7 Keys to Team Motivation

PMO vs AGILE PMO; Essential Skills for New PMs; Community

Aug 17, 2024

Read on LinkedIn / Read time: 4 minutes

Welcome to The Agie Admiral weekly newsletter where I provide actionable ideas to help you build a high-performing Project Management career.

Today at a Glance:

💡 Quote of the week

🌠 7 Keys to Team Motivation

🔍 PMO vs Agile PMO

🎨 Essential Skills for New Project Managers: A Personal Development Roadmap for Success

🔍 Project Community

Quote of the Week

"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays." ― Meredith Willson, The Music Man

Stop waiting to live the life you want. Start acting to build it.

PMO vs Agile PMO

by Theresa McFarlane

PMO: The Organizational Coach

I have been watching the Olympic highlights with my children, so let's keep it on theme.

Think of your organization as a high-performance sports team. The PMO is the coach, ensuring everyone knows their role and the team is focused on winning. They're the ones who set the plays, ensure everyone knows their role, and keep the team focused on the big picture. A PMO brings structure and consistency to your projects. They create the playbook, if you will, with standard processes, templates, and guidelines. This helps ensure projects run smoothly, and efficiently, and deliver the expected results.

When to call in the coach: You're juggling multiple complex projects, things feel chaotic, or you're consistently missing deadlines.
How to set it up: Define clear goals, establish roles and responsibilities, create essential documentation, and choose the right tools.

Agile PMO: The Innovation Catalyst

An Agile PMO is like a specialized trainer who focuses on agility and adaptability. They help your team learn new skills and strategies to quickly respond to changes in the game. They're all about flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

When to bring in the trainer: You're in a fast-paced industry, your competitors are outmaneuvering you, or you want to foster a culture of innovation.
How to get started: Choose the right agile framework (Scrum, Kanban, or a hybrid), provide training and coaching, and create a supportive environment.

Continue reading here: Article

Essential Skills for New Project Managers: A Personal Development Roadmap for Success

by Alfred Maina M

The Key Skills Every New Project Manager Should Develop:

Effective Communication:

Clear and concise communication is essential for aligning team members and stakeholders. New project managers should practice active listening and articulate their ideas to foster collaboration.

Mini Case Study: Sarah's Communication Breakthrough

Sarah, a new project manager at TechInnovate, struggled with team miscommunications that led to project delays. She improved team cohesion and project timelines by implementing regular check-ins and collaborative tools.

2. Leadership and Team Dynamics

Strong leadership skills are vital for motivating teams and managing diverse personalities. New project managers should learn to delegate effectively and recognize team contributions.

Mini Case Study: Sarah's Leadership Journey

Sarah adopted a servant leadership approach, prioritizing her team's needs and empowering them to take ownership of their tasks. This shift resulted in increased team morale and productivity.

3. Adaptability and Flexibility

The ability to pivot in response to changing project requirements is crucial. New managers should embrace Agile principles, allowing them to adjust their strategies as needed.

Mini Case Study: Sarah's Adaptability in Action

When a significant project requirement changed, Sarah quickly reassessed her project plan and communicated the adjustments to her team, ensuring the project stayed on track.

4. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving:

The capacity to analyze situations and devise practical solutions is essential. New managers should develop a systematic approach to identifying problems and implementing solutions.

Mini Case Study: Sarah's Problem-Solving Success

Faced with a technical glitch that threatened to derail her project, Sarah facilitated a brainstorming session with her team, leading to a creative solution that swiftly resolved the issue.

Continue reading here: Article