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The Critical Role of the Project Sponsor

By Kathy Martucci, PMP: One of the most well-known critical success factors in any project is executive support.  In effect, the project manager must recruit, train and retain an effective sponsor who can add value to the project. How can…
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Pushing Yourself to Higher Performance

On Saturdays, all belt levels in my Haidong Gumdo program show up for practice. Last Saturday, I was the total new kid on the block with many experienced people in the class. I could choose
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Try Reverse Brainstorming

by Vicki Wrona, PMP We are all familiar with brainstorming, but its impact is often quite limited due to a number of factors discussed earlier. But have you heard of reverse brainstorming? It is a simple technique which can generate truly…
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Don’t Put Project Management in a Box

By Vicki Wrona, PMP Project Management is both operational and strategic. It uses both analytical and interpersonal skills. It includes leadership and negotiations. Why do we want to limit its definition…and our worth as project managers?! All too often I run into senior managers who believe that project management is strictly an operational function. They need a project done and someone gets it done...that's how they see it. But as good as that is, if used properly, project management can be much more than that. When used by senior management or in a project management office (PMO), it can be strategic as well. The project management office or similar function can help determine which projects will be funded and how they will be prioritized and worked. In other words, with solid portfolio management practices, they determine the mix of projects that best support the organization’s mission. This is not an operational function but instead a very strategic one.