A brief history of Trello Around the summer of 2010, Fog Creek Software starts doing regular Creek Weeks, internal explorations for potential products. In January 2011, a prototype that hopes to solve some high-level planning issues is pitched. It’s called Trellis. Full time development begins soon after. After a closed beta, Trello launches at TechCrunch…
Category: Featured
Three planning pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
Planning can make the difference between a project that gets done right and on time, and a project that goes down in flames while you wonder what went wrong. The problem is that, because of the way our brains work and the way we communicate now, we’re just not set up for planning success. But…
11 Proactive Ways to Enlist Cooperation on Your Project
It is rare for a project of any size not to rely on at least one person or group outside your department or even your company. Even in a minor role, these external players have the potential to loom large if they fall behind schedule. So you must be proactive to enlist cooperation on your…
5 Ways to Improve Project Success
Project management has been called both an art and a science. Below, you will see how mastering the science of project management provides a foundation for the art of leadership. The reasons to improve project success are common to both. There is no question that the best project managers are also outstanding leaders. They have…
How to lead people, 12 leadership theories you should know and use
So why take advantage of leadership theories? The word lead means ‘to guide on a way by going in advance’ (Longman New Universal Dictionary). So its safe to say that leading involves taking someone on a journey from their current position to somewhere else. The journey can be physical as when Moses led the Israelites…
Organization Politics, How To Become The Puppet Master
Organization politics exist in every office and can have a significant influence on the portfolio management system when it comes to which projects receive funding and high priority. This is especially true when the criteria and process for selecting projects are ill-defined and not aligned with the mission of the firm. Project selection may be based…
The Mindset of a Manager: Self Infatuation, Weaknesses and Prejudice
You have to put forth your best image, but don’t be so successful at it that, like the movie star, you fall for your own publicity. Be willing to admit to yourself what your shortcomings are. You’d be surprised at how many managers can’t do that. They, of course, have shortcomings. They can’t be experts…
Risk Management Framework
As stated in the Risk Management Guide Contents article, this is the first part of the series and I will dive directly into the subject without much introduction. This figure presents a graphic model of the risk management framework challenge. The chances of a risk event occurring (e.g., an error in time estimates, cost estimates,…
Risk Management Guide
You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes because that’s where the fruit is. —-Will Rogers Every project manager understands risks are inherent in projects. No amount of planning can overcome risk, or the inability to control chance events. In the context of projects, risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it…
Project Team Synergy: How to Deliver High Performance
There is positive and negative project team synergy. The magic and power of project teams is captured in the term “synergy,” which is derived from the Greek word sunergos: “working together.” The difference in productivity between an average project team synergy and a turned-on, high-performing project team is not 10 percent, 20 percent, or 30…