9 ‘Obvious’ PM Rules We Need To Be Reminded Of

Vikramaditya has 7+ years of experience in hydraulics and mechanical engineering. His interest lies in working with the human element of the project—understanding customer needs, engaging stakeholders, and negotiations. He has worked with teams from all over the world and led multi-million-dollar international projects. He is passionate about start-ups and new product introduction projects.

SHARE
Request to reuse this
Add to my favorites
Topics: Communications Management, Leadership, New Practitioners, Stakeholder Management

You may sometimes wonder, “Why don’t we have a generalized theory on PM that would apply to every project in the universe?” The answer is quite straightforward: Our guiding principles come from people—people who define the environment and culture in which a project evolves and operates. And as no two people are the same, it would be foolhardy to expect any two projects to be the same.

There is rarely a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to project management. Although A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) is an excellent resource, substantial improvisation is required when it comes to managing a project. But there are certain things I learned at the University of Hard Knocks, the only university that enrolls you without your consent and often slaps you with a hefty tuition.

So, if you haven't been forcefully enrolled, I am sharing the lessons I was made to learn. I have categorized my learnings as a (technical) project manager in three main categories:  

3 Things You Should Know:

1. Your deadline: It sounds obvious, but how many times do we see potential employers put the phrase “meets deadlines” in a job description? They must be seeing quite a few slip-ups if they feel the need to include that. The first step to meeting the deadline is knowing the deadline. Using Gantt charts (MS …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.