When to be Flexible in PRINCE2 Project Management

Written by | Published August 16, 2012

flexibility-project-managementProject management techniques such as PRINCE2 are based on careful planning and tight control. There is also the fundamental acceptance that plans will need to be changed as the project progresses – if this sounds confusing then learning PRINCE2 techniques will let you know when and how to adapt the project.

For example, you will usually set flexible decision points for each stage where progress is reviewed against the business case. What I want to discuss today is the scope for flexibility beyond these points.

It’s true that PRINCE2 is a structured methodology, but this should not mean sticking to procedure when a common sense approach may be more appropriate. It can be tempting to measure PM success as how closely you stuck to the framework, but the most important thing is that the job is done well, not that the job is done by applying the PRINCE2 formula to the letter.

The best project managers can apply their training to real-life scenarios – when things never quite go the same as they do on paper! Sometimes you need to make business decisions on a gut feeling. A great PM is not a robot – you are hired for your personality and experience, which make your decisions valid.

Here are our top insights for understanding the role of flexibility in PRINCE2: Read the rest of “When to be Flexible in PRINCE2 Project Management”

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Communication Skills in Project Management

Written by | Published August 10, 2012

Communication Skills in Project ManagementTraining in project management techniques such as PRINCE2 will give you the theory of how to structure and run a project. We’ll also give you case studies and real-world applications of the knowledge to make it easier to start managing projects when you return to work. Understanding the importance of  other skills such as communication is also critical to project success.

Within any project management framework, there are important documents to be drawn up, referred to and maintained. This requires excellent written communication skills as well as knowledge of the paperwork required. Verbal communication skills are necessary in order to keep your team updated and motivated, to explain the project to stakeholders, and to provide the Project Board with progress reports.

With that in mind, here are our top tips for communication in project management.

Listen

When most people think of effective communication, they think of how they deliver information to others. This is far from accurate – communication is a two-way street and improving your skills must begin with making an effort to truly listen and understand. Read the rest of “Communication Skills in Project Management”

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How to Keep Calm When Projects Go Wrong

Written by | Published August 3, 2012

Keep Calm and Project Manage

To be successful at managing projects, you need to learn how to structure and control them using a proven project management technique such as PRINCE2. That is pretty much a given in today’s society – project management qualifications are increasingly asked for in job advertisements, and our accredited PRINCE2 courses have never been so popular!

Being a great project manager is not just about learning theory though, or even about applying it by the book. Project management requires excellent organisational and people management skills in order to be a success.

Above all, a project manager needs to be able to keep their cool when things are going astray, even if just to set a good example to their team. Here are our Top Tips for keeping calm when things go wrong in project management:

Step Back

The best thing you can do to prevent project failure is to take the time to analyse issues that creep up on you along the way.

When you’re panicking because things are going wrong, it’s hard to take this step back – it can seem more effective to just get on with the most obvious fix. PRINCE2 has an emphasis on control, especially when faced with unexpected challenges. Simply reacting without thinking is a no-no – you must take the time out to consider all the options for recovery and how the issue and solution relate to the rest of the project. Read the rest of “How to Keep Calm When Projects Go Wrong”

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