Managing PMO Processes: Tip 1 - Think process, not methodology.

Methodologies are static and quickly become out of date. Methodologies often give an illusion of project management consistency, when in reality most users don't read or follow lengthy, "one size fits all", methodologies. Focus on PMO processes and best practices that are scalable to project type and size and answer not just the "what is to be done", but the "who, when, where, how, and why" of the work effort as well.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 8 - Not negotiating responsibly.

Negotiating is a complex process but one that is well worth mastering.  If you keep in mind that by negotiating responsibly you will achieve better results and greater success, you will find the process easier to execute and more enjoyable. Negotiating responsibly will also help you to maintain a personal distance from the frustration and aggravation that can sometimes occur in difficult situations and with difficult people.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 7 - Not negotiating at a good time.

There are good times to negotiate and there are bad times to negotiate. Bad times include those situations where there is a high degree of anger on either side, a preoccupation with something else, a high level of stress, or tiredness on one or both sides of the table. Plan negotiation timeframes to avoid these times. If they arise during negotiations, take a break or even reschedule to a better, more productive, time. Not negotiating at a good time puts you at a disadvantage and, in itself, can be a barrier to project negotiating.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 6 - Not maintaining composure.

It is easy to lose composure when negotiating and it is normal to become emotional during a negotiation that is important, especially when you are not getting what you need or are flat our losing. However, if you lose your composure and get more emotional, you are less likely to negotiate skillfully and much less likely to channel your negotiating behavior in a constructive manner.  It is important to maintain control and to remove your personal feelings from the dialog. Remember, when you lose your composure you usually lose the negotiation.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 5 - Not preparing for the negotiation.

Before entering into a negotiating session, prepare some options that you can suggest if your preferred solution is not acceptable.  Also, think through and clearly justify to yourself the items that you are willing to give up and the items that you are not. Anticipate why the other person may resist your suggestion, and be prepared to counter with an understanding and an alternative. Any surpises to you are a clear sign that you were not sufficiently prepared for the negotiation.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 4 - Not understanding the other person.

In order to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties, it helps greatly to understand the other party's needs and wants with respect to the issue.  If we don't know what the person needs or wants, and in some degree of priority order, it is impossible to arrive at a negotiated "win-win" result. It will also be very difficult to even negotiate at all.  However, when we take the time to find out about the other person, we usually discover that there are no significant, insurmountable, issues or problems that prevent a solution to be reached.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 3 - Blaming the other person.

In any conflict or negotiation, each party contributes, for better or worse.  If you blame the other person for the project difficulty you are likely to create an angry and confrontational situation.  If you take responsibility for the problem at hand, you will create a spirit of cooperation. Seek to apply the appropriate situational leadership style and focus on solving the problem and finding a "win-win" going forward solution, not placing blame.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 2 - Trying to win at all costs.

If you have to "win", then someone else has to lose. That can create hard feelings and more difficulty down the road.  Typically, the best perspective in negotiation is to try to find an outcome where both parties "win".  This will create an atmosphere of partnership, trust, and willingness to see a problem from more than one perspective. Try not to view negotiation as a contest that must be won. Such victories can often be Pyrrhic.

Barriers to Project Negotiating: Tip 1 - Being confrontational.

Project negotiations need not be confrontational. To the contrary, the most effective project negotiations are those negotiations that are characterized by all of the parties involved in the project working together to understand the problem and to find a solution. By mindful that the attitude that you take in negotiations will set the tone for the interaction.  If you are or others perceive you to be confrontational, you might find yourself with a fight on your hands or even alienated from those want to work as a team.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 10 - Maintain a Top Projects Dashboard.

Project dashboarding can be an effective way to communicate the status of top projects and the direction that they are trending. In addition to cost and time, it can be very helpful and actionable to dashboard the top projects status for quality, risk, as well as how well the project aligns to strategic objectives or compliance and oversight requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley. Top projects dashboarding does not have to involve the use of a complex and expensive PPM tool. In fact, often times, even those organizations that have PPM tools find that a top projects dashboard can be very useful in providing the executive summary information for project status and trending, first, and prior to delving into the PPM tool for further information and analysis.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 9 - Collaboration technology is there to help.

Increasingly, organizations are seeking to do more and more with the same level of resources. Collaboration technology can help. Whether using a vendor platform or an in-house developed framework, providing access to project life cycle best practices, completed projects documentation, and project status dashboarding can play a key role in shortening project life cycle, reducing costs, and ensuring quality objectives are met. All organizations have a great deal of content and knowledge. Collaboration technology can help to make content and knowledge, especially project management related content and knowledge, accessible, usable, and online to the task at hand.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 8 - Don't Forget About Quality.

Everyone knows the triple constraints (Quality, Time, and Cost), but so often the management of the project has a myopic focus on budget and schedule. Quality is often left out of the picture. How often are project managers asked, "is the project on time and on budget?" Almost always. Seek to manage and measure quality so that in addition to delivering the project on time and on budget, the product of the project fulfills the user's requirements. Project Quality Management not only will prevent rework, but enable the ROI of the project to be realized, typically a much more significant dollar amount than the project cost.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 7 - Be Aware of Other Projects and Priorities.

Don't operate in a vacuum. Project team memberss are often multi-tasked and may be pulled in many different directions. Ignoring these other projects and priorities will engender resentment and inaction for the team members with multiple duties. When you are unresponsive to the projects and prioriteis of others in times of their need, they will be unresponsive to you in times of your need.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 6 - Ensure the Right Amount of Resources.

Not having the right amount of resource or having the right amount with the wrong skill mix can be a cause of project failure. Insist that management provide appropriate resources either from internal staff or if necessary by hiring some resources on a contract basis.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 5 - Initiate the Project Properly.

Not initiating a project properly with sufficient time spent to define and agree the user requirements, create a realistic plan and gain buy-in from all of the stakeholders means you're almost certainly destined for problems. Resist the temptation to start the project too early before it has been properly initiated. Don't be rushed into starting the work on the assumption that it will result in an earlier delivery. The reality is that poor initiation extends projects by causing rework, errors and omissions. Just say no when pushed and never start too early.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 4 - Set Realistic Expectations.

Often times, unrealistic expectations are set to please a customer, to meet a calendar deadline, or to fall within a certain budget amount. Such early expectations can not only be unrealistic, but they can often become, in the eyes of the customer, the real expectations and commitments for the project leading to inevitable frustration and disappointment when they can't possibly be met. Avoid unrealistic expectations by letting the project plan set quality, cost, and time expectations, rather than early commentary and opinion.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 3 - Communicate Formally.

Many projects fail or at least experience difficulties due to a lack of formal communications. Though time and focus is traditionally given to planning and scheduling, it is equally important to place a priority on regular and formal communications and interaction. For most project efforts, sending project status emails to a project distribution list with various file attachments, simply does not work. Formal communcations need not be time consuming nor bureacratic; rather planned, agreed to, and executed as opposed to ad hoc or periodic best efforts.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 2 - Use a Methodology.

Using a structured systems development methodology is one of the critical success factors in a systems development project. Phase exits and quality control points help to ensure a successful project. For example, the functional design review after the functional design is completed is an often skipped, and later regretted, step. Manage requirements throughout the SDLC from initial definition to user acceptance testing at the end of the process.

Avoiding Project Failure: Tip 1 - Project Manager Skill and Experience.

A highly skilled and experienced project manager knows how to work with all stakeholders and participants to avoid project failures. Project management education and mentoring programs are essential and, along with experience managing projects, will greatly increase the project manager's ability to avoid project failures.

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 8 - Assessing Project Management Risks.

Assess project management risks by asking yourself the following:

• Does upper management support the project effort?
• Have all project stakeholders been identified?
• Does the project manager have requisite skills and experience?
• Is there a detailed plan including time, schedule, and resources for completion of the project?
• Do the people implementing the project understand the project objectives?
• Is the project monitored and measured?
• Have client acceptance criteria been defined?
• Is there a plan to manage quality?
• Is there a plan to manage risk?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 7 - Assessing Operational Risks.

Assess operational risks by asking yourself the following:

• Is the user's business environment stable?
• Will the existing IT environment support the application?
• Is there adequate project documentation to permit use by the client?
• Have potential users been contacted about the usefulness of the project?
• Will new hardware need to be procured?
• Will new networking equipment be needed?
• Will the produced system meet the needs of the user?
• Are the user's functional requirements testable?
• Are all project baseline deliverables under configuration management?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 6 - Assessing Communication Risks.

Assess communication risks by asking yourself the following:

• Are the project's goals and objectives clearly defined and stated?
• Are the project's goals verifiable?
• Have the basic goals been communicated to the project team?
• Does the project team understand and agree with the goals?
• Are all project stakeholders identified?
• Are stakeholders kept informed of the project status?
• Are project issues reported and tracked?
• Do project communication policies, guidelines, and reports exist?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 5 - Assessing Technical Risks.

Assess technical risks by asking yourself the following:

• Are the business functional requirements defined?
• Are the business functional requirements stable?
• Will the project follow a defined methodology?
• Does the project team understand the methodology?
• Are structured walkthroughs conducted for key project deliverables?
• Is the technology new or extremely complex?
• Are all project problems identified, documented, and acted upon?
• Is the organization ready and able to support the new application?
• Do process policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines exist?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 4 - Assessing Financial Risks.

Assess financial risks by asking yourself the following:

• Is the project funding secured?
• Is the project funding adequate?
• Is the project funding based upon work-level estimates?
• Has a cost/benefit analysis been performed?
• Are benefits verifiable?
• Has senior management reviewed and approved the cost/benefit analysis?
• Is there a detailed budget for the project?
• Is there a contingency plan for budget overruns?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 3 - Assessing Resource Risks.

Assess resource risks by asking yourself the following:

• Are key personnel needs identified in the project plan?
• Are project team skill requirements clearly defined?
• Do project team members understand their roles and responsibilities?
• Are all team members trained?
• Is the development team at a central location?
• Is there sufficient manpower to complete the project?
• Is there a contingency plan for resource risks?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 2 - Assessing Schedule Risks.

Assess schedule risks by asking yourself the following:

• Is there a project plan that provides task level detail?
• Have estimates been provided at the task level?
• Has the critical path been identified?
• Is work completed regularly compared to the project schedule?
• Is there a contingency plan for schedule variances?
• Is the schedule achievable?

Risk Management Survival Skills: Tip 1 - Maintain a Risk Profile.

Throughout the project life cycle, different kinds of risks are incurred and the overall project risk profile may change. Project risk types can include schedule, resource, financial, technical, operational, organization, political, and many others. Maintain and periodically review a project risk profile to verify and validate potential risks and plan for their mitigation.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 8 - Life Cycle Optimization.

Periodically assess and optimize the product GTM plan to its life cycle. Products and services follow predictable life cycles such as the technology adoption life cycle. Strategies well suited for one life cycle phase such as "early adopter" may be not as well suited for another phase such as "early majority". GTM plan life cycle optimization enables identification and investment in the most effective mix of marketing resources and activities.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 7 - GTM Scorecarding.

Use GTM scorecarding to ensure that plan elements are achieved, business unit activity targets and objectives are being met, and that the GTM plan remains functionally aligned to its financial plan. For each business unit involved in the execution of the GTM plan, review activity target quotas and attainments such as lead generation by marketing mix, sales pipeline clothing and conversion, channel sales enablement and performance, etc., to early identify and correct plan areas not achieving minimal levels of acceptable performance.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 6 - Financial Plan Baseline.

Create a baseline financial plan that functionally aligns the business unit objectives and activity targets with the GTM product/service revenue goals. The finanical plan is used to guide execution and is the baseline for measurement and control. GTM financial planning is an iterative refinement process that includes negotiation among the business units to ensure the results are achievable. The GTM financial plan provides a clear view of measurable objectives required for success and activity targets required to be achieved in order to attain the performance objectives.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 5 - Routes to Market.

Determine what's needed to sell the whole solution based upon customer buying behavior, market dynamics, and the requirements of the whole solution. Develop a map of alternative resources that best meet each market segment's needs throughout the sales cycle. Assess financial viability of each preferred route and develop programs, incentives, and management controls to ensure results are achieved.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 4 - Defining Whole Solutions.

Determine what customers, in each target market segment, need in order to completely fill their compelling reasons to buy. Identify and prioritize the key needs that are not provided by generic solutions. Define and differentiate the product in terms of its core value, parity with competition and other alternatives, additional value add, and its future value promise. Constantly assess the marketability of the product in terms of its unique and compelling reasons for its purchase.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 3 - Market Segmentation.

Segment your market based upon market attractiveness as well as the ability of your business to serve the segment. Determine the most attractive market segments for your product or service offering based upon such metrics as market size, growth rate, profitability, and strategic fit with your overall corporate direction. Be sure to also segment and select your market segments based upon the ability of your business to serve the identified segment. An attractive segment that can not be effectively serviced may rank well below less attractive segments that can be more effectively serviced.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 2 - Define the Market.

As part of the market segmentation process, first define the relevant market in terms of customer value delivered, not technology or product features implemented. For example, don't think you are in the "Wrestling" business when you are really in the "Entertainment" business. Customer Value oriented thinking will facilitate value proposition based marketing and feature, advantage, benefit based selling. As part of your market definition, be sure to assess market trends and existing or potential alternatives and substitutions for your products and services.

Go-to-Market Project: Tip 1 - Improve results with process and measurement.

Many organizations struggle to bring products to market relying on hope and prayer. Successful firms employ proven "Go-to-Market" processes with measurable and optimizable performance objectives aligned to the product multi-year product pro forma income statement. Ensure that all financial goals can be distinctly assigned and effectively measured and that there is functional linkage and integrity between the financial plan and objectives for the business units contributing to plan attainment.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 8 - Project Archives.

The project practices post closing process archiving of the project artifacts. Past project archives can be useful for for historical information and review. Project artifacts can be reviewed as part of project audit and performance scorecarding to assess whether or not estimated product of the project benefits were realized. Project artifacts can also be reviewed for potential reuse in support of new project efforts of similar scope.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 7 - Change Management.

The project practices change management. Change requests are documented, proposed, and evaluated by the concerned parties prior to being resolved. The project manager should organize and evaluate changes in batches when possible so that the project is not distracted by a constant barrage of change requests.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 6 - Visibility.

The project plans emphasize visibility. The project team, upper management, and the customer keep tabs on major milestones and deliverables. Dashboards and project summary reports are used and maintained to provide visibility into the project status.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 5 - Project Risk Officer.

The project practices risk management and has an appointed project risk officer. The project has a top 10 risks list with a risk plan and with mitigation strategies for each listed risk and risk event. A risk event database is maintained by the project office for review and use by the project organization.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 4 - Project Risk Management.

The project practices active risk management. Continually assess and plan for technical risks, resource risks, budget risks, and business risks. Spot and resolve problems early and escalate issues when and where required.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 3 - Frequent "Keep-Kill" reviews.

The project emphasizes the importance and cost of upstream work by holding frequent "Keep-Kill" reviews. At each 10% interval of the project timeline or 25% interval, review project status with the sponsor and management authority and make a "Keep-Kill" decision. Identify failing projects early and take action to rescue or terminate the project.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 2 - Refine estimates.

Project leadership recognizes that estimates made during the first half of the project are inherently imprecise and will need to be refined as the project progresses. If necessary, establish confidence intervals for your task estimates and use "value of perfect information" analyses to establish the project schedule and manage uncertainty.

Project Manager Survival Skills: Tip 1 - Control uncertainty.

What we do not know is far greater than what we can anticipate. Be mindful that your project team may encounter something at any time that can put the project at risk. Expect the unexpected. Use controlling processes to manage issues and project changes and seek to be resilient, rather than flustered, to what life throws at you.

Situational Leadership: Tip 4 - Inspire informal leadership.

Lead in a way that makes people realize that everything they do and say influences other team members whether or not they are the assigned leader. Leading a project team in this way promotes a way of thinking that everyone contributes to and is continually on the lookout for team leadership opportunities. This inspires informal leadership and fosters a goal-oriented project environment encouraging both assigned and informal leadership.

Situational Leadership: Tip 3 - Divide into smaller groups.

As a leader of a large group, consider dividing it into two subgroups. This doubles the number of opportunities for leadership and has the extra advantage of creating the possibility for comparing how different leaders tackle similar tasks. Also feedback to leaders takes less time in smaller groups.

Situational Leadership: Tip 2 - Match leadership style to readiness.

There are four styles that a leader should exhibit: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. At lower levels of readiness, the leader is providing the direction via specific directing and coaching. At higher levels of readiness, the followers become responsible for task direction and decision-making with support and delegation from the leader. Adjust leadership style to follower readiness.

Situational Leadership: Tip 1 - Ability and willingness.

Be mindful of the ability and willingness of those you work with. To achieve results through others, you must employ differing skillsets and techniques best suited for the situation at hand. Situational leadership can be effectively applied with team members, peers, as well as your manager and those above you in the organization.

Tips for the New Year: Tip 5 - Seek common ground.

Often times, our differences can unnecessarily present problems and impact the project effort. No two people will ever have the same experiences, skills, ways of thinking, and ways of articulating their points of view. Where some people may be over confident, others may lack assertiveness. Some may listen well, others not at all. Where some brighten the room as they enter, there are those that brighten the room as they leave. Rather than allowing personalities to interfere with the success of the project, seek common ground, personally and professionally, as a way to appreciate each other and optimize the results of the project team.

Tips for the New Year: Tip 4 - Don't rush planning.

Like a Contract Bridge Master, plan the play of the hand with ample care, rather than rushing to drop the first card. To do otherwise would likely result in execution errors and mistakes that might have been anticipated and avoided. Bridge and project management have a lot in common; good planning can overcome surprises, and brilliant end plays rarely happen by luck.

Tips for the New Year: Tip 3 - Don't get called out on strikes.

Organizations and individuals can often be resistant to change and late to act upon new project opportunities and process improvement suggestions. Over time this pattern of behavior can result in project organization "hitting slumps" where new ideas for such things as projects, training initiatives, process and tools improvement are talked about but not seriously pursued. When a good pitch comes, knock it out of the park. Like a scoring clean-up batter, don't get called out on strikes.

Tips for the New Year: Tip 2 - Don't swing at bad pitches.

A new year often brings forth new objectives, strategies and plans, and replenished resources and operating budgets. It is a natural time to revisit past year on-hold project opportunities, consider new project ideas and intiatives, and to make a wide variety of decisions. Like a skilled lead-off batter, eye the pitch well. You can get to first base by hitting a good pitch as well as not swinging at the bad ones.

Tips for the New Year: Tip 1 - Past Year's Accomplishments.

Take a moment to reflect upon the project successes, process improvements, and skills growth in project management for the previous year. Challenge yourself to even higher levels of performance, achievement, and excellence.