This article was inspired after meeting a couple of people in situations where they did not have the necessary delegated authority to keep a project moving along, but were being blamed for all the associated delays and issues. The first was meeting a project manager for a large international IT […]
Crystal Consulting
56 posts
I’ve completed many project management maturity assessments using the P3M3, OPM3, and 4Q models for clients, and they are a great tool for improving project management success but too many organisations get fixated on the scores that come out of the model. Some organisations think that if they are a […]
Have you ever been in a meeting and you’ve thought “What am I doing here, I could be doing real work?”. Of course you have, we all have. So, what do we persist with attending meetings when we know they probably aren’t the best way to get work done? Imagine […]
Did you know that, in my opinion, no project ever approved has been approved on the basis of the thing, output or deliverable it will build? Let that sink in for a moment because for some people that simply doesn’t make sense. Surely that is the entire reason for a […]
When I am teaching project management and we get to the subject of lessons learned I often make a joke that if people did lessons learned properly that consultants like me would go out of business – In truth, I’m only half joking. But the point I am making in […]
Some basics of project management (in a quick sentence or two): 1. Project managers with experience and credentials are generally better than project managers with experience only, and definitely better than project managers with credentials and no experience. (EDIT: please note the use of the word “generally”. This is to […]
Survivorship bias is a logical error that focuses on the survivors of a particular process, while overlooking those that didn’t make it. In the context of project management, this can lead to misguided conclusions about what it truly takes for a project to succeed. The term “survivorship bias” originates from […]
There is something weird (and unique) about the profession of project management and its view of credentials. Often on LinkedIn you will see an opinion or post expressing doubt about the usefulness of credentials and qualifications, and quite loudly proclaiming that experience is the only thing that matters. What’s weird […]
Professional training is an important investment made by organisations to enhance their staff’s level of competence and ultimately performance. But like all investments, it requires careful planning, clear objectives, and robust assessment processes to ensure it works and achieve its goals – otherwise it’s just an exercise in attendance. It […]
In our daily interactions, whether we’re mentoring a colleague, guiding a friend, or even giving directions to a stranger, the art of giving advice or passing on knowledge plays a crucial role. However, the way in which we deliver this advice, or knowledge, can make all the difference. I’ve been […]