1. Killer Project Management Best Practices
Marjan Gjorgjiev

2. Outline Introduction Strategies for Killer Project Management
The Killer Traits of a Project Manager

3. Introduction
Effective project management is the “secret sauce” of a company’s success. Being good at managing projects is usually a matter of following project management best practices. Often, these “best practices” will vary from organization to organization. Some, however, are applicable across organizations and can radically improve project performance. As PMI says, any “way of doing things” within an organization can be considered a best practice.

5. Strategies for Killer Project Management

6. Know when to be rigid and know when to be flexible.
It may sound weird, but actually it is a good concept.
Once you have your project scope written and signed-off by your sponsor or product owner, your project planning can get started for real.
As your start your project planning — like drawing up your requirements documentation or budget — you need to be rigid as a PM and make sure you will fulfill your project charter.
Don’t plan activities outside of your scope!
Once you get into your project, you will need to remain flexible.
focus on delivering quality and value to the customer
your needs may change because of external or internal forces
your ability to manage change and your attitude towards any shift in direction will spread to your team.
If you are flexible, your team will be as well.

7. Trust your instincts.
As you gain more experience, your instincts will sharpen.
Instincts are tool that will help you through the project planning and implementation stages.
Example: If you are working on deadline driven work packages and you feel you won’t be making a deadline, examine what you and your team can do to try and hit your goal. If you budgeted 10 hours for a particular task and a member of your team feels it will take four times that long, trust their instincts and give them more resources or help or just know that piece may end up taking more time.

8. When in doubt, ask.
There are lots of times that as a PM I have come to a point that I really don’t know what to do.
As the PM we are supposed to be the rock, the picture of strength for the rest of our team. But there will always be some point that you come to that you will not know the answers.
It isn’t shameful to ask someone for help — it is worse to guess wrong and push back your project timelines because you were too proud to consult someone else.
Tip: That is why it is always good to have a mentor or friend in project management who you can bounce ideas off of. Personally I keep lots of friends around because I have lots of questions.

9. Prioritize value and quality over scope, budget, and timelines.
Some of you will probably not agree with me on that statement. But…
When you are in the middle of a project that is customer driven, you need to be focused on delivering a product that provides your customer with value and quality.
Sometimes changes in the requirements document may cost, but if you want to continue doing business with a customer, you need to give them what they want.

10. The Killer Traits of a Project Manager

11. They Are Fabulous People Managers
Focus on unlocking and channeling each team member’s potential.
Be sure to engage them at all stages of a project, and encourage teamwork and commitment at all times.
Do what you preach. If you want your team to be efficient, creative, honest, punctual, good listeners, trustful and the other few good things, make sure you are those too.

12. They Are The King/Queen of Collaboration
Collaboration may be the single greatest weapon in an effective project manager's arsenal.
Firstly, there's collaboration within the team.
A great project manager inspires a sense of togetherness and has the ability to identify points of contention, intervene, find a solution and keep the project running in its intended direction of travel.
Secondly, great project managers know when they need talent and resources to complement their in-house team and they know where and how to find them.

13. They Are Great 360 Degree Communicators
Effective project management needs clear communication.
You have to communicate with your team about their responsibilities, the project's goals, performance expectations, and of course you must be able to give meaningful feedback that can be acted upon.
Beyond this, of course, you also have to communicate UP!
The finest Project Managers are great negotiators.
They tell stakeholders and project sponsors what they need to hear as opposed to what they think they want to hear - the difference between these can be the difference between success and failure.
They are not afraid of rank and have the same confidence communicating with an end user of their delivered project as the organisation's CEO.

14. They Are Problem Solving, Decision Making MACHINES!
The average IT Project throws out a lot of problems to be faced and decisions to be made.
Have you noticed how some PMs instinctively know what to do … and they just do it?
Instinct is a perfectly acceptable means of making a decision, although it is generally more appropriate when the decision is of a simple nature or needs to be made quickly.
Reasoning has its roots in the facts.
More complicated decisions tend to require a more detailed and structured approach, usually involving both instinct and reasoning.

15. What the Winners Do…
Make sure projects are driven by strategy, but remain flexible.
Trust the past experience, personal values and the ability to understand the here-and-now situation.
Communicate with confidence. They are not afraid of rank and questions.
Collaborate.
Prioritize value and quality.

16. THANK YOU!