New Project: A Guide To Project Management
I'm thrilled about a new project I'm working on: A Guide To Project Management. This is the type of project I've been thinking about for a while. I've thought about how it might be fun to take some of the ideas I've written for this blog and expand/update them with new ideas. So how did it happen? I had been talking to Nathan Gilmore at TeamGantt about the Digital PM Summit, which they are generously sponsoring. In one of our conversations, he asked if I'd be interested in working on a project with them. I was honored to be asked to write the series, so I jumped on the opportunity.
I delivered my first Chapter within a couple of weeks, and wasn't sure what to expect. When Nathan asked if I knew of a designer who might be willing to help, I directed him to my long-time friend and colleague, Kevin Sharon. I really think Kevin has done the Guide justice. It's readable (hey, I know it's LONG) and the design and his illustrations are great. I'm really happy with it.
We've released 2 of 9 Chapters so far, and the plan is to release one every two weeks. It's a lot of work, but it's fun for me. I'm writing ideas I've had for years and doing it in a way that feels kind of fresh and personal for me. The series is not meant specifically for "Web" or "Digital" project managers; it's more general, which is sometimes a challenge for me. Either way, I hope someone, somewhere finds it helpful and interesting!
When I started my first job as a titled "project manager" at a web agency, I had no idea what I was getting into. Sure, I had the experience managing projects large and small and had worked with a variety of clients. But I was always the account guy, or the writer/web guy who had the de facto job of managing all of the details. When I jumped in and had to figure out what a PM should do (and know), I was overwhelmed. There was so much to know. And, as you probably know, so few resources to learn. Fast forward about 8 years, and I'm amazed by how this has grown, and how I've been able to be a part of it.
I've written my ideas on this blog and shared other articles I've written here as well. This site, for me, is a recording on many of my ideas on the topic of PM. But, as new opportunities come up and topics cross my mind, my ideas spread. It's pretty exciting, because to me, it's mostly about getting the ideas behind good project management out into the wider web community. It hope it continues.