Category: Project Clarity
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Why burnout belongs in the risk conversation
Why burnout belongs in the risk conversation I have been there. Delivering projects can be tough. On one project, I argued for more resources for over two years and did not get them. Eventually, my colleague burnt out. I followed. It was not a good outcome for either of us. Make the risk visible This…
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How should you manage this work?
How should you manage this work? Deciding whether something is a project is a judgement call. Work can be delivered by an individual, a managed team, or through project delivery. The line is not always clear Over the past decade, I have been refining complexity assessment tools to help teams decide whether to treat work…
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When leaders say yes but do not engage
A PMO story about formal support, real engagement, and why useful champions can help an idea travel.
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What can projects learn from 290,000 operations staff?
Projects do not just deliver change. They should help operations perform better, and that means bringing operations into the work before delivery starts.
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Mega-projects need value clarity, not just better governance
Better governance helps, but big projects also need clearer assumptions and a clearer view of value before they become expensive to change.
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Check real stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement is not just about having a plan. It is about checking whether the right people are really engaged, at the right time, on the right issues.
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Simple rules create calm focus
Experienced project people often seem calm because they use simple rules of thumb to focus on what matters first.
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Always test the big assumptions
The real debate is not Agile versus planning. The better question is how you reduce uncertainty before you commit too much.
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How to test your biggest project assumption
How to test your biggest project assumption I recently met with an up-and-coming project manager and ran a readiness check on her programme. It was a big one that had been running for some time. The work was likely to deliver large, complex social change. A programme manager was due to start soon, and she…
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Don’t underestimate how hard project work is
Don’t underestimate how hard project work is If you are new to delivering a project and feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. The research supports this: The Association for Project Management (APM) found that 72% of full-time project professionals said their main project had negatively affected their mental wellbeing. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has…