The Six Simple Rules: 2. Advertise your Project

This article is part 2 of 6 of the series Six Simple Rules

Really? Advertising? Are we saying you should distribute leaflets and place ads in the newspaper?

Not really!

Let just have a look how Wikipedia defines what advertising is:

… a form of marketing communication used to promote or sell something, usually a business’s product or service.

Well, in project management we do not want to sell the project as a product.

BUT, you as a project manager, rely heavily on access to key resources, budgets and getting your colleagues and seniors to cooperate. And for all of this, it is a good idea to ‘advertise’ your project. Continue reading →

The Six Simple Rules: 1. Visualise your Goals

This article is part 1 of 6 of the series Six Simple Rules
This article is part 1 of 6 of the series Six Simple Rules

Only he who knows the destination knows the way.
(Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher)

Of course you do know the destination. If you hadn’t had a clear idea, you would not have started your project in the first place, would you? You might even have more than just the one goal. And you could name each of these goals even when I woke you up in the middle of the night….

You live and breathe your project – don’t you?

Should you be hesitating now, should you not be able to precisely describe your goals … oh dear. You need to start with this exercise right now. Without a clearly defined goal – and by that I mean one you are aware of – you will never really know when you have finished your project … successfully. You might keep keep going on and on for eternity. Or you might even get totally lost on route to achieving any of your goals. I am not sure which is worse; but I would call both senarios a total disaster.

Some of you will say: “But those goals are in my head! I know where I should be heading.”

Sorry guys, not enough. Really not. Let’s do this together and have a look at how to visualise your goals: Continue reading →

Project Management is a Piece of Cake – or is it?

Do you feel intimidated by that huge and complex task in front of you? Do you feel squeezed between customers, steering committees, funding bodies and ever too sparse resources and low budgets? Maybe you just got your first job in the industry and got thrown right into a project, without any preparation?

Then you have come to the right place. While dry books on project management might help you understand the deep theory, they are often of little use when it comes to master every-day problems. We at Projects made easy want to help you to find down-to-earth and pragmatic solutions. We want you to manage your projects more efficiently and make them a success. This is no dark arts or alchemy, once you know and understand the basic methods.

Definition of a project manager: A device for turning coffee into spreadsheets
Marcus Raitner http://fuehrung-erfahren.de/

Although this is a funny phrase, do not worry: Project management does not have to mean boring bureaucracy and tons of unnecessary paperwork and formalities. Efficient project management ist all about using the right tools and methods at the right time. Effort spent early will often pay off later in the course of your project. That way, you will increase your success while ideally reducing your overall workload.

Sounds too good to be true? Give it a chance! Continue reading →