Category Archives: Friday Snippet

Careers Advice, Friday Snippet, No, PMO, Project Management, Risk Management

Friday the 13th Risk Management – Friday Snippet

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Anyone who knows me well – knows that as such I am not superstitious but being a little accident prone to say the least, I am cautious on days which are deemed as unlucky. So today I am writing to you covered in bubble wrap, laptop running off a battery, all sharp objects and obstructions removed from my vicinity…

So I would like to address project safeguarding – as we all know, it is not just the dreaded Friday 13th when things can go wrong and in a time when no one can afford slippage what can we do to ensure we keep things on track?

Risk management – certainly nothing new here however if anything, more emphasis has been placed on this element of project management over the past few years due to the collapse of the banks and resulting EU troubles. More organisations are demanding project professionals with a greater awareness of risk management and PMOs come into their own here by promoting risk management through workshops within the business. Putting greater emphasis on risk frameworks and creating a robust risk register to ensure you are considering the bigger picture will not only put you in good stead with your stakeholders but will also raise your profile within the team and if you are good – you could become a champion in this field. As Risk Managers command an attractive salary and dedicated risk managers are in a minority, this could be a prime opportunity to break into a specialist field and really give your career a push in the right direction. Risk management is not just for financial services; all organisations taking forward business transformation will be very interested in a dedicated risk specialist. This could be a particularly good focus for contractors who go from assignment to assignment and need to hit the ground running – if you have great exposure to a number of industries and sectors coupled with the risk exposure you can potentially command very rewarding day rates.

Just some food for thought – I hope it has whetted some appetites out there and please do be careful today!

Careers Advice, Cover letters, Friday Snippet, PMO, Project Management, Q&A

Portfolio , Programme, Project – What’s the difference? Friday snippet

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OK so today we are going back to basics, talking through what a portfolio, programme and project actually are. I was in consultation with a project manager last week who was describing his current project list, as we talked through his input into the business he asked if he was in fact a programme manager – which lead me to write this blog piece. Having spent more years than I care to remember delivering and studying in the field of project management it dawned on me that a great deal of professionals currently working in the field of project management rarely get an outsider perspective and certainly won’t have read through the skip load of books I have. So those of us who are well into the field of PPM are sat inside a rather well oiled bubble and there are hundreds of effective and hard working PPM professionals out there who are just beginning to learn of our bubble. So for all those new to the bubble – welcome and here’s a basic overview of the 3 Ps.

  • PROJECT – A piece of work with a definite start and end, and clearly defined deliverable.
  • PROGRAMME – A programme is a number of related projects run collectively to obtain specific strategic objectives and benefits.
  • PORTFOLIO – A portfolio is an assortment of projects or programmes categorised to facilitate meeting strategic business objectives through effective management. This is a centralised management of programmes, projects and sometimes portfolios which aren’t necessarily interdependent or related directly.

 

OK so now we have cleared that up in the simplest form – here’s a couple of useful links for further information (APM MSP MoP) . Once you start to get a grasp of the basics, I assure you, you will be drawn into wanting to know more.

If you are in need of some advice about what it is you actually do – get in touch, no question is a stupid question and with a little consultation we will have you well placed for taking that next step to finding a new role: www.thecvrighter.co.uk

Friday Snippet, Networking, PMO, Project Management

Come Dine With Me for Project Managers – Friday snippet

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Come Dine With Me for Project Managers – Friday snippet

Here’s a novel idea – has anyone ever come up with a fun way of exploring others projects through a “Come Dine With Me” style – try and score? Imagine hooking up with 3 or 4 other project professionals in a similar capacity and spending an afternoon at their office gaining a flavour of what goes on in that organisation. This could work really well for PMOs as well as Project or Programme Managers. Throughout the week you get to have a nosey around the projects of other professionals and grade them on their management style, integration in the business, smooth (or not) running, communications etc. At the end of the week all the contestants get to sit down and share with each other their thoughts on what they liked and didn’t like about each organisation and hopefully take away some sound advice and new practices to use in their own working environment. Of course there’s no need for camera crews and let’s face it, most organisations wouldn’t allow camera crews inside their buildings when they could be potentially embarrassed or projects are sensitive. But as a professional gain-share practice – I really think it could work!

Now who is going to approach their boss about a trial?

Friday Snippet, Networking, News, No, PMO, Project Management

APMG-International Showcase UK (formally Best Practice Showcase) – Friday Snippet

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It’s that time of year again where programme, project and portfolio professionals come together for the annual APMG-International Showcase UK. This is a must see event for anyone working within the project management domain and is of particular interest to senior PM, PgM and PfM professionals. The event is based around structured sessions both interactive Birds of a Feather sessions which are a more intimate session sat around a table in smaller groups to larger presentations.

Date of the event: Thursday 28th June

With sessions around portfolio management collaborative working, maturing your EPM solution, managing benefits and PPM qualifications to name a few – there is something for everyone. Programme list here.

As well as these great sessions this is a prime opportunity for you to network with your peers and hopefully walk away with some ideas, solutions and new business connections.

The event is free and based at the QEII Conference Centre – nearest tubes are Westminster and St James Park.

Register online and make sure you book into any sessions which are of particular interest as they fill up quickly. Even if you cannot take the entire day out from the office – it is worth popping across the city for a few hours.

I will be attending the event as a delegate and look forward to seeing you there – come and say hello.