Sometimes it’s easier to understand how to facilitate a WBS exercise if you can see one in action. In this video, Andy Kaufman shows you how to facilitate one. Don’t miss his very insightful helpers! 🙂
The guys at the Manager Tools podcast talk about Horstman’s Law of Project Management, which is “Who Does What By When”. That’s not a bad summary, all things considered.
Activity sequencing has an element of that law. What is the order of the activities to most efficiently complete this project? In this video, Andy Kaufman, PMP demonstrates how to perform activity sequencing.
For more on this topic, check out this video.
As we discussed in the video on Continual and Unregulated Change, it’s not a matter of if change will occur on your project–it’s only a matter of when.
So how can you improve your ability to deliver projects despite the changes?
Managing constraints is key, and in this video, Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast will show you how to use the concept of The Triple Constraint (or Project Management Triangle) to your favor.
A basic practice that has proven to help project success is to develop a Project Charter.
You’ve heard that, right? But who likes to create more paperwork? Isn’t this just an academic issue that over-encumbers project teams with more administrivia?
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast explains how a project charter can improve your ability to successfully deliver projects (without overwhelming you with additional work).
In previous videos we’ve talked about the importance of managing stakeholder expectations. It’s critical.
The first key to managing stakeholder expectations is to identify who they are. Of course this seems obvious but the Project Management Institute does a great job of helping us get a better understanding of who are stakeholders are.
Hint: there are more than you think!
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast helps you undertand who your stakeholders are and how to better manage them to help you successfully deliver your projects.
 Every project has assumptions–things we don’t know whether they are true, real, or certain. Yet we often don’t sufficiently document those assumptions.
How does it help a project to more thoroughly document assumptions? What’s the benefit for the extra work?
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares key lessons about why documenting assumptions is critical and how to do it well.
In a previous video we discussed how unclear objectives lead to project failure.
So, how do we go about creating measurable objectives? In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares key lessons about answering the question: “How do we know what success looks like?”
Create a WBS? Can anything with the letters “BS” be a good idea?
From the standpoint of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the center of the universe! You wouldn’t think of doing a project without having a WBS.
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares insights on why the WBS is actually a good thing, and how use it to help you deliver your projects.
By the way, Andy has a video that demonstrates facilitation of a WBS. Check it out here.
Group-think. We’ve all experienced it. Maybe it’s when a problem is being talked about and you don’t feel comfortable bucking the discussion trend. Or maybe you have someone on your team who is very opinionated and overly dominates discussions.
A little known but powerful technique for soliciting input from a group of people during a project (or any other type of) meeting is The Delphi Technique.
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares insights on what the Delphi technique is and how to use it.
By the way, you can find a demonstration of this technique in this video about Work Breakdown Structures.
Eventually project management comes down to “who does what by when,” and that’s what sequencing is.
It’s easy to talk about the concept of sequencing, but in practice, it can be a challenge to do it well. But a well thought-out sequence of activities can make the difference between time constraints that seem unrealistic and those that are do-able.
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares insights on how a well sequenced project can radically improve your ability to successfully deliver.
To see a video demonstration of activity sequencing, check out this video.
What do you do when you’re being asked to deliver scope in a timeframe that just isn’t doable? Some project managers just give in. Others become the “no guy”, who essentially pushes back and is known to be more of an obstacle than part of the solution.
What are some good practices when it comes to influencing sponsors, customers, and other stakeholders?
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares some easy-to-use ideas for influencing stakeholders.
In a previous video we discussed the dangers of “denial of risk”.
A solid risk management process can significantly improve your ability to successfully deliver projects. But how do you do it? Do you need a PhD in risk management?
In this video Andy Kaufman, PMP, host of the project management podcast entitled The People and Projects Podcast shares practical ideas on how to reap the benefits of risk management.
Download this video