Category Archives: Project Management

CSI: Project Management

Posted on by brettharned
7

Post Mortem. Do you get the willies when someone utters those words?

Is it like when you die and your limbs stiffen up? No, that is rigor mortis. We’re talking about project management here, not CSI. But in a way, Post Mortems can be like an episode of CSI in that you investigate your process and figure out what causes project issues. In any case, you should conduct your Post Mortem meeting after a project has ended, but long before project rigor mortis sets in.

No one is perfect. No project is perfect. Don’t ever forget that. I’ve already mentioned that project managers are not robots. We can’t fix every problem—or even know that they are coming. But with the help of a project Post Mortem meeting (and a great CSI team of your own), maybe we can identify the things that create issues within our own projects. With some additional thought and discussion, those issues can be fixed and we can save our teams and clients from a limited amount of pain. It’s amazing how solid evaluation tools and some team collaboration can help you to get to the bottom of your process issues and help you work efficiently. That’s where the project Post Mortem meeting comes in.   Continue reading →

I Juggle. Do You?

Posted on by brettharned
3

I was once asked, by a person I respected, “What do you do?” Of course, my response was, “I’m a project manager.” In a disgusted huff, that person said, “I have never worked with a good PM. They always get in the way. What do you actually do? ” I wasn’t shocked by the response, because I’ve heard this before. And I’ve seen other project managers who don’t understand the role and get in the way of good work. My reply was, “Well, there is a lot that a good PM should do. A good PM should help his or her team. If I can help out on a project and offer some expertise, I will. But the focus of my role is to keep the team communicating, the client happy, and the work good.” Juggling daily tasks and requests alone can make the job difficult. Throwing an extra ball to the repertoire can ruin the act.   Continue reading →

SXSW Core Conversation Wrap-up

Posted on by brettharned
7

I’m sitting in my hotel room in Austin the day after Pamela Villacorta and I moderated our core conversation “Project Management for Humans (No Robots Allowed)” at SXSW Interactive 2011. I’m still in awe of the number of people who attended the session. This is a good thing. People want to talk about how to manage projects, and do it well. I’m going to do a recap of the session here just to provide the framework of what was discussed. Unfortunately I don’t have all of the Q&A, but we hit some great dialogue. I feel like I’ve got enough fodder for at least 10 more blog posts. Also a good thing. So let’s get to it then.   Continue reading →

Working with Project Managers: Q&A with Erin Kissane

Posted on by brettharned
1

“I believe that clear, honest, thoughtful communication—online and otherwise—can make our lives better (and good businesses more profitable). I believe that poor communication wastes time and money, damages relationships, and hinders our ability to think clearly as groups and individuals. I believe we can do better.”

With a credo that reads like a project manager’s own personal diary, how could I not interview Erin Kissane?

Erin is a brilliant and sometimes pink-haired content strategist who lives in New York. She has worked independently on projects with Happy Cog for years and recently took a position with Brain Traffic where she’ll focus on major content strategy projects with many like-minded people. In her work, Erin helps companies and other organizations figure out appropriate online editorial strategies, create great content, and build sustainable publishing workflows. And she’s darn good!

Erin’s resume reads like one that most web nerds dream about: She was lead editor of A List Apart for 5 years, has edited books, including Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman with Ethan Marcotte, and John Allsopp’s Developing with Web Standards. And…her new book, The Elements of Content Strategy, is being released on March 8. On top of that, she blogs at Incisive.nu. I’m so happy for Erin, and really so selfishly happy for myself because I was able to work with her on a really great project.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic that she accepted my request for this Q&A. Continue reading →

Two little words

Posted on by brettharned
2

We’ve been on a big manners kick in my house lately. I have a two-year-old daughter who has not yet grasped the value of the “magic words.” It’s tough to get her to remember to say “thank you,”  but it’s even harder to make her understand how important it is to say those two simple words. I am certainly no etiquette or communications expert, but I know the value I place on simple courtesy. And I’m pretty sure it’s not out of line with how many people want converse. What my daughter has yet to learn is that saying or not saying “thank you” can make an impact on circumstances in life—both in business and personal matters. (My two-year-old’s business is very serious and unrelated to this blog.) Continue reading →