Knowledge-Sharing

When it comes to leveraging social media techniques on projects, the most important place to start is frame of mind. It’s not about mimicking Facebook in the workplace, but rather removing barriers to communication and information-sharing. Project leaders who do will improve team camaraderie and productivity.

Harnessing the power of social media tools can greatly improve the communication and collaboration on your projects. But a test drive is prudent, and you must take into account team skills and location, among other considerations, before you dive in. Here are five pre-requisites for a successful social media deployment.

Project leaders are using social media in significant ways, from improving collaboration on dispersed teams to connecting with a wider group of subject matter experts. One PM says it is like a “customizable mentor.” And a network of 3.9 million blogging moms would suggest it is here to stay, whether you’re managing a family or a different kind of project.

If we do not take the time to truly understand previous project experiences — both our own and those of others — how can we expect to improve our project outcomes? Here are a few pointers for capturing, assimilating, sharing and applying all those lessons learned.

Product development requires a unified, collaborative team effort. A social project management framework, combined with the right social tools, helps to connect team activities to the product development process and stakeholders. The benefits include increased visibility, more accurate estimates, responsive, real-time analysis and streamlined workflows.

A huge challenge we face as project leaders is creating an atmosphere where everyone on the team takes ownership of their tasks and the bigger picture. To get people to commit on a deeper level, tools need to go beyond status updates; they need to provide transparency and visibility into the meaning behind the work.

A subset of knowledge management, technical succession planning is a process that identifies an organization’s critically important information, who possesses it, and how to pass it on to others if they leave. Here is a seven-step model for implementing a technical succession planning program, and suggestions for overcoming some inevitable barriers.

People seem to think that the Project Management Institute is all about pushing burdensome, plan-driven, pre-codified approaches. Quite the contrary, PMI provides the worldwide platform, leadership and knowledge to help the community figure out what works, and it was on display in the person of PMI president Mark Langley at a recent event.

You shouldn’t wait until the end of your project to start thinking about how to close it. Here are seven tips to ensure your projects don’t stumble at the finish line and transition smoothly to ongoing operations or follow-on initiatives.

Is it possible to create a work environment where individuals embrace a cooperative spirit, united on a personal level to realize a greater mission? Yes, but they need visibility into the purpose behind their work, and the ability to participate in its prioritization — to own a piece of it.