Practical ideas to help you manage your work with less overwhelm and more confidence

 Issue 12 // Mar 14, 2024

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A THOUGHT FROM JENNIFER

A client recently told me, “I don’t need you to manage my projects. I just need them set up in the PM tool.” She didn’t intend it to be a slight, but inwardly I groaned.

 

Thankfully, we have a good rapport, so I chuckled and asked, “Oh...is that what project management is? Just putting tasks in a PM tool?”

 

She laughed and said, “Ugh, you’re right. My husband always reminds me that ‘just’ is a 4-letter word.”

 

That phrase hit the nail on the head! The minute we put “just” in front of a person’s role, it over-simplifies it. For instance, if I weren’t married to a firefighter, I might “just” his job too! “You just drive a truck and pull out the hose right?”

 

How does this little word have such a huge impact on nonprofits?

 

Nonprofit leaders have immense pressure to deliver on promises their organizations have made to donors. And, unfortunately, many people see project management as “overhead”—i.e., not really core to the mission—when in reality, it’s immensely core to the mission BECAUSE…

 

  • Projects are 2½ times more likely to be successful when project management practices are implemented.*

  • Organizations that invest in PM practices waste 28 times less money.*

 

Don’t “just” the project management portion of your team's goals. If you’ve been granted $50,000 to make an impact with a new idea, allocate 10% of that to the project leadership—the people, tools, processes, and time it’ll take to make that amazing idea a successful reality.

 

This month’s blog explains why. 🙂

 

On the journey with you,

*Source: Project Management Statistics: Trends and Common Mistakes in 2024

POINT TO PONDER

In what ways has your work been diminished by the word just? Have you “justed” the work of a team member? How would learning more about others’ roles impact your approach?

WORK SMARTER

Stay In Sync With A Decision Log

By Liz Presutti, PMP

Have you ever been in a project meeting where the team struggled to remember whether a business decision had already been made? Or worse, a meeting where there was a disagreement about a decision, and then an uncomfortable, time-wasting debate ensued?

 

I certainly have! But fortunately, you can avoid this confusion with a Decision Log.

 

A decision log is a simple document that records four things:

  1. The date

  2. What decision was made

  3. Comments and context for the decision, including who gave the approval

  4. A link to the meeting notes in which the decision was made.

 

The next time you're in a meeting and there's confusion around whether a business decision was made, you can open your Decision Log and clearly show the team when and why the decision was made.

 

💡 And to take it one step further, include a link to the decision log right in your meeting notes so it's always right at your fingertips.

 

Work smarter and look like a genius with our free Project Decision Log template.

 
Get the template

BRAIN BREAK

Back In Time

By Carolyn Wildermuth, Communications Director

For this Brain Break we're going old school—back to the '80s to be exact. Next time you need a few minutes to cleanse your work palate, try the good old-fashioned game of Pac Man. For me, this one’s more energizing than relaxing. Maybe it could replace that extra dose of caffeine in your day? Enjoy!

Your friends and fans,

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