Category: Project Management

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Strategic Planning: Project Managers & Business Analysts

Project manager working on strategic plan with team

Strategic planning isn’t just for the C-suite. For project managers (PMs) and business analysts (BAs), it’s a shared mindset—and when done well, a powerful collaborative edge. It’s what separates reactive task-jugglers from proactive leaders who shape business outcomes.

Too often, strategic planning is treated like a once-a-year offsite agenda item. But in project environments, it’s a daily discipline. Project managers and business analysts bring complementary strengths to the table—and when they plan strategically together, the results ripple across the organization.

Let’s explore how PMs and BAs can lean into strategy, together.

Where Strategy Starts: Shared Understanding

Strategic planning begins with clarity: What are we solving? Who are we solving it for? Why does it matter?

  • BAs shine here. They dig into business needs, ask the right questions, and define the problem space.
  • PMs turn that understanding into structure—schedules, budgets, risk assessments, and delivery plans.

When this early collaboration happens, it prevents teams from building elegant solutions to the wrong problems.

Tip: Start planning sessions with shared ownership of goals. Don’t just delegate requirements to the BA or logistics to the PM. Map the business case together.

Aligning Tactics to Strategy

Strategic planning isn’t abstract. It’s about making smart decisions with finite resources. PMs and BAs each bring a lens to these decisions:

  • PMs focus on feasibility and execution: Can we realistically deliver this on time and on budget?
  • BAs focus on value: Is this the right thing to deliver?

Both are essential. Without feasibility, strategy fails. Without value, delivery is irrelevant.

Think of the PM as managing the “how” and the BA as refining the “what.” Planning together ensures both are right.

Strategic Planning Throughout the Project

Planning isn’t a single moment; it’s an ongoing process.

During Initiation:

  • BAs clarify the problem, analyze stakeholders, and shape the vision.
  • PMs define scope, build timelines, and start risk assessments.

Together, they align on what success looks like.

During Execution:

  • PMs adjust plans based on progress, blockers, and change requests.
  • BAs validate that the solution still meets evolving business needs.

Together, they pivot smartly—without losing sight of strategy.

During Closure:

  • PMs capture lessons learned and close out deliverables.
  • BAs assess business value and post-launch outcomes.

Together, they inform future strategic decisions.

Strategic Tools for PM & BA Collaboration

Some tools that support strategic co-planning:

  • Business Case Canvas: Aligns goals, metrics, and solution fit
  • RACI Matrix: Clarifies who does what in strategy and planning
  • Product Roadmaps: Connect features to business priorities
  • SWOT or PESTLE Analysis: Contextualizes planning in wider trends
  • Backlog Prioritization: Ensures tactical choices reflect strategic needs

Use these together—not in silos. Strategy is a team sport.

The Human Side of Strategic Planning

This isn’t just about frameworks. It’s about relationship. The best project managers and business analysts:

  • Respect each other’s expertise
  • Share accountability, not blame
  • Stay curious and challenge assumptions

PMs can lean on BAs to deepen stakeholder insight and spot unseen dependencies. BAs can lean on PMs to translate vision into action and keep momentum focused.

One powerful habit: Do joint stakeholder walkthroughs. Hearing the same thing together often reveals misalignment faster than emails or handoffs.

Final Thought: Strategy Is a Shared Language

Project managers and business analysts are most powerful when they plan strategically together—not in parallel, but in partnership. In today’s pace of change, strategy isn’t static. It’s iterative, evolving, and rooted in insight. By combining delivery discipline with analytical clarity, PMs and BAs make strategy real. That’s not just good planning. That’s good business.

Key Takeaways:

  • Strategic planning is ongoing and collaborative
  • PMs and BAs bring different but complementary strengths
  • Aligning early prevents rework and delivers higher value
  • Shared tools and shared mindset create alignment
  • The strongest strategies come from shared understanding and trust

Let strategy be more than a slide deck. Let it be how you work, together.

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Project Management Approaches and Methodologies

Project manager discusses project approaches and methodologies with team

As a project manager, selecting the right project management approach and methodology is an important step you’ll need to take before starting work on a project. That’s because using the appropriate approach and methodology can make a major difference in the flow of your project and its successful completion.

  1. What is a Project Management Approach?
  2. What Are Popular Project Management Approaches?
  3. How to Select the Right Approach for Your Project
  4. A Hybrid Approach
  5. What Are Common Project Management Methodologies?

What Is a Project Management Approach?

A project management approach defines the overall mindset you have for how to manage the project. Should you plan it traditionally, meaning as completely as possible before you execute, or should you plan and execute the project incrementally? Your project management approach falls along a continuum between plan-based (traditional), and adaptive (incremental). On the other hand, there are many methodologies to choose from. While this might feel overwhelming at first, the nice thing is you can select an approach that best suits each project, and that will help you know what methods to choose. After all, every project is unique, so even though a an approach and methodology might work for one project, it might not for another.

As mentioned, you can use different project management approaches to ensure every project you lead will be a success. To simplify things a bit, we’ve put together overviews of  the most popular types.

1. Agile Project Management

The great thing about taking an agile approach to project management is it provides you with plenty of flexibility. You can change the way you do things as you go to adjust to change, and still keep your project on track.

Rather than following a strict, linear method, this adaptable and collaborative approach makes it easier to implement changes when needed. Therefore, your team may make changes as new learning about the needs of the project requires.

This approach can be helpful if you anticipate a project will need a lot of changes before completion. It’s also beneficial if your stakeholders want to give you frequent feedback as the project progresses.

Pro tip: When you’re ready to learn about how to apply agile principles and methods, RMC is here to help. You can enroll in courses to learn about agile, and we offer exam prep courses that will prepare you to become an Agile Certified Practitioner.

2. Waterfall Project Management

Unlike the agile methodology, waterfall (or traditional project management) provides a more linear,  approach that is less flexible once planning is completed. Basically, your team progresses from one phase to the other as they’re completed.

With this methodology, you rely on more detailed requirements as you move from the start of a project to its end. However, you don’t have the flexibility to make changes after your team starts working without carefully vetting them. For this reason, it’s a good choice when you know how a project needs to go and what the outcome should be.

The stages in this methodology include requirements and analysis, along with design and construction, testing, deployment, and transition to operations. So, if you want to run a project that’s carefully planned with a schedule your team can adhere to, and there’s a clear goal that can be planned in detail with stakeholders , the waterfall method can be a suitable option.

How to Select the Right Approach for Your Project

There are pros and cons associated with each project management approach.  It’s wise to weigh your options and select the method that will be most beneficial to you, your team, and your stakeholders.

A few things to consider as you think about which approach to use:

  • The number of people on your team, and how much guidance they require
  • If a project allows for flexible changes and risks
  • The level of involvement your stakeholders will have
  • The amount of time you have to complete the project
  • The project’s budget, and if it’s fixed or flexible

A Hybrid Approach

Sometimes your project calls for a blended plan driven and agile approach. This technique allows you to select elements of from both methodologies to get the project done.  For example, you use Agile sprints because the scope of your project might not be well defined at the outset of your project.  You create a general project charter to gain approval, which is a plan driven technique.

Therefore, this hybrid approach takes the best of two methodologies and allows you to apply the most appropriate aspects of both.  If you’re interested in how to build the most effective hybrid approach for your project, consider RMC’s Hybrid Agile eLearning Course to guide you through the process.

Once you get to know the various methodologies available, and you begin to try them out in the real world, you’ll become confident in your ability to choose the right one for every project.

What Are Common Project Management Methodologies?

Popular project management methods include:

  • Scrum – An agile methodology characterized by short, fixed production cycles (sprints) with specific goals, that works well with small, skillful and disciplined teams, and uses short, focused meetings.
  • Extreme programming (XP) – A type of agile methodology that’s focused on collaboration.
  • Critical path method – A method that uses a work breakdown structure to map out milestones, commonly used in traditional approaches.

Since agile is considered an instance of Lean thinking, these practices are often integrated into many agile methodologies:

  • Lean – A method of optimizing the way your team works by reducing waste.
  • Kanban – An agile method that uses a visual representation of the phases and steps that need to be completed throughout a project.

Once you get to know the various approaches and  methodologies available, and you begin to try them out in the real world, you’ll become confident in your ability to choose the right one for every project.

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Project Goals vs Objectives

Close up of business person working at computer on project goals

Project goals and objectives are similar in some ways and different in others. Although both can be used to guide a team through a project, a goal can be viewed as the purpose of the project, while an objective can be used to provide a map for hitting a goal.

To become a more effective project manager, it’s necessary to have a clear understanding of what a goal is versus what an objective is, and how to write and use each of these.

Tips to Understand and Write Project Goals and Objectives

  1. What are Your Objectives?
  2. What are Your Goals?
  3. How to Write Project Objectives and Goals
  4. SMART Objectives and SMART Goals for Project Managers

What Are Your Objectives?

 You can use objectives to clarify the goals of a project before you begin, and you can use them for the duration of a project to keep your team on track toward meeting stakeholder expectations. Also, objectives come in handy when you want to measure progress during a project, as well as when you want to see how well your team performed after the project’s completion.

  • Objectives are specific and measurable, and your team and stakeholders should agree on them.
  • They state what should be achieved by the time the project is complete, including tangible deliverables and they should be realistic.
  • Should be time-constrained and direct your team from start to finish, and they should be kept in mind as you make decisions to keep the project moving in the right direction.

As objectives are met, you should get closer to fulfilling project goals.

Project objectives example: Decrease the number of click-throughs to website so the customer gets to the goal of the link within 1 to 2 clicks.

What Are Your Goals?

While objectives are more specific and short-term, goals are more general and long-term.  Goals are represented in statements that help your team understand what the project has to accomplish for a business. Like objectives, you should be able to measure and track progress on goals to ensure you’re on the path toward meeting them.

  • Goals can be less specific, showcasing what should be possible for a business once a project is completed.
  • They can be centered on resources, deadlines, and performance.
  • Should focus on the long run and the ultimate purpose of the project. Objectives focus on the steps that need to be taken in the short term to reach the goals.

Project goals examples: Increase click-thoughts to website from social media by 15% within three months of release.

How to Write Project Objectives and Goals

It’s best to write your goals and objectives in a way that will be easy to understand. So, rather than using complex terms, stick to plain language and be brief.

Whoever reads your goals and objectives should immediately know what needs to be accomplished by a certain date. Therefore, sticking with action words and numbers is also recommended.

SMART Objectives and Goals for Project Managers

 Whether you’re writing objectives or goals, you can use the SMART method to articulate what you expect to achieve during a project. You can then share these clear expectations with your team so you can work together to get things done.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound:

  • Specific – Goals and objectives should be defined, so anyone who reads them will understand what’s expected of them. Be clear so your team will know what the preferred outcome is, as well as the individual milestones that need to be met along the way.
  • Measurable – The best way to track progress and see if your team is meeting objectives and goals is by making them measurable. For example, if the goal is to boost sales, set the percentage of increase (e.g. 25%) you’d like to see after the project solution has been implemented.
  • Achievable – Of course, you’ll want your objectives and goals to be attainable, so as you write them, think about whether it’s really possible to achieve them. Take time to consider the steps needed in order to avoid problems like scope creep to ensure success.
  • Realistic – In addition to being achievable, a goal or objective should be realistic. You and your team should have the time, resources, budget, and tools available to make things happen. Expectations shouldn’t be out of reach.
  • Time-Bound – Every goal and objective should have a start date and end date. As you work on a schedule, keep in mind that you might need to wait for one objective to be completed before your team can move on to the next one.

Are You Meeting Your Project Goals and Objectives?

It might take a little practice at first, but once you’re accustomed to writing clear and concise goals and objectives, you will find it easier to manage projects. After establishing these at the start of a project, you’ll be able to refer to them often to see if everything is on track or if changes need to be made.

Sources:

https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/project-objectives/

https://asana.com/resources/how-project-objectives

https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/how-to-create-smart-goals

https://hubstaff.com/tasks/smart-goals-project-managers

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Project Manager Career Path: What to Expect

Female professional consider a project manager career path

A project management career is an exciting profession that presents opportunities to continually learn and grow. To help figure out if it’s the right path for you, read on to learn more about career path options, industry choices and salary expectations.

Project Manager Career Path

  1. Is Project Management a Good Career?
  2. Are There Multiple Project Management Careers to Choose From?
  3. What Are Some of the Industries You Can Work in as a Project Manager?
  4. Are Project Managers Paid Well?
  5. How Do You Become a Project Manager?

Is Project Management a Good Career?

One of the most attractive things about project management is that it’s a fast-growing career path. And there aren’t enough people to fill all the project management roles that various businesses are hiring for all over the world. This may translate to higher earnings if you’re able to use your skills to land a position in a competitive market.

So, if you want to start a job where growth is possible, and where there will be plenty of demand for people with your skill set, this might be the ideal choice.

Is project management a dead-end job?

Absolutely not! When you’re a project manager, you can move up from an entry level position to an executive level position. This means you’ll have the chance to acquire more skills, more recognition, and a higher salary.

This isn’t a career path that limits your potential, so you can decide if you want to stay in the same position or if you need to make a change.

Are There Multiple Project Management Careers to Choose From?

When it comes to project management, we’re talking about a variety of roles in a wide range of industries. There are so many options available, so you can decide which path to take to fulfill your aspirations.

What is the project manager career path?

As you make your way from a lower-level position to a higher level one, you can take on different titles and perform various tasks that will prove your worth in the workplace.

Here’s an example of just one path you can consider taking to build your career:

Some people start out as project coordinators or assistant project managers to get the chance to work on a project while supporting the project manager and their team. This can help you get a feel for what it’s like leading a team and accomplishing milestones.

After acquiring enough experience, you may be ready to become a project manager. But you don’t need to stop there. After proving yourself, you might be able to move up to the senior project manager role. This typically involves overseeing even bigger teams of professionals or multiple smaller teams, so you can focus on more than one project at once.

What is the program manager career path?

Before becoming a program manager, you usually need to work as a project manager for several years to become a pro at running projects. This background will give you the know-how and confidence to tackle multiple related projects simultaneously.

When you take this path, you can also become a portfolio manager, which entails directing and overseeing a portfolio of programs and projects. And you can move even higher up in an organization by becoming a project management office (PMO) director, who leads—you guessed it—a company’s project management office.

What Are Some of the Industries You Can Work in as a Project Manager?

Project managers work in just about every industry. This means you can pursue a particular industry that you love, or you can switch between different industries to keep things interesting and challenge yourself in new ways. Common examples include:

  • Health Insurance
  • IT
  • Construction
  • Financial Services
  • Manufacturing

One thing to keep in mind is that each industry will require its own unique skills and education beyond what you need to know for general project management. Browse job descriptions to see what they typically expect, such as college degrees or expertise in a particular area (e.g. building permits and codes for a career in construction).

While salaries vary based on factors like your education and experience level, as well as where you’re working, one thing is true: project managers can be paid very well.

How much do project managers and program managers make?

  • A project manager might earn, on average, $80,000 to $116,000 annually.
  • A program manager might earn, on average, around $125,000 annually.
  • The median salary for a project manager in the IT industry is around $142,000 annually.
  • The median salary for a project manager in the construction industry is around $93,000 annually.

How Do You Become a Project Manager?

In addition to a college education, you can also enter the field of project management by getting a certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

To get started, you can become a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). But if you really want to be recognized by employers, getting your Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a smart move.

Whichever path you choose, if you’re ready to learn what it takes to become certified and dive into this career, our courses and exam prep programs can help pave the way. Check them out and contact us if you have any questions.

Sources:

https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/project-management-career-path/

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/project-management-career-paths/

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Identify and Analyze Risk in Project Management

Business woman working on managing project risks

One of the most important steps when coming up with a plan for your next project is identifying and analyzing risks. Whether you’re new to project management or you want to become a better project manager, understanding how to accurately determine where the risks lie on your projects can help ensure you’ll meet your goals with fewer, if any, setbacks along the way.  We encourage you to find out how your lack of risk knowledge could be hurting your projects.

Identify and Analyze Risk in Projects

  1. What are Risks in Project Management?
  2. What Is Risk Management?
  3. The Benefits of Risk Management
  4. A Guide to Risk Identification and Analysis
  5. Risk Management Starts at the Planning Stage

What Are “Risks” in Project Management?

What is a risk, exactly? It’s any uncertainty that might affect your project in either a positive or a negative way, so a risk is really a potential threat or a potential opportunity.

A threat might delay your project, increase your costs, and reduce the level of quality that you deliver, as a few examples. An opportunity might improve project performance by doing things like reducing the cost, improving the schedule, or boosting the quality delivered.

Each project will have its own set of risks, so you shouldn’t assume that the risks involved in your last project will affect the one that you’re currently working on. In other words, every time you start a new project, it’s best to identify risks, analyze their possible impact on your project, and come up with plans to reduce negative risks or deal with them if they turn into actual problems, and take advantage of opportunities.

What Is Risk Management?

The purpose of risk management is to identify as many potential opportunities as possible, and to plan the project in such a way as to take advantage of them. Risk management also seeks to identify and eliminate as many threats as possible and reduce the negative impact of any remaining project threats. You can use risk management to prevent problems rather than dealing with them after they occur. You identify and assess risks, and then you plan accordingly.

So, you would start by identifying what could possibly go wrong throughout the duration of your project. Then, you would assess the probability of those risks manifesting into real problems, and you would figure out the impact that a risk would have on your project.

Next, you’d come up with strategies to eliminate or mitigate the effects of risks you’ve identified. Then, you’d create plans to resolve any issue that might arise so you’ll be able to act right away when necessary.

Finally, you’d perform ongoing risk assessments as the project progresses

The Benefits of Risk Management

A few of the main benefits associated with risk management are:

  • Savings on project cost and time.
  • Greater control over the project.
  • Fewer hours spent dealing with problems because solutions have been planned to improve efficiency if a risk occurs.
  • Minimizing scope creep (scope creep refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project’s scope, and this can occur when the project isn’t properly defined, documented, or controlled).

A Guide to Risk Identification and Analysis

For the best results, take advantage of a systematic process for risk management like the one below.

Using this process, you can spend more time managing the creation of your project deliverables. And, if a risk were to occur, you’ll be able to quickly implement your planned risk responses (contingency and fallback plans), rather than determining a course of action when an issue has occurred. All in all, this allows for more proactive project management.  You can avoid losing a lot of time and resources when issues do not become problems.

  1. Plan Risk Management: Determine how risk management will be done on your project, who will be involved in it, and what procedures will be used.
  2. Identify Risks: Determine specific risks by project, as well as by work package or activity.
  3. Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis: Subjectively analyze the probability and impact of each risk (for example, by using a scale of 1 to 10 for each risk). Also, prioritize the risks and categorize them. Decide what high ranking risks move on to the Quantitative Risk Analysis process. Categorizing may also help you find common causes for some- risks.
  4. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis: Numerically estimate the cost and time impact of the high ranking risks from the Qualitative Analysis process. Expected Monetary Value (EMV, or % Probability x $ Impact) is the most common way of quantifying these risks. With these calculations you can create a risk reserve.
  5. Plan Risk Responses: Determine a course of action to reduce the overall risk to the project by decreasing the probability or impact of threats, while increasing the probability or impact of opportunities.
  6. Control Risks: Execute the risk response plan to manage risks and control overall project risk. Continually look for new risks and keep the risk management plan updated.

Risk Starts During the Planning Stage

Risk management begins during project planning. However, because risk assessment starts during planning doesn’t mean it stops there. Instead, you should continue performing risk analyses, including qualitative and quantitative analyses, during each stage of your project.

Ultimately, by using risk identification and analysis throughout a project, you can increase the odds that it will go smoothly, that you’ll stick to your budget and anticipated resource requirements, and that you’ll finish on schedule to impress and satisfy your stakeholders.

Build Your Risk Management Skills

The ability to effectively manage risk is an essential skill for professionals managing projects.  You can learn more about how to clearly identify and prevent many of the problems commonly faced on projects using our Risk Management – Tricks of the Trade® for Project Managers – Third Edition practical and easy-to-use Course in a Book®. It’s essential reading for anyone looking for a clear explanation of risk management and how it fits into the project management process.  RMC also offers our Risk Management eLearning course, and Learn things you can apply to your projects today!

Sources:

A whitepaper by RMC Learning Solutions, “6 Essential Elements to Effective Project Management.”

https://www.projectmanager.com/training/how-to-analyze-risks-project

https://www.clarizen.com/whats-risk-analysis-process-project-management/

https://www.pmis-consulting.com/example-project-risks-good-and-bad-practice/ 

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Phases of the Project Lifecycle

Project leader working with team on project lifecycle

Understanding the main phases of a project’s lifecycle can help you navigate any project with greater confidence, organization, and ease. You can use these phases as a guide to keep you and your team on track from start to finish, regardless of the project you are leading. So, what are the phases of the project lifecycle? We cover them below to help you tackle complex projects effectively.

Project Lifecycle Phases

  1. Conceptualization
  2. Planning
  3. Execution
  4. Termination

Phase #1: Conceptualization

Conceptualization, or initiation, is the first phase of the project lifecycle. Here you determine if the ultimate goal of a project can be achieved. And you work on getting approval from stakeholders.

In this phase, start by focusing on the problem that needs to be solved and how to solve it. Find out if you have the proper resources to do the work necessary to solve the problem.  Once you know the project can be pursued, there are tools you can use to move forward. Some examples include a project initiation document (PID), a statement of work, a business contract, or a business case. In the world of PMI, these documents are part of the Project Charter.  Signed by the project sponsor, the Project Charter is the document use to formally start the project.

Here are some of the main steps taken during this phase of the project lifecycle:

  1. Meet with your clients to learn about their objectives and expectations. Ask a lot of questions and go over all the necessary details to be sure you really understand what’s required of you.
  2. Put a business case together so you can recommend solutions.
  3. Conduct a feasibility study. Figure out if you can, and should, do the project. Determine which solution is best.
  4. Write your project scope and statement of work.

Phase #2: Planning

The planning phase of the project lifecycle is when you set the goals and define the deliverables.  You also take the time to figure out the what responsibilities your team will need to fulfill. It is during the project planning phase that you identify what the completed project will look like. Often this is called the project product.

Essentially, you identify what must be done, including the steps to take and their deadlines.  It also includes the resources that will be used along the way. For example, you can set S.M.A.R.T. goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Or, you can set C.L.E.A.R. goals, which are collaborative, limited, emotional, appreciable, and refinable.

This phase, focused on the project’s purpose, also includes risk management.  You set a schedule and performance measures.  Then you estimate costs and set a budget.  You also assign tasks, and sort out all of the requirements that need to be met.

Various documents are put together during this phase, such as:

Phase #3: Execution

After the plans are complete, it’s time to set them in motion in the execution, or implementation phase of the project lifecycle. Along the way, you’ll measure your team’s success.  Make big changes or minor modifications where necessary. This will help you stay on track towards achieving the goals you set.  PMI breaks this phase into two knowledge areas, “Execution” and “Monitoring and Controlling”.  Here you separate the tasks of doing the work to complete the project and make sure the project is progressing according to the project plan.

During this phase, ensure all deadlines are being met, resources are being used appropriately, and that your team is working within budget. It’s also wise to hold meetings regularly. This way you and your team can check-in.  You can report on progress and performance while managing and resolving any problems that arise.

Your deliverables are developed and completed as you move through the execution phase. During this phase, carefully monitor progress and quality to make adjustments as needed. After all, things don’t always go according to plan.

Phase #4: Termination

You’ve finally reached the final phase of the project lifecycle! Also known as the completion phase or project closure, this one is all about delivering everything your team accomplished.

You do things like end contracts with suppliers and submit deliverables to clients. Let your stakeholders know that the project is finished.  At this stage, you release resources and allow tools and team members to be reassigned to other tasks.

Take this time to evaluate the overall project to see what worked and where your team needed to refine the original plan. It’s a great idea to hold what’s known as a post-mortem meeting to share this information with your team.  Look at project performance (were the goals of the project met?), and your team’s performance (how well did they meet their goals?). This step can really help you work much more effectively in the future.

Ultimately, be sure your project is complete and ready to release during this phase. Create a final report, and then get ready to move on to your next project.

Discover More About How to Effectively Lead a Project?

As a project manager, you have the opportunity to continually improve. That is exciting! RMC courses help you dive deep into topics like the project lifecycle, to enhance your skills. Contact us for more information. We can help you prepare to get certified or help you earn professional development units (PDUs).

Project Management Professional (PMP)®, Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®, and PMI® are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Sources:

https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/demystifying-5-phases-project-management

https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/the-4-phases-of-the-project-management-life-cycle

https://www.projectmanager.com/project-management

https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-3-the-project-life-cycle-phases-project-management/

https://www.proofhub.com/articles/project-management-life-cycle-5-phases

https://www.mavenlink.com/resources/what-is-the-professional-services-project-life-cycle

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Is Your Lack of Risk Management Hurting You?

Business man taking notes on risk management

Risk management is the process by which you identify and analyze the uncertainty associated with your project, no matter how large or small. This is important because it gives you the chance, during the planning process, to figure out what risks might affect your project. That way you can take steps to avoid those risks becoming a real problem. And, if those risks do become reality, you can immediately take action.

Despite the benefits of risk management, many businesses still have huge misconceptions about the risk management process, as well as what risk is. As a result, they waste time, money, and resources, and run into problems that could have been avoided.

Lack of Risk Management and Its Effects on Projects

  1. Are You Making the Most of Risk Management?
  2. Understanding Risk Misconceptions
  3. Missed Categories and Methods of Risks
  4. Other Common Mistakes Made When Trying to Manage Risk

Are You Making the Most of Risk Management?

To figure out if your lack of risk management is a problem that needs to be addressed, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do you want to control your project or have your project control you?
  • Can you imagine going on vacation at the beginning of the execution of your project because everything is under control?
  • Would you like to prevent 45-90% of the problems on your project?

You can do all of these things, as long as you know and implement risk management. It starts with understanding some of the biggest misconceptions about risk, along with some of the major mistakes that people make in risk management.

Understanding Risk Misconceptions

Because misconceptions about risk can do a lot of damage and hinder your ability to take full advantage of the benefits of a strong risk management approach, here are some of the things that you should know about risk and risk management.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to implement risk management into any project you lead, and you can boost the odds of successfully completing projects without hitting snags along the way.

  1. Risk identification cannot begin without inputs to the process.

Risk management isn’t completed using only a checklist or a Monte Carlo simulation. It involves identifying risks for the project and by work package. Inputs to risk identification include the project scope statement, a WBS or backlog, the project team and other stakeholders, a network diagram, and a project budget and schedule.

  1. Risk identification cannot stop after only a brief effort that results in a short list of risks.

Rather than putting in minimal effort in identifying potential problems and their odds of arising during a project, it’s important to really take your time, and it is best to involve as many of the project’s stakeholders as possible. By the time you’re done, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that you have identified hundreds of risks on a large project.

  1. Risks should not be evaluated as they are identified.

Risk identification is its own process, then it is followed by qualitative and quantitative risk analysis. Evaluating risks as you identify them bogs down the process and decreases the number of risks identified. Focus on one step at a time, and the first step is to simply identify risks.

  1. Remember: The risks that are identified are only probabilities.

To clarify, a risk is an event that is uncertain. It is something that may negatively impact anything from your budget to your team’s ability to complete their tasks. So, as an example, if your project has too few resources, this is not a risk. It is a fact. One risk of operating with too few resources is going over budget; another is going over schedule. The fact of too few resources must be addressed in the project management plan.

  1. Risks need to be clearly and properly stated.

For example, a risk of “poor communication” is too nondescript to be useful in the risk management process. Risks should be described fully. So, in this example, the risk would be identified as such: “poor communication of customers’ needs regarding installation of system XYZ will cause two weeks of rework.”

Missed Categories and Methods of Identifying Risks

Some project managers and their teams focus only on technical, cost and schedule risks. There are many of types of risk so using risk categories is helpful. For example, technology, cost, and schedule are good risk each knowledge area can represent a risk category (scope, quality, procurement, stakeholders, communications, and resources), as well company culture, existing systems, operations, regulations, the marketplace, and other categories related to your industry.

You should also not use just one identification method, such as a checklist for example. It’s best to use a combination of methods and brainstorming with the team and other stakeholders is another good method. Surveys are also good, especially when meetings with all appropriate stakeholders.

Other Common Risk Management Mistakes

Here are additional mistakes to avoid:

  • The first risk response strategy identified is selected without looking at other options to find the best option or combination of options.
  • Project meetings address everything except what they should be addressing: risks!
  • Contracts must not be created or signed until the project manager is assigned and a risk analysis is complete. Remember, contracts should be risk mitigation tools and contractors you use should have their own risk strategy in place.
  • Companies forget that risks can be good or bad. They are sometimes referred to as threats and opportunities. As well as diminishing negative risks, look to enhance positive risks..
  • Due to lack of knowledge, some businesses equate risk management with adding a pad to the project schedule and cost. A pad in the budget is hidden. Proper risk management will result in a reserve identified as part of a specific risk strategy with each line item tied to a specific risk.

Take Advantage of Good Risk Management in Every Project

Having the right risk management strategy in place and being aware of the common risk mistakes to avoid will allow you to move through projects from start to finish while remaining on schedule and budget. Risks that arise will be handled smoothly through a risk plan you have in place, and reserve money not used for those that don’t arise is returned to the organization.

If you want to improve your skills in this area, check out RMC’s online course, Risk Management Tricks of the Trade for Project Managers.

Sources:

https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/risk-management-process-steps

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Three Ways to Lead with Emotional Intelligence

Young woman smiling over shoulder using emotional intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is your ability to identify and control your emotions to be a successful leader. Emotional intelligence is an awareness of emotions in yourself and in others.  It is the ability to develop and manage strong relationships.  Emotional intelligence uses reason to identify, understand and effectively deal with emotions. Studies show EI is a skill linked to success at all levels. Project managers with high EI are better equipped to deal with, handle and resolve conflict and change.

Leading with Emotional Intelligence

  1. What is Emotional Intelligence?
  2. Benefits of Using Emotional Intelligence
  3. Three Emotional Intelligence Techniques

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Author and social scientist, Daniel Goleman identified five categories within emotional intelligence.  They are: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation and social skills.  These 5 categories define the ability to understand the needs and feelings of oneself and other people, manage one’s feelings, and to respond to others appropriately. Let’s walk through each competency.

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is a pivotal component of emotional intelligence.   When you are self-aware, you have the ability to identify and name your emotions.  It means you have the ability to honestly recognize your emotions and the effect of your emotions.  It also includes the ability to know your strengths and limitations and having self-confidence in your capabilities and worth.

2. Self-Regulation

Regulation is the ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating your own emotions, and when necessary and helping others to do the same.  Other aspects of self-regulation include trustworthiness, the flexibility to adapt to change and having high integrity.  Being open to new ideas and information is also a key trait of self-regulation.

3. Social Awareness

Another component of EI is social awareness.  Social awareness is mainly about empathy.  Empathy is our ability to feel what the other person is feeling.  We often describe it as the ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Social awareness also includes organizational awareness.  This is the ability to anticipate and recognize customer needs, an ability to read the politics and understand the power dynamics in your organization.  Finally, social awareness includes sensing what others need to grow and develop.

4. Self-Motivation

Also called self-management, it describes your ability to demonstrate emotional self-control.  You may experience impulses or be in a bad mood, but you control those emotions.  As a person, you are interested in moving forward towards a goal or strategy.  You are also self-motivated and don’t let setbacks control the outcome.  Finally, you are able to stay calm under pressure and don’t panic in the face of a crisis.

5. Social Skills

The core to social skills is relationship management.  It covers abilities such as influence, conflict management, teamwork and leadership.  You use emotional intelligence to create and nurture relationships.  Your ability to influence comes from a strong ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.

Benefits of Using Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is important as our teams are more global. It is also important as more of our work is online.  Our environments are more intense, but they’re also more distributed and remote.   This means we have fewer opportunities for in person understanding.  We all have emotional intelligence skills.  The big benefits come from understanding, managing and using EI competencies to perform our work.  The benefits of emotional intelligence are far reaching:

  • Ability to actively listen and restate what you have heard .  This helps you clearly understand expectations and builds trust. You’ll find you are better aligned to the goals of the organization.
  • Improve the ability to develop ourselves and develop others. You are able to provide feedback effectively and are comfortable building the skills and abilities of others.
  • Helps with managing and resolving conflict. You need to be in touch with your emotions and to see another’s point of view to get to resolution.
  • Builds appropriate reactions within the context of your organization.
  • Helps you tailor your communications to influence stakeholders in our work environment, projects and day to day work.

Three Emotional Intelligence Techniques

By increasing your emotional intelligence, you can better connect and collaborate with others. You become more resilient and help motivate and lead others.  There are many things you can do to increase your emotional intelligence.  Here are three ways to lead with emotional intelligence:

1. Practice Recognition

  • Analyze your interaction daily.
  • Journal or note emotions as they arise.
  • Watch response in others. Notice body language. Notice when people are not engaged.

2. Use Empathy

  • Identify the emotion you are feeling, or the emotions others are exhibiting. Identify when you have experienced similar.
  • Note differences in how others respond. Your emotions may be different than others and that is good information to have in order to read the situation.
  • Tailor your responses by being aware of yourself and others. Then, adjust appropriately to the situation and respond intentionally.  This will prevent you from trying to tell another person what they should be feeling or to dictate a response.

3. Respond Intentionally

  • Stop reacting immediately. Not every thought in your head needs to be shared.
  • Ask yourself if this is the right time to respond? Or do you need to take more time to think through your response?
  • Ask yourself what is the appropriate response and how much information do I need to share?

Final Thoughts

As a project professional, applying your emotional intelligence skills to increase your organizational awareness, identify opportunities to use the appropriate level of empathy, and enhance your self-awareness of your emotions helps you be an effective leader. You’ll be better able to deliver project objectives and deliverables with less conflict and a more cohesive team.

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CAPM vs PMP: Which is Best for You?

Business woman looking over shoulder thinking about CAPM vs PMP certification

Whether you’re ready to enter the field of project management or enhance your skills if you’ve already established a career as a project manager, there are certifications, like the CAPM® and PMP® from the Project Management Institute (PMI), that you can pursue.  RMC is here to help you understand the CAPM vs PMP and to help you learn what it takes to pass your certification exams on your first try.

PMI offers two options: the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® or the Project Management Professional (PMP)®. We break down these popular certifications so you can figure out which path is the right one to pursue to improve your skills, differentiate yourself from the competition, and land the job you want.

CAPM vs PMP Certification 

  1. Benefits of CAPM Certification
  2. The CAPM vs PMP Exam
  3. What Happens After You Become a CAPM?
  4. Advantages of Having a PMP Certification
  5. The PMP Exam
  6. What Happens After You Become a PMP?

Benefits of CAPM® Certification

Getting your CAPM® certification is a great path to take if you want to build your skills to consider a career move into project management. If your goal is to be able to manage larger or more complex projects and take on more responsibility, this credential is a great next step.

This certification can provide you with knowledge and skills that will give you the confidence to take on a larger project role or be the project lead. If you want to stand out against other job seekers, becoming a CAPM® shows future employers that you want to improve professionally. Now may be the time to consider looking into the CAPM® exam before it is scheduled to change in July 2023.

The CAPM vs PMP Exam

Because this certification does not require project management experience like the PMP®, the exam for the CAPM® is less complex. It is fact-based and doesn’t require you to interpret scenarios. The exam takes three hours to complete and consists of 150 questions. You have to retake it every three years to maintain this certification.

This is an entry-level certification (unlike the PMP®, which has more extensive requirements) that you can get when don’t yet have the PMP’s® prerequisite experience. The prerequisites for this certification are a secondary degree (high school, or associates degree) and 23 hours of project management education.

What Happens After You Become a CAPM®?

This certification will immediately boost your credibility in the field. Employers will recognize your commitment to the profession. It will also give you the chance to gain valuable experience that you can use when you’re ready to pursue the PMP®.

However, even if you decide that you don’t want to get your PMP®, your CAPM® certification can help you go farther than you would if you didn’t have this on your resume.

Bottom line:

Consider pursuing your CAPM® certification if you’re new to project management, enjoy the work and want to get the education necessary to prove yourself so you can take on more ambitious projects in the future.

Advantages of Having a PMP Certification

If you’ve been working as a project manager and you’re ready to take your career to the next level, the PMP® certification is a worthwhile investment. This certification is recognized around the world in a wide range of industries and it’s the most sought-after credential for those who want to be recognized in project management.

With this certification, not only will you become qualified to command a much higher salary than those who have a CAPM® and those who have no certification at all, but you’ll also be able to prove that you have what it takes to lead larger or more complex projects with more substantial budgets and responsibilities.

The PMP® Exam

The PMP® exam is more expensive, more challenging, and longer than the CAPM® exam. It consists of 180 questions, and you’re given four hours to finish it. To maintain your certification, you’ll need to earn 60 professional development units every three years.

There are several prerequisites that must be met before you can take the PMP® certification exam. You’ll need to show that you have a secondary degree, 2-5 years spent leading projects (depending on your degree type), and either your CAPM® certification or 35 hours of project management education. Alternatively, you can also qualify if you have a four-year degree, 4,500 hours spent leading projects, and either your CAPM® certification or 35 hours of project management education.

What Happens After You Become a PMP?

Once you have your PMP® certification, you’ll be ready to pursue exciting new job opportunities in project management. You’ll stand out against others in the field, and you’ll have the skills necessary to tackle the most complicated projects.

With this certification on your resume, you can prove that you know the ins and outs of effective project management, and employers will recognize this distinction.

Bottom line:

Whether you want to land a better job, make more money, or simply have the skills necessary to tackle projects of all sizes and complexities, becoming a PMP® can prepare you to be a better project manager. Consider getting this certification if you already have up to 5 years of project management experience and want to be recognized and rewarded for your expertise.

CAPM vs PMP: Which Certification Should You Get?

The answer depends on your current level of experience, as well as where you want to take your career. No matter what you decide, RMC is here to help.

We offer courses instructor-led online for a fully immersive learning experience. Or, choose from our eLearning courses and self-study materials that allow you to work independently and at your own pace. No matter which you choose, RMC courses and learning materials are specifically designed to teach you how to pass the CAPM® or PMP® exam on your first try, guaranteed! This means that, whenever you’re ready to pursue your certification and evolve your career, you can get started right away, no matter how you prefer to learn.

Need Additional Help?

Still have questions about the CAPM vs PMP and need some extra guidance? Contact us for more information!

Sources:

https://www.cbtnuggets.com/blog/career/management/capm-or-pmp-which-is-better

https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/project-management-pmp

https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/certified-associate-capm

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Business Analysis: The Best Way to Start a Project

Team working on a project using business analysis

How do projects get started in your organization? A strong business analysis knowledge can save your organization significant time and money by weeding out low-value projects and prioritizing valuable ones based on business need and realistic, expected benefits. If you’re thinking, “well, it depends,” you are not alone. Few organizations have a well-defined, consistent way of deciding when work becomes a project.  Let’s dig in.

Six Step Process to Start a Project

  1. Receive Request for Work
  2. Analyze the Request
  3. Develop a Solution Approach and a Business Case
  4. Prioritize Against Other Projects
  5. Get Approval and Funding
  6. Assign a Project Manager and Start Planning

Evaluating Stakeholder Requests

Having a consistent process assures stakeholders that every request will be considered equally. As titles and job responsibilities vary in organizations, any professional with strong business analysis skills can manage this pre-project work. Follow these six steps to develop a structure for evaluating stakeholder requests.

Step 1: Receive Request for Work

All work starts with a request.  This of this as a potential project.  The work starts by someone inside or outside the organization asking for something to be changed, added, or removed from the organization’s processes or systems.  A request is the trigger that sets the work in motion and the requestors are the first known stakeholders.  There are generally three types of requests.

  1. A problem: The requestor or problem owner may have called the help desk or filled out a problem ticket. A problem can also be identified by a business leader from customer feedback.
  2. An opportunity: How can you improve value or increase revenue? An opportunity could help an organization more toward its goals more quickly. An opportunity may be a new product idea or a process improvement.
  3. A constraint: Constraints may be imposed on an organization by management’s internal policies or by an outside agency.

The organization must review requests to analyze importance, urgency, and priority.

Step 2: Analyze the Request

Not every request will bring the same business value to the organization.  Some requests are better than others, and some requests may not be good at all. You need to analyze the value of each request and prioritize accordingly. Project objectives should help articulate the business value. However, defining project objectives is challenging because stakeholders often have conflicting values and expected benefits.  Facilitating conversations about expected benefits, goals and objectives can help stakeholders reach agreement.

Value can be determined by worth or price, but it can also be influenced by missed opportunity costs.  That is why every project request should be evaluated for its business value. Select high-value projects by spending time upfront determining the expected business benefits and the costs.

Project requests can be added to one of three buckets to help determine if the project is worth pursuing.  A request that will resolve a serious problem impacting the organization’s ability to do business is a MUST DO.  If the request will cost more to improve that it will save in expected benefits should go into the REJECTED bucket. If a problem is less immediate, the request is placed in the LOOKS PROMISING bucket to be further analyzed and prioritized. The process of bucketing requests allows you to begin discussion the solution and build the business case.

Step 3: Develop a Solution Approach and a Business Case

When the initial analysis confirms the request is worth pursuing, the team needs to discuss solution alternatives and assess the estimated costs of each. Teams often use brainstorming techniques to generate creative, innovative ideas for solutions, then analyze each possible idea. Regardless of the method you chose, all feasible options should be considered before one is chosen.

Once the solution approach (or product vision) is agreed upon, it’s time to estimate the business value and costs involved in designing and building the solution along with the expected maintenance costs. These benefits and costs are then compared in a business case or cost/benefit analysis to determine if the request should move forward.

The business case includes the estimated net business value of the request with objective, measurable criteria.  Keep in mind that financial considerations are only one component of project selection.

Step 4: Prioritize Against Other Projects

Once a request has a business case, it can be prioritized against existing requests.  This backlog of requests should be reviewed on a regular basis, and the highest priorities should be promoted to projects.

Organizations that don’t follow this six-step process often struggle with prioritization. Sometimes the requester with the highest position in the organization gets their requests prioritized. Sometimes organizations respond first to the requests that are smallest or easiest to complete and never get to the bigger, more complicated initiatives.

Other organizations try to work on every request and wind up with overworked employees and few completed projects.  Prioritization is difficult, but it be easier if each request has a business case and a strategic plan for comparison.

Step 5: Get Approval and Funding

Just because a request is likely to add business value doesn’t mean the organization has the time or resources to complete it immediately.  Once a request has been analyzed and prioritized, someone in the organization must provide funding.

The project sponsor, as the key stakeholder, is the person or group (such as the steering committee) who provides the funding for the project. The sponsor may be the original requester the requester’s manager, or an executive.

If particular skills are needed, the sponsor could move employees off lesser-value projects or look for outside resources to fill the gaps.  If the project is requested by an outside customer, the price is established, and a proposal is presented to them.

When the value is financial, there are many formulas that can be used to evaluate and compare options.  Return on investment calculations estimate how much the organization will receive if they fund the potential project.  Other financial measure, such as the internal rate of return and net present value may be used. However, value can’t always be calculated in financial terms. In some cases, the best choice might be a project with a longer payback period with other intangible advantages such as customer satisfaction.

Step 6: Assign a Project Manager and Start Planning

Only after completion of the previous five steps does a request become a real project.  At this point, the organization assigns a project manager who begins planning the project.  When these six steps are complete, the project manager has great information with which to plan.

If a project manager struggles during project planning, it may be an indication that this pre-project analysis was not done.

Need Additional Help?

Business analysis work is not just about requirements. Deepen your Business Analysis skills and knowledge to help your organization to understand the business value and assess the importance of requests before you start a project.

Still have questions and need some extra guidance? Consider one of RMC’s popular business analysis eLearning courses including Business Analysis Fundamentals or Business Analysis: A Critical Role on Projects.

Sources:

https://rmcls.com/ask-the-why-question-it-really-works-requirements/

https://www.teamgantt.com/blog/how-to-prioritize-projects