Mudassir Iqbal

No one can be a master of all; it’s too difficult a task. But you can definitely be a Jack-or-Jill-of-all-trades. As project managers, we wear multiple hats—from being facilitators and problem-solvers to translating corporate needs into actionable plans for teams and supporting assets This exposes our weaknesses on multiple fronts. I strongly believe that when it comes to project management in this advancing digital era, it’s equally important to identify your weakness—and work on them—as it is to know your strengths. Let’s look at some common weaknesses in many project managers… 1. Infrequent communication with team members:  No one negates the significance of consistent communication. Nonetheless, project managers often forget to meet with the team and provide updates to key stakeholders once the project is underway. Formulating the groundwork for everyday meetings—including who will join them to keep things on track—is essential. Project managers need to focus on having t...

When we think of project managers, we think of team leaders accountable for delivering the project within the allocated deadline and budget set by the client. In reality, it takes a lot to become a project manager. Achieving a leadership position comes with massive responsibility and requires certain character qualities. Leaders often require at least some training in regards to soft skills. One can have the potential to become a great leader, but if he or she doesn’t have the right personality, they won't be able to make it far on just raw talent. Here are the skills that (in my point of view) are essential to be a good—and eventually great—leader: Effective communication The ability to interact with multiple people at different levels is a skill that draws a line between ordinary and great leadership. A project leader must call for clear communication regarding the project’s expectations and ultimate objectives. Therefore, he or she must be able to progressively ali...

Resign Your Job, Not Your Dignity Most of us would agree that it’s a small world—and even smaller within professional circles. We need to make sure that we leave good impressions on the people we meet—especially where we work. I understand that this is not always possible—we can’t make everyone happy, but we must try. Preparing to embark on a new job opportunity is an exciting feeling since you are turning over an important page in your career book. Though if you are presently working, this eagerness can be outshined by the fact that you are at the point where you need to resign from the current job. You might be thinking about how to go about it. This is where the true character of all parties involved come to light. What do you think of a company that wants you to give short shrift to your previous employer by forcing you to join earlier than your notice period would allow? Would you cut your notice period in half and run away without a proper handover? And what of the company...

Project Schedule Management Introduction - PMP/CAPM →  Definition →   Processes →   Deliverables →  Further Readings →  Knowledge Areas Defining an effective Project Schedule, is this an art or Science? Through Project Schedule Management process we are estimating the future, something we have no control over. A key responsibility of project managers is to create a practically feasible project schedule. Prior to the execution of the project, the project manager needs to identify attainable project end date. Schedules are fundamental to the control of the project and you should be proactively working on getting a workable and realistic Project Schedule. A project is made up of many activities, with a start and end date, so the project can be completed on time. These dates are affected by the availability of the resources, which are not abundant and free at will, therefore their availability needs to be documented in order to successfully plan those tasks. So in short to achieve good est...

Project Communication Management →  Definition →   Processes →   Deliverables →  Further Readings →  Knowledge Areas   [caption id="" align="alignright" width="398"] Communication channels on a global project - multiple locations. (Jean Binder 2007:87-89)[/caption] Project Communications management is essential to any successful project; it comprises of the procedures required to ensure on time/prompt and suitable/appropriate production, assembly, dissemination, storage, and final outlook of project information. It offers crucial connections among individuals, ideas, and information that is essential for success. Organizations environment and culture impacts the level and the kind of communications one may have on the project. Many project managers have implemented the technical work to excellence in order to figure out that stakeholders are not contended due to poor communication. For that reason, project communication is equally important as the technic...

Project Communication Management →  Definition →   Processes →   Deliverables →  Further Readings →  Knowledge Areas   [caption id="" align="alignright" width="398"] Communication channels on a global project - multiple locations. (Jean Binder 2007:87-89)[/caption] Project Communications management is essential to any successful project; it comprises of the procedures required to ensure on time/prompt and suitable/appropriate production, assembly, dissemination, storage, and final outlook of project information. It offers crucial connections among individuals, ideas, and information that is essential for success. Organizations environment and culture impacts the level and the kind of communications one may have on the project. Many project managers have implemented the technical work to excellence in order to figure out that stakeholders are not contended due to poor communication. For that reason, project communication is equally important as the technic...

How to fail Eloquently Change is inevitable. The same can be said for failure, which is part and parcel of professional life. Failure is tough  to handle and tougher to talk about, but an unfortunate reality. “Learn from your failure!” is what we usually hear, but it’s easier said than done. But take my word for it—it will come with a little effort and practice. Here, I want to discuss not why projects fail, but how we as project managers should react in the face of failure. Defining Failure “Failure” is one of those words that is rarely understood. It means different things to different people. My understanding keeps changing. Today when I fail, I clinically analyze the level of failure using a variety of parameters that I learned during my career on different jobs. Failure has a wide range of possibilities when it comes to a project, and it changes through various phases (of both your career and your projects). It reminds me of when I complained to my first manager that...

An argument that I have with myself daily on the job is whether I am a project manager or a business analyst. Should I advise on the solution, or should I stay in the PM lane and let the solution architect and the business side deal with it? Many of us project managers have transitioned to this position via a business or system analysis path, so I, therefore, believe that we’re the best to judge this unique relationship in terms of the roles that both should play. Let’s take a closer look. With the growth of business evaluation, we have all observed a certain tension in the leadership of ventures. Years ago, the business analyst—along with the project manager—was just another team member. Today, business assessment has become even more crucial to success; the project manager and business analyst must operate closely together. How does that work in practice? At times, not so well. That’s not surprising considering the varying perspectives of these two roles. Project managers are o...

Perform Under Pressure “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” We’re all familiar with this saying, and many people believe that they are better off under pressure. But in the 18-plus years of my career, I never felt that. Let’s get this straight: No one performs their best under pressure. There are situations that bring the best out in you, but that’s completely dependent on your surroundings and the methodology you follow. I may not able to comment on your surroundings, but I hope the following tips will work for you in most cases… 1. Think of high-pressure moments as a challenge instead of a threat. Many employees see pressure situations as threatening. which makes them under-perform at work. Considering pressure as a threat damages your self-confidence and provokes fear of failure. It’s a great idea to shift your thoughts. Instead of seeing it as a risky situation, see it a challenge. When you see pressure as your challenge, you are enthused to give the atte...

Many business owners think that getting peak performance from employees is simple—just tie cash rewards to goals. This technique is a mistake. One size doesn’t fit all, as every human being is at a different stage of their life and will be motivated by different rewards and recognition. The biggest challenge in creating the right initiatives can be the human resource department, which may suggest this kind of scheme simply to match its KPIs. Here are some reasons why monetary rewards are not the answer for inspiring motivation: 1. They’re shortsighted. A reward may give a short-term boost in productivity to achieve the desired target, but employees may tend to overlook their other responsibilities (and the reason they are getting paid in the first place). A  recent paper  by the Incentive Research Foundation notes that “There is growing academic evidence that investments in non-cash rewards can elicit equal levels of performance for less cost than cash.” 2. Intrinsi...

In today’s world where we are experiencing massive changes in all facets of life (the largest ever after the third industrial revolution), project management has become quite pervasive. In this era of Industry 4.0, the methodologies we learn in this field are being used in almost every other industry around the world. It’s thought-provoking to consider the upcoming demand for project management—and in turn, project managers—in this fast-changing world where: innovation cycles are becoming shorter and shorter AI and robotics are threatening many jobs (or at least functions within a job) job roles are becoming more competitive and have started to encompass functions that are/were not directly part of the position outsourcing is threatening job functions that are not value added With my current assignment, I am experiencing outsourced project management, with some of the project managers’ usual functions handed over to operations teams.\ Let’s have a look at the future of ...