The Savvy PM Blog
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Assumptions and risks are embedded in our daily lives. We expect the day will unfold as planned, and risks will not materialize. Most of these assumptions are benign, like thinking the weather report will be accurate; or no major calamities will occur. Projects are built on assumptions. Without them, it would be impossible to proceed. […]
Large enterprises struggle to manage their project portfolios effectively. They fall prey to the fallacy of optimizing resource allocation. Or simply stated, they focus on making sure everyone is busy rather than getting things done. Team members are allocated at least 100% to project work, if not more. As a result, people are working on […]
Selecting a project management approach and framework is complicated. Not that long ago, it was like buying a Model-T Ford; you could have any color you wanted, as long as it was black—our only option was Waterfall. Today Waterfall is still a choice. There are also multiple Agile frameworks, or you can mix-and-match and go […]
Project management theory established the Triple Constraint (aka, the Iron Triangle) as the key to project success. If the scope is known and fixed, then the schedule and cost must adjust to accommodate scope changes. The simplicity of this proposition is appealing. At the beginning of the project, all requirements are documented, the design is […]
.Everyone tells me they are busy. They are on video or conference calls from morning until evening. On average, workers receive over 100 emails per day and send at least 40. A common complaint is, “I spend my entire day meeting and doing email; and have no time for my ‘real’ work.” After listening to […]
Modern management theory is built on the premise of trust. If management creates a values-based culture, employees will make the “right” decisions. Douglas McGregor described Theory X (not trusting) and Y (trusting) managers. The 1950s were an inflection point where the nature of work and management practices began to shift. In the era of industrialization […]
The virtues of high-performing teams are well documented. They are 50% more productive. They are more creative, and members are 76% more likely to be engaged. Gallup studies of organizational performance find that companies with highly engaged employees are twice as likely to be successful. Specific performance metrics include: 17% increase in productivity, 10% increase […]
The traditional definition of optics is the scientific study of sight or light. An alternative description relates to politics and refers to the perception of a situation. The political origin dates back to the Carter Administration when a Wall Street Journal editorial stated, “optics will not cure inflation.” Optics and the management of perceptions are […]
In one of my training classes, there is an exercise to conduct a daily stand-up meeting. The meeting should be no longer than 15-minutes and be well structured. In class, we challenge the leader with common distracting and unproductive behaviors. Watch the clip, the results are often hilarious. Disruptive and unproductive meetings are common and […]
There are many tools to help project teams manage their work, collaborate, and track performance. The number of options is overwhelming—Capterra has published over 900-project management tool reviews. I teach project management classes and am often asked, “Which tool should we use?” My fundamental advice is to focus on your needs and select a tool […]
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