ArticleSkill Development, Technical SkillsJune 1988
Project Management Journal
Pinto, Jeffrey K. | Slevin, Dennis P.
How to cite this article:
Although much has been written about the process of managing projects, the field still lacks a full understanding of how critical factors contribute to the different stages of a project's life cycle. This paper examines a study testing the criticality of those success factors long believed to be instrumental to project success. It describes the study's two key findings and the three implications of these findings; it lists ten success factors most critical to project implementation and four critical areas that significantly impact project success. It also outlines the four-phase project life cycle--conceptualization, planning, execution, termination--used to conduct this study, explaining the purpose and function of each phase in relation to project implementation. It then discusses the study, an effort that involved randomly mailing one of three types of questionnaires to more than 600 PMI members. It reports on the response rate and the framework--the project implementation profile (PIP)--used to calculate the results. It lists the six characteristics used to measure project success and details the survey findings in relation to the four-phase project life cycle, identifying the key functions of--and project manager activities for--each phase. It outlines six activities that project managers should perform on all projects to ensure a successful outcome.
Attempts to understand the process of project management, involving the successful implementation of projects in organizations, represent a problem of continual concern and interest to both researchers and project managers. Much has been written to assist project managers in their efforts to more effectively manage and guide a variety of organizational projects.
By Braun, Timo | Ekstedt, Eskil | Lundin, Rolf A. | Sydow, Jörg
Digitalization is a phenomenon occurring across sectors and nations, affecting technical processes, organizational forms, and managerial practices. Project management, which is often used as an agent for change, plays a significant role in driving and implementing digital transformation. In today's project society, several distinct forms of project organizing are common. Among them are: (1) project-based organizations (PBOs), which are common in traditional sectors like construction, and (2) project networks (PNWs), the most favorable form of project organizing in modern service and creative industries.
By Husted, Chad
If I have learned anything in my 20-plus years of project management, it's that there is always room to grow and improve my skills. Yet, some of the best lessons I've learned about being an effective project manager didn't come from formal education, expensive seminars or even on-the-job training. When it comes to maximizing my productivity, I've learned the most through simple trial and error.
By Scott, Lindsay
Project management recruitment professional Lindsay Scott provides career guidance.
By Bishel, Ashley
A strategic skill set can guarantee a static career. But for project professionals eager to be recognized, get promoted or take on more ambitious and complex projects, an expansive skill set is a hot commodity in today's job market. More than 1 in 3 CEOs report that the availability of key skills is a top threat to business growth in 2019, according to PwC's Global CEO Survey. The skills dearth is a major concern, and only regulation and policy uncertainty are keeping more top executives up at night.
Uncertainty looms for project professionals in the United Kingdom. But there's hope amid the Brexit chaos: Salaries are up—especially for those who change jobs.
By Parsi, Novid
AT&T had a problem. As the era of hardware and landlines faded into the age of mobile phones and the cloud, the global telecom company's offerings had changed—but the skill set of its workforce had not. AT&T is not alone: Nearly two-thirds of global CIOs say a lack of talent is holding their organizations back, according to KPMG. A tight labor market is only exacerbating the ongoing struggle. In the United States and the United Kingdom, for instance, unemployment rates have hit their lowest points in over four decades.
