Project Management Knowledgebase

This is a nice simple overview on how to set up your WBS. The narrator also has a lovely British accent which makes it a little more fun.

That was a great way of explaining the WBS and demonstrated what should be included in the WBS thanks for sharing this.

Another good addition here. I learned a few new things about creating a WBS, such as using SMEs to decompose work below the package level.

This is a free version of Microsoft Project. It does require you to download it to your computer

I can't hardly believe this is free! What is the world (Microsoft) coming to? Anyway, I downloaded this for my home computer, thanks!

Thanks, Laura. A friend was recently asking me if I knew of a free PM tool like MS Project. This should be perfect.

Very informative article from the Harvard Business Review. Using many real life examples, this article reviews the problems and solutions to managing a multicultural team. Problems can be overt such as language and accents to something subtle such as how to deal with conflict. Four categories were identified by the researchers that could create barriers to effective teamwork. These categories are direct versus indirect communication; trouble with accents and fluency; differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority and conflicting norms for decision making.

I think that one thing that was interesting is that it stresses being careful in how you establish groups and subgroups otherwise you may see a strengthening of differences. It is something that I see in the classroom all of the time. Kids break up based on common culture, language, or backgrounds.

Here's everything you need to know to set up a project management group in your organization. I have included links to several free tools-spreadsheet, sample business case document, and PowerPoint slides-to help you.

Nice article Victoria. They make setting up a PMO sound so easy! Could very well be the case in a smaller organization. Taking on something like this in a larger organization can be a challenge. Thanks for the post!

I like this website and have read most of the topics. I post the homepage URL to show all the topics available, but take note of the few topics on project management. I've had a long interest in the convergence of PM & KM, and both share some similar qualities from the systems-oriented perspective. There are a lot of other authors and resources out there that talk about PM from a systems-thinking approach, but I thought this site a good starting point. A good book for expanding on this topic is Gerald Weinberg's "An Introduction to General Systems Thinking."

Has an app for Apple devices

Open Source desktop project management software. This is an awesome tool for those of us without access to the likes of MS Project.

Open Source desktop project management and can be used as an alternative to Microsoft Project. PM's can create GANT charts, and also many other templates.

It looks great, but I'm always suspicious about what type of Trojan I might download with these programs. Has anyone used it successfully?

A great resource to start researching all those things you need to know more about...can we say change management?

New technologies, revelations in behavioural science and changing cultures are generating exciting advances in the world of project management. In this article, I'll take a dive into five concepts that are creating buzz in the project management community, why they are important and what difference they're making in project work today.

I really like this one! Thanks for another great read! #3 is especially good!

Agreed - it is nice to read something forward-thinking.

There is a huge variety of project management applications out there. Most are general purpose apps, not aimed at any one industry. But there are a growing number of project management apps aimed specifically at one industry or another. Applications geared toward creative types are becoming more readily available, and some of the offerings are really quite good.

I love Smashing Magazine. A great resource for anything in digital design! This is a nice article.

Trusted by millions, Basecamp is the leading web-based project management and collaboration tool. To-dos, files, messages, schedules, and milestones.

I had looked at this too. It seems that most PM software ends up having to be paid for. I guess making it free ties to the idea if taking money off the table and using a collaborative organizational model :)

Simple Smartsheet harnesses the power of a platform within the simplicity of a spreadsheet. No training required - get up and running in minutes. Smart Assign tasks, attach files, share sheets, view timelines, set alerts, create rollups, go mobile, and much more - all with one intuitive tool.

I thought this laid out the various skills a PM must have in a clear way and compared the emotional (soft) and technical (hard) skills well.

"Anger can move people to improve and surmount challenges or it can destroy an organization from the inside out." Tips for the emotionally intelligent project manager.

A very flexible Project Management system. Podio allows you to add your projects and include individual deliverables, tasks, deadlines, Project Manager's, and comment on projects as they are completed. It also allows you to chat with other team members and provide access to clients so they can always see the progress of the project. Google Docs and other collaborative services can also be connected.

A company that will come in and do training around EI...what I love is the language of feelings/needs they use in their descriptions of the different roles: http://www.byronstock.com/ei/whoneedsei.html#sales

How detailed should your WBS be? This was a problem I had when thinking about doing a WBS I automatically wanted to make a list...still having trouble thinking outside that box...

A blogger whose mission is to bring together thought-leaders from Project Management, Organizational Change Management, Psychology, Social Science, and Neuroscience to share their insights and inform how we can effectively manage today's complex projects.

Asana is the shared task list for your team. The place to plan, organize & stay in sync. Free for up to 30 team menbers.

This looks like a great way to keep a project team organized and informed. The tutorial was helpful and gave a nice overview of the system. Free is also a wonderful feature!

For a simple, light Project Management tool, Asana worked great to keep a list of tasks and when they were completed.

TaskJuggler is a modern and powerful, Free and Open Source Software project management tool. Its new approach to project planning and tracking is more flexible and superior to the commonly used Gantt chart editing tools. TaskJuggler is project management software for serious project managers. It covers the complete spectrum of project management tasks from the first idea to the completion of the project. It assists you during project scoping, resource assignment, cost and revenue planning, risk and communication management.

TaskJuggler is a modern and powerful, Free and Open Source Software project management tool. Its new approach to project planning and tracking is more flexible and superior to the commonly used Gantt chart editing tools. TaskJuggler is project management software for serious project managers.