Michael and Aretha Franklin, Lionel Richie and Diana Ross … they stood out. It was quite exciting when your favourite artist teamed up with someone else because the outcome was always something magical. These days ‘collabs’ are more
Collaboration. If it’s good enough for Paul McCartney… Read More »
When the Government announced changes to IR35 and off-payroll working rules for public sector workers like IT contractors, a wave of confusion rippled through online forums used by contractors and hirers alike. There are some great online resources that explain the changes, not least the one published by Stoneseed, in this post we’ll explore ways
IR35 – how to avoid Public Sector IT talent shortages Read More »
