Avoiding the Blame Game

Advertisement [Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( March 22, 2017 As our month-long look at Global PM continues, we try to avoid the international blame game, develop agile leadership and manage risky deliverable transfers. Plus, surviving troubled projects, accessing readiness for benefits capture and...do you really need a PM for that task?! Our blogs explore leadership roles, PMO change and passive-aggressive companies. Readers ask for advice on reporting to green PMs, dealing with bad bosses and cultures of happiness in our forums, and it's time to sign up for PMXPO 2017! Advertisement Register for TWO upcoming webcasts by Andy Jordan: [People, Projects and Performance – What's Really Going On?]( - one of the broadest surveys of project execution and [How Agile is Your Business?]( - going deeper than simply asking about agile, examines strategic and transformational projects, success rates, cancellation rates, managing change, and planning. Surveys and Reports author Andy Jordan will help attendees understand how they can leverage the results to make the most impactful improvements for your organization. "It's good to shut up sometimes." - Marcel Marceau []PM HEADLINES The Blame Game Leading international teams is always a challenge, especially when things go wrong. How do you keep everyone focused on the positive and avoid negativity creeping in? Get help with [Avoiding the Blame Game with International Teams](. Agile Leadership What is a crucial difference in distributed team environments? It's how you apply your leadership skills. Often, you need to amplify what you would normally do in a co-located team setting to provide those examples. Learn more about [Leading Distributed Agile Teams](. The Global Handoff Transferring a team deliverable from continent to continent carries with it additional risks in addition to those expected from co-located workforces. There are planning and facilitation tactics you can use to mitigate these risks—and even build improved collaboration in the process. [Tactics to Reduce Risk and Keep Teams Collaborating]( has more. Quick Question... [Do You Really Need a Project Manager for That?]( Project managers are amazing. They have a wide range of skills and operate in incredibly diverse business areas. That doesn’t mean a project manager should be the solution to every problem. Understanding Triple Constraint Problems What constitutes a troubled project? The answer is truly in the eyes of the sponsor, but as project managers we need to measure objectively and then decide how to use those facts in our go-forward plans. In [Rescue Me!](, the author puts everything in the context of the triple constraint. PMXPO 2017! It's our anniversary! ProjectManagement.com is proud to bring you the 10th edition of PMXPO, its annual virtual conference and exhibition--led by keynote speaker Alison Levine, the first American Women's Everest Expedition Team Captain and a bestselling author! It's your opportunity to learn, network, earn 6 PDUs and gain valuable knowledge. [Sign up today]( the free April 27 event! "'Nice' is different than 'good.'" - Stephen Sondheim Capturing Benefits How do you verify when your project output is fit for handover to the business or operations team? [How to Assess Benefits Capture Readiness]( makes the case for the process as part of your transition preparation strategy, and reveals how to do just that. New Team, New Challenges Starting a new job can be difficult, but learning to work with your new team members effectively and quickly is a challenge. If you are a new leader, [Learning a New Team]( can be the most difficult task of them all. The Age Action Plan Project management is used widely in varied ways across multiple types of industries, by people belonging to many different profiles. While this sounds like a good thing, it also raises the question: [Is Project Management Age Friendly?]( Is it usable by a wide variety of people? []THE PM POLL Is there a question you've been itching to ask? Did you know that ProjectManagement.com members have a community at their fingertips? [Create a pol]( today to get some PM help from your peers! [Q: Who do you think should identify, direct and control strategy in an organization?]( - The project manager - The project sponsor - The project team - The high direction - All in the organization - Another TOOL SPOTLIGHT PPM: [Deltek]( [Search for your solution on our Tool Finder]( []BLOG IT Voices on Project Management by Peter Tarhanidis It is not unusual for project leaders to fill a variety of leadership roles over the course of the many unique initiatives we take on. Are you [Playing the Right Leadership Role](? It's helpful to have some knowledge of leadership theory and research. Money Files by Elizabeth Harrin Is your project budget overspent? What can you do about it? In her [latest video entry](, Elizabeth looks at three common reasons for going over budget--and points out some quick things you can do to put them right. Wish I Had Me When I Was You... by Laura Barnard Change management is essentially about three things: The project, the people and the people. What does that mean? In [PMO Building Block 5: Successful Change Leadership](, Laura looks at creating change advocacy in your organization. Eye on the Workforce by Joe Wynne Among the potential problems experienced when managing teams that are based on different continents is simply being successful at facilitating meetings. In his latest entry, Joe shares [Two Global Facilitation Techniques](. Shades of Project Management by Narciss Popescu There are companies where everybody agrees about certain organizational problems or actions, but nothing changes; or where “important meetings” keep being postponed through the silent and enthusiastic consensus of those supposed to attend them. Do you recognize this type of [Passive-Aggressive Company](? Or worse, do you work for one? The Critical Path by Carrie Dunn We're excited to announce the ProjectManagement.com [March Book Club](! The book club provides an opportunity to participate in webinars and discussions around selected books relevant to the overall practice of project management. []Q & A Did you know that help is just a click away? Our discussion forums give you access to the ProjectManagement.com community: more than 500,000 experienced minds and growing! Take advantage of their expertise...your question could be posted here for even more exposure to our vast readership. Pose your question today or stop by to help out other members in need of advice, including these recent and ongoing discussions on... [The Green PM]( "When reporting to a green PM, what is the best way to, as 'they' say, manage upwards? What happens when I am told to do a task that makes no sense and will take a lot of time and resources to complete and not provide a benefit commensurate with the effort?" [The Bad Boss]( "How would you handle this: You are in a job interview and are asked to describe your worst boss. What would you say? Give a life experience for others to learn from." [A Culture of PM Happiness]( "I'm looking for practical ideas to embedding a culture of happiness in project management to increase productivity and have a healthy work environment." [Avoiding Micromanagement]( "How do you follow up on your project team without micromanaging?" [Resume No-Nos]( "What should you not include in a project manager resume?" "One of the advantages of being a captain is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it." - William Shatner []PREMIUM PICKS Did you know that [PMI membership]( gives you access to our extensive library of PDU-earning webinars? Here's just one of the latest valuable offerings you can check out! [March 2017 Book Club Intro - How to Manage Complex Programs]( Join us for the introduction webinar for the March 2017 Book Club, spotlighting How to Manage Complex Programs by Tom Kendrick. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome. How can we make your experience better? Is there something you haven't been able to find? Something you want to see that we don't have yet? [Let us know](mailto:cameron@projectmanagement.com). We'll handle it. If you do not wish to receive ProjectManagement.com's PM Insider Newsletter, you can [unsubscribe here]( or send an email to unsubscribe-pminsider@reply.projectmanagement.com and let us know. We will exclude you from future mailings. You can also change your e-mail address and other settings in [My Account](. ProjectManagement.com is located at 14 Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073.