The PMBOK® Guide and most modern management texts emphasise the importance of leadership and motivation over directive control. This is for a very good reason, as modern management evolved during the Industrial Revolution, the function of most workers was to ‘man the equipment’ to literally keep the wheels of industry turning. In the 21st century, […]
Eliminating the fear factor Read More »
Most issues and points of difference and even bad events are resolved without conflict. Negotiation, discussion and helpful 3rd party input resolve the issue. Even when the issue is stressful and damaging (eg someone runs into your car…) most of the time people deal with the situation without descending into acrimony. But at other times
Why are they (you) fighting? Read More »
This question was recently asked in a LinkedIn forum. It went on to say that Maslow was ‘disproven in the 1950s’ so we should not continue to teach it. In case you didn’t know. Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ is a theory of motivation published by Abraham Maslow in 1943. It was never based on any
Why do we still teach Maslow? Read More »
Leading a project is rather like hosting a party. The host helps to bring people together, makes sure they have what they need and know what’s expected of them, and then encourage them along the way (without doing all the work). We all know about hosting in some way already, but have you tried applying
The six roles of Host Leadership Read More »
One of the more interesting communication backfires of the last few weeks has been the widespread reaction to the Australian government’s chief business adviser, Maurice Newman’s ‘opinion piece’ in the The Australian newspaper: ‘We’re ill-prepared if the iceman cometh’. The construct of the article uses two rhetorical ploys that can be effective if applied subtly
Rhetoric can backfire Read More »
Project Management has it’s roots in a few key sectors, defence, IT, construction, and capital intensive industries such as energy and oil and gas. If you look at the awards issued by the APM over the past few years then most of the award winners are from these key sectors. However as project management matures
Project Management Around the World #pmFlashBlog: The Need for a Fresh Approach. Read More »
“Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit, and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in” (Aesop 620 BC-560 BC). Projects are an arena that can be fraught with conflict. Disputes and ‘fights’ of all types occur, ranging from $million claims, through many types of negotiation, to personal
Your ability to successfully contribute to a project team depends a lot on your ability to relate effectively to people. Managing relationships is the core to managing; managing your managers, managing your team and managing other stakeholders. There are no neutral relationships; every relationship you have influences you and can lift you up or weigh
Dealing with difficult people Read More »
Beginning a new career as a professional project manager (PM) can be difficult, especially for those who have had no prior training in project management. Being a PM can be rewarding and interesting, but without the proper project management training courses, individuals are ill-prepared for all the difficult tasks and decisions that can arise in
Six Things all New Project Managers Should Do Read More »
A recent survey released by Parallel Project Management shows that attending a professional project management course provides a multitude of benefits, both for the project manager and the corporation. Statistics show that management training increases overall success rates for project completion. Past attendees of the Parallel Project Management Training Courses took a survey on the
Study Highlights the Benefits of Project Management Training Read More »
