I help project professionals get more done with less stress. Having been a project manager for over 20 years, I share tried-and-tested tips that work in the real world, every Tuesday. Join our community of over 15,000 project professionals (and accidental project managers too!).
Managing people (without authority)
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Hello Reader, Most project managers don’t actually manage “their” team. We manage people who report to someone else. Welcome to matrix life! If you’ve ever tried to:
…you know the plan is only half the job. Most of what I seem to spend my days doing is negotiating, trying to get the right people to show up, slotting my work around other people's priorities because their manager told them something different etc etc. I know you know what I'm talking about! I’ve pulled together my best articles on managing project teams, from matrix management and capacity planning to mentoring, facilitation, and making meetings less painful. Team management in projects is mostly about influence, clarity, and calm. (And occasionally snacks.) If the people side of delivery is taking more energy than the tasks themselves, this collection will help: Because in the end, most projects don’t fail. They wobble because people are like the Weebles I had as a child (did you have those? We're going back to the 70s and 80s here). And we do our best to prop everyone up again and keep going! Have a lovely week. best wishes, Elizabeth P.S. Here are a few other things to be aware of this week: ⭐ The PM PrepCast Exam Simulator is on special offer as today marks 30 days before the start of the updated PMP exam, and it's been fully updated and aligned to the 8th Edition. Use code EXAMSIMJUN26 for a $50 discount until 12 June ⭐ If you want to go to the APM Women in PM Conference in October, get your ticket now while they still have early bird pricing open. ⭐ Coursera is offering 50% off annual subscriptions until 17 June -- great if you want to do one of the AI courses or the IBM or Google Project Management courses. |
Calling all Rebel Project Managers!
I help project professionals get more done with less stress. Having been a project manager for over 20 years, I share tried-and-tested tips that work in the real world, every Tuesday. Join our community of over 15,000 project professionals (and accidental project managers too!).
Hello Reader, One way I see people involved in projects in any capacity elevate their careers is by really honing their business analysis skills. As a project manager, I’ve often been in situations where I’ve had to do some business analysis to help get the project through scoping and requirements, even though that’s not my “real” job. I did some BA training earlier in my career, and it’s been hugely useful. Knowing the tools and techniques can help you scope a project and ask the correct...
Hello Reader, Is your day working for you, or running you? In this video I talk through how I structure my day when I've got multiple projects that all need to keep moving forward. And I talk about how to cope when two projects seem to have fires to put out at the same time. You'll learn my technique for making sure my mornings (and the rest of the day) stay focused on the big goals, while juggling everything else! Have a great week! Elizabeth, If you're heading into summer with a view to...
Hello Reader, Today's the day I'm speaking at a BrightWork webinar about how we can make the best use of AI. AI maturity is accelerating but PM maturity is not. There are rising expectations from AI like portfolio transparency, faster cycles and predictive insights. So why are so many organisations still stuck? The answer isn’t technology, it’s the foundations underneath it. AI doesn’t fix broken processes; it amplifies them. In this session we’ll challenge the assumption that the answer to...