Sat.Aug 11, 2018 - Fri.Aug 17, 2018

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Winter Is Coming: Project Management Lessons from Game of Thrones

ProjectManager.com

“A bruise is a lesson… and each lesson makes us better” – Arya Stark. Project managers can get pretty bruised by the lessons projects throw at us. But we deserve a little time off too. And, if you’re like me, you’ll spend some of it in Westeros. But that’s good, because we can learn plenty of project management lessons from Game of Thrones and the world George RR Martin has created.

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What Project Managers Should Know About Monitoring Project Risks

Project Risk Coach

Many project managers do a great job of identifying risks. Some even evaluate risks and develop response plans. However, project managers get busy as their projects progress and fail to monitor their risks, resulting in challenged or failed projects. Here are some key factors that you should know about monitoring project risks. Do Project Managers Really Control Risks?

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3 Easy Ways To Make a Gantt Chart (Giveaway + Free Excel Template)

Rebel’s Guide to PM

If you manage projects, you will have come across a Gantt chart. Even if you don’t manage projects but are involved in project teams, or you manage Agile projects – Gantt charts are everywhere. Enter to win a one year license for Office Timeline, perfect for creating Gantt charts in Powerpoint, by clicking here. I have used Microsoft Project for many years and it creates great Gantt charts.

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It’s all in the Presentation

The Lazy Project Manager

I was once in a restaurant. The location was good, the décor and ambience very acceptable, the company most enjoyable, and the snow fell softly outside providing a winter wonderland visual delight through the large windows. But sadly all of that positive build-up for a great evening’s dining was almost outweighed by the food and service. After an initial ordering experience the diners elected to eat the same main course but each agreed that the chef’s vegetable of choice for the evening was not

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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What Does Y=f(x) Mean? How to Use This Powerful Six Sigma Formula

ProjectManager.com

Some people look at math and shut down. Managers are not usually those people. They know that there are formulas that must be used to solve certain business and process problems. But there are different types of managers, just as there are different types of people. Some are more skilled as leaders than they are as mathematicians. Math is required, of course, but some managers still might be perplexed by certain equations, such as the commonly used Six Sigma formula Y=f(x).

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The Trouble with Methodologies and Why Frameworks are Better

Rebel’s Guide to PM

This is a guest post by Laura Copas and Steve Sewell at Change Troops. At Change Troops we’ve noticed projects, programmes and change initiatives becoming increasingly complex, and the biggest threat to their success is methodologies. Methodologies are everywhere. They bring with them the enticing promise of an easy way to make organisational or personal change, if only you follow the prescribed route.

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How to Write Status Reports that are Worth Reading

LiquidPlanner

Status reports are a critical part of project management. We all write them, but hardly anyone reads them. I don’t know how many times I’ve had a stakeholder claim to not know something that was in a status report…on the front page…in bold…with arrows pointing at it saying, “ This is very important. ”. Okay, that last bit was an exaggeration, but the rest wasn’t.

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How to Make Your First Day of Work Awesome

ProjectManager.com

You did it! You’ve landed that new job you’ve been trying so hard to get. Unfortunately, transitioning into a new work environment, with new people, new procedures and new office tools can be stressful. Who are the people on your team? What project management tools do they use to work together and communicate? The learning curve can be difficult.

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Tips + Tools For Managing Efficient Virtual Teams

The Digital Project Manager

Any HR professional can tell you: the remote workforce is expanding. In fact, a 2017. The post Tips + Tools For Managing Efficient Virtual Teams appeared first on The Digital Project Manager.

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The 2nd Generation of Innovation Management: A Survival Guide

Speaker: Chris Townsend, VP of Product Marketing, Wellspring

Over the past decade, companies have embraced innovation with enthusiasm—Chief Innovation Officers have been hired, and in-house incubators, accelerators, and co-creation labs have been launched. CEOs have spoken with passion about “making everyone an innovator” and the need “to disrupt our own business.” But after years of experimentation, senior leaders are asking: Is this still just an experiment, or are we in it for the long haul?

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Software Review: Vizzlo [2018]

Rebel’s Guide to PM

I first wrote this Vizzlo review in 2016, and this review has been updated to reflect changes in the tool since then. General Information. Name: Vizzlo. Vendor: Vizzlo. Hosting options: Web only. Cost and plans: Free plan (includes Vizzlo branding on your images), Premium Plan at $11 per month, plus options for businesses that include sharing images between teams from $15 per month.

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Will a Project Management Certification Help Your Career?

LiquidPlanner

Let’s say you’re well-qualified in your technical skills—be it Java, programming languages, infrastructure, networks or system administration. Qualifications take time and effort, but as well as learning useful skills, you’re also building confidence—your own and the others’ confidence in your ability to do a great job. But what if you’re switching from a purely technical role to one that involves managing projects?

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How to Make Your First Day of Work Awesome

ProjectManager.com

You did it! You’ve landed that new job you’ve been trying so hard to get. Unfortunately, transitioning into a new work environment, with new people, new procedures and new office tools can be stressful. Who are the people on your team? What project management tools do they use to work together and communicate? The learning curve can be difficult.

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DoD defines agility

Scrum.org

Big organizations use Scrum as a driver of agility. But often after launching, management start focusing on the speed of development instead of quality. DoD is often weak and the company's agility is reduced as a result. In this article we will use system diagrams to analyze the reasons why it happens and why DoD defines agility. . DoD defines frequency of releases.

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The Constructor's Digital Transformation Playbook: Reducing Risk With Technology

Speaker: Dylan Secrest

Construction projects are high-stakes operations where even minor inefficiencies can lead to costly delays, safety concerns, and budget overruns. Managing risk in construction has always been a challenge, but as projects grow in complexity, traditional methods no longer cut it. Enter Digital Transformation - a game changer approach that replaces inefficiency with AI-powered analytics, real-time monitoring, and automated workflows to proactively manage risk.

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Handling Unplanned Work

Leading Agile

Technical teams who are building or supporting application software usually work from a prioritized list of improvements, new features, and ideas to try out. (Scrum calls the list the Product Backlog.) They have a plan for completing the items on the list. Except in cases when the totality of the work is completely understood in advance, contemporary practice involves rolling-wave planning or multi-horizon planning in some form, whereby teams pull a subset of items from the top of the list and w

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Show respect!

Kiron Bondale

I’ve previously written about the importance of courage and discipline for agile teams, so let’s review another important quality – respect. The Oxford English Dictionary provides two definitions for which are apropos: A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.

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The Value of Project Management Skills… Transferability

Online PM Courses

Project Management is a valuable skill-set. Project Management skills enable you to deliver big, complex, important changes. And organizations are prepared to pay for that. This is what makes Project Management a career option. But not everyone wants to build a. Project Management career. You may have got the skills of Project Management for a specific Project.

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The difference between the ‘forecast’ and the ‘Sprint Backlog’ in Scrum

Scrum.org

There is a difference between the forecast and the Sprint Backlog in Scrum. Exactly what this difference is, has eluded me for some time, and it may very well be unclear to you too. The difference may seem subtle, but can have real practical benefits as you will learn below. The way I used to look at forecast & Sprint Goal. In the slides of the Scrum courses I teach, the results of the Sprint Planning are listed as: Sprint Goal ; f orecast ; Sprint Backlog.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

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Creed Over Greed: Motivation and Purpose

Leading Answers

There have been a couple of news stories in the news recently that reveal some important facts about motivation and purpose. Ex-Tesla Workers Are Still Believers. Some people’s reactions over being fired from Tesla surprised many analysts. Rather than the normal angry barbs (and I am sure there were plenty of those) what made the news were the messages of thanks from, now ex-employees, explaining how they enjoyed their time there and were glad to be a part of it.

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10 LinkedIn Groups every Entrepreneur & Project Manager should join

Taskque

Starting a business is not everybody’s cup of tea. Trust me, Entrepreneurs, business owners, and project owners cannot succeed without soliciting the help of a group(s) of people who have that experience and can guide them better. Without these networks of people, it becomes a challenge for small business owners & project managers to scale their business on their own.

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Software Developers Always Want to Go Faster

Leading Agile

Lately I’ve been thinking about inconsistencies or ironies in things developers say. I realize that’s pretty unusual for me, and you’re probably surprised that I would write about irony, or even recognize it when I see it. I can’t explain it. It’s just one of those things, you know. In any case, I’m thinking about irony in the sense of a definition I found via Google: “a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance

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Scrum Mastery: 5 Steps to Leverage the Organization

Scrum.org

This is the fifth in a series of posts exploring Scrum Mastery. In our first post, we introduced the 4 dimensions of Scrum Mastery: Team Identity, Team Process, Product Value, and the Organization. In this post, we will explore the Organization dimension. How is the organization enabling you to maximize the benefits of Scrum? . How is the organization holding you back?

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The GTM Intelligence Era: ZoomInfo 2025 Customer Impact Report

ZoomInfo customers aren’t just selling — they’re winning. Revenue teams using our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform grew pipeline by 32%, increased deal sizes by 40%, and booked 55% more meetings. Download this report to see what 11,000+ customers say about our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform and how it impacts their bottom line. The data speaks for itself!

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10 Ways to Improve Team Communication

Teamweek

Team communication is one of the key factors in being successful. As a project manager, it’s possibly the most important tool in your arsenal. Constantly looking for ways to improve team communication should always be at the top of your list. It’s not just about talking; we all know how to speak. It’s about communicating with a purpose and conveying information in an understandable manner.

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Focus on Strengths Not Just Weaknesses – the Value of Appreciative Inquiry

Green Project Management

I always enjoyed the message from the featured image above. As a management consultant, validator, and assessor I am often engaged by organizations to analyze their operations and systems to identify opportunities for improvement. I have also spent a couple decades on advising on how to implement better practice methods and processes around various disciplines […].

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Can Agencies Positively Impact Client Strategy?

Function Point

How can your agency positively impact your client’s business strategy? It’s a good question and one that can lead to a myriad of possible opportunities, for both clients and their respective agencies. From an organizational structure to go-to-market strategies, there are a number of ways that creative agencies can assist their client in achieving their goals.

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Myth : Scrum Master is an Information dispenser

Scrum.org

I often start my Scrum training classes with this quote. "Scrum Master is an enabler than a doer". . This is the second in a series of posts exploring some of the myths about Scrum Mastery. Software is eating the world (At least I see that way :-) , employees today are better educated than the previous generation ( Generation X). In this post, I use the term Leaders & Scrum Masters interchangeably to help people understand, Scrum Master is a "Servant-leadership" role.

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Prepare Now: 2025s Must-Know Trends For Product And Data Leaders

Speaker: Jay Allardyce, Deepak Vittal, Terrence Sheflin, and Mahyar Ghasemali

As we look ahead to 2025, business intelligence and data analytics are set to play pivotal roles in shaping success. Organizations are already starting to face a host of transformative trends as the year comes to a close, including the integration of AI in data analytics, an increased emphasis on real-time data insights, and the growing importance of user experience in BI solutions.

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15 Teamwork Software Alternatives for Project Management

Teamweek

Doing project management without using the proper software tools has become nearly impossible, especially over the last few years. With more companies hiring remote workers, online collaboration tools are becoming a crucial part of every business in this industry. Programs like Teamwork have come into the picture as a cloud-based means to improve communication, organization, and production.

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Think Different, Work Different: The One Aspect of Diversity Most Companies Ignore

Wrike

Diversity is a key ingredient to success. Study after study has revealed its benefits. A diverse workforce leads to more creativity and innovation , increases productivity and revenue , and can even make us smarter. It’s no wonder forward-thinking companies are spending millions of dollars every year to better know and serve a diverse workforce. Aside from expanding their teams’ gender, sexual orientation, and ethnic diversity, companies are digging deep to understand how their workers think and

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How Project Management Solution Is The Real Replacement For Excel

Celoxis

For years, Excel has been a preferred tool for project managers and teams across every industry. Using excel at work is a prudent move, it gives businesses the tool they need to drive more efficiency and productivity in their day-to-day work process. However, as technology continues to evolve, industries and businesses must reshape every aspect in order to keep a competitive edge.

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