​Know may not be the right word here...it may be more like ask. If there's anything I've learned about projects in the past 25 years, it is this...if you need information, don't wait for anyone to give it to you.
​
Ask for it. Demand it. Dig your heals and and don't move until you have it. Hold a meeting to get it. Extend the kickoff meeting an extra day in order to get it, if necessary. But always try to get as much information about and for the project up front in order to help you down the path to a successful project conclusion. This is true for the project manager and it is also very true for the project business analyst...

However, with ever growing annual concerns over data integrity, hacking, cyber crime, information security and the increased financial threat of ransomware it may not be a luxury going forward. In my view, gone are the days when an organization should take the risks with having both key roles handled by one individual or even including the tech lead role combined into that one super human entity. Gone. That was 2000 or perhaps even 2010. But the climate has changed drastically and it is a more dangerous and less forgiving tech world out there now as we approach 2018 and beyond.
​
When I quizzed just my circle of current and past clients a little over 40% of them responded that they had been the victims of at least some sort of hacking incident in the past year. Thankfully none were a result of any oversight on my part and thankfully none were serious or of the ransomware variety. But still... more than 40%. Wow. I was guessing the number would be closer to 10%. Surprise, surprise. But this is reality and we have to get used to it - and defending against it and trying to avoid it will take time and money and still there will never be any guarantees. Do we want to cut corners on our critical projects? Do we want to reduce budgets and personnel needed to hopefully keep our data safe and our clients happy? Probably not...

You might love your job and who you are working for and with, but change happens. Sometimes it's good and you may even initiate it, and sometimes it's not so good or comes as a shock. In the former scenario you may have time to plan a long change or exit, while the latter may happen today leaving you out in the cold tomorrow.

As a project manager, one thing you can do is get yourself ready is to shop around. Update that resume, become certified as a project manager through the right training program and take the exam now with no more procrastination.

There are often times a few signs here and there that it may be time to dust off your résumé, tweak it with your most recent accomplishments – like PMP certification training and maybe that $850,000 successful project you just finished - and start shopping it around. With that thought in mind, here is like to consider five signs I've noticed through the years in a few organizations that I've worked with who started to struggle. Please consider...

No new faces and old faces are disappearing. You knew that two new certified project managers were supposed to be starting last Monday but you don't see any new faces. In fact, a couple of old faces disappeared and your PMO director is now out on the road managing a new project. Get the message...something bad is about to happen...or it's already in progress. Act now before others act for you.

The dreaded restructuring. Sudden departmental changes or the combining of departments and restructuring of leadership can be an impending sign of jobs and faces disappearing. Don't be caught off guard. If you are ok with shopping yourself around, then now might be the time. Be proactive.

Changes, changes, changes. Sudden changes in policies could be a sign that a buy out or take over is in progress. That doesn't mean your job will be eliminated, but it could and at the very least your position will be scrutinized for necessity and possible rightsizing. I was working at one of the largest casino and gaming giants here in Las Vegas as their corporate application development manager leading a staff of 18 developers. Rumors started to fly of a merger and I assumed the changes would be big – and I was right - so I bailed first. Be proactive like that if you can.

Going from hot to cold fast. I was working as a consultant being paid well and even courted by the CEO to come on board and help run a portion of the company. Two weeks later - as I was still considering - I was told I would be going on the shelf for at least a couple of weeks to make them look more profitable as they worked with a venture capitalist to get a large injection of cash. Ummm. Ok. That was enough for me to consider that this wasn't as stable and long term as I was hoping for or being told. I looked elsewhere and moved on.

Your CEO gets in trouble. From the “this actually happened to me files” I had a CEO who was fraudulent but no one knew it – and he made a very dramatic exit. But most don't do that...they are just shown the door. I ended up getting two job offers from the clients I was leading projects for while working for this professional services organization, but something like this can really shake an organization and the remaining legitimate employees up and potentially damage the reputation of the innocent if they don't move fast. When it's time to move on, it's time to move on. Just do your best to look for the right signs, don't sugar coat the situation, and move on before it becomes an emergency.\

Summary / call for input

If you are confident and proactive then I say act in advance of any major company change. Get training, get certification if you don't already have it, and start shopping yourself. Especially if you have skills that are in demand. You don't want to be caught off guard or included in the mass exodus when everyone will be looking for the same five available positions. Be open to change. It's not always a bad thing. Many times it is the best thing.

Readers - any thoughts on this topic? Have you witnessed any of these similar signs in your organization? What tips would you add to this list?

Having accurate and up-to-date project reports is critical to project success.  But when it comes to creating just the right set of project reporting dashboards, it’s important to know your audience.
​
Everyone involved on a project will need to see a slightly different set of information depending on their specific roles and responsibilities on the project.  For example, team members should be able to easily find their open tasks on a particular project, while senior executives are more likely interested in the high-level status of many projects...

Checkout www.bradegeland.com/this-week-in-pm.htmlThis Week in PM for what's happening in the world of project management for the week of 9.8.2017.  One place for top info, views, and PMP exam news...

​Change management. Scope management. Change orders. Not always among the most fun or interesting tasks that a project manager involves himself with on the projects he is leading. Of course there is always the feather in the cap you get by bringing in new revenue from a newly identified change order. But if it comes as a surprise to the customer or requires negotiations or lengthy discussions and any finger pointing over mis-documented, mis-interpreted or omitted requirements then it can be very painful and even cause customer satisfaction issues. That is certainly not what we want...

​When implemented correctly, project portfolio management (PPM) transforms organizational approaches to project management and business growth.  PPM ensures organizations execute the right projects at the right time in a consistent way to deliver maximum business value. Like any major change within an organization, introducing PPM practices and processes requires a roadmap to success. Read on for a 9-step PPM implementation plan...