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A Project Manager's First Day On The Job: Focus On These 3 Essentials
Project Management

A Project Manager’s First Day On The Job: Focus On These 3 Essentials

The first day on the job can be nerve-wracking for a Project Manager at any skill level. Working in a new environment comes with all sorts of challenges that we get hit with simultaneously. Between new coworkers, a different workplace culture and an impression to make, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when we start at a new job – let alone taking on our new project! That’s a whole other conversation, which we’ll have in this article. Today, we write about a Project Manager’s first day on the job, and the three essential things they should focus on first!

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Pat Finnegan October 29, 2019
How Do You Organize Project Documentation? A Few Must-Know Methods
Construction Documents & Templates

How Do You Organize Project Documentation? A Few Must-Know Methods

Take a look at every job listing for companies seeking a Project Manager. Two of the requirements that every company wants to see in a candidate are excellent organization skills and attention to details. This is for good reason – successful projects MUST be well-organized. Details get lost, efficiency drops and mistakes are made when project documents aren’t organized. Not to mention that files serve as legal documents that must be retained for some time after the project is done. How do you organize project documentation, then? In this article, we’ll discuss 10 must-know methods for organizing project documents the right way.

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Pat Finnegan October 23, 2019
Project Acceleration In Project Management
Project Management

Project Acceleration In Project Management: 5 Methods + The Good & Bad

Nearly all projects go through this at some point – the schedule must be accelerated. After all, there are deadlines to meet, a pace to keep and stakeholders to please. When delays arise out of surprises, issues or performance problems, it’s only natural to start thinking about the schedule. When will this thing be done?? There are many ways to go out project acceleration, which we’ll discuss below. Each acceleration method does come with its’ own set of drawbacks and stipulations to be aware of. This article is all about project acceleration in project management: five methods of doing so, plus the good and the bad of each.

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Pat Finnegan October 16, 2019
How Do You Manage Multiple Projects Effectively
Construction Process

How Do You Manage Multiple Projects Effectively? Our Top 10 Techniques

In a perfect world, a Project Manager would be given exactly one project at a time. We could put all of our attention and energy into getting the project completely finished before we even think about the next one. As you and I both already know, though, this world is far from perfect. People leave or get fired. New project opportunities pop up out of nowhere. Projects get delayed well beyond their original timeframe. Companies stretch resources. Busy times call for juggling. Some projects are just too small to require a full-time P.M. If you work in project management long

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Pat Finnegan October 15, 2019
Importance Of Negotiation In Project Management
Construction Process

Importance Of Negotiation In Project Management, With Examples

Life is full of negotiations. If we look closely enough, we can find strands of negotiating in nearly every situation we find ourselves in. Whether it be choosing a restaurant, debating opinions with friends or convincing a kid to eat their vegetables, we can find ourselves in a negotiation without even realizing it. In the world of project management, contracts and big-picture discussions come to mind when the word “negotiate” arises. This is not where a project manager’s negotiation skills end, though. I guarantee that every project manager is involved with at least one negotiation per day, even if it isn’t seen as one. So why is it such a necessary skill for PMs? In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of negotiation in project management!

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Pat Finnegan October 14, 2019
Managing Projects With A Short Attention Span
Project Management

Managing Projects With A Short Attention Span: 6 Must-Do Habits

Is your attention span similar to flipping through TV stations? Are thoughts racing, fast and ever-flowing? If so, you may have what some call a ‘short attention span’ – that is, your attention is constantly drawn to every thought or distraction and remains on any one subject for a short amount of time. This article is not written in judgement – I have this issue myself! Guess what? Over the years, I really haven’t changed either. While meditation, concentration and a healthy lifestyle do help with focus and mental performance, much of who we are and how are brain works is given to us at birth. Just as a sailboat is designed to use the wind to its’ advantage, regardless of the direction it’s blowing, we can adapt to our short attention span and in some cases, use our short attention spans to our advantage! This article is all about managing projects with a short attention span, and some techniques and habits we can use to overcome it.

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Pat Finnegan October 1, 2019
What Is The Waterfall Model Used For In Project Management
Project Management

What Is The Waterfall Model Used For In Project Management?

Projects come in all shapes and sizes. Some projects are broad, vague and developed over time as changes and improvements are implemented. On these more complex projects, using a management method with flexibility and room for changes is of utmost importance. Other projects require a more straightforward, linear approach – complete step 1 as required, then move onto step 2 when step 1 is fully satisfied. Repeat until the project is finished. The former method is known as the Agile project management process, which we’ve recently written about. The latter approach is what we’re focusing on in this article, which is known as the Waterfall method. So what is the waterfall model used for in project management? Let’s explore!

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Pat Finnegan September 25, 2019
Overwhelmed By Big Projects? Try These 6 Essential Techniques!
Project Management

Overwhelmed By Big Projects? 6 Approaches With Metaphors & Examples

When we first take on a project, it feels like we’re given a huge block of stone – from which, we’re expected to sculpt a finely-detailed statue. Even worse, we must sculpt it within a certain amount of time, with set resources. Where do we start? What do we do first? At the very beginning, a new project can feel quite overwhelmed. It’s even easier to feel overwhelmed by big projects. There are just so many steps, phases and tasks to get right. Just as a 1,000 mile journey begins with a single step, or how the pyramids are built with one block of stone at a time, projects can be broken down into easy, bite-sized steps – all it takes is a change in our approach and strategy! In this article, we’ll discuss six approaches to large projects, along with metaphors and examples.

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Pat Finnegan September 23, 2019
How Do You Manage Subcontractors
Construction Management

How Do You Manage Subcontractors? 7 Essential Tips

Projects come in all shapes and sizes, as do contractors. For a contractor to take on a project, they must essentially be willing and able to bring a client’s idea into reality. Sometimes, a contractor possesses all of the knowledge, skill and supplies necessary to complete an entire project on their own. In many other cases, though, the outcome a client is looking for has many parts to it. While a contractor might be willing and able to perform a large portion of the work, the client may be asking for things the contractor just can’t do. The contractor doesn’t walk away at this stage – they hire another contractor to do the work they’re not able to do themselves. This additional contractor is now a subcontractor on the project. Before hiring a subcontractor in a real-world scenario for the first time, we must know the ins and outs of working with a subcontractor. In this article, we’ll be answering the question of: How do you manage subcontractors?

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Pat Finnegan September 17, 2019
What Are The Basics Of Project Scheduling
Construction Management

Basics Of Project Scheduling: Master These 9 Essential CPM Steps

As the old saying goes, a successful project comes down to getting three things right: cost, quality and time. Do that and you’re golden! Obviously, getting there is a little tougher than that. According to Mavenlink, 70% of projects fail. Part is this failure are projects that don’t finish on time. With this is mind, developing a realistic and logistically-sound schedule for any project is essential. If you’re taking on a new project or will be soon, you might be wondering “what are the basics of project scheduling?” to avoid delays. In this article, we’ll walk through the essential steps needed to draft a project schedule. Let’s dive in.

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Pat Finnegan September 16, 2019

About This Topic

Project Management is both an art and a science, blending the arenas of creativity, discipline, efficiency and skills. That’s why we have an entire portion of our blog dedicated specifically to project management techniques! Check out these articles on project management efficiency, decision-making, project management metaphors, approaching problems, handing issues, organization, managing vendors and subcontractors and generally getting things done.

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