5 Keys to Being a Productive Project Manager
If you’re marketing yourself as a project manager, you need to make sure that you have the skills to get it done and get it done right. While there are dozens of things that project managers should be able to do to get things done, they almost all fall into one of the following 5 categories. Breaking your skill set down to these basics will show you what you are good at, and where you need to improve to be a solid project manager.
Team Building
The most important step in project management is to select the right team to get the job done. Focusing your energy up-front on making sure you have the right people in place will save you undue stress and frustration later on. Not only do you need to make sure that they have the knowledge and know-how to complete their task, you also need to make sure that they have the soft skills to collaborate with other team members and to stay on track for completion.
Delegation
Once you’ve picked the right people for the job, it’s critical that you step back and let them do what you’ve hired them for. If you chose qualified people with the skills you wanted, you shouldn’t need to micromanage them. You hired them to do a particular job, and you need to trust them to do it. Delegate responsibilities and hold them accountable, but let them get the job done their way. One of the biggest downfalls to getting a project done is by building resentment within your team- by not trusting them or by trying to tell them how to do their jobs.
Organization
After you’ve delegated project responsibilities, you need to know how to track the progress, and to make sure that the project is staying on task. Knowing who is working what angle and how everything is supposed to come together in the end depends on your ability to stay organized and to have a system for following up on tasks. Whether you use project management software or design your own system for keeping up with things, staying organized will determine whether your project succeeds or not.
Communication
Having great communication skills is also critical to keeping the gears turning correctly. You need to know how to approach people in a non-threatening way when criticizing, and you need to make sure that you are effectively communicating your expectations. You aren’t just managing your direct communications with individuals, you’re setting the stage for how the group collaborates and focuses. It’s up to you to make sure that information gets distributed appropriately, and that nothing falls through the cracks.
Attitude
If you want to keep a project moving forward, you need to have a positive attitude. Being able to motivate your team members and inspire enthusiasm for the project is essential to making sure that they are producing quality work and meeting deadlines. Someone who is negative and is constantly harping on people is going to sap them of motivation and lead to frustration and resentment for everyone, slowing things down. Your attitude will set the stage for how the project goes from start to finish, so it’s critical that you pay attention to your demeanor and how you interact with your team members.
Keeping these 5 key points in mind throughout your project will help you to keep your team productive and motivated. While you may find different tricks and techniques to enact these keys, they are the foundation of being a great project manager.
The post 5 Keys to Being a Productive Project Manager appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2eg8sf6
via Project-Management.com
9 Places to Get The Best Graphics, Text and Video for Your PM Blog
When it comes to getting just the right content on your blog, it feels like it’s easy to get it wrong. Take one misstep, and you’re going to lose followers in their droves. While it’s not quite as dreadful as that, making common mistakes is a serious concern. You want to present your blog as professional, and the first step to doing so is creating excellent content.
When this is the case, the best thing to do is to outsource your content creation. Here’s some of the most common mistakes bloggers make, and the best outsourcing tools to avoid them.
Video
When it comes to video, quality is everything. Filming on an iPhone in someone’s bedroom was acceptable ten years ago, but now even YouTube demands better. Your videos need to be slick, entertaining, and have a strong message. To make them you need the experience, and excellent quality equipment. If you’re missing one or both of these, get in touch with these content creators.
- iStock: This service offers flexible plans, so you can keep them on a retainer ready for when you need video on your blog. Alternatively, you can buy credits to download a video at any time.
- Video Scribe: You can use this service for just a one off video, or you can pay a monthly fee to retain access to them. Either way, it’s worth it thanks to the HD quality video they can provide.
- Video Hive: Need a video quickly? You can buy a stock video from here, which you’ll be free to use on your site.
Text
Text can be a minefield in blogs. Even if you have something important and useful to share with your readers, the message will be lost if your presentation isn’t spot on. Your grammar and spelling have to be immaculate, every time. Anything less can look deeply unprofessional and sloppy. If that sounds like too much pressure to you, never fear. These professional writers can help you out.
- Write My Assignment: This writing service are great for proofreading. Many bloggers are always trying to stay one step ahead of the latest trends, so they need to be publishing quickly. They’ll proofread your finished pieces, then edit and return them to you, ready for publication.
- Boom Essays: This is one of the most experienced writing companies around. All you have to do is contact them with the topic and any particular links you want covered, and they’ll do the rest. Once you get the completed pieces back, you can get them published right away.
- UK Writings Service: If you need work done within tight deadlines, this is the company for you. They can take on work with even a few hours before the deadline, and create a perfect blog post for you.
Graphics
Images can be a tricky one to get right. Unless you already happen to be a professional grade photographer, you’re going to have trouble getting images that are just right. Lifting images from online sources can be dangerous, as you may not be sure of exactly where the image came from. Many bloggers have been burned by lawsuits claiming they were using stolen artwork. In this case, it’s much better to have a company create the images for you specially.
- Vector Stock: Vector images are often the best quality ones. Buy access to some excellent ones here.
- Shutterstock: There’s a huge range of images to pick from here, including illustrations, vectors and photos. Whatever you need, it’s probably here. Take your pick!
- Vecteezy: If you’re short on cash this is the place to be. There’s a huge range of free vectors available here that you can use, with proper credit to the creators. It’s the easiest way to have quality artwork on your blog.
As you can see, it’s easy to make mistakes, but it’s even easier still to correct them. Try using the resources mentioned here when you’re stuck for a solution. It can be the best way to get yourself out of a jam. Plus, your blog will look great and professional once you’ve used these services.
The post 9 Places to Get The Best Graphics, Text and Video for Your PM Blog appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2e0sFFU
via Project-Management.com
Why Project Management in IT Industry Has Become More Important Than Ever
The Information Technology industry has drastically grown within the last decade. Rapid globalization has significantly amplified the capacity to accurately manage data. In response to this up surging capacity demand, the need to focus on effective project management strategies has become mandatory.
What is a Project?
It can be defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken in order to design a unique product or service. Every project differs in size, scope and is built through a network of interrelated tasks and optimum utilization of resources.
What is Project Management?
To be precise, project management can be described as the process of planning, organizing, controlling and implementing responsibilities for achieving the organization’s specific goals. In an IT organization, project management includes overseeing projects for hardware development, software development, network upgrades, cloud computing, data management, business management projects and more.
Significance of Project Management
Staying ahead of competitors is an important business survival trait. It is advised to create a learning environment in order to leverage the whole team to achieve strategic goals. Sharing of information should be timely and in a widespread manner. In today’s competitive landscape, the best companies attribute their wealth to efficient use of information and technology. Furthermore, large-scale organizations develop software and utilize data retrieval process that not only serves internet profit requirement but also supports profit objectives. Over the years, project managers have appreciated the significance of tribal knowledge to foster sharing and learning within the organization. This, of course, requires an efficient project management system that gratifies customers and pays a vital role in the new global economy.
What is the Reason behind the Failure of IT Projects?
Despite the importance of project management in the Information and Technology Industry, many companies find it challenging to execute IT projects within the deadline and budget constraints. Most of the IT designs are canceled before completion as developers find it to be a daunting task. Experts clarified, poor project management skills lead to the failure of a project. Surprisingly, there is something interesting among all these failed projects that include estimation mistakes, lack of clarity and unstable objectives. In addition to this, here are a few more areas of concern:
Ambiguous Objectives
The whole team is likely to possess a clear vision else its absence creates timing delays and communication bottlenecks. If the team lacks the experience of describing the resources required in the initial stage, the project is certainly at risk.
Unrealistic Approach and Estimation
Inside the realm of project management, an accurate judgment must be made remaining loyal to the initial requirements as well as objectives. Unfortunately, the team fails to differentiate between the time, scope and duration of the project. It is mandatory to accomplish the task within the given time constraint without interruptions.
Verdict
Due to rapid development in globalization, project management is expected to increase in the near future. Project management is the defining factor for a company’s success and determines potential risk in order to bring timely solutions. Organizations should make it a point to manage complex information in order to architect an efficient project management system. In the nutshell, the team should learn from the experiences and capture in the repository to maintain the overall corporate assets.
The post Why Project Management in IT Industry Has Become More Important Than Ever appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dLNxix
via Project-Management.com
7 Workplace Trends You’ll See in 2017
Technology is evolving year after year at a rapid pace and most of the workplace practices which have been used a decade ago have become obsolete. Having befitting HR policies that align with the present day environment is imperative for growing organizations.
Following are the 7 Workplace trends you will see in 2017:
1. Wearable Technology
Wearable Technology helps HRs to keep track on their employees’ health and aids in developing operational efficiency. Studies show that healthy employees cost less, as they have lower health care costs and fewer lost workdays.
Devices such as Fitbit will keep track of movement, eating habits, and sleep activity of an employee to promote a healthier lifestyle within the office. These practices attract employees and they continue to stick around for a long time, and at the same time reduces sick leave and healthcare costs.
Wearable technology is highly recommended at workplaces with dangerous work environments such as construction and manufacturing factories.
2. Automation of HR & Payroll
The way your employees get paid will be automated by Modern HR and Payroll Software. These applications are compliant with the corresponding government rules. Along with the payroll automation, they also have integrated features like time, attendance, and leave management systems. This will drastically increase productivity and employee engagement in the organization.
3. More Importance to Employee Engagement
“If you don’t have engaged employees, you’re not going to create next generation of innovation.” – Mike Metzger.
It is a proven fact that companies with engaged employees outperform companies with disengaged employees at an exponential rate. The key point in employee engagement is to be super transparent.
Employee engagement is less about expense and more about effort. Companies fail because they don’t make enough effort. They may try, but they don’t try hard enough.
More importance will be given to employee engagement to improve the business efficiency and to retain the best talent.
4. Smart Ways to Hire Talent
Technology in increasing at a rapid pace leaving no stone unturned to reveal the true personality of an individual. Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter have become the mainstream for many recruiters to find new talent and to help evaluate them. This trend will increase in the coming years.
5. Flexibility at the Workplace
High performing organizations and best leaders in the world are slowly comprehending the importance of flexibility and the future of work. Workplace flexibility allows employees to engage in the work they do and give 100% of their effort.
It allows employees to work independently without any pressure of working in the office premises. Flexibility should mutually benefit the employer and the employee, and at the same time accomplishing the business needs. Workplace flexibility is predominant to attract and retain the top Talent.
6. More Emphasis on Office Design
More business owners are approaching minimalistic ways in designing their workplace to look decluttered and organized. This approach gives a distraction free environment and helps employees to work more productively.
Unique office designs can play a key role in the branding of the company as well.
Multi-purpose workspaces use flexible furniture which allows a small team to work together on a project can also be used for creating team meetings.
7. Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is a very broad concept and the perspective of work-life balance between the employer and employee is distinctive. Recent research says that 60% of employees are not able to find a balance between their professional and personal life.
The best companies are embracing flexibility and giving priority to work-life balance. Creating seminars for training line managers to recognize signs of overwork and creating surveys of employees’ work/life issues can help HRs to make right decisions. However, it mostly depends on the individual and how he plans his work schedule.
The post 7 Workplace Trends You’ll See in 2017 appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dJWzJe
via Project-Management.com
Hubstaff Talent – Hire Freelancers and Remote Workers for Free
A 2015 Gallup poll showed that telecommuting in the US is increasing. The poll also showed that the telecommuters were just as productive as other employees. Another survey conducted by TINYpulse this May reported that remote workers are happier and feel more valued. As the world becomes more accepting of remote work, there is also an increasing trend in finding great contractors and freelancers. Hubstaff time tracking software recently announced the launch of Hubstaff Talent. It is a free resource for companies looking for remote talent and freelancers across the globe.
Introducing Hubstaff Talent
A few days ago, Hubstaff Talent was released to help business owners find quality staff at affordable prices. This is a free service created by the privately held, Indiana-based company of Hubstaff. The service provides a directory of high-quality freelancers and agencies. When business owners and employers post jobs and projects, they receive applications and detailed descriptions from applicants who believe they are the right fit. Employers also see not only summaries but up-to-date resumes of contractors. They can, but not required, use Hubstaff time tracking, communicate through the platform, or communicate via email, Skype or whatever means preferred.
How It Works
It is simple to get started. Business owners can browse freelancers and agencies to find the right talent and size of a team. Next, they contact the team of their choice. The employer and the contractors jointly decide on the work terms. Then, they start work on the platform they choose. Getting work done by a handpicked, qualified team has never been easier. Another way is to simply post jobs for free and wait for applications to come.
Browse Freelancers by Skill
Hubstaff Talent makes it easy to search for talent. Business owners can filter by different means such as based on rate or availability. Searching by skill category is a great way to find talent for a particular job or project requirement. At present, there are 7 categories. They are development, marketing and sales, design and multimedia, writing and content, database and IT, admin, and business consulting. Under development, there are about 70 skill categories, including HTML, WordPress development, Javascript, CSS and more. Under design and multimedia, there are about 27 skill categories, such as Photoshop, web design, graphic design, and others.
Connect with Agencies
Contractors and freelancers can register their agencies in Hubstaff Talent. When companies find the team members that belong in agencies, the site provides the contact information of the agency. A main contact for the agency controls the flow and the sales process. Business owners can also search by agencies using filters. Some of the top agencies are Epic Coders from Romania, Topflight Developers from the US, and CyberCraft from Ukraine, among others.
Browse by Country
For location-specific requirements, business owners can also search by country. At present, there are 6 countries to choose from. They are the US, the Philippines, India, Russian Federation, Romania and Pakistan. From these 6 countries, there are about 1400 freelancers and 213 agencies to choose from. However, aside from these 6 countries, there are profiles from individual freelancers and agencies that come from all over the world, such as France, Germany, Gambia, the Netherlands and others.
A 100% Free Way to Find the Best Talents and Resources
Hubstaff Talent is provided as a service to clients at no cost. Regardless of how great one’s time tracking software works, if there are no right talent and contractors working at jobs and projects, desired results will still not happen. The site aims to be an open marketplace of awesome remote workers. Its goal is to become a leader in connecting remote contractors with those in need of their services. Hubstaff is on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Hubstaff Talent – Hire Freelancers and Remote Workers for Free appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dJW9SV
via Project-Management.com
The Best Way to Handle Incoming Requests
Work is a maelstrom. Your team is receiving requests from a dozen different directions. Answer one email and there’s already three chats waiting for you. Every meeting generates four new projects. As PM, you are the captain and you need to steer away from the storm. Incorporate some practical steps to manage things. Emily Bonnie over on the Wrike blog recently gathered together five best practices to help you steer clear of catastrophe.
1. Have One Gatekeeper
Be it the PM, the team lead, or the department head, one person handles all the decisions. This person reviews incoming requests, prioritizes them and assigns the work. As Wrike points out, a gatekeeper is essential to aligning work with goals. This will also reduce conflict and confusion on the team.
2. Write It Down
Wrike refers to this as the line in the sand. Coworkers will make requests in meetings, informally in the hallway and hand you stickies. Make it clear that your team will only do work requested in writing. Wrike Request is an excellent tool for this purpose. Requests come in on a template. Once you start work, everything you need is in easy reach.
3. Keep All Your Requests in A Single Place
Sticky notes, spreadsheets, emails are a recipe for disaster. You can’t afford to lose any work. Sort work into folders. Track and prioritize the work and know immediately who is working on what. Get rid of duplicate requests. Wrike is a brilliant solution for this, funneling all your work into one place.
4. Organize Request As They Come In
Be proactive. Don’t wait for you current project to complete. Grab the requests as they land and assign them priority. Knowing what’s next keeps things moving. As Wrike points out, this will keep your team focused. A clear focus guarantees your team produces at it’s best.
5. Map Incoming Requests to Strategic Goals
Help your team work with a purpose. Wrike suggests using weekly, monthly or quarterly meetings. Provide a top down view of the work and how it ties into goals – at team level, a department level, and a company level.
Conclusion
How do you manage your incoming requests? Let us know in the comments below. If you don’t have a system in place yet, try using Wrike Requests to keep all your incoming work requests organized and your team running smoothly. Founded in 2007, Wrike is a powerful, collaborative PM platform. They understand what it takes to produce at the highest level. With Wrike, you have a simple solution to incorporate these best practices.
The post The Best Way to Handle Incoming Requests appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dJWzZN
via Project-Management.com
7 Workplace Trends You’ll See in 2017
Technology is evolving year after year at a rapid pace and most of the workplace practices which have been used a decade ago have become obsolete. Having befitting HR policies that align with the present day environment is imperative for growing organizations.
Following are the 7 Workplace trends you will see in 2017:
1. Wearable Technology
Wearable Technology helps HRs to keep track on their employees’ health and aids in developing operational efficiency. Studies show that healthy employees cost less, as they have lower health care costs and fewer lost workdays.
Devices such as Fitbit will keep track of movement, eating habits, and sleep activity of an employee to promote a healthier lifestyle within the office. These practices attract employees and they continue to stick around for a long time, and at the same time reduces sick leave and healthcare costs.
Wearable technology is highly recommended at workplaces with dangerous work environments such as construction and manufacturing factories.
2. Automation of HR & Payroll
The way your employees get paid will be automated by Modern HR and Payroll Software. These applications are compliant with the corresponding government rules. Along with the payroll automation, they also have integrated features like time, attendance, and leave management systems. This will drastically increase productivity and employee engagement in the organization.
3. More Importance to Employee Engagement
“If you don’t have engaged employees, you’re not going to create next generation of innovation.” – Mike Metzger.
It is a proven fact that companies with engaged employees outperform companies with disengaged employees at an exponential rate. The key point in employee engagement is to be super transparent.
Employee engagement is less about expense and more about effort. Companies fail because they don’t make enough effort. They may try, but they don’t try hard enough.
More importance will be given to employee engagement to improve the business efficiency and to retain the best talent.
4. Smart Ways to Hire Talent
Technology in increasing at a rapid pace leaving no stone unturned to reveal the true personality of an individual. Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter have become the mainstream for many recruiters to find new talent and to help evaluate them. This trend will increase in the coming years.
5. Flexibility at the Workplace
High performing organizations and best leaders in the world are slowly comprehending the importance of flexibility and the future of work. Workplace flexibility allows employees to engage in the work they do and give 100% of their effort.
It allows employees to work independently without any pressure of working in the office premises. Flexibility should mutually benefit the employer and the employee, and at the same time accomplishing the business needs. Workplace flexibility is predominant to attract and retain the top Talent.
6. More Emphasis on Office Design
More business owners are approaching minimalistic ways in designing their workplace to look decluttered and organized. This approach gives a distraction free environment and helps employees to work more productively.
Unique office designs can play a key role in the branding of the company as well.
Multi-purpose workspaces use flexible furniture which allows a small team to work together on a project can also be used for creating team meetings.
7. Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is a very broad concept and the perspective of work-life balance between the employer and employee is distinctive. Recent research says that 60% of employees are not able to find a balance between their professional and personal life.
The best companies are embracing flexibility and giving priority to work-life balance. Creating seminars for training line managers to recognize signs of overwork and creating surveys of employees’ work/life issues can help HRs to make right decisions. However, it mostly depends on the individual and how he plans his work schedule.
The post 7 Workplace Trends You’ll See in 2017 appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2d0PPJt
via Project-Management.com
Hubstaff Talent – Hire Freelancers and Remote Workers for Free
A 2015 Gallup poll showed that telecommuting in the US is increasing. The poll also showed that the telecommuters were just as productive as other employees. Another survey conducted by TINYpulse this May reported that remote workers are happier and feel more valued. As the world becomes more accepting of remote work, there is also an increasing trend in finding great contractors and freelancers. Hubstaff time tracking software recently announced the launch of Hubstaff Talent. It is a free resource for companies looking for remote talent and freelancers across the globe.
Introducing Hubstaff Talent
A few days ago, Hubstaff Talent was released to help business owners find quality staff at affordable prices. This is a free service created by the privately held, Indiana-based company of Hubstaff. The service provides a directory of high-quality freelancers and agencies. When business owners and employers post jobs and projects, they receive applications and detailed descriptions from applicants who believe they are the right fit. Employers also see not only summaries but up-to-date resumes of contractors. They can, but not required, use Hubstaff time tracking, communicate through the platform, or communicate via email, Skype or whatever means preferred.
How It Works
It is simple to get started. Business owners can browse freelancers and agencies to find the right talent and size of a team. Next, they contact the team of their choice. The employer and the contractors jointly decide on the work terms. Then, they start work on the platform they choose. Getting work done by a handpicked, qualified team has never been easier. Another way is to simply post jobs for free and wait for applications to come.
Browse Freelancers by Skill
Hubstaff Talent makes it easy to search for talent. Business owners can filter by different means such as based on rate or availability. Searching by skill category is a great way to find talent for a particular job or project requirement. At present, there are 7 categories. They are development, marketing and sales, design and multimedia, writing and content, database and IT, admin, and business consulting. Under development, there are about 70 skill categories, including HTML, WordPress development, Javascript, CSS and more. Under design and multimedia, there are about 27 skill categories, such as Photoshop, web design, graphic design, and others.
Connect with Agencies
Contractors and freelancers can register their agencies in Hubstaff Talent. When companies find the team members that belong in agencies, the site provides the contact information of the agency. A main contact for the agency controls the flow and the sales process. Business owners can also search by agencies using filters. Some of the top agencies are Epic Coders from Romania, Topflight Developers from the US, and CyberCraft from Ukraine, among others.
Browse by Country
For location-specific requirements, business owners can also search by country. At present, there are 6 countries to choose from. They are the US, the Philippines, India, Russian Federation, Romania and Pakistan. From these 6 countries, there are about 1400 freelancers and 213 agencies to choose from. However, aside from these 6 countries, there are profiles from individual freelancers and agencies that come from all over the world, such as France, Germany, Gambia, the Netherlands and others.
A 100% Free Way to Find the Best Talents and Resources
Hubstaff Talent is provided as a service to clients at no cost. Regardless of how great one’s time tracking software works, if there are no right talent and contractors working at jobs and projects, desired results will still not happen. The site aims to be an open marketplace of awesome remote workers. Its goal is to become a leader in connecting remote contractors with those in need of their services. Hubstaff is on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Hubstaff Talent – Hire Freelancers and Remote Workers for Free appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dAO46Q
via Project-Management.com
The Best Way to Handle Incoming Requests
Work is a maelstrom. Your team is receiving requests from a dozen different directions. Answer one email and there’s already three chats waiting for you. Every meeting generates four new projects. As PM, you are the captain and you need to steer away from the storm. Incorporate some practical steps to manage things. Emily Bonnie over on the Wrike blog recently gathered together five best practices to help you steer clear of catastrophe.
1. Have One Gatekeeper
Be it the PM, the team lead, or the department head, one person handles all the decisions. This person reviews incoming requests, prioritizes them and assigns the work. As Wrike points out, a gatekeeper is essential to aligning work with goals. This will also reduce conflict and confusion on the team.
2. Write It Down
Wrike refers to this as the line in the sand. Coworkers will make requests in meetings, informally in the hallway and hand you stickies. Make it clear that your team will only do work requested in writing. Wrike Request is an excellent tool for this purpose. Requests come in on a template. Once you start work, everything you need is in easy reach.
3. Keep All Your Requests in A Single Place
Sticky notes, spreadsheets, emails are a recipe for disaster. You can’t afford to lose any work. Sort work into folders. Track and prioritize the work and know immediately who is working on what. Get rid of duplicate requests. Wrike is a brilliant solution for this, funneling all your work into one place.
4. Organize Request As They Come In
Be proactive. Don’t wait for you current project to complete. Grab the requests as they land and assign them priority. Knowing what’s next keeps things moving. As Wrike points out, this will keep your team focused. A clear focus guarantees your team produces at it’s best.
5. Map Incoming Requests to Strategic Goals
Help your team work with a purpose. Wrike suggests using weekly, monthly or quarterly meetings. Provide a top down view of the work and how it ties into goals – at team level, a department level, and a company level.
Conclusion
How do you manage your incoming requests? Let us know in the comments below. If you don’t have a system in place yet, try using Wrike Requests to keep all your incoming work requests organized and your team running smoothly. Founded in 2007, Wrike is a powerful, collaborative PM platform. They understand what it takes to produce at the highest level. With Wrike, you have a simple solution to incorporate these best practices.
The post The Best Way to Handle Incoming Requests appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dh0FtD
via Project-Management.com
Moving Offices? How To Project Manage A Successful Office Relocation
Moving your office is a large undertaking and complex project that must be managed properly from start to finish to ensure a smooth completion. A seemingly small mistake can prove very costly for SMEs and a poorly managed office move can significantly impact on bottom line sales. Like with any large and complicated project, it is important to break down into sections the various tasks involved in moving offices, working through each step logically and conscientiously planning every minute detail.
If you have been assigned the role of project manager for an upcoming office relocation, take a deep breath and follow our top tips on how to manage and execute a successful office move.
Map It Out
As a rough guide, you will require at least three months to prepare for a small move and for a medium to large office, at least six to eight months. The key is to start preparations as early as possible. Creating a timeline detailing all of the necessary stages of the move will reduce the risk of key details being overlooked. It is important to make a note of essential information in your plan such as the budget, where you are moving to, the moving date etc. Ensure your manager signs this off in writing so that the goals of the project are clear and you always have these details as a reference point.
Ask for a floor plan of your new office so that you can determine the new office layout and seating plan. It is a good idea to have a general plan of your existing office space too so that you can compare the two. This will enable you to identify any areas that are not working in your current office space so that you can resolve the problem in your future office.
Call in the Calvary…Early
A move of this magnitude will require a professional removals company that has experience in handling office moves. “Research and contact three moving companies that are at least accredited and approved by the British Association of Movers,” advises John Watson, Managing Director UK Services at Abels, a moving company specialising in domestic and international removals. “Visit their premises unannounced as this will give you a feeling as to how they will manage your move. Tatty trucks and warehouse will often transpire to tatty work practices,” he adds. Schedule this into your timeframe as early as possible. Taking time to hire a good moving company will ensure you have access to sound professional advice and support throughout your move and minimises the risk of errors.
Rally the Troops
Some people are naturally resistant to change so it can be challenging to get everyone in the team on-side for the big move. It is really important to have the team in a positive mind-set about the move and it is your job as project manager to lead by example and create excitement around the event. Keeping the team informed of the moving plans through team meetings and giving them a chance to ask questions is a good way to abate any anxiety they may be feeling towards the move. Take the time to really emphasise how the move will benefit them directly as individuals. It will help keep morale high and importantly ensure that they are 100% clear with what is expected of them before and during the moving process.
Make a Contact List
Even the most organised project manager can get so caught up in various tasks involved with moving that they can forget to create a contact list. It is a good idea to assign this task to another member of the team, asking them to make sure everyone you do business with as a company, both suppliers and clients, know that you are moving. Suppliers and clients will appreciate the gesture and warning if there are any disruptions to their services on your moving day.
The post Moving Offices? How To Project Manage A Successful Office Relocation appeared first on Project-Management.com.
from Project Management Articles – Project-Management.com http://ift.tt/2dbkSl2
via Project-Management.com