People often confuse a Business Plan with a Business Case. Let me explain the difference in these two documents and remember that you need a business case as the foundation for ANY project that you want to undertake.

If you don't know how to write a business case grab a copy of my book 'How To Write a Strong Business Case' it has a step by step process to follow to write one, including a bunch of tips.

Is a change in BAU a project was a question that I was asked via my website some time ago. It's a topic I have a strong opinion about, and in this episode, I am going to explain why my answer to that question is Yes!

We don't acknowledge and appreciate our key resources enough, in my opinion. We only appreciate them when they are gone, or not they're working on our project any more. Let's explore ways to work so that we can mitigate what happens when/if our key resource moves on or leaves the project.

#Projects #Business

Do you stop listening to other people or think that you have the answer so you don't need to hear what they have to say? Maybe you are living in your 'I Know' mind. Let's talk about why this doesn't help with teamwork and what you might want to do about it.

#Leadership Skills #People Management #Business #Projects

We underestimate the value of good and clear communication on project success. We may think that we're clear and we're not. We may communicate and it isn't nearly enough. Let's dive into why clear communication is THE KEY to successful project delivery.

#Communication #Business #Project Management

What potential problems do you think will occur on your project and how do you monitor them during the life of your project? Potential problems can derail your project. It is a simple process to capture and monitor them when you think it through.

#Problem Solving #Business #Project Management

Is your project off-track? Do you have scope, schedule and budget blow out? In this episode, I walk you through HOW to bring it back on track. It's pretty simple really.

#Projects #Business Success #Project Management

How perfect is your project team? Do you consider that often times they aren't perfect or good enough to do the job for you? Let's look at what it takes to have a perfect project team.

#Projects #Teamwork #Leadership #Business

All praise isn't equal, did you realise that? Why waste your time delivering praise that is not in the form your team member wants? Save yourself time and effort and become aware of how to deliver praise in a way that works for them, as individuals.

#Praise #Leadership #Business #Project Manager

Jim Collins talked about four practices that support a culture where self-motivation flourishes. I want to share these four practices and explain why they are valuable for us to use as Project Leaders. They ultimately lead to more cohesive team teamwork which is a benefit to project delivery.

#Teamwork #Project Management #Leadership #Business #Management

What happens when you over-complicate what is required to complete a task? Do you understand how this impact on your schedule and team members? And if you oversimplify things too much, is the impact the same? Let's talk about what happens at a team member level.

#Teamwork #Motivation #Project Management #Business #Leadership

On a scale of 3 - 20 how would you rate yourself as a Project Manager? Let's see how you rate on my scale of 0-20 for the things that you do and how you interact with others on your project team.

#Leadership #Project Management #Project Manager

What is your level of 'mind chatter' - 10, 7 or 4? You know what I mean, the constant stream of thoughts that don't stop, even when you are trying to sleep? Here are some strategies to quieten your mind and allow you to focus on what really needs to be done.

#Mindfulness #Project Management #Business

Firstly I want to ask you if you currently run a Project Kickoff Meeting? If you don't then here are the reasons why it's valuable to do so. If you do, then fantastic, here are four ways to make sure that your kickoff meetings are as successful as you want your project to be.

#Project Management  #Projects #Business

Difficult team members can respond in a passive-aggressive manner when they don't get their needs met; they can be a blocker and tell you the negative side of anything and everything you are proposing; they might want to control each and every discussion that occurs to be seen to be in control, or they might be needy and want a lot of your time. Let's discuss how to manage each of these characters.

#Difficult Team Members #Project Management #Leadership #Teamwork #Business

What communication style do you use with your team? Aggressive, passive, dictatorial or basically unclear. None of these styles works to get what you want from the people on your team. Let's explore why they don't work and why it is valuable to turnaround your communication style.

#Leadership #Personal Development #Business #Project Manager #Teamwork #Communication

Are you having difficulty managing your Project Control Board members? Are they working for you or against you? Let's talk about the best way to manage your PCB members so they support you in delivering your project.

#Project Control Board #Projects #Project Management #Business

A decision needs to be made. Your gut is telling you that this doesn't feel right and what do you do? Go along with the consensus. Is that really the best thing for your project? What is wrong with doing that and why it is not of value to you or your project.

#Project Management #Leadership # Decision-Making #Consensus

Do you have a bias towards the authority figures on your project? Or is your bias in keeping the peace no matter what is happening? Let's talk about those biases and why they aren't valuable to the outcome of your project.

#Bias #Project Management

You want something from a team member and you go in with either the attitude that they won't do it for you, OR you're right and they are wrong and so a battle is needed to get your way. How are you going to get the task completed? Here are tips for negotiating when you are this way.

#Negotiation #Business #Project Management #Leadership

Asking for help isn't something that comes naturally, especially when you believe that it is YOUR job to deliver the project. Let's talk about WHY you don't ask for help and look at how asking for help is valuable.

#Project Management #Professional Development #Leadership

Let's talk about team culture. Is your culture combative? I will share my ideas on how to deal with that. Maybe it is cohesive. Then it's important to keep it that way. And what about if you have a culture of silos. I talk to you about how to change that too.

#Team Culture #Teamwork #Project Management #Business

We all know that miscommunication costs us. Rework. Disagreement. Everyone working in different directions. Here are some ways to manage miscommunication. First, it is about understanding WHY there is miscommunication and where the source is.

#Miscommunication #Communication #Teamwork #Project Management #Business

Here are five really good reasons why it is a waste of time handing over to BAU. I am sure you have thought at least one of them, haven't you? Maybe it is worthwhile thinking again.

#Business As Usual #Project Management #Success #Business

Have you considered that undertaking ANY project is a big risk to the project and therefore what you do, as a Project Manager, is business risk mitigation? I'm guessing not. Yet it is very important that you think about your project that way and do what is necessary to mitigate the risk and deliver successful outcomes for the business.

Have you thought about engaging the teams that will work on your project delivery at the Concept phase of your project? What if you set up a formal agreement with them, a contract for delivery on time, on budget and to a set quality standard? New idea. Give it a go.

#Teamwork #Projects #Project Teams #Project Management

They disrupt your project by being complacent and not really engaging with either the team nor their work. Sure, it gets done, but in their own time and in a half-hearted manner. Here is some insight into why they act this way. It might help you turnaround the situation.

#Teamwork #Disruption #Business #Project Management

Power struggles on your project? Not helpful, are they? Here are some tips and ideas on how to manage them in order for you all to be heading in the same direction -> project delivery.

#Power Struggles #Teamwork #Business #Project Management #Leadership

Last week I talked about some people who could work on your project, this week I explore more roles and what to expect from them, including what to look out for.

#Project Team #Project Management #Teamwork #Business

What are the different roles on a project team? What their responsibilities? All roles might not be relevant for your project and if they are at least you will understand what that person should be doing for your project.

#Project Management #Teamwork #Business #Project Success

Do you create a risk for your project by not working with the right people to gain your project estimates? Do the skilled people give you estimates and you don't believe them, or use them? Let's talk about that.

#Risk Management #Projects #Project Management #Estimation

Your contingency fund is an emergency fund and should therefore only be used for emergencies. Let's talk contingency so you better understand it.

#Contingency #Project Management #Business

Are you gathering feedback from those involved in your Project? Feedback and evaluating where you are as a team, and as a project on a whole is a valuable way to ensure success. Don't gather feedback and it will contribute to you failing.

#Project Success #Project Failure #Project Management #Business

Forget Post Implementation Reviews (PIR's) I say, they are a complete waste of everyone's time. Unless you do these six things and understand a PIR's value, then it's different.

#Post Implementation Review #Project Management #Business

Feeling stressed seems like a normal part of your day to day world, doesn't it? Here are 11 ways to help alleviate some of that stress so you can function even better in your role.

#Stress Management #Projects #Business #Professional Development

Did you know there is a 'right' amount of conflict to have on a team to make it work effectively? Too much and it doesn't work. Too little and there's no team cohesion either. Let's talk about what is the right amount and the impact of that.

#ProjectManagement #Projects #Business #Leadership

Do you notice that you don't really listen when someone speaks to you? Your mind is off worrying about the next meeting, or the email you need to write, or the problem you have to solve next. Let's talk about an easy method to help you learn to really listen.

#Listening Skills #Leadership #Personal Development #Projects

Have you thought about HOW you lead your team when there are tasks to be completed? Here are four ways of giving instructions to see why we aren't getting the results you are expecting from our team.

#Leadership #Teamwork #Project Management #Business

Most Project Control Boards or PCB's do not contain the right people with the right authority levels. Let's talk about who should be on your Project Control Board. Do you have authority makers on it? If not, then you have the wrong people on your PCB.

#Project Management #Business

How efficiently are you using your time? Do you understand how efficiently your team members are using their time? Time equals money on your project. Liam Martin and I talk productivity and how to get the best from you and your team.

#Productivity #Project Management #Small Projects #Business

The right Business Requirements create a stable foundation for your project along with the Business Case. What makes the 'right' requirements? Here are my ideas.

#Project Management #Business #Business Case #Projects

Here is my list of 12 things that make you a bad Project Manager. Do you do any of these? The best thing is that these are habits and behaviours that you can change. You can easily become a great Project Manager by making the change.

#Project Management #Personal Development #Leadership Skills

Are you aware that you have habits or things that you do without even thinking? What if I told you that doing these things doesn't help you to be seen as a strong leader?  Find out what these ineffective habits are and turn them around so you can be seen for the strong leader you really are.

When it comes to identifying and understanding how to communicate with your stakeholders the best tool you can use is a RACI Matrix.

R = Responsible.  Who is responsible for what tasks and communication?

A = Accountable. Who needs to be or should be accountable for tasks and communication?

C = Concerned.  Who of your stakeholders is concerned about your project and needs to know about what's happening?

I = Informed.  Which stakeholders should be informed but have no authority or responsibility for your project?

Consider the value of understanding what role each of your stakeholders fits into.  It will mean not having angry or upset stakeholders because they are not correctly (in their mind) communicated with in regards to your project.

#Projects #Business #ProjectManagement

We often THINK we're clear in our communication, but are we? More times than not I find we use extra words or assume someone understands what we're talking about. We talk jargon. That's quite common when you have worked in an organization for a long time. All of these things impact on your team members ability to understand and follow through for you. Consider how clear your communication really is.

#Leadership #Business #ProjectManagement

Is your schedule off track?  Here are four steps you can follow to get it back ON track.

#ProjectManagement #Projects #Business

I am guessing you are looking at what a project is from the wrong angle and therefore only setting it up for failure? Why am I saying this, because most people look at a project from the outcome or delivery end, the 'how' first. What is really needed to set a project up for success is to fully understand the 'What' and 'Why'.

Being too focused is a detriment. I say that because you become so narrow in the way you see things that you are not able to see there are others on the TEAM. "There is no 'I' in Team' remember. So consider if you are being too narrow-minded in your approach, or are you open-minded and work WITH your whole team. We are talking about the difference between focusing on an outcome as a team versus being too driven at all cost.

#Projects #Team

You may not have had to write too many Business Cases. Naturally, then you aren't aware of what makes a business case strong. And when I say strong I mean one that clearly shows that the project should proceed. Here are my keys to writing such a business case.

#ProjectManagement #Business #Projects

What you want on any project team is all of the team members onside. Why? So everyone is working towards the same end goal; successful delivery of your project. Here are five simple ways to make that happen, so you have the team working as a T.E.A.M (Together Everyone Achieves More).

#Team #ProjectManagement #Projects #Business