If you’re preparing to take the Project Management Professional (PMP) examination or any other multiple choice certification test, I have an idea I’d like to share. You’ve probably been told the best way to prepare for the exam is “take as many practice exams as possible.” I couldn’t agree more.
Editor’s Note: this is a guest post from Darrell Stiffler What Type of Student are you? I have always felt that generalizations and categorizations of groups of people are unfair. However, I do see the benefit when trying to get a point across. I have attended and taught many classes throughout my professional career and have […]
How many times have we heard the expression “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” It seems to be a common expression in both casual and professional conversation when reporting on previous events or gathering information of a subject. I feel like this phrase is not appropriate to use when presenting […]
The term “Project Management Life Cycle” is not mentioned in either A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) 2000 or the PMBOK Guide – 3rd Edition. In the PMBOK Guide – 4th Edition, the term is used only once. On page 3 it states, “The PMBOK Guide provides guidelines for managing individual projects. It defines project […]
If you create presentations using the notes feature in PowerPoint, you probably have found yourself wanting to print multiple slides on one page (handouts) with the notes associated with those slides displayed on the same page. This layout can often help you better present and provide more effective handouts to the audience, as you can […]
The triple constraints model has been one of the main staples for teaching project management for as long as I can remember. The model is generally represented by a triangle with Scope on the horizontal leg, Time on the left leg, Cost or Resources on the right leg and Quality in the center of the […]
Communication with family and coworkers can be frustrating. I find it particularly frustrating when I try to communicate with simple questions and get polite but not specific answers. Now, I know people try to be polite when it comes to communication, and I am even guilty of it myself, occasionally. Let me give you an […]
In 1982, Kaoru Ishikawa (1915 – 1989) created the cause and effect diagram also known as the fishbone diagram. The fishbone diagram is often used in root cause analysis to identify linkages between systems or events (parallels can be drawn from the term “root” in root cause analysis and the root of a plant). Identifying issues that are […]
When completing the Human Resource Management Plan, one of the items that must be done is the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM). The RAM is used to illustrate the connections between work packages or activities and the project team. Depending on how large the project might be, it may be a good idea to do a […]
The Project Management Life Cycle and the Nine Knowledge Areas are the foundation for the PMI approach to project management. The Project Management Life Cycle consists of Initiation, Planning, Execution, Controlling / Monitoring, and Closure (IPECC). If you were to attend a project management class, you would probably be told that the IPECC is used […]
