In my last article I provided an overview of the changes in the PMBOK® Guide: Fourth Edition. In this article I want to write about some of the specific changes in the chapters. As mentioned in the previous article, our architect designed chapters 1 and 2 to align with The Standard for Programme Management: Second Edition and The Standard for Portfolio Management: Second Edition.
A lot of people are wondering what is going to change with the PMBOK® Guide: Fourth Edition.
Successful project management is a combination of approximately 20% hard skills and 80% soft skills. The hard skills relate to the actual processes, procedures, tools and techniques comprising planning, organising, monitoring and controlling, while the soft skills relate to the project managers attitudes and behaviours. In addition, I believe that a truly excellent project manager must become a master of paradox.
After decades of using and teaching Earned Value Management techniques, we have seen a lot of misinformation about Earned Value, and the advent of the Internet has only made the problem worse.
Even strong, organised and experienced planners have found themselves managing a project that ends up in chaos, and results in missed deadlines and budget overruns. This article includes common pitfalls project managers experience and tips to make a project more successful.
Letting people know how a project is coming along is obviously a key responsibility of any project manager. With so many methodologies to choose from these days, it becomes hard to determine which key pieces of information will be useful to those involved in the project
“Since I didn’t hear otherwise, I ASSUMED all was going well.” The Importance of Communication in Project Management. Second on Rick Klemm’s list of things most commonly overheard on a failing software project, this remark is characteristic of Project Managers who are not in frequent and efficient communication with their staff.
Companies that can work cheaper, faster, and better are well-positioned to develop and market products and services that give higher value to their customers.
Studies show that most successful projects were those that followed agile principles, proving that model-driven methods are not always the best when it came to managing changes, fast-paced project implementation, or even meeting market demands. The concept of agile development is not new. However, many technologists still stick to the age-old notion that software development can be easily designed and the outputs predicted without giving much thought to the more dynamic factors of projects, such as communication lines, people, and change.
Many project managers are extremely successful in their role by simply managing a project plan and checking off tasks as they become “100% complete.” They’re able to manage teams, create budgets, assess risk, pretty much perform all of the basic and yet complex project manager duties. And more importantly, they’re able to do these things without having to dig too deep into the technical details. They can lean on the technical lead to solve all of the technical issues.
Taking the PMP examination is one of the biggest steps you’ll take in your career as a Project Manager and one of the most daunting. There seems to be an endless parade of information to stuff into your brain but don’t be discouraged! By careful planning and structure, you can pass the exam with a minimum of stress and absorb more of the information you need to be a success in your chosen career.
