Category Archives for Advice for Project Managers

Ethics may seem like a dry subject from an ancient branch of philosophy. But a code of conduct is absolutely vital to your life as a Project Manager.

High profile projects carry more risk than those that get less attention. It is not that things are more likely to go wrong. But it’s the profile and attention that can amplify the consequences of mistakes. And high profile projects tend also to be the subject of more speculation, gossip, and rumor. So, it isn’t […]

Project Management is a ‘learning endeavor’. That is, when you do it properly, you learn from every experience. And, as we start a New Year, I want to share ten of the most valuable Project Management lessons I have learned over the years.

Projects go wrong all the time. And one mindset is to look for blame. It’s rarely helpful. This article will go out on New Year’s eve, 2018. So, I wanted to do a short, thoughtful note to leave you with something to think about for the coming year.

I’ve been involved in training Project Managers for over 20 years. And there are some project management questions I get asked time and time again. Most often, it’s by students in a live training session. But, more recently, I’ve been seeing the same sorts of question crop up online. Not surprisingly, these questions have informed […]

Good collaboration harnesses the differences between people, and is an essential part of project management. So, what is Collaboration? Dr Mike Clayton is founder of OnlinePMCourses.com. Here, he answers this question, in under 5 minutes.

The Pareto Principle, or the 80-20 Rule. It articulates a fundamental aspect of nature, which also applies to projects. So, what is the Pareto Principle? Dr Mike Clayton is founder of OnlinePMCourses.com. Here, he answers this question, in under 5 minutes.

Gravitas is something every Project Manager should be aiming at. It’s the sense of authority, or substance that leads people to trust your judgement and rely on your advice. And, whilst experience, track record and, frankly, gray hairs contribute to your gravitas, there’s more to it than that. We’ve all met people with plenty of […]

Do you ever find yourself overworked? Is it a little like you are carrying everyone else’s monkeys on your back? Too often, project managers make a deadly mistake. Just four words… ‘Leave it with me.’ So, what is Monkey Management? So, what is Monkey Management? Dr Mike Clayton is founder of OnlinePMCourses.com. Here, he answers this question, […]

Team Leadership itself is not hard.  What makes it difficult is fitting it in among a load of other project priorities that are facing you. You’re under pressure to do this and do that. So, you often default to a combination of doing it yourself, telling people what to do, and getting annoyed with a […]