What is the most important attribute of a Project Manager?

I think that one of the skills that serves a Project Manager the most of the ability to be a diplomat. Often a Project Manager will find themselves in a situation (sometimes hostile) where they need to obtain resources, skills and knowledge from those that often have different vested interests from= the objectives of the project. The skills of patiently negotiating and sometimes cajoling to help achieve that which they need to ensure the success of the project is critical. Sometimes the diplomacy needs to have a certain steeliness of purpose to ensure that the Project Manager can get what they need and the tenacity to persevere to help ensure delivery is an essential characteristic of a successful project manager.

Agile vs Waterfall Project Management Techniques

Many project managers are now using ‘agile’ techniques and approaches. This originally started in the I.T. sector but has now achieved widespread use throughout the whole of the project management arena. Organisations are now employing agile disciplines at programme level as well as at ‘the coal face’ as its popularity continue to grow.

It is vitally important to understand that combining PRINCE2 with Agile techniques is not just about giving PRINCE2 an agile capability. It is much more important than that. It allows an organization to go about creating a robust and fully scalable agile capability in a controlled way. PRINCE2 should not be seen as a blocker to agile – in fact quite the opposite – it is an enabler, it allows agile to happen in a disciplined way.

It achieves this in a variety of ways. For example PRINCE2 is particularly strong in the areas of project governance and project management. It provides an overarching structure of governance to a project by establishing a Project Board which directs the Project Manager using ‘management by exception’

Which fits well with the agile ethos of empowerment.

The key interests on a project can then give direction when required, in the knowledge that they have created a safety zone for the Project Manager, having established the appropriate stage boundaries and tolerance levels.

Free £30 of Microsoft Bing Advertising Voucher

Microsoft Adcenter are offering £30 of clicks free when you signup for a Microsoft Adcenter account.

https://www.tryadcenternow.co.uk/

Microsoft Adcenter (Bing) vs Google Adwords

Having run a number of campaigns it's clear to me that Microsoft Adcenter (via Bing) offer a much improved click-through rates at a third of the cost in comparison with Google Adwords. The main issue is that the search volumes in Bing obviosuly don't match up to Google so if you need a high volume high value paid search campaign then Google is still the leader.

Project Managers – What are the key personality traits

What is the key personality trait required by a project manager?


Let’s suppose that I need a project manager and I am going through a selection process. You have a number of CV’s from project managers in front of you – what are you looking for in a project manager? For me the key thing I try to find out about someone is do they have a sense of ownership for their work and are they involved in it?

Someone once said to me that to be a good project manager you must feel and display a sense of complete ownership for the project and its outcome. After all the client / employer / manager is giving one person the responsibility for delivering the project (others may take the accountability). If the captain of the ship has a sense of ownership about the project then they will project this passion onto the teams they are managing and the customers they are delivering for.

Sagemcom Releases Freeview HD Recorder

I'm always interested in new ways of Online Marketing, PR and Online promotion and this the video below demonstrates one use for SEO within YouTube. Notice the button in the top right hand corner that provides a link back to the target site.

Freelance. It's Britains Brain Gain

A recent CBI study highlights that UK Freelancing has increased by 14% over the past decade and there are now an estimated 1.4m freelancers in the UK. Freelancers and "micro-businesses" play an increasingly important role in the economy by increasing labour market flexibility. Project Managers are often in demand as freelancers and interim's given the interim nature of the project life-cycle.

Titanium Consulting are a member of the Professional Contractors Group which is an independent association that represents, supports and promotes the freelance community in the UK. PCG membership has grown steadily to encompass over 19,000 freelancers, contractors and consultants at the beginning of 2010.

The PCG is currently running a campaign to highlight the benefits of Freelancing and Interim Management. The micro-site - Freelancing - Britains Brain Gain - can be found here:

http://www.pcg.org.uk/britainsbraingain/

Where have all the IT Juniors and Graduates gone?

As an Interim Project Manager and Professional Contractor it’s become more apparent to me in the last few years that IT departments are getting older.

IT always used to be considered an industry for twenty-something’s but looking around a few of the IT teams at recent clients sites the average age seems to be around late thirties.

I suppose that agencies require candidates to be highly skilled and experienced for almost all roles these days and that has meant that only older candidates will have the relevant battle scars and certificates….

It seems that the traditional route into a Project Manager maybe via coding to Analyst and then Project Manager is becoming harder for the graduates since the junior level roles are now mostly being outsourced or off-shored.

Every industry needs fresh young talent and Project are always a good place to nurture this talent.