Tag Archives: communication

Improving Your Ability to Deliver: Create a Work Breakdown Structure

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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.

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Improving Your Ability to Deliver: The Delphi Technique

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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.

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Improving Your Ability to Deliver: Sequencing

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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.

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Improving Your Ability to Deliver: Influence Techniques

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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.

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Improving Your Ability to Deliver: Risk Management

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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.

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