The Complexity Investment

Advertisement Break Away to More Efficient Responsive PPM A recent survey found that 45% of organizations track and report using spreadsheets. So how do you get in front of the limitations that stand between you and your ideal PPM strategy? [This infographic]( shows how organizations compare to each other and why CA PPM might be the right choice to drive your PPM strategy. [Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( May 24, 2017 Our look at complexity continues with a trio of articles! Plus, we stress succession planning and encourage PMs to think strategically. Our Knowledge Shelf helps you become a better leader and work with stakeholders, while our blogs share three ways to procure without competition and five conditions for legal contracts. Readers ask about project legacy and leadership in our forums. And help us [welcome ProjectsAtWork]( to the family! Advertisement [Access the NEW 2017 PPM Landscape Report]( This year's annual [project and portfolio management landscape survey results]( provide insight into the challenges and shortcomings of today's PMOs and proves once again that effective resource management is the key to project success. "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." - Thomas Campbell []PM HEADLINES [Welcome ProjectsAtWork!]( ProjectsAtWork has joined forces with ProjectManagement.com! Combining resources, expertise and energies, we will be more focused than ever on delivering the content that helps you get things done in the real world. Check out all the content new to our community! [Investing in Complexity]( Complex projects are often feared as an inevitable drain on resources, a source of never-ending problems and a cause of immense frustration. They can be all those things, but they can also be an organizational springboard to tremendous success. [Eliminating Complexity Confusion]( Why do you have to make things so complicated? Using buzzwords and bafflement as a tactic to gain approval is diminishing in practice, and PMs lead the way with their ability to analyze, educate and prioritize to get approvals right. [Making the Complex Seem Simple]( When you make the effort to determine if a project is actually complex, you can often figure it out pretty quickly based on a combination of the following criteria… [Project Manager: The Strategic Partner for Business Success]( Organizations have found that project managers need to be strategic thinkers. Why is this, and what can project managers do to improve their strategic thinking skills? [Succession Planning: Essential for Project and Career Management]( People are never interchangeable parts. Yet most organizations engage in little contingency planning for the inevitable human downtime. In this article, the author gives an example of poor planning, raises a reminder to managers and gives some practical steps to mitigate the problem. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Martin Luther King Jr. [The Power of Planning]( Do project managers really need to plan for project activities? Is it really worth the effort? What do we lose if we simply execute the project? When a PM practices agile and DevOps, do they still need to plan, or do these discourage it? Here, the author reinforces the power of planning. [What Students Need from their PM Education for Employment]( For engineering students today, a more diverse course of learning that brings together technical, managerial and life skills is becoming increasingly common. In order to explore engineering student perceptions of project management as a subject—and their experiences of studying it—a short survey was administered to two cohorts of students. Check out this new article, and our new [PM in Academia page](! [PMXPO 2017: On Demand!]( Thanks for making the 10th edition of PMXPO our biggest one yet! If you missed any of the sessions—like our keynote by Alison Levine, the first American Women's Everest Expedition Team Captain and a bestselling author—you can still catch them on demand until July 27! And be sure to take our [attendee survey]( to tell us what you thought! []KNOWLEDGE SHELF [You Can Become a Powerful Project Leader by Taking These Steps]( Project leadership takes guts. Face it, you take on some of the most complex assignments and are responsible for large budgets, resources and operational impacts. The steps outlined in this article will enable you to tap into your leadership potential, engage your teams and utilize proven techniques for successful project outcomes. [The Art of Stakeholder Conversations]( Projects live and die by decisions. Such decisions are seldom made in isolation and are often the product of deliberations ripe with dominant management culture, stakeholder egos, their politics, risk appetite and resistance to change. Learn how you can maneuver these moving pieces skillfully to influence project sponsors and stakeholders toward concurrence. The mission of [Knowledge Shelf]( is to help project professionals advance our practice by sharing their experiences and viewpoints. It is comprised of practitioners from a wide range of fields, covering both popular and niche topics. From lessons learned and case studies to opinion pieces and articles, this platform gives a voice to peers new to our online community, and allows for longer form contributions. For more information on how to submit your own article, please see our [Editorial Guidelines](. []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 poll]( today to get some PM help from your peers! [Q: How often can I meet with the project team to review project performance?]( - Once a week - Once a month - Every 2 weeks - When it is necessary to meet - Depends on performance - Never TOOL SPOTLIGHT PPM: [Sciforma]( [Search for your solution on our Tool Finder]( []BLOG IT Voices on Project Management by Dave Wakeman Project managers are more than a bunch of cat herders. Yet, that’s frequently how Dave hears our role summed up, thanks to the team members, stakeholders, resources, deadlines and general chaos we’re often put in charge of wrangling. But does it really need to be so difficult? It's time to [Move Beyond Herding Cats](. The Money Files by Elizabeth Harrin Not all project procurement processes have to be a struggle for who comes out top and a hugely competitive bidding event. Elizabeth shares [3 Ways to Procure Without Competition](. Plus, get the [5 Conditions for Legal Contracts](. PMI Global Insights by Laura Samsó Werner Meyer, PhD, PMP surprised Laura the first time she listened to his speech on human behavior and project management. Our blogger [shares the interview they made]( during the 2017 PMI EMEA Congress in Rome. Wish I Had Me When I Was You... by Laura Barnard Are you a project manager who knows your value and wishes others would see just how valuable you are? Do you wish there was a more meaningful way for you to give back to your community? Read how [Project Management Can Change the World](! Game Theory in Management by Michael Hatfield So-called experts in business and management theory can be shown instance after instance of real-world contradictions to their theories, and they just won’t budge. Wouldn’t it be so much better if they had just a modicum of the flexibility that we PM-types exhibit on a regular basis? [I Said It Wasn’t Complicated, I Didn’t Say It Was Easy (Part II)]( has more. The Critical Path by Marjorie Anderson Can you believe we are already more than halfway through the month of May? We have a new practice area, a Hall of Keynotes and some exciting content for you to check out! So let's get right to it in [May Community News You Can Use](! []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 Transition to Project Manager]( "For up-and-coming IT PMs or people that 'slipped' into PM positions, what are some of the biggest challenges during this transition? I only ask because I want to transition into IT project management." [Project Legacy]( "What project attributes contribute most towards long-term legacy?" [Top 5 Leadership Skills]( "What are the top five leadership skills required for a project manager and why?" [Defining Leadership]( "How do you define your leadership style as a PM?" [Conflict of Interest vs. Self-Interest]( "PMI’s Code of Ethics notes that conflicts of interest are a serious issue for practitioners. How do you distinguish your duties owed to your profession, client or organization (called your primary interests) from self-interest? Can you share any examples that help clarify?" [Advice for the Aspiring PM]( "I am currently in IT (network admin) and am interested in someday becoming a PM...I am sure there are unlimited paths to take to get to this level, but I want to share my goal path and then get some feedback..." "Of joys departed, not to return, how painful the remembrance." - Robert Blair []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! [February Book Club Q&A Closing Webinar -- Project and Program Turnaround]( Join us for the Closing Q&A webinar for the February Book Club on Project and Program Turnaround by Thomas Pavelko! 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. 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