In a recent meeting, I asked the MindEdge Project Management Advisory Council to share their thoughts about “managing up.”

In short, managing up is a way of interacting with those “above” you on the corporate ladder to give them what they need—but also to get what you need to complete your work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

As part of developing their interpersonal skills, project leaders should cultivate strong leadership skills. Project teams need sound leadership from their project leads to complete their objectives. Without robust leadership from the project leader, projects can fail or miss key deadlines.

For some project leaders, delegating tasks is the hardest part of the job. As a project leader, it can be tempting to try to perform all project work yourself (i.e., the "if you want something done right, do it yourself" syndrome) or to micromanage when you delegate work. For better or worse, projects are often far too big for any one person to complete, and delegating work is a project management necessity.

Lean is more than a simple collection of tools; it is an interconnected system that focuses an entire organization on creating the value that customers want in the most efficient and effective way possible.

In an effective Lean system:

• Practitioners work continuously to eliminate the defects and rework in their systems
• Material and information is "pulled" by downstream processes in the system
• Value-added work is enhanced and non-value-added work is minimized
• Resources (including employee skills) are maximized to the greatest extent possible

Let's face it–even under the best of circumstances, project management is hard. There are so many facets and factors to consider at each project stage, including several that will change (sometimes dramatically) over the course of your project. Scope may be altered, costs will fluctuate, and schedules will have to be modified. Objectives may shift, resources will become constrained, and new information will pop up that could radically change your view of how your project should run. And that's just to name a few; there are many more insidious things that could cause problems that could delay or even derail your project completely.

Project managers have a number of options when considering the use of Agile project management practices. They can adopt an Agile methodology, such as Scrum, and use it "full-strength" throughout the project, or they can take a blended approach and pick-and-choose Agile tools and techniques to incorporate into a traditional project framework. Understanding the differences between an Agile approach and a traditional project management approach can help you decide if Agile should be used for your next project. Check out our latest infographic to learn more.

Project managers have a number of options when considering the use of Agile project management practices. They can adopt an Agile methodology, such as Scrum, and use it "full-strength" throughout the project, or they can take a blended approach and pick-and-choose Agile tools and techniques to incorporate into a traditional project framework. Understanding the similarities between an Agile approach and a traditional project management approach can help project managers successfully employ Agile practices in their next project. Check out our latest infographic to learn more.

Once you’ve assembled your team, it’s important to focus on building a positive team environment. As a project manager, you will be responsible for dealing with both the good and the bad. Positive team morale can eliminate project setbacks, issues, and miscommunication. Check out our latest infographic which covers ten tips for building a positive team environment.

One of the biggest mistakes a project manager can make? Management consultant Johanna Rothman says it’s the tendency to get involved in the project work itself. “As soon as you get stuck doing the work on the project, your project is doomed because you're not taking a look at the entire context of the project,” she says.  Check out our latest Skye Learning video for more of her words of wisdom. 

Scrum is one of the most popular methods of agile project management, and it comes with its own specialized language: it's a universe filled with sprints and sashimi, scrum masters and product owners and user stories .Our latest Skye Learning video explains it all for you.