Change

A new book emphasizes the integration of project management and change management to improve the chances of success for business, IT and other organizational initiatives.

In many organizations, process comes before people, and function over feasibility. No wonder people resist. And all the change management in the world won’t help if the stakeholder community lacks the skills to execute a new process. Here is guidance on putting people at the forefront of your process design efforts.

Every project runs the risk of scope creep, but not all scope creep should be prevented if it leads to enhancements that the customer needs. The key is how you document and manage it. Here are some suggestions for keeping your project on track, and adapting to stakeholder needs.

Understanding the psychological aspects of change is a critical skill for project leaders and business analysts. It includes playing to motivational drivers, gaining traction at the group level, and finding ways to make the invisible visible.

While all project planning should account for the possibility of change, Agile projects live by it. They can also die by it if team members don’t embrace change as part of the process and work collaboratively to manage it.

When faced with a disaster, project managers must become recovery managers. Here, a turnaround specialist shares seven tips for turning around troubled projects, starting with realizing there is a problem and concluding with ways to prevent future disasters.

When it comes to managing change on projects, the first step can be the toughest — acknowledging that change is going to happen. Once this is accepted, you can lay the groundwork for integrating change into your project, including four questions to determine whether a proposed chance is necessary.

Processes are great until they become roadblocks that get in the way of where you need to go. “Workarounds” can help you deal with project delays and difficulties. The author of a new book describes how to overcome barriers to productivity, and says these breakthroughs start with you; you don’t need permission.

As technology becomes ever more critical to business success, changes are coming in IT governance that tighten its relationship to strategic objectives. Here, analysts discuss the business basis for the shift.

Merger-and-acquisition-related projects pose daunting challenges to executive leaders, not the least of which are conflicting agendas and compressed timelines. Understanding and anticipating four “enduring M&A realities” can smooth the transition and help companies achieve the intended strategic benefits.