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The Best of Project Management 101

A selection of professional insights from the Blog archive

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Since 2008 our project management professionals have been sharing knowledge,

experience and learning with online readers via the Project Manager Blog.

Their collective wisdom provides a wealth of how to, top tips and best practice advice,

for project managers, teams and businesses.

To make their writings more accessible we’ve created a series of “Best of” project

management topics available free to download and share.

Here is a collection of excerpts and insights from blog posts that discuss some of the

basic principles and best practices of successful project managers.

Enjoy!

Jason Westland CEO

ProjectManager.com

3 Ways to Make Your Project Management Skills Transferable ................................................................. 3

Project Management Solutions – The Skills Matrix .................................................................................... 6

3 Questions Every Project Manager Must Answer ..................................................................................... 9

Sometimes Project Managers Don’t Know All The Answers ..................................................................... 11

Top 5 Tools to Manage Your Project ......................................................................................................... 13

Top 10 Terms Used By Project Managers ................................................................................................. 13

The Idiots Guide to Project Management ................................................................................................. 13

30 Day Free Software Trial ........................................................................................................................ 14

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3 Ways to Make Your Project Management Skills

Transferable

The days of starting your project management career in one company, working there

your entire life and then retiring from that same company have disappeared many years

ago. Some studies indicate that after the age of 25, a person will hold anywhere from

five to fifteen jobs in their lifetime!

That is a lot of starting and stopping over and over again. What does that mean for you

and your project management career? The nature of project management in general

prepares us well for these transitions; however, there are certain things you can do to

make these transitions even easier.

The trick is to take the necessary steps to make your project management

skills transferable.

What it Means to Have Transferable Project Management Skills

Bus transfers and money transfers may be two things that

come to mind when you hear of something that

is transferable. The goal for any transfer is to seamlessly

move people or things from one place to the next without

losing anything. You wouldn’t imagine transferring money

if you knew you would lose some on the other end. Or, a

bus company would not be in business long if people

were lost every time a transfer was made.

How about your project management skills? Are they transferable? Can you move from

one place to the next without losing your value or having your performance degrade?

Your goal should be to have the ability to move from department to department,

company to company, and even industry to industry while not only maintaining your

worth, but adding value immediately. How can this be done? Below are three

suggestions on what you can do to meet the objective of being transferable…whether

this is by choice or circumstance:

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1. Work on Different Types of Projects

You may find over time that you become pigeon-holed on the types of projects you are

assigned or you choose to work on. That is a common experience. You become good at

a certain type of project and it is easy for you to execute and obtain results. It also

becomes a no-brainer for your superiors to assign you to these types of projects

because they have confidence you will be able to complete them on-time and within

budget.

To make your skills transferable, you will need to break out of this trend and get out of

your comfort zone. Projects are (or can be) everywhere within your organization. Dig

into a Marketing project, IT, Finance, Human Resources or any other department you

are not typically assigned to. It doesn’t need to be a year-long endeavor and may even

require minimal involvement or effort on your part. However, this new group will

appreciate your involvement, you will learn how to apply your skills to an entirely new

set of variables, and you are one step closer to becoming transferable.

2. ALWAYS Improve the Process

There is generally some debate over how much a project

manager owns when it comes to process improvement. That

argument can be left to the academics, because the reality is…if

it’s broken, fix it! People, systems and technology are a recipe for

confusion no matter where you go. Spend time on unraveling

broken processes during your day-to-day project management

work and you will be able to fit in anywhere. This is easy to do, requires minimal effort

on your part, and brings with it great returns.

Gather the group of stakeholders who are bumping into each other and document the

as-is process. Then, query everyone as to what is causing the problems and what should

change. The next step is to document the to-be process and record it in a Flow Chart or

Swim Lane diagram. Finally, incorporate the necessary elements of this new and

improved process into the relevant project plans until everyone gets used to the new

way of completing a task. Improving your ability to improve the process can be applied

to any group of people you work with from here on out. This is a

highly transferable skill.

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3. Create a Cross-Functional Network of Experts

What does your current list of contacts look like? Do

all of your contacts fall into the exact same industry

and field in which you work? In order to make your

skills transferable, it is important to make sure you

have a diverse set of experts you can call upon. There

is no better time to build this diverse set of experts

than the present.

Think about some of the benefits of being connected

with this varied set of people and talent. First, you will be able to find out what they do

in their respective fields or companies and bring back some of those best practices to

your organization. This cross-pollination of ideas is something that may set off some “A-

ha” moments for you as you discover how they solved problems that may be similar in

nature to what you are experiencing.

Next, if circumstances dictate that you find another job or industry or you make that

choice yourself, you can rely upon this network of experts to help you ramp up quick.

They can provide a crash-course into what you would need to know to make a success in

a new company or industry. Knowing what the common pitfalls are, which associations

to join, which publications to subscribe to, and what things can waste your time are all

invaluable as you move into a new employment frontier.

Finally, they may provide an inside track into some opportunities that are opening up

that others may not even be aware of yet. Remember, you should be mindful to provide

this same invaluable level of assistance and support to anyone who has you as part of

their network of experts.

Are your project management skills transferable? Can you pick up from one

department, company or industry and immediately bring value to another department,

company or industry? Following the three steps above will not only make your

skills transferable, but also your earning potential will be that much higher. Don’t delay.

Work on different types of projects now, improve the process and expand your network

to prevent yourself from becoming pigeon-holed!

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Project Management Solutions – The Skills Matrix

Everyone looks for project management solutions that provide visibility into the

capability of the team and the Skills Matrix is just such a solution. Just what is the skills

matrix and how can this project management solution help you optimize your team’s

performance?

The Skills Matrix is especially important if

you have just been assigned a brand new

team that you have never worked with

before. Or, you may be in the position that

you are taking over a project that someone

else was running and you have never worked

with this group of people.

A Skills matrix is a table that includes a list of

the team member’s names down the left

side and then various skills and capabilities

listed across the top. At each intersection of

the employee’s name and the skill, there is an indication (typically a number) of how

proficient that person is in that particular area.

The following three steps will help you put the project management solution of a skills

matrix together.

First, you would include such areas of proficiency across the top as Management,

Leadership, Client Service, Project Management, Technical, Help Desk, Documentation,

and so forth. Or, drill down into specific technical skills that the person possesses such

as being able to develop in certain programming languages, testing skills, etc there is no

set rule as far as what needs to be across of this project management solution for

determining skill sets. It’s up to you and your particular needs at that time.

Next, you would come up with some type of scoring mechanism for each area of

proficiency. There are a couple of ways of doing this, but the most useful and flexible is

a numbering scheme. Below is a schema that could be followed:

a. ‘0’ – This person has no proficiency in this particular area.

b. ‘1’ – This person has a very basic understanding of this particular area. They will do

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fine as long as they have some type of supervision that is closely monitoring their work.

c. ‘2’ – This person has an intermediate understanding of this particular area. This

means they will be able to work with minimal to no supervision in order to get the task

complete.

d. ‘3’ – This person has an advanced understanding of this particular area. This person

would be a good candidate for supervising, managing, or teaching others how to do a

particular task. A numbering system works particularly well in the project management

solutions of a skills matrix because it allows you to do some objective analysis of your

team. These numbers could be calculated horizontally to arrive at an average score per

person, or determine who needs training, or if there are certain gaps that need to be

filled in your organization.

Finally, go down the list of names on the left and determine their level of proficiency

across the top. This can also be done in a number of ways. You can do it yourself based

upon what you know, you can ask your team member to fill it out themselves, or you

can even sit down and go through this exercise together.

What is Needed for this Project Management Solution?

Your team will need to have the utmost trust in

you as a project manager and your motives for

assembling such a skills matrix. As mentioned

from the beginning, this could be seen as the

“beginning of the end” as people with lower

skills and proficiencies feel they are being

objectively identified, given a number, and then

put on a list of people to be shown the door.

How can you overcome this concern? There are a number of ways, all of which start

with you being very open and clear with your project team that the skills matrix will be

used to:

Identify Gaps – Once you’ve put the Skills Matrix together it may become readily

apparent that there are some pretty big gaps within your team. These may not have

been as recognizable day to day because people are filling in and trying to do the

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best they can, but when it is laid out in black and white on paper it becomes much

more evident that there are areas that need to be shored up.

Identify Growth Opportunities – Another reason for using a skills matrix is to identify

opportunities for someone to learn new skills or move into different functions within

the company. Just because a person scored a ‘0’ or a ‘1’ in a particular area doesn’t

mean that they wouldn’t be interested in learning more about that particular skill or

proficiency. This can help identify and start that conversation.

Identify Training Opportunities – In conjunction with identifying growth

opportunities above, it may be that a person really enjoys what they are doing and

they just want to get better at that particular job. You can use this matrix to come up

with a training plan that will help them reach their goals. This results in a happier,

more educated, and higher performing team member for you and your project.

There is one more thing you would want to do, especially if you are working in a

matrixed environment: Take the time to discuss what you are doing with your team’s

functional managers. You may find that they have already done something like this in

the past that can be used as a starting point.

You can also ask them if you can run the results by them once you have them compiled.

At the very least, it will be good to let them know what you are doing so they don’t feel

blindsided when their resources tell them that you’ve been grading them! That opens a

can of worms that is very hard to close.

The Skills Matrix is one of many project management solutions that you can use to keep

up-to-date with what your team knows and those areas they can improve. Plus, put this

as an annual event on your calendar (maybe around performance reviews) that people

update this matrix with the new skills and capabilities they have acquired over the

previous year!

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3 Questions Every Project Manager Must Answer

There are really only three questions you need to have the answer for at all times as

they relate to your project. At its foundation these three questions are what Project

Management is all about. No matter how big or how small the project is, having the

answer to these three questions will be invaluable to your career as a Project Manager.

1. Where do Things Stand Right Now?

That may seem like a big question, but it can have a pretty

simple answer whether you are a construction project

manager or an IT project manager. Are your projects on

track? Yes or No. Depending upon the size of your projects, how many people are

working on them, the duration of the project and other variables…you aren’t going to

know every detail about every aspect of your projects. But, you should always have a

general level of comfort based upon the functional managers you are working with,

project team member, and your gut feeling.

There’s a lot to be said about your gut feeling. This is the little voice inside your head

(otherwise known as experience) that gives you the reality check on whether you can

take someone’s word for where things stand. Or, do you need to trust what they are

saying, but do a little more verification to make sure nothing is being left out. It’s always

amazing how long a task can be “95% complete”, or “almost done”, or “there’s just one

thing left to do” as it drags on for weeks or sometimes even months!

If you don’t have a warm, fuzzy feeling about where things stand right now, it’s your

responsibility as a Project Manager to dig a bit deeper and start extracting the facts.

2. What’s Next?

Going under the assumption that everything is on track, the

next question you need to have the answer to is “what’s

next?” You can use your project management software to

answer this question.

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There is going to be another group on the project that is up to bat. Do you know who

they are? More importantly, do they know who they are? Project

management software is great, but if nobody knows about the schedule, is talking about

the plan, or chatting about the project in the hallways then it benefits nobody. Make

sure that you know the critical path of the project and can quickly and accurately

answer that question.

3. What’s in the Way of Moving the Project Forward?

By the time you get to this question, you know that your project is on track and you

know where it needs to go next. You feel good about the progress that has been made

and all indications are that it will continue to move forward without delay.

This is the question where you get into the fact that “you don’t know what you don’t

know”. Don’t assume that everything will continue on just as expected. Ask a lot of

people a lot of questions about what could possibly go wrong, slow the project down, or

possibly derail it. Then, it’s your job to clear the path and make sure all lights are green

for your team to move forward unobstructed.

There are a number of supporting activities and documents that provide the input into

the answer for each of these questions. For example, status reports and project

meetings help answer the question about where things stand now.

Gantt Charts, Resource Allocation and understanding the Critical Path of a project

provide the answer to what’s next. Finally, risk analysis, risk registers, contingency plans

and mitigation strategies all keep things moving forward with minimal obstruction. It’s a

lot to juggle, but over time it becomes second nature as you bring project after project

after project to completion.

So, the next time you feel yourself getting a bit overwhelmed by the demands being put

upon you as a Project Manager, take a deep breath and a step back. Reflect on the three

questions above. Think about how important the services are that you offer and the

value you bring to your company. Picture what things would be like without you doing

what you do (that one thought alone should make you feel better) and then get back to

work with a renewed zeal to wrap up another project!

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Sometimes Project Managers Don’t Know All the Answers

Project managers are expected to know a lot about their projects. Some take it to a

whole new level and expect project managers to have the answer to everything about

their projects. Not only is this impossible, it’s impractical. If you are a project manager

that feels you can never ask someone else a question, then this article is for you. Read

on to understand why people may be hesitant to ask questions and to learn some of the

benefits of admitting you don’t know it all.

Yes, it’s true. Project managers don’t have all the

answers. Some may find that hard to believe. After all,

isn’t it a project manager’s job to know all the details

about their projects? It may be true to a certain extent,

but the following story shows how project managers

must lead through uncharted territory at times. The

larger point that I don’t want you to miss is that we

should all feel comfortable enough to stop and ask

questions when we don’t understand.

Why People May Not Ask Questions

You may wonder why people are reluctant to ask questions when the ease of mind an

answer can provide is so obvious. The following are a number of reasons why this may

be the case:

They Don’t Want to Look Ignorant – The assumption is that someone in a

professional position (such as a project manager) has answers for everything; some

even presume managers to be experts in their domain. Therefore, to ask questions is

to admit that you don’t have complete understanding. Vanity causes people to be

concerned about how they will look to others around them. This is especially

apparent during meetings, when someone explains something new and asks if there

are any questions. Everyone sits in silence rather than risk posing a question that

may sound dumb.

They Don’t Know It’s OK to Ask a Question – Some feel it’s not acceptable to

question the direction that comes down from above. Company culture may

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discourage it or perhaps even view it as disrespectful. If that’s the case, the company

has bigger issues than questions going unspoken.

They Don’t Know They SHOULD Ask Questions – There’s a lot of truth in the

expression, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Sometimes people are not

aware they should ask questions in a certain situation, such as the one my colleagues

found themselves in with Steve. Maybe a person is so new to the organization it does

not occur to them that the directions they are being given could be wrong. We often

forget that managers make mistakes too.

When project managers are stifled from speaking up because of vanity, ignorance or

culture, they may not be performing at their optimal level.

Why Asking Questions is Beneficial

If you feel your team is succumbing to silence for the wrong reasons, help them

appreciate and understand the associated benefits of asking for direction:

It Makes You Smarter – Asking question after

question and getting answer after answer can’t

help but make you smarter. You acquire greater

intelligence about your projects, related

processes, people, organizational politics, and the

company in general. Your skill at putting the

pieces of the puzzle together and seeing how

things relate to each other is sharpened. You

establish a rock solid foundation of knowledge to

build upon for subsequent projects, not to

mention increase your capacity as a professional.

It’s a HUGE Timesaver –Don’t drive your team

blindly down the road. Save everyone time and aggravation by pulling off at the first

exit to ask your project sponsor or manager for directions. They’ll be glad to help you

out.

It May Uncover Flaws – Another benefit of questioning something you don’t

understand is that it may uncover flawed thinking. Nobody is perfect in any

company, and bad direction may be provided by someone. If that direction just

doesn’t make sense to you, your questions may uncover some of those discrepancies

and help everyone reconnect the dots.

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It Shows Initiative and Concern On Your Part – Asking questions means that you

don’t take things at face value. It shows that you want what’s best for your team and

the company and won’t hesitate to ask appropriate questions if something is unclear.

Help your team understand that the worst type of question is the one that is never

asked. Encourage an inquisitive spirit and reciprocate by providing thoughtful and non-

rushed answers. Doing so will help everyone realize that you put your money where

your mouth is and that you’re serious about what you say.

Top 5 Tools to Manage Your Project

Jennifer Whitt, Director at ProjectManager.com presents a video on the top 5 tools you

need to manage your projects - http://youtu.be/VV2feQewbJg

Top 10 Terms Used By Project Managers

Jennifer Whitt, Director at ProjectManager.com presents a video on the top 10 terms

project managers use - http://youtu.be/7c8xP1gRIWs

1. WBS: the work breakdown structure

2. Milestone.

3. Baseline.

4. Triple constraint.

5. Project life cycle.

6. Gantt chart.

7. CCB. Change Control Board.

8. Stakeholders,

9. Change management.

10. Risk mitigation versus risk management.

The Idiots Guide to Project Management

Watch the following video and learn how project managers can avoid spending more

time, effort or money on a project than they need to http://youtu.be/r5qFLd1u0XQ

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Here at ProjectManager.com we offer you all of the features you need to manage

projects, at a small monthly price of just $25 per user. That simple! When you sign up to

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