How do we get there from here? Agile ninjas and Scrum samurais fight to keep projects on time and under budget.
“Be curious, not judgmental” is a quote you may be familiar with thanks to Ted Lasso, the American fish out of water in Apple TV’s smash hit show. Project managers will do well to live by these words. As the workplace becomes more diverse and inclusive, it is important for managers to understand how to …
Lest you think that UX is the only discipline with a set of laws that exemplify best practices, I present to you the ten laws of project management. This article is based on a presentation I gave to the digital staff at Click Here Labs several years ago when I was leading their project management …
Project management is the art and science of planning, executing, and controlling projects from conception to completion. In the context of web design and development, it involves coordinating teams of designers, developers, and stakeholders to deliver web projects that meet their objectives. The success of a web project is typically measured in terms of how …
The first blog article I ever wrote on the topic of project management addressed the concept that project management, at its core, is people management. A lot of project managers are drawn to our discipline for the organizational skills and process management, for procurement procedures and risk or quality management. These are all incredibly important …
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Project management is often more of an art than a science. While I do believe that statement is true, the particular turn of phrase can be very misleading. Many times, people use it to excuse general disorganization or a lack of discipline. But every good artist knows that without preparation, honed skill, and hard work, …
It seems like a simple question, but you would be surprised how many project managers can’t answer it when someone asks. A well reasoned and thought out business case is often neglected by even the savviest of organizations. As project managers, it is our responsibility to ask these questions and make sure that we understand …
A favorite quote of mine from the great Mark Twain is: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” One of the hardest things about managing projects is dealing with stakeholders that do not understand what, often times, is a complex and …
Project Initiation Early in 2015, I made up my mind to attempt a solo thru-hike of the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT). At 128 miles (with loops), the LSHT is the longest wilderness footpath in Texas. It runs through the 163,037-acre Sam Houston National Forest about 50 miles north of Houston. Considering it would be …
Digital marketing often requires the undertaking of large, complex projects. Whether it is an enterprise-level website or a complicated native mobile application, the key to executing these projects is breaking them down into smaller, more manageable steps. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Increasingly, agencies are turning to agile practices such …
Several years ago, I rather naively took up the sport of mountain biking. I’ve always had a casual interest in cycling and would often ride my bike on the many roads and paved trails around my house. It was fun and a good way to get a little exercise. So when my brother asked me …
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Web development can sometimes be a mysterious process. It’s a large undertaking and many people are intimidated by the prospect. Each website is different and has it’s own unique specifications and requirements. But just like the Great Pyramid or the Panama Canal, it is all possible given the right process framework. The trick is to …
A/B testing is an essential tool for any marketer or product developer, and its importance cannot be overstated. By testing different versions of a website or marketing campaign, A/B testing allows businesses to identify what works best and optimize their efforts for maximum impact. Dan Siroker, the former Director of Analytics for the 2008 Obama …
Optimism can often be the worst enemy of a project. Many times, even when faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, project stakeholders will swear to a pre-set date or deliverable. The history of digital development is fraught with examples of optimism leading to catastrophic failure. I like to always remember one of my favorite …
Since time immemorial man has been undertaking great projects. The Pyramids, Stonehenge, Amazon.com just to name a few. All of these projects have had one thing in common; A lowly human with no superpowers was the one responsible for making sure that necessary tasks were accomplished in order to achieve the end goal. Whoever that …
Project management is people management. I know this might disappoint many people in the project management trade, but it’s true. Understanding people is essential to a successful project. Too often managers rely solely on their planning tools to get the job done. BaseCamp, OmniFocus, and Microsoft Project are all fine tools, but they will never …