You are so close to being able to provide your group a collaborative infrastructure for project management that you can almost taste it!

You have come to the conclusion that improved project management, resource management, and metrics are key to reducing overhead costs and improving revenue.  You have created a prioritized list of benefits you need from project management software and you have contacted the vendors you are interested in while avoiding the 5 things you should never say to a project management software salesperson.

So many people quit at this p ...

So your organization has decided it needs:

• Project management software
• Resource management software / Capacity planning
• Enterprise Project and Portfolio management

If you

Woo hoo!

After years of managing traditional back-office projects using the waterfall methodology techniques you have finally been handed one of your company's top web projects to manage!

Your mission?  To re-engineer the corporate web site including a new blog capability, document management, and a discussion forum.

You are a self proclaimed geek with every gadget and have followed web-trends religiously.  Your mind starts to spin with the dizzying array of features and widgets you can stuff into every nook and cranny of the system.  You could write the requirements for the site yourself as few people in your organization "get-it" the way you do. 

Heck, you are so excited you break out Microsoft PowerPoint and start running the "New Product Development" template wizard to build your business case.  You ...

One of our most important senses is our sight.  Many people fear the loss of sight nearly as much as loss of life.

Yet more and more we are engaged in virtual teams trying to accomplish Herculean project tasks without seeing our teammates on a regular basis.  This is further exasperated by the other favorite form of communication that blocks our sense of hearing:  Email.  I am certain if I developed virtual project management software to block sense of smell too I would join the ranks of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs!

Ironically, I see five terrible mistakes made every day in meet ...

Why virtual project management fails - Part 0 - Introduction

I have worked on the art and science of web-based virtual project management since the mid-90's and had the pleasure of being involved with the first virtual program management intranet at AT&T.  One of the most common complaints is how difficult it is to bring together virtual teams of partners, team members, and customers.  What is even more strange is how few of the times people understand why their virtual projects failed to meet the scope, budget, or timelines they set out to achieve.

In this series I will explo ...

On returning to the USA recently for a business trip a picked up a couple of books in the airport in Shanghai.  Finding a decent collection of English language books in the airport is a new experience in itself.  I’d been thinking about how to help an expat friend of mine, a new arrival in China, who has been having some issues in adapting to the new surroundings (i.e. work environment.)  He was getting frustrated with the relative immaturity of business practices and with the perceived unwillingness of subordinates to follow direction.

So in the airport I found three books that I thought migth help: (1) The China Executive by Wei Wang, (2) China CEO, A Case Guide for Business Leaders in China by Juan Antonio Fernandez and Shengjun Liu, and (3) Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow.  Well the last one might seem a bit strange but of course understanding the transitions that have occurred in China in such a relatively short time frame are im ...

I mentioned before that I was considering cultural traits and their impact on the practice of project management in China. A few thoughts....

Leadership.  One example that always comes up is that th ...