“Dear Elizabeth: What would constitute an action for the log versus a task in the project plan schedule? I don’t know where to put my tasks, and it’s confusing to have them in two places.” This is actually a pretty common question; I’d say it comes up at least once a month! So, first: know
“Dear Elizabeth: I ran a kick-off meeting for my project, and it was a disaster. I tried to do the detailed planning, but the group wouldn’t focus, and no one seemed to share the same view about what the project was going to deliver. The experience has put me off running kick-off meetings in the
“Dear Elizabeth: I have a new hire starting on the team, a junior project manager. How can I make our new relationship work? I want to give her meaningful tasks, but I’m personally drowning in work, and I need someone to take some of the burden.” First: Congratulations! It sounds as if you’ve had a
“Dear Elizabeth: My project is running late to the point that our delivery date has moved significantly. I want to make sure that we’ve considered all the possible options for recovering the project before I finalize the new schedule. What should I consider before I deliver the news to my project sponsor?” I hope
“Dear Elizabeth: I’m working on a project with subject matter experts, but I don’t understand the subject. I can’t always follow the discussions; I find it hard to challenge, let alone help the team overcome objections. I don’t feel like I am adding much value. What can I do to be useful when I can’t
Dear Elizabeth: I’m trying to implement time tracking with my team. The most difficult aspect is changing people’s perception and getting buy in to do the timesheets. In the past, managing and reporting time was never required, but our company has moved on in project management maturity and in the work we do. Now we
Dear Elizabeth: I manage multiple projects, and the team juggles a lot. I’m worried about keeping so many pieces in my mind at once so that nothing slips through. I’ve tried various methods of tracking everything, and while some have worked for a while, most ceased to be effective at some point or became more
Dear Elizabeth: We have quite an established project management office, and we use a standard methodology and tools. My team is good, they have experience, and we work well together. My problem is with the levels above me. My sponsor won’t even meet me. She’s a very senior executive, and I can’t get past her
Dear Elizabeth: There are people in my team who don’t pull their weight. They don’t deliver what they say they will, and they don’t seem committed to the goals of the project. I need them to step up and do what’s required, but I can’t seem to make that happen. Instead, rather than let them
Dear Elizabeth: I start a new job in a week after a couple of years away from work on a career break. From what I know, I am entering a complex project with multiple stakeholders. They are active in leading the work, so at least I don’t have to worry about not having support for
Dear Elizabeth: I’ve been brought into a project part-way through. The project is struggling, and my manager is expecting me to get it back on track. Are there specific tools I should be using to make it easier to pick up a project that is already in the Execution phase? How can I start to
Dear Elizabeth: My project team and the exec leadership team are not on the same page. How do you motivate the team when it thinks it should stop but the senior stakeholders direct us to keep going? This situation has a major disconnect in it. Your team thinks the project should be stopped, but the