In a discussion about additional costs being added to my home build project, I made a comment to our builder that “I don’t want to play that game.” He took offense at that comment. I believe he thought I was trivializing the situation and not honoring standard industry practices. The conversation did not go well….
Category: project management
Speaking the Truth and Leading with Power
Today, probably more than ever before, speaking truth to those in power is vitally necessary. While those subject to governmental politics could also benefit from topics covered in this post, leaders in organizations doing project-based work are the prime target. Since organizations by their nature are political, effective leaders become politically sensitive. That means to…
Control or Results? How to Manage the Paradox and Achieve Greater Project Results
Randall L Englund Executive Consultant, Englund Project Management Consultancy Abstract Project work overwhelms us with choices. Often the choice in projects is between control and results. Onerous controls inhibit achieving results. You can pursue both control and results…up to the rare point where the two actually conflict. Which value will you choose when they conflict…
AI Article on The Complete Project Manager
As artificial intelligence is such a hot item these days, here is how Bard.google.com describes the complete project manager: A complete project manager is a person who has the skills and experience to successfully manage all aspects of a project, from initiation to completion. This includes both the technical and soft skills necessary to lead…
Executive Eco-Guide to Improve Organizational Performance
Abstract A widespread desire to improve organizational performance may be sated by focusing on a key set of necessary and high priority actions—imperatives. An essential focus on creating excellence in people, processes, and the working environment reaps tremendous benefits and enables executives and their organizations to achieve desired objectives. Leadership skills and environmental factors provide…
Create Environment for Successful Projects
Organizations that get better results from its projects make consistent and continuing efforts to nourish the environment for selecting and executing projects. The process can start with a survey to assess the project environment and continue by taking action on findings. The point is to apply a systematic approach that covers all areas, reinforces strengths,…
Developing Professional Skills
As a long-term project and program manager in high tech new product development working with system level teams (and now as an independent consultant), I found that focus on interactions with people is a top priority. Being viewed as bureaucratic, template focused, “pain in the butt,” rigorous to a fault is not productive. My actions…
Invest in Project Sponsorship
Many projects suffer delays and/or failures because: Engaged project sponsors are crucial for success “Accidental” project sponsors exist Many sponsors are unaware of roles and responsibilities. Now is the time to invest in a quick and easy mini course on “Achieving Excellence in Project Sponsorship,” brought to you by experienced practitioners Randall Englund and Alfonso…
Top Five Skills Needed by Project Managers
Most project managers identify influence, negotiation, political, and sales skills as lacking and most needing development. These skills are necessary to create integrated outcomes which is a resulting skill that project management seeks to achieve. If any of these skills are not present, moving in the wrong direction, and/or stationary, outputs become very limited. Failed…
Pillars to Arches: A Metaphor for Improving Organizational Performance
This metaphor guides leaders on an effective approach to improving organizational performance, using historical advances in architecture from pillars to columns. Read the article on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pillars-arches-metaphor-improving-organizational-englund/ Organizations advancing along a project management maturity model toward enterprise project management can be viewed as a pillars-to-arches evolution. Enterprise project management is an organization wide managerial philosophy, based on…
Career Enhancement Highlights
As projects are rampant in almost every organization, a key learning from many years of experience: Become a [more] Complete PROJECT manager who integrates skills from multiple disciplines. Read article that shares highlights from years of experiences about everything I wish I knew when starting my career.
Virtual Seminar on Becoming More Complete
When deciding how best to earn 28 PDUs in one week, learn more about yourself and your skill set, negotiate with your sponsor, and take constructive action in political environments, sign up for the PMI virtual seminar “Integrating People, Organizational, and Technical Skills: The Complete Project Manager.” Here are testimonials from previous participants: Managers participating…