Effectiveness in project management is the hallmark of a great manager. However, achieving this is not an easy fete whether your team collaboration crosses time zones or a few cubicles. They say it is always lonely at the top but luckily today you can get company from myriad available resources available in project implementation.
The mercurial automobile magnate Henry Ford nailed it when he said that anyone who stops learning is old despite their age and the one who continues learning is ever young. As a project manager you are alive to the evolving challenges that face every new project and as such any new knowledge in problem-solving must be grabbed instantly.
The Buck Stops with You
As a team leader ensuring that the project goes well is an arduous task and the buck stops at your desk. As a manager you do appreciate that things don’t always go wrong due to failure to plan but there is an infinite set of things that can go wrong.
When the strategy goes wrong and an apocalyptic avalanche ensues in your project remember everyone will look up to you for answers. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that globalization now necessitates remote team management which means you have to provide solutions across time zones which is a race against time.
Such situations call for ingenious and creative solutions and in a business world steeply entrenched in technology there is no better place to turn for answers than relevant online resources. These online platforms help you get ideas from other managers and industry leaders on dealing with any situation you face during project management.
Leveraging Contemporary Resources
But it is not only in crisis situations where you need to leverage the different resources around you. In planning, team management, conflict resolution, tracking your project’s productivity, brainstorming, evaluation of teams, scheduling your work and dealing with all manner of documentation you can still leverage different blogs, websites and resources.
Well, Shakespeare in Twelfth Night argues that an individual should never be afraid of greatness whether they are born great, whether you achieve it or whether it is thrust upon you. As a project manager you have to use this wisdom as your underpinning philosophy in utilizing these modern learning resources especially in augmenting your technical and managerial capability in the task ahead.
Some of the best online resources for project managers include:
1. ProjectMinds
If there is one place that can be called a project management mall, then ProjectMinds is that place. This is a vast collection of project management related websites. While the website administrator is quick to say they don’t endorse any of the listed websites it is obvious that this is a well selected collection of reliable project management websites.
It is simply a treasure trove of all types of resources from associations dealing in this field, educational institutions, software review websites and those dedicated to resources such as The NASA Academy of Program and Project Leadership which offers tools, resources, forums and much more for project managers.
2. Fear No Project
Written by Bruce McGraw, a project manager of repute, Fear No Project is a blog for sharing thoughts, experiences, tips and tricks on issues you expect to face as a manager. There are myriad posts touching on a wide range of topics from managing your email, top project management software, role of different people in a project and so much more.
3. My Client Spot
Are you having headaches trying to coordinate every piece of your project? Then My Client Spot is where to get your aspirin. This is our project management software and it is one of the most efficient tools out there to help juggle every aspect of your project without ever missing a deadline.
You will collaborate on projects, track time, and manage client data, track conversations and so much more. As one client says in a testimonial this platform is a lifesaver for every project manager.
4. PM Hut
This is a remarkable resource for every discerning project manager. It features articles on different facets of project management and also features ‘huts’ which focus on specific issues in project management. It also features an ‘ask the hut’ section where you can put forward a problem that will be discussed within the hut as you view the discussion. Visit PM Hut to learn why it is simply priceless.
5. PM
PM is another remarkable website to make your work a delight. It offers detailed reviews of software, books, news, technology and anything new in the field. An article by Jose Maria Delos Santos for instance deals with the top project killer according to 6 industry leaders while a book review of the incredible Prince2Practitioner is also available for you.
6. Guerrilla Project Management
Samad Aidane has done a remarkable job by providing you with the techniques you really need to apply to succeed as a project manager away from the text book theories. There are many strategies for effective project management in addition to myriad interviews with leading mangers such as the Project Management Institute’s PMO award winner Sarin Arcari.
There are also high quality videos on the blog of these interviews and you really learn the tricks of the trade without moving from your seat. You just need to visit Guerrilla Project Management to get hooked.
7. Herding Cats
The name might sound weird but just think about it; what is more difficult than herding cats? Probably project management? Glen Allerman is right on point by providing a fresh and in-depth look at not only the how but also the why of project management. The blog was featured among the Top Blogs in 2012 and continues making a name through analysis of the most complicated systems used in project management.
8. Wrike
This is one of the most established and comprehensive project management websites. It helps analyze the impact of enterprise and collaborative technologies in project management. By analyzing these emerging technologies Wrike enables you to experience robust management practices by leveraging practical collaboration.
Wrike is all about improving productivity and goes beyond just blog posts to give you templates and checklists to try what you have learnt. Indeed, this is a website that you should recommend to every member of your team.
9. Method123
Method123 offers project management templates to help you save you both time and effort. These are well detailed, include tables and charts, align with world standards, are versatile for every project and also offer tips and hints.
10. Eight to Late
As a well versed project manager you must have read Kailash Awati’s project management book, Eight to Late, which is an eye opener. To get even deeper insight in this field you can visit Eight to Late and share in Awati’s scholarly view of this discipline.
Final Word
There are so many other websites and blogs which you can leverage as a project manager so you have no excuse for failure.
From Voices on Project Management, Business Craftsmanship to IT Consultant the Web is full of resources that a project manager can use to solve problems, plan, track productivity and do virtually everything else they need to. You just have to be on the lookout for the next emerging resource; be it an app, software, website or blog.
Image: Xioubin Low
