Do a search for “the best online project management software” and you’ll find a gazillion pages on the subject. Many of these pages are just lengthy lists of all the tools that are available on the market (usually with the odd affiliate link thrown in…) and aren’t particularly useful in helping you choose a particular tool.

So, this is my short-and-sweet recommendation.

Depending on your work environment you’re either going to be a Basecamper or a Clarizen..er

Think of Basecamp as a shared to-do list with a bunch of other useful features. If your team is highly collaborative; you regularly work on small to medium sized projects; and your environment tends towards lighter, agile practices then you’ll want to use Basecamp.

Think of Clarizen as the definitive web based Microsoft Project replacement. If your team is a little more fragmented; you work on larger, more complex projects; and your environment is process heavy or requires predictive project management then Clarizen is for you.

After trialling dozens of online PM tools I recommend you take a look at these two great options.

Of all the Web 2.0 tools that have emerged in the last few years I have found wikis to be one of the most practical and useful for project management. Perhaps this is a result of their tendency to be embraced by project teams – a fundamental requirement of any successful project tool or process.

And the usefulness of wikis can only increase with products such as Zoho Projects and PB Works providing additional features and closer integration with other PM tools.

So, here are my top 5 uses of wikis for project management: 

1. Process definition

Great companies have processes that are continually and organically refining and improving. Wikis make an ideal platform for this information as they are highly scalable, easily reviewed and edited – and their page interlinking capabilities are ideal for easy navigation through process definitions.

I have seen them work particularly well for smaller enterprises that are yet to formally document their processes. In these cases the entire team – in a very pragmatic and rapid way – can contribute to documenting their current work practices. And in doing so, it often helps people to spot opportunities to reduce waste and remove friction points from their own jobs.

Which, of course, will feed back into the process definition in a continuous improvement cycle.

2. Knowledge management

For me, the most obvious use of wikis for project management is perhaps the most powerful.

Wikis were designed for knowledge management – and they do it very well. If a culture of sharing can be fostered within the project team then it can be amazing to see how quickly a knowledge base can grow – and how valuable that resource will become for the entire team.

3. Requirements repository

The collaborative nature of wikis together with built in version control features makes them great for requirements definition, review and revision.

But more than that, I have found that wikis  (or any other online repository) tend to make requirements more accessible and more able to sustain attention throughout the project lifecycle. Certainly more so than a monolithic Word document that’s left to gather dust somewhere on the project hard drive shortly after it has been written.

4. Collaborative review

Most of us would agree that tools that facilitate better communication and collaboration provide enormous value to project teams.

Wikis work very well for collaborative review – particularly in virtual team environments. The benefits can be amplified if the project team is prepared to conduct “live” revisions during a review session. This can reduce errors and save time compared to the more traditional use of issue lists that must be used to update the spec or design document retrospectively.

5. Risk management

I have found that for most projects a simple, practical approach to risk management yields the best return on investment. Such an approach might comprise of risk brainstorming sessions with the project team, simple risk/contingency lists and regular review and re-prioritization. Wikis provide a good lightweight, accessible container for such lists.

These are my top 5 uses of wikis for project management – but there are certainly lots more that I haven’t mentioned. In future posts I plan to evaluate some of the wiki tools that are on the market.

Lately, I’ve been working on projects in which I have acted as both a contributor and project manager.

Although I enjoy these projects for the variety they provide, the time constraints of being a part time project manager can be a real challenge.

One thing is for sure, being a part time PM certainly helps you to focus on the important aspects of project management.

Using the 80-20 rule, I’ve found there are 3 activities, above all others, that provide the most leverage for an “80-20 project manager” – a project manager who must judiciously use their strictly limited time during the execution phase of a project.

1. Facilitate communication

We all know the importance of communication – both within the project team and externally with customers, management and other stakeholders. Open, honest and effective communication is the lifeblood of small and large projects alike.

After all, all projects are conversations.

An 80-20 project manager will get good value from implementing processes and tools that keep communication channels wide open – and swiftly addressing instances of communication breakdown.

2. Track progress

Try as I might, I’m yet to achieve project utopia where all participants consistently and accurately record their own progress – whether it be recording time spent or updating task status. This is despite trialing numerous collaborative tools that promise to make this process easier.

Although tracking project progress provides least leverage for an 80-20 project manager, it is arguably the most important task. Not of itself of course, but when accurate tracking is used to spot variation against the project plan and steps are taken to get the project back on track.

3. Remove blocks

Here’s the biggy.

If I had to choose one activity to spend the majority of my time on as an 80-20 project manager it would be this. I’d choose to actively hunt for opportunities to serve the project team by helping to remove blocks.

I’ve seen so much time wasted by project team members who hit a technical problem, a project dependency issue or some other block and are simply unable to efficiently break through it. Here’s where a savvy 80-20 project manager will step in to assist – both by helping to remove the block and, if necessary, working with the team member to identify other tasks they can focus on until the block is removed.

So, there you have it – my top 3 activities for the 80-20 project manager. Have I missed any?

There’s no doubt about it – project management is a tough gig. There are few roles that require such a broad set of skills, knowledge and experience.

A good PM must be knowledgeable about her industry; must have strong skills in management and leadership; and must be an expert in the “hard skills” of project management.

But, as a firm believer in the 80-20 rule I think a PM can make some pretty solid progress in her career if she possess – and continues to work on – the follow traits.

A great communicator

We hear this all the time – a good project manager must be a great communicator. Good at speaking, a great listener, a strong writer, possess emotional intelligence and so on.

And in my experience this is true – and is arguably the most important trait of a successful project manager.

Politically savvy

Like it or not, politics exist everywhere and at all levels – from the ranks of the project team right up to senior management.
A project manager who actively observes the politics around her will be much more able to understand and interpret situations and people’s motives than a PM who choose to stay oblivious to company politics.

A positive attitude

A wise person once told me there are two types of people – people that generate energy and people that absorb it. Now, there’s no doubt about it – a PM must be an energy generator.

The PM is the person responsible for creating excitement in the team when a new project kicks off. Likewise, it’s the PM who must maintain momentum through the third and fourth quarters – both within the team and also when engaging with stakeholders.

This is a tricky one to fake. I really think that only those people with a genuinely positive attitude – or at least can manufacture a positive environment for others – can be successful project managers.

Process oriented with acute attention to detail

It would be remiss of me to list a bunch of good PM traits without acknowledging the importance of process – or discipline – or attention to detail. After all, a politically savvy person with good communication skills and a positive attitude is probably more suited to being an entrepreneur, or a talk show host, or a politician…

The fact is that for a project to run smoothly with a successful outcome the project manager must have a strong orientation toward designing, documenting and enforcing appropriate processes – and adhere to proper project management processes themselves.

So, these are my 4 traits of a successful project manager. I could list more such as some level of domain knowledge – but I think these are the most important.

I am an avid reader of blogs. I believe that they are something of a revolution in content distribution.

I read a variety of blogs on topics ranging from business, marketing and sales – through to project management and productivity. I have found that the most convenient way to consume this tidal wave of content is via an RSS reader on my iPod. This way, no matter where I am – whether it is in a waiting room, on a train or relaxing in a coffee shop – I have instant access to some incredible, thought provoking material.

Here’s a brief roundup of some of my favorite project management blogs:

• Scott Berkun – Scott can definitely be described as a “thought leader” in productivity, project management and the success mindset. His blog posts and essays cover a wide range of topics – and always get me thinking.
• Reforming Project Management - Hal Macomber and other contributors post some very neat articles, book reviews and other content about advancing the project management profession.
• PMI Voices of Project Management – The blog of the PMI with a good lineup of contributors posting a steady stream of quality information.
• The PM Podcast – I’ve been a subscriber to the PM Podcast feed since episode 003 (they’re now up to episode 127). Since then my listenership has waxed and waned – as I find I can lose my enthusiasm for the expert interview format of the show. But full credit must go to Cornelius Fichtner who has been remarkably consistent in the quality and regularity of the show over the years.  Definitely worth a listen.
• The PM Student – Fresh articles about all things project management. Particularly good for newbies.
• Fear No Project – Lots of good, practical advice on issues facing project managers in the trenches.
• Agile Scout – A lively blog that aims to democratize agile practices.

These are just a few PM blogs – but a good starting point for blog newcomers.

I’ve been a fan of the Manager Tools podcast for several years. Their practical, no-nonsense advice on management has been an invaluable resource in my career as a manager.

This year Mark and Mike took on the art of project management. In doing so they did something very important – they shifted the focus from process to people. In Mike’s words:

No matter how complex the project, they all boil down to who is responsible for doing something, what they’re responsible for, and when they have to have it done by.

Regardless whether you are a project management newbie or a seasoned veteran – for a few minutes forget about methodology, templates, resource leveling, dependencies , risk analysis etc etc and listen to the Horstman’s Law of Project Management series.

In other words, forget about “Project Management” with capital letters and simply consider the question “Who does what by when?“

Ok so, in a time when there are far more blogs than there are people who can be bothered to read them, I’ve decided to start yet another one.

PM Mash is going to be about web project management. Short, snappy tips from the PM playbook.

Stuff you can use.

Sitepoint and A List Apart (amongst many others) do this type of thing already for the broader web industry. But I haven’t found much for us underpaid and much-maligned web project managers.

So here goes!