There is a lot of project management you can learn from a book. And you should learn it. Plans, risks, dependencies, RACIs, governance, status reporting, whatever flavour of delivery process your company happens to use.… Read More »The Art of Project Management
I love software projects. For all the focus on the technology, a lot of the job ends up being about people and expectations. And while every project is different, after you’ve done enough of them… Read More »The Raw Truth: Software Projects from Start to Finish
If you lead projects for long enough, you’ll get credit for things you didn’t really do. You’ll also get blamed for things that weren’t really your fault. Both come with the job. The credit bit… Read More »Credit and Blame
When I was younger, and greener, I got myself into a few email battles. The proper ones. The kind where your hands are almost shaking while you type the reply because you’re so completely convinced… Read More »Why You Never Really Win in an Email Battle
RAG status is supposed to make things simple. Red. Amber. Green. You can look at a project and get a rough idea of how things are going without reading six pages of an update. Then… Read More »It’s Only Three Colours
Every now and again, someone more senior will write an email for you. Not suggest a few changes. Not give you some pointers. Actually write the email, then ask you to send it from your… Read More »If You Send It, You Own It
You will have bad days. You will be blamed for things that weren’t your fault. Projects will fail. People will let you down. You will find yourself thinking, “Why do I even bother?” As I… Read More »Resilience
You’re in a meeting with some fairly senior people. You’ve just given your update. It went fine. Then someone asks you a question you weren’t expecting. And you don’t know the answer. There’s a horrible… Read More »Don’t Make It Up
I like a RACI. There. I’ve said it. I know plenty of people don’t. Some think you should never start a project without one. Others think they’re pointless project-management paperwork. I wouldn’t go that far… Read More »The Rough RACI
“When will that be done by?” It’s a simple question, but it’s one people often seem strangely reluctant to ask. You’ll have been in the meeting. There’s been a load of debate about whatever problem… Read More »Dare to Ask ‘When’