Tips for Project Managers of all ages...

If Project Management is your thing I heartily recommend the NewGrange Mailing List. There's a thread on the list at the moment about "rules" for Project Managers. Blair Webster has responded to the thread with what he calls his "top 10 project management tips for young engineers"

Top 10 Project Management Tips

1. There is always a schedule. Corollary: The first date someone mentions has a tendency to become the due date.
2. Get it in writing. Corollary: The first one to write something down gets at least 80% of what they want.
3. Projects are a triangle of features, cost, and schedule. A change in one side of this triangle directly affects the others.
4. Understand the difference between "work" and "duration"; 40 hours doesn't necessarily mean one week.
5. Prepare for meetings; your engineering skills will be judged by your communication skills.
6. "Almost complete" is a schedule killer. Don't use that term, and don't let others use it on you. Corollary: "Done" is a binary term; something's either "done" and can be turned in, or it's "not done", and you need to know when it will be done.
7. Know who your customer is, and understand their criteria for the success of your project.
8. Manage change effectively; as soon as you recognize a delay, raise your hand and say so.
9. Plan for the unexpected.
10. The technical problems on a project are the easiest to resolve.

I'm sure I could make an argument that, at least in my world, number 10 isn't always true but I think, overall, it contains some sage advice for Project Managers, of all ages.

Tags: Project Management