Project Management Knowledgebase

A review of one of the latest PM tools available, Todoist. Recommended by the author as an effective tool for managing tasks and projects. May not necessarily be great for teams though, it seems to be more of a personal task manager.

One reason PMs fail is their desire to get the product right the first time. This site says that this is an unrealistic expectation and that we should expect to get it wrong the first time and communicate this to our team. The dynamics will change making them more open and less pressured to "make the wrong step". This approach is modeled by Microsoft which generally takes about 3 times before they get a product right. Other useful tips and lessons follow such as Less is More. An uplifting site that reminds us that it is okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them.

Very insightful article. The point the article made that I felt was interesting was the part about how it can be hard early on to not test what they are making. Easy to go down the wrong direction.

I liked this article with it's straightforward language and steps that make sense. Not only are the concrete requirements such as budget and tools discussed, but the often overlooked teamwork and leader roles are covered. Also on this site are related articles from "An Introduction to Project Management", "The Role of the Project Manager" and many others.

that was a great article. I link the simplification of project management ins beining defined through the who, what, when, where and how. Also they discuss getting participants to commit, that is important or they will not do their part in the project. thanks for sharing.

I like the reminder of several basic but easily forgotten tips. Writing down the objective is key for me. I can become a little too creative at times and end up distracted from the main goal. I like to keep it in sight throughout the entire process. Thanks for a great article!

This article provides proof why a little time spent planning your projects can go a long way towards achieving success and avoiding common pitfalls.

This article really summed the ways eLearning projects can go wrong. I found the on on not meeting the needs an interesting problem. The project was either not clearly defined in the begining or the scope changed and then the direction of the project never adapted. good and inlightening read.

A primer on project management skills as applied to web development. Very thorough for a single web page. Gives an excellent introduction to the various skills required of project managers involved with web projects. Instructional designers can easily adapt many of the techniques to instructional work.

A comprehensive look at applying the PMBOK methodology to instructional design work. This open access textbook is very grounded in the PMBOK methodology and based on another open textbook called Project Management From Simple to Complex.

A video chat with Michael Allen about "leaving ADDIE for SAM" (also the subject of his latest book). The gist of this is about adopting an agile-like development methodology in instructional design.

This article gives project managers some tips for managing stress.

Jaime- I am on day 2 of no caffeine and I already feel SO much calmer. I'm craving it really badly, but I was so jittery lately and I know it was stressing me out more. A good reminder on keeping stress under control. Thanks Allan!

I like the recommendations for stress reduction. A few people at my work actually requested that the company create a quiet relaxation room. Not sure if they'll do it, but I hope so. I got into breathing meditation years ago and it pretty much cured me of anxiety attacks that had persisted from my late 20's to early 30's. A couple years of daily practice and they haven't returned for almost 10 years. I don't keep up with the meditation anymore, but I'd say any amount of practice can affect long-term benefits.

Project Management Techniques by Dick Billows - podcasts - for those of us who prefer a more auditory learning style, or who want to learn something while working out or driving. Some do include video, though. These podcasts contain all the basics and some additional perspectives and techniques to aid effectiveness.

This site outlines the basics of project management. I especially liked the matrix that compared four commonly used tools in project planning and project management for identifying the strengths and uses of each.

businessballs.com has tons of information on many different topics including project mangement

This site does have a ton of information.. It also provided me with a TQM flashback!

I know someone posted about google docs, but this resource contains many apps that can be used within the Google docs framework, so you can more easily collaborate, but still have a framework to start with.

This includes some tools that may be useful when planning and working on projects. Many of these coincide nicely with the things we have been learning about in class.

I like this - very helpful. I'm visual, so the graphics help. Thanks for sharing!

Ooooh. I'm definitely checking out OpenProj. That's my kind of organization.

This site features a variety of tools and articles on different aspects of the Project Management life cycle. There are tools for communication, time management, project scheduling and strategy. Each article allows you to take a quiz and test your knowledge before going further to explore more information on the topic.

This is a web application tool for resourcing a project and better understanding company-wide resource allocation. From a user testimonial: "The only downside is that it is Flash based and it has been known to crash within certain browsers and especially on a Mac. In saying that, the company that developed this is constantly pushing out bug fixes and new feature sets." o Report Feature.

This is very similar to Trello and is a web app. It allows a PM or project staff to track requirements, meetings, commitments, new ideas, etc. Acceptable for the Agile methodology and also has reporting features.