Category: Project Management

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Project Charter and the Practice of Law

project cTwo colleagues discuss the project charter and practice of law

A project charter can be a useful project management tool for the practice of law. The charter is the authorizing document for a project. It contains information describing the scope of the project, a rough estimate of its cost, the value of the project to the organization, and a basic description of the internal and external resources needed to complete the project. The document also identifies known stakeholders in the project as well as the project’s objectives.

An interesting aspect of the project charter is that it provides a basic description of what success looks like and identifies deliverables and objectives. While deliverables probably would not be relevant in most legal project charters, a description of objectives certainly would be. The project charter is signed by the project sponsor. This authorizes the project manager to do the project.  It is through the project charter that the project plan is created and money budgeted.

How Lawyers Can Use a Project Charter?

In modified form, a project charter can be adapted to some aspects of a law practice, perhaps as part of or attached to a retainer agreement. There are a couple of scenarios where a project charter might be helpful. In a case for the purchase of a business, where a client is looking to fit a prospective purchase with other businesses they currently operate, a document created with their lawyer outlining the strategic fit of such a business within their portfolio (from a legal perspective) could be helpful.

I am not advocating that the lawyer start providing business advice to a client, however, it would be a good idea to discuss where aspects of a purchase would fit from a corporate entity standpoint, a tax standpoint, or how intellectual property portfolios might mesh. This could provide a strategic baseline for the transaction that could be important if some of these assumptions change during negotiation or due diligence.

A charter would also be helpful since it could provide a first cut at estimating the scope of the transaction, the level of effort and cost. Having this initial look at issues relating to the transaction might provide good information to a client as to whether to proceed or walk away. It could also provide the clients other business advisors, such as accountants and business advisors with information that will allow them to better advise your client.

Additional Project Charter Benefits for a Law Firm

Another area that comes to mind for the potential use of a project charter could be where your client is contemplating filing a lawsuit against an intellectual property infringer. There, the strategic direction of the potential lawsuit, the goals sought to be achieved when matched against the costs and strategic risks associated with a such an action could provide vital insight as to whether and how your client should proceed. For example, balancing the risks of starting a patent infringement action against the risk of a counterclaim seeking to invalidate the patent or an antitrust action seeking damages or an injunction from misuse of the patent.

Many of these things are done by firms all the time. An advantage of doing them in the context of a project charter is that you are discussing these issues in a business language that your client can readily understand. In essence, by creating such a charter, in plain language, you are meeting them half-way, providing a legal framework for a proposed course of action described in a business context. This could be extremely valuable to your client.

Things to Watch Out for When Using a Project Charter

There are risks associated with this type of document. The first thing a lawyer should be mindful of is the possibility that any discussions of business strategy could be viewed as non-legal work and thus not covered by the attorney-client privilege. In creating a charter for your project, a lawyer needs to be careful to limit it to legal advice and related legal strategy.

Build Your Project Management Knowledge

A project charter can be a useful tool for a lawyer. It can be used to clarify the objectives, costs, and potential risks of a legal matter. It is also a useful tool in lawyer-client communication.

Continue to learn more about project management techniques. RMC’s PM Crash Course in a book or online PM Crash eLearning course gives non-project management professionals an excellent foundation in predictive and agile methods so you so you can apply them to your job immediately.

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Applying OCM to Projects

Project team working at on applying OCM to their project

Projects come with specific objectives and goals that can result in changes to the way a business works. But if the individuals within an organization who are going to be impacted by the outcome of a project don’t agree to implementing changes, your goals won’t be met after all. The solution: Organizational Change Management.

Organizational Change Management and Projects

  1. What Is Organizational Change Management?
  2. Why Is Project Change Management Important?
  3. Organizational Change Management Strategies
  4. Using an OCM Framework Is a Game Changer

What Is Organizational Change Management?

A lot goes into managing projects successfully, but one thing that might be overlooked is Organizational Change Management (OCM). Put simply, this process helps ensure that anyone who will be affected by a project will be aware of, as well as accepting of, important changes.

OCM is a process that helps you prepare stakeholders and workers for the changes that lie ahead, thereby putting their minds at ease and giving them the chance to understand why the changes are necessary and beneficial.

Why Is Project Change Management Important?

Let’s say you’re managing a project that will result in the implementation of new processes designed to boost a company’s efficiency. Now imagine that those processes are quite different from those currently in place, causing workers to be resistant to the changes.

As you probably already guessed, when this type of scenario occurs, it can dramatically decrease the ROI of a project. After all, the whole point was to implement changes for the better, with the expectation that the people within the company would be willing to agree to the changes.

With OCM, the focus is on educating and preparing those who will be affected so they can understand the benefits and the necessity of applying the changes that a project requires. Ultimately, it’s about transitioning seamlessly from old ways of doing things to new methods that bolster success.

Organizational Change Management Strategies

How can you make the most of change management in project management, and make sure you integrate OCM into project plans effectively?

First off, homing in on the people who will be directly affected by a project’s outcome is the goal of OCM. But you want to do this while you’re managing a project, not after it’s complete.

Also, you can have a project management team and a change management team working together to help reduce risks, improve communication, and boost efficiency. It’s best if these teams work together, communicate well, and agree to the common goals. And it’s also wise to ensure team members on both sides understand their responsibilities and can follow a process that includes milestones.

Using an OCM Framework Is a Game Changer

Integrating OCM into your project management plan can be easier when you use an OCM framework that’s designed to reduce resistance, increase motivation, and create change smoothly and quickly.

A framework can help you take the appropriate steps, in the right order, to ensure people will be prepared for any changes that are forthcoming. You can address concerns and reassure everyone that a change will be a positive move in the right direction. Changes can be managed, workers can be productive, and project goals can be realized.

The good news is you can choose from various frameworks to find the one that you prefer. Examples include:

  • ADKAR Model
  • Satir Change Management Model
  • Kotter’s Model
  • Kübler-Ross Model
  • McKinsey 7-S Framework
  • Lewin Model

Bottom line: with Organizational Change Management, it’s all about managing a project like you normally would, while also planning for the ideal outcome by taking steps to ensure the impacts of the project will be readily accepted. And, with the right OCM framework, it becomes easier to focus not only on the requirements of the project but also on the people who will be affected by it.

Sources:

https://www.enableps.com/the-importance-of-ocm-in-projects-management/

https://adaptmethodology.com/change-management-framework/

https://blog.remesh.ai/7-organizational-change-management-frameworks

https://change.walkme.com/change-management-frameworks/

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Project Management and Law

Coworkers seated at computer discussing project management and law

A recent trend in law firm management is to bring the practice of project management and law together.  The motivation for this appears to be to maintain firm profitability in fixed fee arrangements.  If a firm’s lawyers spend too much time on a matter, it reduces the firm’s profitability.  The goal is to maintain quality in the shortest time possible.  To do this, many law firms are looking to project management to improve efficiency.

If you think your law firm might benefit from project management tools and techniques, here are some ideas on how you might incorporate project management in your practice.

Legal Project Management

  1. Introduction to Project Management
  2. What Is The Agile Method?
  3. Business Environment and Law
  4. Choosing Planned Project Management
  5. Consider An Agile Approach
  6. Bring Project Management To Your Law Practice

Introduction to Project Management

Project management is a discipline where a project manager uses a series of tools and techniques to efficiently manage a project.  A project is an endeavor that has a discrete beginning, middle and end. [RMC Crash Course in Project Management] A piece of litigation could be thought of as a project as could the purchase of a business or the drafting of a will.  In fact, given the nature of the practice of law, project management is well suited for use by lawyers in managing their practice.

Project management got its start the first time somebody tried to build something.   Some say it started with the pyramids.  As project management grew and developed it became more complex and document intensive.

What Is The Agile Method?

In early 2001 some software developers, frustrated by what they saw as the over bureaucratization of project management created what they called the Agile Manifesto.  This manifesto emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools; working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation and responding to change over following a plan.

Over the years agile has expanded into other areas and is not exclusively used in software development.  It also has become more document and process intensive to the point where some types of agile (there are many) are almost indistinguishable from traditional project management.  There are also hybrid approaches which incorporate aspects of traditional and agile project management.

Business Environment and Law

An important project management domain is called “Business Environment.”  As the name indicates, this is the ecosystem in which the business operates.  It includes the competitive environment, corporate culture, business governance and the regulatory environment in which the business operates.

This is especially relevant to a law practice.  The above elements of the business environment all apply to a law firm.  By its nature, a law practice needs to be especially sensitive to the regulatory aspects of a business environment since it is the focus of the work – the work of a lawyer is to deal in that regulatory environment.

Litigated matters are governed by the rules of civil or criminal procedure.  The purchase or sale of a business is governed by a myriad of rules and regulations, including tax, corporate and business law, intellectual property law and others, all of which play intricate and essential roles.  Estate practices must deal with probate law – procedural and substantive.

Choosing Planned Project Management

In many ways, the business environment will dictate the project management process used by the firm.  As lawyers we would tend to gravitate to more predictive types of project management.  The linear process approach to project management could fit with the nature of the laws and regulations governing most legal matters.

However, in some areas a more agile approach would be appropriate.  I could see this in situations where the firm is dropped into the middle of a situation where it doesn’t have a lot of information or is required to move quickly. An example would be where the firm represents a client a legal action involving a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction.  I could also see an agile or hybrid approach used in situations involving a hostile takeover or an unforeseen enforcement proceeding.

Planned or predictive project management is very linear and planning intensive.  It is broken down into five knowledge areas:  Initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.  The most time-consuming knowledge area is planning.  There are over a dozen process groups within that knowledge area.  They include scope management plans, stakeholder management plans, risk management plans, quality management plans, communication management plans and a long list of others.  This type of project management is most often used in areas where there is a well defined scope such as building a bridge or factory.

Intensive planning simply didn’t work in the software industry.  Plans were often outdated before there was ever an attempt to implement them.  Agile was created by software developers to allow for change oriented project management.  Projects were conducted through a series of “sprints,” which typically lasted to weeks.  After a sprint, the project was re-evaluated.  Work completed, hopefully resulted in the creation of something useful.  The results of the sprint formed the basis for a new sprint.  The results of a sprint required changes in scope of the project along with a new set of tasks to be performed during the next sprint.  Tasks that were not completed in the prior sprint were usually carried over to the next sprint.

In terms of firm efficiency, while you may not know how long an entire matter will take, an experience lawyer can have a good understanding how long particular tasks will take.  In putting together the number of tasks to be performed during a sprint they can estimate the total amount of time necessary to perform the work necessary for that sprint.  Granted, it will be a rough estimate, but it could be a basis for a lawyer giving the client an estimate of the cost of performing a certain amount of work.

Consider An Agile Approach

An agile approach may be better in dealing with situations where, for example, a client walks into a firm with a pile of papers, advising that someone is seeking to enjoin their sale of a new product and that they are seeking something called a preliminary injunction that is set down for a hearing in a couple of days.

You call opposing counsel, ask for a delay (continuance or adjournment depending on where you are).  They agree provided you consent to cease and desist selling the product pending the hearing.  Your client refuses.

Now you have your first sprint.  It will last two days instead of two weeks.  If you’re using agile, you are writing notes, which in the agile world are called work packets or tickets, as you read.  These work packets are discrete pieces of work that can be assigned to lawyers and paralegals.  They can relate to fact investigation, legal research, or obtaining information from third parties. The agile process also calls for daily, check-ins to determine where people are with respect to their work packets and where they will be going.  Given the tight deadline, you may want to have check-ins more than once per day.  In the agile world these would be stand-up meetings or scrums.   The point is, in this kind of situation, where you need to move fast, you can’t sit down and put together a project charter or detailed planning documents.

Agile may not be appropriate in other situations where there is ample time to plan.  The purchase or sale of a business or a merger come to mind.  A legal audit of a client could also be a good application for a planned or predictive project management approach.

The point is, project management can help attorneys more efficiently manage their work.  Using these tools, a lawyer can gain predictability of the time and effort necessary to complete a matter.  This will benefit the firm as well and the firm’s clients in the long term.

Bring Project Management And Your Law Practice

Interested in bringing project management skills to your work? You could hire a project manager and build their legal understanding. Another option is to dedicate a member of team, such as a paralegal or a managing partner, to develop project management skills and bring those to key projects.

RMC PM Crash Course in a book guides the non-project management professional through predictive and agile concepts to give you a practical foundation in the predictive and agile project management methods.  This content is also available in an online interactive PM Crash eLearning course with games and exercises to learn at your own pace.

RMC also offers a Project Management Tricks of the Trade course that teaches you real-world project management application with a expert project management trainer.  Contact us to find out about our class schedule

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How to Fill Out the PMP Application

Business woman at computer working on PMP application

Have you decided that you want to become a Project Management Professional (PMP) and acquired the necessary experience and education to become certified? Then it’s time to fill out the application to take the PMP exam that’s administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).  

Many people become overwhelmed by this application. But when you have a better idea of what’s on it, and how to fill it out properly, it will be less stressful.  

Below, we break down the two major sections on the PMP application: education and experience. These are the areas you want to home in on to ensure you fill them out completely and correctly. The rest of the application involves filling in basic details about yourself, such as your contact information.   

PMP Application Guide

  1. How Can I apply for the PMP exam? 
  2. How Do I Fill Out a PMP Application?
  3. Fill out the PMP Application with Confidence 

How Can I Apply for the PMP Exam?

First, you’ll need to have an account to access the PMP application on PMI’s website. Keep in mind that you’ll be required to fill it out and submit it online.  

The entire application process for the PMP exam begins the moment you open the application to start providing the necessary information. But you don’t need to finish it all in one sitting.  PMI saves it and gives you 90 days to get it done and send it in for approval.  

How long does it take for my PMP application to be approved?

Generally, it might take anywhere from 5 to 10 business days for PMI to contact you, but you might receive confirmation of acceptance sooner than this.  

Affecting how long it takes depends on whether the application is accepted, randomly selected for auditing, or it’s been rejected.  

If the application is audited, PMI will tell you why they need more information. If it’s accepted, you can pay the fee to book and take the exam.  Then you can begin your PMP exam prep.

Why would my application be rejected?

Your application may be rejected for several reasons. Here are some common examples:

  • Did not provide clear descriptions of the work you’ve done
  • Failed to prove that you’ve led projects in the past
  • Didn’t show that you completed the right number of training contact hours. 

Rest assured that you can reapply after being rejected. Just be sure to carefully read PMI’s reasons for rejecting the application and make appropriate to those reasons.  

How Do I Fill Out a PMP Application?

Filling out the application online is easy, but it’s critical that you have all the information you need on hand. That way, you can move through it efficiently.   

Remember, there are two paths you can take to qualify for the PMP exam: 

  • A four-year degree, 36 months of experience in leading projects, and 35 hours of project management training or get your CAPM certification.
  • Get a high school diploma or associate’s degree, have 60 months of experience in leading projects, and 35 hours of project management training or get your CAPM certification.  

How can I write my education in my PMP application?

This section should include information about your high school and college education, as well as the 35 contact hours you’ve completed specifically within the field of project management.  

Provide all the required details, without leaving anything out (i.e., when you received training, what program you were enrolled in, and the organization that taught you).  

How can I write my experience in my PMP application?

The other big section is the one that showcases your relevant experience. This one is trickier, so take your time. Also, consider searching for PMP application experience examples before you start so you have a better idea of what to expect.  

To prove that you’ve completed the required number of hours in the field and in a professional setting, make sure you add in all the relevant projects you need. 

Aim to show PMI that you accomplished a variety of tasks and use strategic keywords within each project’s description. For example, use appropriate knowledge area and/or agile terms, process group names, and appropriate constraint names. Just keep in mind that it should be experience you’ve gained within the last eight years.  

Every project you list must meet the definition of a project according to PMI. This includes the creation of something new, having a beginning date and end date, along with specific management of constraints like scope, schedule, cost, and resources.  

How would you describe projects for a PMP application?

Get ready for this because you’ll have to provide several details. For each project, you’ll need to give the following: 

  • The title of the project and its dates
  • Where you worked on the project and your job title  
  • The project’s budget
  • The methodology you used (e.g., agile, hybrid, waterfall)
  • The size of the team and the functional reporting area

In addition to giving details about your role and responsibilities while leading projects, you’ll also be asked to provide more details in the summary of each project, such as its objectives, deliverables, and final outcome.  

Plus, there are five process groups in PMBOK: Initiating the Project, Planning the Project, Executing the Project, Controlling & Monitoring the Project, and Closing the Project. Show that you completed a minimum of one task from every group.  

Final tip: keep project descriptions to around 500 words or less (but not less than 200 words.  

Fill Out the PMP Application with Confidence

At RMC, we’re here to support you as you work toward getting your PMP certification, feel free to contact us if you have questions about what it takes to get the right education, training, and experience in this area.    

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Project Prioritization Troubles? Brainstorm New Metrics

Team members working on project prioritization

If you’ve ever tried to run a prioritization session and left more confused than when you started, you’re not alone. For many project managers, prioritization isn’t just hard—it can feel political, vague, or worse, like a guessing game wrapped in PowerPoint.

Traditional frameworks like MoSCoW, RICE, and weighted scoring are helpful—but often incomplete. They break down when every project is labeled “high impact” or when organizational goals shift mid-quarter. That’s why it may be time to rethink how we prioritize. And that starts with the metrics we use.

This blog isn’t about throwing out your prioritization process. It’s about evolving it. Let’s look at how brainstorming new, context-aware metrics can bring clarity where standard tools fall short.

Why Traditional Metrics Often Fail

Most prioritization challenges aren’t caused by bad tools—they’re caused by mismatched assumptions.

  • Impact scores assume alignment on “impact” (spoiler: rarely true)
  • Effort estimates are guesswork if scope isn’t well-defined
  • Scoring matrices become cluttered when every metric is rated “high”

The result? Gridlock. Politics. Teams stuck debating value instead of delivering it.

Enter: Custom Metrics for Real-World Prioritization

Brainstorming new metrics doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. It means asking: What matters most to our org right now? Then creating metrics that reflect those priorities. Here are a few categories to spark your brainstorming:

1. Momentum Metrics

These reflect readiness and progress, not just desirability.

  • Dependency Readiness: Are we waiting on external inputs? Or is this project unblocked and actionable?
  • Team Energy: Is there natural momentum or appetite on the team to build this?
  • Prior Work Invested: Have we already sunk research, design, or planning hours here?

Why it matters: Prioritizing half-built or unblocked projects often yields faster returns than starting from scratch.

2. Resilience Metrics

How adaptable or future-proof is this initiative?

  • Change Tolerance: Can this project withstand organizational or market shifts?
  • Scalability Score: Will it still work when the company doubles in size?
  • Sustainability Factor: How much ongoing maintenance will this require?

Why it matters: Some projects look great today but create long-term drag. Flagging that early helps balance risk.

3. User-Centric Metrics

Instead of theoretical value, focus on real impact.

  • User Frequency: How often will this solution be used?
  • Pain Point Severity: How much frustration does it eliminate?
  • Voice of Customer Weight: How often does this request show up in feedback, sales calls, or support tickets?

Why it matters: Projects with high business value but low user impact can often be deprioritized in favor of quick UX wins.

4. Strategic Alignment Metrics

Bring clarity to the “why now?” question.

  • Goal Alignment Score: How closely does this project support current OKRs or strategic themes?
  • Differentiation Level: Will this give us a competitive edge?
  • Internal Visibility: Will this project build internal credibility or momentum?

Why it matters: Not all value is user-facing. Some initiatives help gain stakeholder buy-in or unlock bigger efforts.

5. Experimental or Innovation Metrics

Use when your roadmap includes discovery or innovation work.

  • Learning Potential: What will this teach us, even if it fails?
  • Exploration ROI: Could this open doors to new markets or products?
  • Hypothesis Pressure: Is this a critical assumption we need to test?

Why it matters: Prioritization frameworks often ignore the value of learning. But in innovation-heavy work, it can be the whole point.

Making New Metrics Work: A Few Tips

Creating your own prioritization metrics requires cross-functional collaboration and a willingness to experiment. Here’s how to make it stick:

  1. Co-create with stakeholders: Bring product, tech, marketing, and ops into the process. Different lenses = better metrics.
  2. Limit to 5-7 metrics: Too many, and prioritization becomes analysis paralysis.
  3. Review regularly: As strategic goals evolve, so should your metrics.
  4. Visualize simply: Use heatmaps, quadrant charts, or scores that make trade-offs intuitive.

Final Thought: Prioritization Is a Mirror

Your prioritization metrics reveal what your team, department, or company really values. If you’re struggling to make decisions, it might be time to reflect on whether those values are still aligned.

Brainstorming new metrics isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a mark of maturity. It means you’re willing to meet your complexity with clarity. And when your metrics are right, prioritization doesn’t just become easier—it becomes strategic. So the next time your prioritization session stalls, don’t just shuffle projects. Rethink the scoreboard.

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Qualifying for Taking the PMP Exam

Close up of business woman at her desk working on PMP qualifications

Do you want to get your PMP® certification to take your project management career to the next level? You need to take and pass the PMP exam. And, to be totally prepared to pass the PMP, consider RMC’s time-tested and proven training materials. 

However, before you can even sign up to take this exam, you need to meet certain qualifications. Below is a short guide to the qualifications that need to be met before you can take the PMP® exam and get your certification. 

Eligibility

To qualify to take the PMP® Exam, you must have a secondary degree, along with 36 months of leading and directing projects, and 35 hours of project management education. 

Alternatively, you can show that you have a four-year degree, along with 60 months of leading and directing projects, or a current CAPM Certification, and 35 hours of project management education.

You also qualify if you have a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree from an accredited GAC program, along with 24 months of professional project management experience, leading and directing projects.  You’ll also need the 35 hours of project management education.

Note: The number of months for the Experience section must total at least 60 months, and the project dates must indicate those months of project management experience within the eight-year period prior to the application.

Forward Thinking

You will need to have a registered account on PMI’s website. From there, you will be able to find the online application form for the PMP® certification under the section titled “myPMI.”

PMI requires that you provide detailed records of all of the projects that you have handled during the required project experience period, and each of them should be documented separately. You will need to calculate the time spent on the different project management process groups, and provide a detailed description of your role in the projects. 

Note: In preparation of an audit, it is always a good idea to ask consent from your place of employment to list projects, roles, and time spent before you discuss them on your application.

Required Contact Hours

For the required 35 contact hours, make sure you train with an experienced project management training company that gives a certificate of completion for your training. And it is important to make sure that the training is aligned to the current Exam Content Outline. For further details about the exam content outline, visit PMI’s website.

At RMC, we offer a variety of training modes and study materials to prepare professionals for the PMP® Exam, as well as to earn the required 35 contact hours. Check out our  virtual live class schedule, or our PMP eLearning course to get started.

Note: The current PMP® exam is changing in January 2, 2021 and it will align with a new content outline. To learn more about the expected changes, click here. RMC is working hard to make the required changes to our self-study products and exam prep classes. We’ll ensure they’ll align with the new PMP® Exam Content Outline. However, our best advice to aspiring PMPs is to plan to study and take the exam before the exam change.

Considerations

Keep in mind that just because you qualify on paper to take the exam does not mean you will be able to pass it. You must know project management and have experience applying it—this includes both managing and leading projects.

To prepare, consider taking PMI’s CAPM® exam to receive the CAPM® certification if you do not meet the requirements for the PMP® Exam at this time. 

CAPM® test takers are required to have a high school diploma and 23 hours of project management education to qualify for the CAPM® exam.

You can read more about eligibility and requirements for the CAPM® Exam in our post How to Use Rita Mulcahy’s Exam Prep Products for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Exam.

Certification: Taking a Major Step in Your Career

With the right preparation, you can qualifying for the PMP certification to differentiate you from other project managers. So, what are you waiting for? RMC can help you at every step, and you can start by browsing through our course offerings to learn more. 

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Agile Framework Options – What You Need to Know

Three colleagues at computer discussing agile framework options

Project management frameworks, including Agile framework options, are sets of processes and tools that can help you complete a project more efficiently and effectively. As an outline that you and your team can turn to throughout the course of a project, your framework will be there to guide you from start to finish, keeping you on track to meet your goals.

There are several frameworks that you can try, so you can find the one that will work best for you. The traditional framework that you might already be familiar with is often called waterfall. the most well-known waterfall sets of processes include initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure.

Another framework you can use to stay organized is based on Agile practices.

Agile Framework Options

  1. What Is An Agile Project Management Framework?
  2. What Are Agile Project Management Methodologies?
  3. Popular Agile Methodologies

What Is An Agile Project Management Framework?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a project? Using the Agile methodology, you can break it down into manageable activities. The Agile approach uses an iterative approach, which increases your flexibility in planning and building the product. You’ll find it relatively easy to make changes at regular intervals throughout the project.

Because you move through a project in incremental stages, Agile gives you even frequent opportunities to recognize problems, make changes quickly, and stay on course toward hitting targets.

Different types of projects call for different approaches. With the traditional approach, you define your objectives, plan thoroughly and then control carefully for change as you build your product. With Agile, early planning takes a broader approach. Typically, you can more easily adapt to change as you meet your objectives.

What Are Agile Project Management Methodologies?

Agile is essentially a blanket term that describes a philosophy for managing projects. Within it, there are several methodologies that you can use on their own or in combination.

They all take an iterative approach and follow the main concepts of Agile, which are to iteratively plan, build, test, and make changes based on feedback, until viable increments of the product are completed.

  • Scrum

Scrum is the most well-known Agile methodology. It’s best used when you’re delivering a product rather than a service. You’ll need to designate a product owner, a Scrum Master, and a development team.

Put simply, Scrum involves breaking down a project into “sprints.” These short iterations last between one and four weeks. At the end of each sprint, you have a version of what your final deliverable will look like that can be approved or revised.

  • XP

XP stands for Extreme Programming. It’s similar to Scrum in that it uses sprints and frequent releases that are planned in advance. But this methodology was designed for software development projects, so it’s centered around engineering principles.

The goal is to work in a collaborative manner within short cycles. Along the way, as with all Agile approaches, every member of the team remains and adapts to necessary changes.

  • SAFe

SAFe stands for Scaled Agile Framework. It’s system for implementing Agile, Lean and DevOps practices at scale.

This is another good choice when you’re leading a complex project, as SAFe can help you navigate various challenges, such as changes in the needs of customers, changes in market conditions, and digital disruption. Read more about how to choose the best project management methodology for your project.

  • Kanban

Kanban is another popular set of practices to help implement Agile. Related to Lean, is main goal is to limit work in progress. This goal carried out through the use of Kanban boards, an example being one that shows work in columns such as “To Do”, “In Progress”, and “Done”. This system also provides a visual representation what needs to be completed.

With Kanban, every team member knows what they need to do, what’s been completed, and what’s coming up. It also helps to easily recognize bottlenecks are.

  • Crystal

The Crystal family of methodologies are software development approaches that you select from based on priority and criticality of products and projects.

There is a great emphasis on the people working on a project and how they interact, rather than on the tools and processes that they’re using. Teams are allowed to figure out the best ways to optimize the way they operate, so they can more easily and quickly change when necessary.

Want to Learn More About Agile?

Although you might feel a bit overwhelmed at first when selecting an Agile development framework, if you have the right training, you can rest assured that you’ll make the right choice. That’s why RMC offers a wide range of courses in Agile Fundamentals and Hybrid Agile, including those that will prepare you for the PMI-ACP® certification. If you prefer to learn at your own pace, check out our latest Agile Fundamentals Guide to using an agile approach or our Agile eLearning courses.

Contact us today to learn more about how you can become an Agile pro!

Sources:

https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/find-a-resource/agile-project-management/

https://www.mendix.com/agile-framework/

https://www.workfront.com/project-management/methodologies/agile

https://www.cio.com/article/3434530/what-is-safe-the-scaled-agile-framework-explained.html

https://kissflow.com/project/agile/agile-project-management-methodology/

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Leadership in Project Management

Young professional in a meeting discussing leadership in project management

For mid-level project managers, the leap from managing schedules and deliverables to truly leading a team is both subtle and profound. Leadership in project management isn’t just about being the most organized person in the room. It’s about influence, trust, vision, and the ability to align diverse people toward a shared outcome—especially when the path is unclear.

In today’s project environments—where teams are cross-functional, often remote, and moving at speed—effective leadership is the cornerstone of sustainable delivery. This isn’t about command and control. It’s about clarity, confidence, and emotional intelligence.

From Project Coordinator to Project Leader

Many project managers reach mid-level after proving they can plan and execute reliably. They’ve learned how to build schedules, manage risk logs, facilitate meetings, and chase down blockers. But leadership begins when the PM moves beyond being the hub of communication and becomes the enabler of outcomes.

Project leaders don’t just keep the trains running. They:

  • Inspire accountability without micromanagement
  • Navigate uncertainty with calm and clarity
  • Make space for team members to step up
  • Translate vision into shared purpose

And perhaps most critically, they earn trust. In project settings, where authority is often borrowed rather than formal, trust is currency.

Leading without direct authority

Most project managers don’t manage their teams in a traditional sense. Developers, analysts, designers, and business stakeholders often report elsewhere. So how do you lead when no one has to follow you?

The answer is relational leadership. That means:

  • Building credibility by delivering consistently
  • Listening more than directing
  • Understanding what motivates each contributor
  • Adapting your communication style to your audience

Influence is built day by day, not declared. When people feel heard, respected, and supported, they begin to lean in—and that’s when leadership sticks.

Vision and Alignment in the Project Context

One of the key differences between a manager and a leader is the ability to connect the dots between tasks and meaning. As a project manager, you may not be setting the overall business vision—but you are responsible for helping your team understand how their work contributes to it.

This looks like:

  • Framing deliverables in the context of organizational goals
  • Translating complex objectives into day-to-day priorities
  • Reinforcing the “why” behind the “what”

When teams understand the purpose behind their work, motivation increases, silos dissolve, and decision-making improves.

Handling conflict and change like a leader

Projects bring people together—and sometimes, people clash. Competing priorities, shifting requirements, and tight timelines can fray nerves. Leadership means staying grounded when the room gets tense.

Good project leaders:

  • Address conflict early, without defensiveness
  • Create psychological safety for dissenting views
  • Focus on solutions, not blame

Change management is another test of leadership. When a scope shift or resource change hits, the best PMs don’t just update the Gantt chart. They re-orient the team with empathy and decisiveness.

Leadership in Agile and Hybrid environments

Leadership doesn’t look the same in every methodology. In Agile or hybrid settings, servant leadership is often the most effective model. Servant leaders:

  • Remove obstacles
  • Champion team autonomy
  • Coach instead of control

In these environments, your leadership might be less about command and more about facilitation—guiding the team through uncertainty and iteration while maintaining alignment with broader goals.

The Emotional Intelligence Edge

Technical proficiency will get you in the door. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is what helps you lead. Project managers with high EQ:

  • Read the room
  • Regulate their own stress
  • Respond with empathy
  • De-escalate tension before it derails progress

For mid-level PMs looking to step into more senior roles, developing emotional intelligence is one of the most valuable long-term investments.

Final Thoughts: Leading Through Delivery

Leadership in project management isn’t a separate skill set from delivery—it is delivery. Because great plans don’t execute themselves. Great teams do. And great teams thrive under leaders who:

  • Set direction without rigidity
  • Foster trust without ego
  • Communicate with clarity and consistency

As a mid-level project manager, the invitation is clear: go beyond managing timelines and become a catalyst for high-performing teams. The best project leaders aren’t just taskmasters—they’re motivators, connectors, and calm voices in complexity. Leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions where the best answers can emerge. Lead forward.

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5 Tips for Qualitative Risk Analysis on Projects

Close up of two colleagues reviewing risk analysis on projects

Whether you’re an experienced project manager or just getting started, keep in mind that all projects, big or small, have risks. And these uncertainties can have a positive or negative effect on your objectives and outcomes. It is also true that risks vary by project. Therefore, understanding why and how to conduct risk analysis on projects can help you manage threats and opportunities.

For most projects, you can use effective risk management methods to efficiently identify, evaluate, categorize and manage the main risks. Let’s get started by introducing you to some tips to simplify your project qualitative risk analysis.

5 Tips for Project Qualitative Risk Analysis

  1. Use a Probability and Impact Grid
  2. Create the Grid in a Spreadsheet
  3. Chose a Simple Scale and Define It
  4. Set a Threshold of What Risks to Address
  5. Determine a Risk Score
  6. Facilitate a Discussion of Divergent Views

1. Use a Probability and Impact Grid

Impact and probability are the two main components of qualitative risk analysis. Probability estimates the likelihood of an event occurring. Impact estimates the relative consequences of dealing with the event. This impact is evaluating the implications for cost and schedule.

These estimates are not precise. Using a scale like the one in the image of 1-10, you can estimate the probability and impact of an event and allowing you to have a facilitated discussion with stakeholders and determine where to plot the identified risks on the chart. This grid allows for easy collaboration. This visual representation of each risk makes the interaction with stakeholders simpler and makes it easier to agree on probability and impact a particular risk.

2. Create the Grid in a Spreadsheet

The easiest way to create a probability and impact grid is to use a spreadsheet. You can graphically depict the stakeholders’ ranking which makes is easy to understand, discuss and prioritize risks with team members and other stakeholders. The grid also allows you to sort many risks quickly and to easily share in virtual meetings.

3. Chose a Simple Scale and Define It

There are many options of how you can create a scale. However, make sure you have definitions for your scale. It is important to establish and agree upon the definition of the scale so your stakeholders will not misinterpret or create their own definitions.

For example, if you are going to use a 1-10 scale, a rating of 1 may be defined as “no real impact” and 10 may be defined as project failure.  It should define probability – the likelihood a risk will occur and impact – the effect a risk will have if it occurs. Also see a simpler definition for the 1-10 scale in Figure 5.4 page 127. You can use any scale that makes sense to you and your stakeholders like 1-5 or high, medium, or low.

4. Set a Threshold of What Risks to Address

When a threat is great enough that the risk becomes unacceptable or an opportunity significant enough that action should be taken to benefit the project on a predetermined scale, you need to set a threshold for what risks you will address. Risks below this threshold will be identified but not dealt with meaning there will be no contingency plans created to deal with these risks. No special action needs to be taken to prepare for these risks as the probability and impact is low enough that additional time and effort aren’t necessary. Active acceptance of risks that score above the threshold require a response strategy. The response strategies could include actions to avoid, mitigate, or transfer negative risks or exploit, enhance, share positive risks.

5. Determine a Risk Score

Defining a risk score for each risk is one way to determine your risk threshold. Your risk score is the calculation of probability times impact (P x I = Risk Score).  The example in figure 5.8 shows scores for each risk and how those scores might be evaluated for setting the risk threshold.

If an organization had a risk governance rule that the threshold was 50 (on a 1-80 scale), then all risks 50 and over would need active acceptance (e.g. further actions to be taken such as setting aside contingency to offset the effect of the risk) and those under 50 would be passive acceptance (requires no action beyond documenting the decision).  Risk can be detailed by high, medium, and low risk scores. For example:

  • Risk above the threshold, also known as high risk, must be dealt with via qualitative analysis or plan risk response. The risks that are characterized as high risks have both a high impact and likelihood of occurrence. The often require immediate strategies of avoid or exploit.
  • Risks with a medium score might mean considering mitigation/enhancement/transfer/share efforts or qualitative analysis. The characterization is dependent on the organizations defined threshold.
  • Risks with a lower score get documented or put on a risk register or watch list. The risks that are characterized as low, or very low, risks have both a low impact and likelihood of occurrence.

Figure 5.8 page 132: Example of a Risk Score  Risk Management – Tricks of the Trade® for Project Managers – Third Edition

Key:

  • Yellow: Low risks. Simply document (low) on the Watch List.
  • Peach: Medium risks. Consider moving to Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis and/or Plan Risk Responses process. They needs contingency responses like mitigate, enhance, transfer and share.
  • Tan: High risks. Move to Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis and/or Plan Risk Responses process. Theses need responses like avoid and exploit.

6. Facilitate a Discussion of Divergent Views

When leading stakeholders in a qualitative risk analysis discussion, differences of opinions may emerge. Be prepared for the disagreement and move toward agreement and consensus on the analysis of each risk.

When leading stakeholders in a qualitative risk analysis discussion, differences of opinions may emerge. Be prepared for the disagreement and move toward agreement and consensus on the analysis of each risk. You might have to establish ground rules for the discussion and decision making to avoid conflict.

Communicating information about risks helps keep the team and your stakeholders invested in the success of the project.  Maintain open communication and intentionally ask questions.  Listen to the answers to capture the views of your stakeholders and team members by documenting assumptions, concerns, and outcomes. These efforts will promote accountability, help manage expectations and improve you and your team’s efforts to manage project risk.

Build Your Qualitative Risk Analysis Project Skills

As you continue to develop and practice your risk analysis skills, consider taking RMC’s instructor-led course on Risk Management Tricks of the Trade® for Project Managers.  Simply contact us to learn more. If you prefer to study at your own pace, we also offer a Risk Management eLearning course or our book Risk Management – Tricks of the Trade® for Project Managers.

You can also listen to our recorded webinar Five Tips for Easy Qualitative Risk Analysis and earn 1 free PDU.

Sources:

https://www.projectmanagement.com/blog/blogPostingView.cfm?blogPostingID=66734&thisPageURL=/blog-post/66734/Qualitative-Risk-Analysis–Process-Overview#_=_

https://www.safran.com/blog/how-to-communicate-risk-to-project-stakeholders

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Project Management Risk Analysis

Team meeting to discuss project management risk analysis

Risk analysis and management are important skills to practice. They help reduce surprises and uncertainties that can negatively impact your project’s scope, schedule, performance, or budget. Risk is not just about threats. Project management risk analysis also identifies opportunities to reduce project cost or time.

Analyzing Project Risk

A good risk management plan identifies, analyzes, manages, and closes out risks during each project phase before they become real issues. This allows you evaluate the likelihood and impact that a risk will emerge during a project.

Project Management risk analysis begins with qualitative methods to examine, rank, and score the risk events.  Once identified risks are sorted and prioritized. Higher priority threats and opportunities are focused. For more detailed risk analysis requires quantitative techniques which are not discussed in this article.

What is Qualitative Risk Management?

Here is an overview of qualitative risk management:

1. Risk Tolerance: Decide the level of risk that is acceptable. The level of tolerance you have for risk will determine the amount of risk you are willing to take on in your project.   Risk tolerance tends to be subjective however, in determining your risk tolerance you should consider past projects and how risks taken on during them played out.

2. Identify Opportunities and Threats: Two tools that are useful for identifying risks are Risk Categories and Risk Breakdown Structure.   Risk Categories separate different risks based on their common characteristics.  For example, one category could be natural disasters.  Another category could be market or interprets rate fluctuations.  Risk Breakdown structure is a process where large risks categories are broken down into smaller packages.  To take the above example, interest rate fluctuations of 5 percentage points will require a certain risk response while a 50% change would require an entirely different response.  One thing to keep in mind is that risks can also be opportunities, like a key commodity used in your project is available at a lower price thus reducing overall project cost.

3. Qualitative Risk Analysis: Qualitative analysis is a subjective analysis to estimate probability and value for each risk. One way of doing this is to use a risk matrix. The risk matrix allows you to rank each and its potential effect on the project resulting in a ranking within the context of the project. Ultimately this will allow you to determine the overall risk for the entire project.  The rankings will also allow you to prioritize risks within the project.

4. Quantitative Risk Analysis: This process is optional because not all projects and not all risks need this level of analysis. Big, strategically important projects would be more likely to need quantitative risk analysis. For example, you might need the probability that there will be a concrete shortage during a road building project or a shortage of processors from a third-party country as the result of strike or factory closure. There are mathematical tools for doing this kind of risk analysis, but they are beyond the scope of this article.

5. Strategies for Higher Ranked Risks: Simply put, the higher ranked the risk, the more likely that you need a contingency plan for dealing with it.

6. Follow the Contingency Plan: If a risk occurs then the contingency plan for that risk should be followed. These contingency plans act as a roadmap for the team to follow.

7. Evaluate and Analyze if Risk Management is Working: You have to watch, evaluate and determine if the risk efforts that you planned are working. If not, you need a reassessment of the risks to identify necessary changes in your plans for the risks.

Qualitative Risk Analysis Process

Qualitative Risk Analysis allows you determine which risks warrant a response. You’ll need to establish evaluation criteria to avoid putting your energies in the wrong place. You also need to make sure that your subject matter experts that are participating in the evaluation are using the same criteria for consistency. (See item 1 below for examples and watch for our next blog for more information on the establishing these criteria.)

A common error encountered is not focusing our efforts on the highest value risks to generate the best results. Having a qualitative risk analysis process can be help, here is one you can use:

1. Subjectively evaluate the probability and impact of each risk: Using a matrix (1-5 scale, high medium, low) allows you to be able to have consistent criteria used in that evaluation.

2. Create a shorter list of risks: This allows you to create a smaller set of risks you are working on and a watch list of the ones, that if they occur, are not going to have significant impact on your schedule, budget, or resources and you can absorb that small impact to the project.

3. Determine the top or critical risks you will quantify and/or will require a response plan: This short list is prioritized by the risk’s qualitative ranking and is used to decide what to do next. For large/high priority projects, quantitative risk analysis can give further prioritization to the short list. For other projects that are smaller or are not as high in the organization’s priorities you can go directly to employing risk strategies and creating contingency plans.

4. Make a go/no-go decision: Consider creating an overall risk rating for the project to determine if the project is within acceptable risk levels for your organization. This ranking can be helpful in making a go/no-go decision. It will help answer the question: “After evaluating the risks, do you still want to do this project?”

Why Qualitative Risk Analysis is Important?

As you look at next steps and how to proceed about the risk, qualitative analysis of risk is critical to make sure that you are doing work in the right way at the right time.

You would proceed to Quantitative Risk Analysis if:

  • You identified all the project risks
  • It is worth the time and money
  • It has high priority or visible project
  • There is a low tolerance for cost or schedule overruns
  • You possess tools and capabilities

You would proceed to Risk Response Planning if:

  • The project has a smaller budget or is shorter project
  • You are new to risk management and have yet not developed your risk analysis skills
  • There are a small number of risks
  • The risk ratings identified warrant moving directly to response strategies

Passively Accepting Risk: Watch list

When you reach the threshold where you need to address the risks identified, using a watch list is the way of tracking the identified risks that you can passively accept.

Table 1 Risk Register Example from Rita Mulcahy’s™ Risk Management Tricks of the Trade® for Project Managers, 3rd Edition

Page 138, Fig 5.13

All risks will be documented in the risk register. Their score will be compared to the risk threshold and those under it will be ranked lower and will make up the watch list within the risk register. These low priority risks do not move forward in the risk management process as they do not require quantitative risk analysis or response strategies. Risks that need to be addressed will rank higher and continue through process and the additional documentation is added to the to the risk register.

Table 2: Risk Register with additional columns for documentation for short list risks. Page 138, Fig 5.13

Learn More About Project Managent Risk Analysis

Need real-world, step by step approach to using Risk Management in your current projects to help minimize the occurrence and impact of project risks?

RMC offers a variety of ways to improve your risk management skills including Rita Mulcahy’s Risk Management Tricks of the Trade for Project Managers eLearning course, Instructor-led virtual or book. You can also listen to our recorded webinar Five Tips for Easy Qualitative Risk Analysis and earn 1 free PDU.

Sources:

https://projectriskcoach.com/evaluating-risks-using-quantitative-risk-analysis/

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_07.htm