2. ― INTRO ―
I am often asked about the project management tools
and resources I use in my professional life. These are
the ones I am currently using. This is not a static list
but one that I will update as my needs and tools
change.
Blogs
Subscribe to a few blogs you like. Blog writers provide
tips and insights in short articles that only take a few
minutes to read. Most are free. One of my favorite
blogs is Michael Hyatt’s blog “This is Your Life” on
leadership, productivity, and personal development.
Check it out!
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3. Easy in theory, hard in practice - Kiron Bondale shares
thoughts on project portfolio and change management
challenges.
The Girls Guide to Project Management - Elizabeth
Harrin has won a number of awards for her
internationally popular blog.
Herding Cats - Glen B. Allenman has one of the most
popular project management blogs anywhere.
The Southern Project Manager - Harry Hall delivers
practical application on topics including leadership,
productivity, project management, and project risk
management.
PMI: Voices on Project Management - The Project
Management Institute has numerous blog authors who
provide insights, tips, advice and personal stories from
project managers in different regions and industries.
The Project Manager Blog - This blog provides a wide
range of topics including risk management,
communications, quality management, project plans,
and project requirements, to name a few.
This is Your Life - Michael Hyatt is the king of
leadership, productivity, and communication.
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4. Books
Project managers have the opportunity to learn from
the best. Reading books is like sitting down with the
author, having a cup of coffee, and listening to their
distilled insights.
Bridges William. 2009. “Managing Transitions: Making
the Most of Change.” Philadelphia, PA, US: Perseus
Publishing.
Carkenord Barbara. 2009. “Seven Steps to Mastering
Business Analysis.” Fort Lauderdale, FL, US: J. Ross
Publishing.
Covey Stephen. 1990. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People.” New York, NY, US: Fireside.
Durban Pat & Doerscher Terry. 2010. “Taming Change
with Portfolio Management.” Austin, Texas, US:
Greenleaf Book Group Press.
Gat Israel. 2010. “The Concise Guide to Agile.”
Piscataway, NJ, US: CS Press.
Gottesdiener Ellen. 2002. “Requirements by
Collaboration.” Boston, Massachusetts, US: Addison
Wesley.
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5. Gottesdiener Ellen. 2005. “The Software Requirements
Memory Jogger.” Salem, NH, US: Goal/QPC.
Horne Gregory. 2013. “Project Management Absolute
Beginner’s Guide.” Indianapolis, Indiana, US: Que.
Kouzes James & Posner Barry. 2008. “Leadership
Challenge.” Hoboken, NJ, US: Jossey-Bass.
McChesney Chris & Covey Sean & Huling Jim. 2012. “The
4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly
Important Goals.” New York, NY, US: Franklin Covey
Company.
Morris, Rick. 2010. “Stop Playing Games: A Project
Manager’s Guide to Successfully Navigating
Organizational Politics.” US: RMC Publications.
Mulcahy Rita. 2010. “Risk Management: Tricks of the
Trade for Project Managers.” US: RMC Publications.
Project Management Institute. 2013. “A Guide to the
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK®)."
Fifth Edition. Newtown Square, PA, USA: Project
Management Institute.
Wiegers Karl. 2013. “Software Requirements.” Redmond,
Washington, US: Microsoft Press.
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6. Courses
There are numerous project management courses
available through various channels. Here are some
value-packed, affordable online courses through
ed2go, a global Registered Education Provider for the
Project Management Institute (PMI).
ed2go.com: Project Management Fundamentals
ed2go.com: PMP Certification Prep 1
ed2go.com: PMP Certification Prep 2
Certifications
The PMI Certifications - Learn more about PMI’s
certifications and find one that’s right for you. If you
already have a credential, get what you need to maintain
it, or look into earning another one.
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7. The PMP Credential Handbook - This handbook contains
information on how you can apply for the globally
recognized, highly valued PMP credential.
iPhone Apps
Whereever project managers go, PMs can have access
to their project world through iPhone apps. Many of
these apps or similar apps may be found for Android
phones.
Calendar. Meetings, meetings, and more meetings.
Where would I be without my Calendar app? The app
allows me to check times, locations, and attendees while
outside of my office. I can quickly check participant’s
availability and schedule a meeting.
Camera. I often use Write On - Cling On Sheets or a
white marker board during my project meetings. After
the meeting, I take photos of the notes. Minutes are
completed from the photos.
Kindle for iPhone. I buy most of my books using the
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8. one-click option in Amazon. I rarely buy a hard copy
book. Why? First, I get great discounts on most books.
Second, I can mark pages with bookmarks, highlight in
different colors, and make notes in the book. Third,
Kindle allows you to filter and find things by Bookmarks,
Notes, or different Color Highlights. The search feature
also allows the reader to find particular words or phrases.
Feedly. Feedly is one place to store, read, and share what
matters to you. Feedly provides a nice, clean interface.
Add the feeds of articles you wish to read. I have
categories such as Project Management, Leadership,
Business Analysis, and Risk Management.
Evernote. This is one of my favorite apps! Think of it as
your personal storage system. I use Evernote’s Clipper
tool to store articles to Evernote. Evernote provides a
simple but powerful tagging system that allows me to tag
articles for quick filter and retrieval (e.g., Tags: Blogging,
ERM, Project Risk Management, Public Speaking,
Software Development). I also use Evernote to record
voice notes, take and save photos, send emails to
Evernote with file attachments (e.g., Word docs or .pdf
files), retrieve and read articles and perform research.
Messages. I text team members for a variety of reasons.
For example, if I see that I am going to be late for a
meeting - I send a quick text. I sometimes take a picture
with the Camera and send the picture through text with
comments.
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9. Google Maps. When traveling, I use Google Maps to find
destinations. I also use Maps when completing my
expense reports to find out the distance of the trip.
Weather Channel. I use the Weather Channel app to
check the weather as I plan trips.
Pandora. I enjoy listening to music while preparing
presentations, writing reports, or catching up on emails. I
listen to soothing music.
Digits. If you need a nice ease-to-use calculator, give this
a try. You can add numbers, make notations beside
numbers, and email the calculator tape.
LastPass. I have tried different password protection
programs. LastPass is my favorite. I have lots of userIDs
and passwords. I have organized everything into
categories (e.g., Favorites, Work, Family) for easy, quick
access.
LinkedIn. I am an avid LinkedIn user. I participate in a
number of project management and risk management
LinkedIn Groups. I enjoy sharing with others and
learning from others.
Twitter. I use the desktop version of Twitter most of the
time. However, when I am in remote locations, I turn to
my phone to send and read tweets about project
management.
Stitcher. Listen to podcasts on your iPhone, iPad,
Android or PC -anytime, anywhere.
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10. Pomodoro. I recently discovered the Pomodoro concepts
and app. If you find yourself easily distracted and
wasting much of your day, check this out. I have found
Pomodoro particularly helpful for improving my study
habits. Watch this video for more information.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn has many project management Groups. Pick
a few Groups and participate in the Discussions. You
will learn from the best around the globe.
The Project Manager Network - #1 Project Manager Social
Media Group & Community on LinkedIn. Find PM jobs
or a job in a PMO. Discuss methodology, management of
projects. Research PMP certification, Prince2, CMMI,
PMI PMBOK, RUP, Six Sigma, ITIL, IEEE, Agile & Scrum,
Software, PDU career education. USA, Canada, UK, India,
Europe.
PMO Experienced - This group was created for life after
the PMP Exam. If your title is Project Manager or
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11. Program Manager and above, this group is for you. No
more getting lost in the noise of questions regarding
PMP Exam Prep and Courses. In this group, you can have
your tough Project Managment and PMO questions
answered.
Project Management Professionals - This Group for all
Project Management Professionals (Certified and non-certified).
Membership Sites
One the best investments a PM can make is the
Project Management Institute membership. Take
advantage of the Communities of Practice,
publications, books, seminars, professional
networking and development, and career resources.
Project Management Institute
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12. Podcasts
Want an easy way to learn on the go? Try podcasts.
Listen to podcasts as you drive, commute, or exercise.
Software Process and Measurement by Tom Cagley - The
Software Process and Measurement Cast provides a
forum to explore the varied world of software process
improvement and measurement.
The BA Coach Podcast by Yamo - Yamo interviews expert
business analysts around the globe and covers a wide
range of topics including software requirement
processes.
The Public Speaker’s Quick and Dirty Podcast by Lisa B.
Marshall - Lisa Marshall delivers practical, evidence-based
communication tips that will help you to create
and deliver stronger messages, effectively manage
conflict, and develop solid relationships.
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13. Project Management Templates
Why reinvent the wheel? Here are some free project
management templates. All of these free PM
templates are developed by PMP certified Project
Managers with extensive project management
experience. The templates are organized according to
PMBOK process group.
Project Management Docs
Publications and Journals
PM Network® - PM Network is the award-winning
professional magazine published monthly for the
members of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
PMI Today® - PMI members rely on PMI Today® to keep
them informed of the latest news, events, volunteer
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14. activities and services of PMI and its communities. This
monthly publication contains the latest developments
about certification, research, standards, education and
training, as well as news from chapters and other
communities.
ProjectManager.com Newsletter - Get free PM videos,
tools and tips by joining this newsletter.
Public Speaking
Communication is an essential skill for project
managers. One of the best ways to improve your
public speaking skills is to join Toastmasters.
Toastmasters International - Toastmasters International
is a world leader in communication and leadership
development. Membership is 292,000 strong. Members
improve their speaking and leadership skills by
attending one of the 14,350 clubs in 122 countries that
make up our global network of meeting locations.
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15. TED Talks - Watch world class speakers and learn more
effective public speaking techniques.
Software
There are many software choices for project
management including desktop, network, and online
versions. Here are a few favorites.
Celoxis
Clarizen
LiquidPlanner
Microsoft Project Professional
Smartsheet
Trello
Wrike
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16. Twitter
Check out PMChat on Twitter. This global
community of project managers and business
analysts discusses lessons learned and best practices.
Don’t miss the live pre-game show.
PMChat
PMI: Voices on Project Management
Webinars
The next best thing to being at a live presentation is
to attend a webinar. You also save in transportation
and lodging expenses. PMI has great presenters.
PMI: Project Risk Management Community of Practice.
PMI: Requirements Management Community of Practice www.pmsouth.com 16
17. PMI: Agile Community of Practice
Stanford University: Advanced Project Management
(Free Webinar Series)
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