Rebles Guide to PM

• 20 Practical tips to get (and stay) organized at work

  

  What is the best way to get organized at work? Well, the answer, as with so many personal productivity things, is that it depends.

  However, given that a study by Alteryx and IDC shows that being digitally disorganized can cost you up to 14 hours per week! You'll see a very fast return once you start trying to be more organized in your job.

  While there isn't a once-size-fits-all approach, there are some good practices and tried-and-tested methods that you can have a go at.

  The ideas I share below work for me, and for the people I mentor. They might work for you. And if they don't, you will have learned something new about your working style and preferences that will shape what you do in the future.

  In this article, you'll learn 20 practical ways to stay organized at work, tested and approved by project managers! I'll also share some examples of what being organized looks like and how to get organized if you are overwhelmed.

  Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!

  

  Organize your calendar

  The first step to being organized in the office, or wherever you work, is to make sure that your calendar is up-to-date and reflects what you have to do. Here are some tips.

  1. Block out half a day a month

  Book a meeting with yourself for half a day a month and call it ‘process review’. This is your reflection time for how things are working. Think about what you could be doing differently to get more done. Refine your processes.

  I use a Wednesday afternoon for this as Fridays are too liable to be spent dealing with last-minute tasks for the week.

  This equates to 6 working days per year. I don't think that is too much to ask, so if you cannot make 3.5 hours happen to support your personal productivity and help you reflect and refine per month, then ask yourself why not. What else is so important that you can't make time to set your future self up for success?

  2. Book time to write reports

  Book a recurring meeting to schedule the time in your diary for reporting. I have to write weekly project reports and I have half an hour every Thursday morning as a time block set aside for this.

  Another tip to stay organized when writing reports is to open last time's report on a Monday and then add to it during the week. By the time it comes to submit it on Friday, you're pretty much already done. Updating the report template in real-time is a tiny effort with a huge reward, and you'll never have to worry about reports not being ready on time.

  This works for any recurring tasks such as updating project risk logs or anything else that you might ‘overlook’ if you don’t have time deliberately set aside.

  3. Set up calendar reminders

  Forward-schedule anything you need to be aware of this year such as project management conferences or team members’ birthdays. You can set alerts to remind yourself that these dates are coming.

  Copy major project milestones into your calendar so you are aware they are coming up. Block out time the week before any major meetings so you have the time to create the agenda and any papers required.

  4. Create a To Do list

  This is how to organize daily tasks at work. There is nothing better than a To Do list, although you do need to be smart about it. A list of 500 tasks isn't going to help you stay organized.

  If you already have a To Do list, rewrite it. What has been stuck on there for the last six months that you have no intention of doing this year? Ditch it. Streamline as much as you can and put your priority tasks at the top. I put longer-term actions in the back of my notebook (see how I keep my notebook organized - with photos!) so I can split them off the daily To Do list (and because I’m not wired enough to have an online task management system).

  Pick your top 3 things off the list that you will complete tomorrow. Write them on a sticky note so there is no getting away from them! Focus on getting those done.

  Each day you'll be organized and structured as you will have a goal to achieve. It takes a bit of getting used to, but the 3 things a day rule is something I have lived by for some time now and it's great!

  Which To Do list app?

  There are dozens of To Do list apps that serve as an organizational tool, but what I've found is that there is not one perfect app for everyone. Test out a few and see how you get on with them.

  Organize your team

  Next, let's look at some simple tips for helping your team stay organized. These are things you can do that will improve things for everyone and tick a lot of admin boxes at the same time.

  5. Book team meetings for the rest of the year

  Yep, get them in the diary now. If you don’t, you risk de-prioritizing them in favor of plodding on with the work. Put them in and invite the right people.

  As a minimum, project team meetings should be weekly. I have used fortnightly meetings on some projects but only where I have provided minimal project management governance and the team has basically got on with the work themselves.

  It's easier to have the meetings in and then delete them than it is to try to find time for everyone to get together at short notice.

  6. Review your resources

  Have you got everyone you need to make your projects a success? What other resources do you need to secure?

  Review your resource gaps now so you can put forward a plan to either recruit or ‘borrow’ people from other departments so that you can achieve your objectives. Make a contact list so you know how to get hold of people and what they do on the project or in the company.

  If the people allocated to your projects don't have the skills required, you can get ahead with the next tip...

  7. Book training for the team

  Actually, you can you can book training for yourself as well.

  Ideally, do this earlier in the financial year while there is still a training budget, get yourself and your team booked on the relevant courses. Even if they aren’t happening until much later in the year.

  Organize it now, pay for it and then forget about it until your pre-course work turns up. Otherwise you’ll never get round to scheduling that training.

  Organize your projects

  With you and the team organized, it's time to consider ways to stay on top of your projects, and keep your projects organized at work. It helps to have a digital workspace where everyone can see what's going on, so use the tools you have in-house to help with that.

  8. Agree your priority projects

  Do you know what your priority work should be for the rest of the year? Think about all the projects you have on the go or know are coming your way. The priority level should be clear but if not take advice from your manager. Knowing what is a priority will help you focus on the right tasks at the right time.

  Make sure the rest of the team knows the priorities as well. Someone has to work on the low priority projects, and if that's you, then at least you know.

  Equally, if your projects are the top priority ones for the year, it should be relatively easy to secure executive support and get resources...but you never know!

  9. Sort your filing system

  Set up your project filing systems, or if you already have one, review it. Create folders labelled with project names and dates. Grant access to new members of the team and remove access from old folders for people who have moved into different roles.

  If you use Slack, do an audit of the channels. Remove any clutter that you no longer need.

  If you use MS Teams or Sharepoint, make sure that those sites are organized. Check the right people have access. Make sure there is a process for document version control so people know how to find the latest files.

  If you use your email inbox for filing (gasp) like I do, then make sure you have folders set up and some kind of mental rules for what to put where.

  

  10. Check your templates

  Many organizations update their financial templates from time-to-time. Check that you have the most recent templates for raising purchase orders, creating capital expenditure requests, preparing business cases and reporting accruals.

  11. Put key project dates in your main diary

  This might sound like duplication of effort – after all, you have a project schedule to manage your critical project milestones. Why put them in your diary too?

  I put major events like training courses for end users in my Outlook calendar. It means I don’t double-book the resources required and I’ve got another reminder of what’s coming up on the project.

  Also put celebration dates in your diary: you don't have to invite anyone yet but having them there will remind you to do something to celebrate success of your projects.

  12. Book your project governance meetings

  As well as scheduling your team meetings, book all your Project Board or steering group meetings for the duration of your project. Project sponsors and senior executives are busy people so give them lots of notice for your upcoming meetings and decision points.

  Book end-of-project meetings

  Lessons learned meetings can be booked now too. If you have separate lessons learned session or retrospectives, make sure they are timetabled (if they aren't already a calendar invite). Alternatively, update your weekly team meeting agenda with a bullet point that prompts you to ask for lessons.

  Organize your environment

  Finally, let's look at some ways you can influence your environment to help you feel more organized (and be more organized).

  13. Sort out your tech

  Don’t put up with a phone that doesn’t work. Upgrade your wifi, get the IT help desk on speed dial, buy a new charger so you can always keep one in your bag.

  Set up facial recognition and password keepers so you can log into systems quickly (because there are so many systems...).

  Gadgets are an essential part of office life now so make sure they work for you and don’t hold you up. Oh, and review these pointers on gadget etiquette so you don’t make a faux pas at work.

  14. Give your team the tools they need

  Make sure that your team members have the tools they need to do the job. If you don’t know what they are, ask the people involved. You could potentially speed up a lot of tasks if only they had the right piece of kit. Get it on the procurement radar before the budgets run out later in the year.

  We found this with automated testing tools. Yes, they were expensive, but they really helped catch the bugs, do proper regression testing and save the humans time. I don't know how we got away without having them before. Luck, probably.

  15. Tidy your desk

  Chuck out the Christmas cards, that free calendar that came in the post, the novelty freebies you got from your last conference and the glossy brochures from suppliers you aren’t going to use.

  A clean desk makes it easier to find what you are looking for (pen, USB stick etc).

  I found some receipts that should have been included in my expenses when I did this. Too late now!

  Shred any confidential paperwork and put anything else in the recycling. Start with a clear, organized workspace, whether that is your home office or a shared office.

  It's amazing how much better I feel when my messy desk is magically transformed into a tidy physical space!

  

  Organize your tasks

  Organizational skills come into their own when sorting out the individual tasks that you have have to do.

  16. Identify the urgent tasks

  Keep your stress levels down by identifying the urgent tasks. These are the ones that have to be done now.

  Ask yourself, is this really urgent? Or is it someone else's problem that they are passing to you?

  If you can, schedule your day so that you have chunks of time available to deal with anything urgent that comes in, especially if you work in a role where there is a lot of urgent stuff coming across your desk every day.

  17. Identify the overdue tasks

  Clear some stuff off the to do list by looking for the overdue tasks and getting them closed off.

  Shutting down even one task a week will help you address the overwhelm and feel like you are getting on top of your work.

  18. Schedule difficult tasks at high-energy times

  Got something difficult to do? Make time for it at a point in the day/week/month where you have the most energy.

  For me, that means doing the hardest task first thing in the morning, setting a time frame for it and having it done (or at least the first part of it) within a couple of hours.

  For you, it might be evening time when you are not interrupted, or at some other time. Use your cycles and rhythms to your advantage.

  19. Automate repetitive tasks

  If you can, tap into AI and RPA to automate as much repetitive work as possible.

  You might not want to do that on high-impact projects or essential tasks with high consequences, but there are some 'ordinary' tasks that you can take off your To Do list completely if you can automate them.

  Look for workflows that you can set up in your project management tool.

  If you can't automate, can you delegate?

  20. Link tasks to your goals

  If you know what your overarching goals are, you can prioritize the tasks that support those.

  Also, understanding how work fits into into the bigger picture can help you feel like the tasks are meaningful.

  How to get organized at work when overwhelmed

  What can you do when work feels overwhelming?

  Work normally feels like it's too much when you have a long list of things to do, no clear priorities and no clarity on where to start. For example, if you are managing multiple projects or have just started a new role.

  Or you start something and then fall down a rabbit hole of having to investigate more and more things -- and each new task feels like a giant project in itself.

  Sometimes, with a bit of time, things become clear, but that isn't always the case. If your work environment has no clear processes for managing projects or you've simply got too much to do, then you have to take action.

  Action steps for getting out of overwhelm and getting organized

  Try these action steps for re-organizing your workload and getting on top of things when it all feels overwhelming.

  1. Make a giant To Do list
  2. Take a five-minute break -- I find I get quite stressed when reviewing the giant list!
  3. Group the actions into buckets, for example, tasks for a particular project or person, tasks to do with a particular business unit, tasks to do by Friday etc.
  4. Prioritize the groups
  5. Review how much time you have available to work and your upcoming deadlines for the priority groups/tasks
  6. If you have more to do by the deadline than the time available, talk to your manager about your workload.

  When you've got too much to do, the options are simple:

  • Do less
  • Take longer to get it done.

  Neither of these are particular great choices as when that has happened to me, the instinctive reaction is to worry that you aren't good enough. You think that someone else could get it all done. Maybe they could, but at what cost? You can't, and that's what is important.

  Schedule some time to discuss your workload with your manager and say you are overwhelmed. Be factual. Show them your list of projects and your grouped tasks. Highlight the deadlines. Point out your available time and the time required to do the work.

  Be prepared with some solutions too, like these:

  • Extending the deadlines for certain activities to reduce the time pressure
  • Reducing the scope of certain activities so they are faster and easier to done
  • Delegate some work to other people
  • Get someone to work alongside you.

  Books on organization

  [lasso category="books-organisation" link_id="285529" type="grid"]

  Your next steps

  Organization skills are a life skill, and if you find yourself being organized at home but not at work, have a think about why it is different for you in the office.

  In this article, you learned how to stay organized at work by focusing on your calendar, your team, your projects and your environment, as well as what to do when you are overwhelmed.

  Next, check out 15 clever ways to save time at work.

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: 20 Practical tips to get (and stay) organized at work

• 17 Examples of productivity to help you get ahead

  

  We all want to be productive in the office, but what does that actually mean? We often hear about ways we can work smarter and more efficiently, but without concrete examples it's hard to know where to start.

  To help you get on track with your productivity goals, we’ll look at some practical examples of how you could use your time efficiently, with case studies and real-life tips.

  If you're looking for real-world solutions for becoming more productive at work then look no further – these examples of productivity will have you working like a pro!

  What does productivity mean?

  Productivity is the measure of how efficiently resources are used to achieve a desired outcome.

  It is typically measured by comparing the amount of output (e.g. goods or services) produced with the amount of input (e.g. labor, materials, time) required to produce it.

  For project managers and program managers, productivity can be improved through various tools and techniques such as setting clear goals and objectives, breaking down tasks into manageable chunks, using automation where possible, delegating responsibilities effectively, tracking progress regularly and rewarding success appropriately.

  Being busy is not the same as being productive. Busyness might mean you’re spending time on the wrong things. Productive people spend time on the right things.

  1. Set goals

  What, exactly, do you want to get done? If you don’t know how you will measure success and answer the question, “Have I been productive today?” then start here. It’s important to set realistic and achievable goals that will help you stay on track.

  Start by breaking down your larger goal into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be completed in a day or week. This will make it easier for you to focus on the task at hand and work towards achieving your overall goal.

  2. Write things down

  Write down tasks to reduce the mental overload of having to remember them. Do a brain dump of all your current tasks to get started, and ideally, group the To Do items. I teach this strategy in my course, Mastering Multiple Projects, but a simple way to implement it is to color-code your list or add sub-headings.

  I use a sticky note to write down my top 3 activities that I need to complete the next day. I stick it on my keyboard in the evening, so when I get to work the next day, I have a clear reminder of my major tasks for the day.

  Everything else I’ll take as a win, but getting those 3 things done are the non-negotiables.

  3. Make it easy to do the work

  Ever written down the name of someone to call and then forgotten why you were supposed to call them? Write clear descriptions of tasks so when you come back to them you know what the work actually is.

  Leave room in your calendar for crisis management. Because there’s always something, isn’t there?

  In project management, typically we schedule resources (that’s humans i.e. yourself) at 80% availability, which enables us to have resilience in the system for when things go wrong. Or we need a toilet break, which is also very likely.

  If you don’t have the buffer, it becomes hard to do the work because there is no time.

  4. Prioritize your time

  Prioritize where to spend your time by looking at a task’s importance and urgency (the Eisenhower matrix). Identify which tasks need immediate attention and which ones can wait until later in the day or week if needed. Ideally, you want to be spending the most time on priority tasks.

  I try to spend most of my time on high priority, project-related actions and then use the gaps between meetings for shorter, less urgent tasks like responding to emails.

  5. Identify your productivity saboteurs

  Identify your productivity saboteurs. These are the things that stop you from being effective and productive.

  When you know what they are, you can spot them coming or make plans to avoid them! Trust me, you’ll get more done without them!

  This is why I deleted Twitter (X) from my phone.

  6. Schedule time to do work

  Once you have established your goals, it’s time to schedule time for them. Make sure to plan out when you are going to complete each task so that you don’t get overwhelmed or fall behind.

  You may also want to create a timeline of deadlines so that you know when each task needs to be completed by in order for everything else to stay on track as well.

  I block out time in my diary for ‘focus time’. I don’t always know what I’m going to use the time for, so I make the decision on the day based on current priorities.

  7. Schedule proactive time

  Proactive time is not the same as getting tasks done but not having the time to plan ahead of think strategically. You can instead prepare and be moving steadily towards your goals (accomplishing important things each day, taking time to think and plan).

  I learned about this strategy in From To Do to Doneby Maura Nevel Thomas.

  8. Use your technology

  Technology can be a great tool for increasing productivity in the office, as long as you know how to use it!

  Automating processes is one way to save time and energy, and works for many different job roles. For example:

  • Set up automated reminders – I do this with calendar alerts and email alerts
  • Create templates for frequently used documents – I never create a document from scratch if I can help it
  • Schedule emails to send at certain times of day – for example, a weekly reminder to the team to complete their weekly report. You could schedule a month’s worth of those in one go.

  Find a tool you like using and that meets your needs.

  Match the tool to the job

  Streamlining communication is another key component of being productive in the workplace. Using tools such as Slack or Zoom can help reduce unnecessary back-and-forth emails while still allowing team members to connect quickly when needed.

  Match the tool to the job. Quick messages that don’t need to be kept or referred to later: messaging app. Need to send an attachment or something that would benefit from being archived? Use email or attach it within your project management software.

  9. Work collaboratively

  Book meetings that are working sessions, not review sessions. Productive meetings are those where you can get stuff done, whether that’s a decision or a direction for next steps or working jointly on a document.

  Meetings that are just reviewing actions from last time, or round-the-table status updates, are boring for attendees and make you feel like it wasn’t a productive use of your time.

  Working in teams can be a great way to increase productivity. It’s important to ensure that everyone is on the same page and has a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities.

  Share the goals so everyone knows why they are there.

  10. Delegate

  Learn how to delegate tasks appropriately so that each person is able to contribute their strengths while also taking ownership of certain aspects of the project or task at hand.

  Assigning roles based on individual skillsets will help ensure that each team member is playing an active part in the success of the project or task. It also helps foster a sense of responsibility among team members as they are held accountable for completing their assigned tasks within agreed timelines (and hopefully you’ve let them set the timelines, based on their own professional task estimates of the job to be completed).

  

  11. Manage stress levels

  Stress levels can have a big impact on productivity in the office. It’s important to find ways to manage stress so that you can stay productive and focused. Here are some tips for managing stress levels.

  Taking breaks and recharging: Taking regular breaks throughout the day is essential for staying productive. Take a few minutes away from your desk to go for a walk, grab a snack, or just take some deep breaths. This will help clear your mind and recharge your energy so that you can tackle tasks with renewed focus when you return to work. Don’t use this time to put a load of washing on.

  Practicing self-care habits:Make sure you’re taking care of yourself outside of work as well by getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, exercising regularly, and engaging in activities that bring joy into your life such as hobbies or spending time with friends and family. All these things will help keep stress levels down during the workday.

  Seeking support from colleagues: Don’t be afraid to reach out if something is stressing you out at work – chances are there are others who feel similarly! Talk it out with colleagues or seek advice from someone more experienced than yourself; having an open dialogue about stressful situations can often lead to solutions that benefit everyone involved.

  Don't forget about mental health resources available through employers or other organizations - they're there if needed!

  12. Stay motivated and focused

  In Not Today: The 9 habits of Extreme Productivityby Erica & Mike Schultz, they write about how to stay motivated. Motivation, they say, is learnable.

  Work on your Greatest Impact Activity (GIA) first. They say the sparks to get started on your GIA include: put it on calendar, talk positively to yourself to remove self-limiting beliefs, ans simply sitting there at your desk and saying, “1, 2, 3, go!”

  I’m not sure that would work for me, but it might work for you.

  Check out my tips to stay motivated during the summer, as this is the time that I find it harder to concentrate on work. The children are out of school and my office is like a sauna, which doesn’t help!

  13. Create habits

  In Not Today, the authors write that habits are composed of 4 elements:

  1. Trigger (something happens that cues a sequence of doing something you tend to do e.g. your phone buzzes in your pocket)
  2. Thought (I should reach for my phone)
  3. Response (take action: check the phone)
  4. Reward (gain or payoff)

  Identify the habit you want to change. Identify why you want to change the habit. Make a blueprint (plan) to change the habit that sounds like this: “When I, then I.”

  For example, when I get asked to complete my timesheet for the month, then I schedule time to do it before the deadline.

  32% of Extremely Productive people plan in advance how to respond to triggers compared to 10% of ‘normally productive’ people (based on their survey/data from clients shared in the book).

  14. Tidy your work environment

  One more tip from Not Today.56% of Extremely Productive people organize their work environment to maximize productivity compared to 17% of The Rest.

  What can you do to make your work environment – your desk and office area – as conducive to productivity as you can. Here are some things I’ve tried:

  • Plants: I had live plants for the oxygen benefits but now I have a plastic plant. It does make me feel better and it looks great on camera.
  • Chair: Be comfortable.
  • Desk area: Keep things tidy. I bought a desk tidy from Ikea for pens and dongles and all the other stuff I need around.

  15. Celebrate small wins

  Recognize your progress no matter how small it may be. Acknowledging each step forward will motivate you to continue working hard towards your goals. Whether it’s completing a task or meeting a deadline, celebrate those successes!

  You could reward yourself with something as simple as taking an extra break or treating yourself to lunch out of the office. Don’t be like those people who reward themselves with being allowed to have a drink… drinks and bathroom breaks are not rewards, these are normal, allowable behaviors!

  Read my list of things to do to celebrate with your team for more suggestions.

  16. Set rewards for accomplishments

  There’s a reason companies have incentive schemes. They do make people focus on goals.

  Establishing incentives for completing tasks can be helpful in keeping motivation levels high throughout the day, week or month. You can share your targets with someone else to help keep you accountable.

  17. Speak positively to yourself

  When feeling overwhelmed by workloads or deadlines, take a moment to pause and reframe any negative thoughts into positive ones instead. For example, replace “This is too much work” with “I am capable of achieving this goal”.

  I’m not very good at this, but I am getting better. I tend to use positive self-talk to reflect on how it’s OK to take breaks and that I will be better at doing a task if I’m mentally refreshed and not feeling overwhelmed.

  More info on workplace productivity

  What is an example of productivity in business?

  Productivity in business is the measure of how efficiently resources are used to create goods and services. It is an important metric for businesses as it helps them determine their output, profitability, and overall success.

  Typically, workplace productivity is measured through output reports e.g. how many widgets were created in a month, how many calls were answered in an hour.

  The challenge there is that the metrics don’t necessarily incorporate quality. You could answer 100% of all calls within 3 rings every time, but if callers don’t get the answer they need, the call was not productive, as it does not help the customer move on.

  Productivity can be improved through effective management techniques such as goal setting, task delegation, time tracking, process optimization, and resource allocation. By using these tools to maximize efficiency while minimizing wastefulness or redundancy, businesses can increase their productivity and ultimately achieve greater success.

  What is productivity in daily life?

  Productivity is the measure of how efficiently time and resources are used to achieve a goal. It is an important part of daily life as it allows us to maximize our output with minimal effort.

  Productivity can be improved by setting achievable goals, breaking down tasks into manageable chunks, prioritizing activities, and using effective tools and techniques for managing projects. By taking these steps we can increase our productivity and make the most out of every day.

  However, there should be a point to all this productivity. Doing stuff just to do stuff is a little pointless. There will always be more stuff to do.

  I frequently get overloaded with household work and feel behind on chores, but what’s more important, spending time playing a game with my kids or hoovering the bedrooms? That’s the decision to make.

  Both options are productive, but in different ways.

  How can productivity be improved?

  Here are some quick examples of how productivity can be improved:

  • Make the workplace a nice place to be. No one is productive in a grotty environment with mean, micro-managing bosses.
  • Give people the tools they need to do their jobs and train them how to use them.
  • Set priorities across the organization or team.
  • Make sure there is good communication and a culture of openness and sharing as this reduces re-work.
  • Be open to feedback and continuously improve based on what people are asking for.

  Final thoughts

  Overall, there are many ways to be productive in the office. Establishing a routine, utilizing technology, working in teams, managing stress levels and staying motivated and focused can all help you become more productive.

  Most importantly, set goals that you can achieve, prioritize your work and spend your time being productive on the right tasks.

  ---

  Next steps: Take a look at this on-demand training from Elizabeth Harrin paired with the productivity bundle, The Productivity Blueprint for Project Managers.

  

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: 17 Examples of productivity to help you get ahead

• Project decision making: a guide for doing it better

  

  Let me tell you about a project decision that was awkward for me -- then I'll share some tips on how to do decision-making better.

  ---

  We were due to go live with our pilot software launch but things didn’t feel right. We had the go/no go meeting and as I sat in the office, it just felt like we weren’t ready.

  My project sponsor was on holiday in Canada. I emailed him, because I wanted to be told that we were making the right decision.

  I got a message back: his hotel had burned down. He and his wife escaped with his phone and her jewelry. He sent a photo. It was bad.

  That meant the decision was on me. Delaying was the right thing to do, but not an easy choice. We’d been working on this for a year. People were lined up to support the pilot.

  Our executive sponsor was sitting in his office; one of those rooms with glass walls. I knocked on his door and explained why no one had heard anything from my boss and what I thought we should do about delaying the launch. He nodded.

  Decision taken. We would delay the pilot.

  And… breathe.

  Taking the decision was the hard part. The easier part is always implementing that decision – after all, isn’t that what project managers do?

  As a project manager, you will be used to making multiple decisions on a daily basis. People will rely on you, often several times a day, to provide guidance and to help make important decisions.

  Some of those decisions are straightforward. You just decide a path and move on. Other decisions have broader impact and will likely require additional thought and even input from multiple team members and stakeholders.

  All of them are part of the project governance framework.

  Some of the most common decisions for project managers are related to cost, scope, resources, and schedule.

  In the planning phase there are a lot of decisions to make before a project even starts. If I’m being honest, the decisions never really stop.

  However, if we make enough good decisions, especially during planning, it can certainly make our lives easier. Who doesn’t want that?

  It’s helpful to have a decision-making process or framework to guide you, especially when faced with complex problems that require additional info from others.

  Using a framework is important to ensure consistency in how decisions are made, and to help minimize or remove any personal bias around certain solutions or options that might unfairly sway the outcome.

  In this article, I will provide more detail on a framework for making better decisions in an effective, rational and ethical way.

  Step-by-step decision-making process overview

  There are 5 steps in the decision-making process in project management. They are:

  1. Identify decision – someone identifies the need for a decision (project manager, project team member, or another stakeholder).
  2. Gather information – determine what information is available to help make an effective decision.
  3. Evaluate and select option – review available information, potential path forward, and pros / cons of each to determine the preferred option based on agreed criteria.
  4. Take action and implement – implement the selected option.
  5. Monitor outcome – monitor the impact of the decision on the project.

  

  Let’s look at each of those in more detail.

  Step 1: Identify

  The need for a decision occurs at any time during a project’s lifecycle. The first step is to identify that there is a choice that needs to be made – a problem that needs to be solved or something else you need to take a decision on.

  The people who determine the need for a decision can also vary – from project leader, to project team member, to a request from key project stakeholders.

  It is worth mentioning that the project manager has the option to delegate decisions to the project team (or specific team members) when appropriate. For example, the project manager may rely on a lead for a specific discipline or project area to help manage routine or day-to-day decisions.

  The most common example would be what specific task(s) the project team members will work on each day. However, it is appropriate to set some boundaries for escalation so that the project manager can focus on other project responsibilities but still “step in” to help support as needed.

  Once the need for a decision is identified, the project team should start to gather information.

  Step 2: Gather Information

  The next step is gathering information and that’s exactly what you think it is. The team looks at what information is available to help determine overall project status, give some context for the decision, and use that to help facilitate a good result. 

  Some examples of useful information would be:

  • the project’s overall financial status
  • financial targets such as profit margin that are set by the business
  • cost benefit analysis of various options
  • planned versus actual progress for ongoing work
  • root causes, if the choice relates to an issue
  • resource availability on the project and within the available resource pool (if applicable)
  • external factors that might make a difference
  • any other relevant data.

  If you don’t know what’s going to be useful think about it this way: what are our options? Silent brainstorming, a SIPOC diagram, or using digital tools like Google Jamboard to put down all the ideas could get the ball rolling.

  Tip:Part of the decision-making process is to identify the decision-makers. Sometimes you need to know how to make a group decision; sometimes you can make the call yourself.

  The purpose of gathering the information is to ensure that the decision is based on the most current project state and information. The type of information that is needed may also vary depending on the decision.

  For example, if the decision involves vendor selection to help deliver a specific part of the project, then it would be helpful to have a list of relevant vendors, their status on a preferred vendors list, any differences that may exist in pricing, contract terms, or other relevant factors to consider in the selection process.

  Tip: You need all the info in order to make an informed decision. Don’t skimp on this step!

  Step 3: Evaluate and Select

  During this step, the project manager, the project team, or a combination of these discusses all available and relevant information. They may also pull in other subject matter experts and / or stakeholders as needed.

  Here are some options to help evaluate the various options you have identified:

  • Team voting. The team can discuss and vote on the various options. This can be done by a secret vote or open team vote. Open option for voting “openly” is to put various options on a flip chart and have team members put sticky notes, stars, or other indicators of the option(s) they believe would be best.
  • Elimination. If there are options that will not work for some reason (example: extremely unfavorable contract terms) then those options might be eliminated.
  • Multiple criteria. Sometimes it is helpful to identify multiple criteria and score the various options across those criteria (perhaps on a scale of 1 – 10) in terms of how much benefit or value they bring to the project. Then the option with the highest composite score would be the most likely choice
  • Decision tree analysis. Some problems lend themselves to this kind of analysis. Create a tree structure with different paths. That can help you see the options available so the team can select the best possible solution.
  • SWOT analysis. I would use this for portfolio or strategic-level decisions, but it’s not something I used regularly for project-level decisions.

  Sometimes you’ll want to use a variety of techniques so you can look at a problem from all angles. However, that can extend the time period for actually getting on and doing the work. Ideally, you’ll have documented the decision-making process in the project management plan because it’s relevant to project governance and quality, so hopefully you can look back at that for some guidance on how to keep things moving.

  Tip: Avoid dragging out this process over a long time. Failure to decide can block progress – sometimes the best approach is just to choose and move on.

  Once the team has completed the discussion and evaluated the various options, one option is usually a clear winner. If that is the case, then that’s the best choice and that option can be implemented.

  In some cases, if two or more options are considered equivalent (or close to it) then perhaps additional criteria might be considered. If that is not the case, then some options may be equivalent and other factors like ease of implementing and least impact on the project may also help narrow the selection.

  Step 4: Take Action / Implement

  Once there is a clear choice, that option can be integrated into the project plan. The team should take necessary action to carry out the decision as described.

  In addition to the implementation, there are other steps to take for completeness and adherence to good project management practice.

  In general, stakeholders should be kept informed of the different decisions even if they aren’t directly involved in the choice itself. For a more important decision, it is a good idea to send a general communication on the challenge, the outcome, and the rationale for the decision.

  Using a Decision Log

  To ensure that decisions and outcomes are also properly documented, add them to the Key Decision Log (which you might call the Project Decision Log). This is the best place to record any critical project decisions that occur during a project’s lifecycle.

  If someone, including a project stakeholder, questions a decision later, you can always revisit the decision log to explain what was decided, the relevant context at the time, and who agreed. This is particularly helpful in cases where stakeholders may tend to change their minds.

  Keep in mind that the most influential stakeholders may have their own expectations in terms of updates and when they should be involved. It is always a good idea to discuss this at project kickoff to ensure that they are always appropriately informed.

  Step 5: Monitor Outcome

  Once the best solution is implemented, monitor the impact on the project. For example, if a decision is to add new team members during a project, it would be a good idea to monitor their efficiency and work quality to spot potential issues early (or validate that there is no impact).

  Tip: Use this step to learn for next time. What can you take from this experience that will help you on future decisions?

  

  What decisions can you use this process for?

  There are several types of decisions you’ll be making on projects.

  Programmed and non-programmed decisions

  Programmed decisions are the kind you have a formula for: can we approve this request for leave? Do we organize the project board meeting for Tuesday or Friday? There’s a process or a set of norms to follow, even if you can’t predict when the decision will need to be made.

  Non-programmed decisions don’t follow the program. They have more variables and are typically more complex. Shall we buy or build? Should we launch these new products or improve these processes first?

  Operational and strategic decisions

  Some decisions affect the operational running of the project: routine decisions about who gets assigned to which task, for example.

  Strategic decisions relate more to the direction the project needs to take. They typically affect the budget, benefits, or key deliverables for the project – and sometimes the project manager doesn’t have the authority to make them. You’ll have to present recommendations for major decisions to the project sponsor or project board, and they will normally make the final decision.

  Risk and decision making

  Risk management is an exercise in decision-making. Once you’ve identified a risk, you need to come up with a plan to manage it. There’s normally a bunch of ways you can mitigate against a risk, so you need to apply all your analysis skills to make the right choice.

  One of the factors in making a choice is risk. If you have online tools and the skills to do it, Monte Carlo simulation can give you a picture of what the impact of any particular course of action will be through risk modeling. I love the idea of it, but I’ve never worked anywhere that has taken a proactive approach to simulation.

  Project management software also has decision-based modeling built in to help you see the impact of a choice on project tasks and timelines -- if that feature is important to you, choose the a tool that will let you model the outcome of your decisions.

  An ethical model for decision-making

  In some cases, a decision may have ethical considerations. You should always be mindful of conflicts of interest, working with other ethical companies, responsible use of company resources, adherence to established company policy, etc.

  Some project decisions may even negatively impact others, create bad press for the company, or harm the environment. Although the specifics may vary by project, the ethics of a decision should always be considered.

  Skills for decision-making

  There are certain skills to help a team make effective decisions. Those skills vary by team member and role. Here’s what I mean:

  • Stakeholder: demonstrate trust by letting teams make decisions independently as often as possible
  • Project manager: provide meeting facilitation, emphatic listening, stakeholder engagement, asking probing questions, using the 5 Whys
  • Team members: provide subject matter expertise.

  In summary

  Making decisions is a normal part of managing projects. Although some decisions may seem complex, you can also rely on input from team members, subject matter experts, and stakeholders.

  As decisions get more complex, using a framework or step-by-step guide can make things much easier – and positively influence the project’s success. Once a decision is made, don’t forget to document, tell the relevant people, implement what was agreed, and monitor the outcome.

  Your next steps

  • Make sure there is a decision-making process documented in the project management plan (or at least some commentary around how and what to escalate)
  • Download the project decision log template
  • Check out a new technique and try using it on your next decision!

  Good luck and happy decision-making!

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Project decision making: a guide for doing it better

• 57 AI in Project Management Statistics

  

  We gathered 57 of the top AI in project management statistics to help understand this key development in technology. Recent advancements in tech have changed how project managers work.

  Using our 20 years of project management experience, we reviewed AI statistics and trends from trusted third parties, which forms the foundation for this list. It covers everything from the impact of AI replacing jobs to how AI is used to support the delivery of projects.

  Many project managers will be aware of the impact (or potential impact) of GenAI and other AI technologies in project management, although not everyone has yet to see substantive benefits in real-life adoption. Let’s take a look at the latest stats.

  Top AI in project management statistics

  You’ve probably read that 80% of project management tasks will be eliminated by AI by 2030 (Gartner). That means removing the busywork of project management like data collection, status reporting and tracking – which I think is a good thing.

  Here are some other top project management statistics worth knowing.

  • The global market for AI for project management is expected to grow to US$5.7bn by 2028 at a CAGR of 17.3%.
  • 41% of experts report significant enhancements in project delivery since adopting AI-based tools and techniques.
  • 28% of a project manager’s skill set can be augmented by GenAI including methodology and life-cycle driven tasks.
  • There are more data and analytics projects being kicked off in 2024 than previous years, with 77.6% of organizations reporting that they are driving business innovation with data compared to 59.5% in 2023.
  • 72% of project managers say AI is very or extremely likely to change their roles.

  Sources: Markets and Markets, Nieto-Rodriguez/Viana Vargas, LinkedIn, Wavestone, APM

  Listen to me and Cornelius Fichtner discussing these stats in a webinar

  I met Cornelius for a webinar on AI for project managers and what these statistics really mean for practitioners. We got some great questions during the live broadcast, so if you'd rather watch than read, check it out!

  https://www.youtube.com/live/8KTF7ovwY0E?si=Yhybe7mQUi1rattd

  [lasso id="38116" link_id="298525" ref="ai-for-project-managers-course"]

  Adoption of AI in project management

  22% of project managers say AI tools are deployed in their organizations and in use today (Capterra). However, different surveys report different adoption levels. PMI’s GenAI report says that a third of practitioners' organizations have adopted AI in at least a moderate capacity.

  Only 12% have adopted AI in a substantial way, and the adoption levels are much higher in tech-forward companies (34%).

  • 39% of project managers say there are plans to deploy AI tools in their organizations.
  • 21% of business leaders say deployment of AI tools is not in their current plans.
  • Companies expect to increase investment in AI for their project management function by 32%.
  • 29% of project professionals say they don’t feel ready for the adoption of AI tools. Only 9% say they are extremely ready.
  • 75% of experts say complex projects are very likely or extremely likely to benefit from AI compared to a simple project.

  Sources: Capterra, IPMA, PMI, APM

  

  Impact of AI on project management jobs

  47% of people believe that AI would do better at treating all job applicants in the same way than humans (Pew Research). So that could be a positive for project managers applying for jobs.

  Will AI replace project managers? I don’t think human intelligence will ever be removed from project delivery. Here are some other statistics on the impact of AI on project management roles.

  • 85% of people believe that on-the-job training is the best way to develop the AI skills required.
  • Large Language Models help the least experienced employees the most. Research shows that less experienced staff showed a 43% improvement in performance when using LLMs, compared to an improvement of only 17% by more experienced staff.
  • 80% of project leaders believe they will have more time for complex managerial tasks when using AI tools.
  • The non-IT skill required the most for using AI in project management is analytical thinking, followed by creative thinking and complex problem solving. Social skills are considered the least likely to be needed to use AI.
  • Only 40% of practitioners believe that AI will create new tasks. 54% believe it will change the way work is organized and 53% believe it will increase project team agility.
  • 65% of experts see AI as a catalyst for implementing advanced project management strategies.

  Sources: IPMA, Microsoft, Nieto-Rodriguez/Viana Vargas, APM

  AI Project Manager salaries

  I couldn’t find a survey that summarized AI project manager jobs and salaries, probably because there aren’t that many positions. The role hasn’t been around that long. Oceania is the continent that is doing the most to build or recruit AI competence into the organization (PMI).

  However, I searched Glassdoor and Totaljobs, and from the job adverts I saw, the average salary for an AI project manager in London, UK, was £75,000.

  Glassdoor puts salaries for an AI project leader at between £41k and £77k per year.

  Salary.com says that Wells Fargo pays AI project managers between $90,629 and $124,401.

  Another way to review the salaries for an AI project manager is to consider that as it’s a niche skill, those roles are likely to command higher-than-average salaries. The Bureau of Labour Statistics says the highest 10% of project management specialists earned $159,150, so you could consider that a benchmark.

  One thing that isn’t clear is whether AI will, over time, actually reduce salaries as the role will not require so much administrative work – companies might be looking to make cost savings.

  Uses of AI in project management

  AI is in use by project delivery practitioners and Project Management Office professionals, generally through tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, and more specifically such as in tools designed to support particular domains like AI in risk management.

  Latin America has the highest AI maturity levels and also spends the most effort on making sure employees are ready to use AI tools (PMI).

  25% of PMO directors say that AI has disrupted their PMO (Capgemini) – and I’m sure that number will only continue to rise. Let’s look at some more statistics about the benefits of AI.

  • Over 70% of practitioners say that achieving compliance with quality standards could benefit from AI adoption.
  • 65% of project managers say that they are most likely to use AI during project deployment and execution phases.
  • Automating tasks is the top benefit for using AI tools (cited by 33% of project professionals), followed by effective resource allocations (32%) and getting more accurate metrics (27%).
  • Predictive analytics tools and chatbots are the most commonly used, with 26% of organizations using these or planning to use these to support project delivery.
  • 23% of organizations are using or planning to use RPA.
  • 66% of experts believe that project scheduling and time management is the area with the highest potential for AI process automation.
  • 60% believe that augmented analytics can help risk and opportunity planning and management.
  • 49% of organizations believe that implementing GenAI will generate huge productivity gains.
  • Over a quarter of project managers are extremely likely to use AI to analyze large data sets on complex projects – I can see this being useful for identifying potential risks and in analyzing real-time data.

  Interestingly, project management domains where there is low impact from AI are considered to be stakeholder management, project communication and project budgeting.

  Sources: Capterra, APM, IPMA, Wavestone, PMI

  Barriers to adopting AI in project delivery

  The ‘classic’ barriers to adopting any new technology, like limited funding, user adoption and senior support, training etc are holding back AI’s progression into companies. Cyber security concerns and the risks of putting your data into a model that you don't completely own are also holding people back -- addressing these adequately seems very expensive at the moment.

  Other limitations like the carbon offsetting burden – training an LLM can emit 25 times more carbon than one-way air travel between New York and San Francisco – may also hold companies back from building their own solutions (Stanford).

  The shift towards using AI tools is happening so quickly that the regulation is lagging behind, and in regulated industries like healthcare and financial services, this is an issue.

  • 70% of people report that a limited understanding of AI technologies is the most important barrier to using new tools.
  • 49% of professionals say that limited financial resources are a barrier to adopting AI.
  • 28% of project professionals say lack of a clear strategy is the main barrier to adopting AI tools at work.
  • Other barriers to adopting AI include ethical, privacy and security concerns (26%), and AI technology immaturity (25%)
  • 1 in 5 project managers say there are inadequate skills within the team to implement AI tools.
  • 74% of experts are worried about potential ethical challenges resulting from AI-based decision making.

  Sources: IPMA, Capterra, Nieto-Rodriguez/Viana Vargas

  How project managers feel about AI

  The future of project management is positive, with high demand for jobs and a strong focus on successful project outcomes – there is a lot to be done, and AI is poised to help.

  • 44% of project practitioners believe that they will end up with more projects to manage as a result of organizations adopting AI.
  • Only 29% of project managers are worried about AI taking over their jobs, although this increases to 40% in the next 15 years.
  • 77% of project managers are optimistic about AI.
  • 44% of project professionals say they are extremely satisfied with the use of AI technology at work, and 46% report being very satisfied.
  • 54% of companies using AI in project management are very comfortable using it to make decisions. Only 2% are not comfortable.
  • 68% of project managers say they have not received enough training on how to use AI tools.

  Sources: IPMA, Nieto-Rodriguez/Viana Vargas, Capterra, APM

  

  What do these project management and AI statistics mean?

  Here are my top 3 takeaways from analyzing hundreds of artificial intelligence project management statistics, charts and numbers.

  Takeaway 1: AI isn’t going to take your job (yet)

  My key takeaway from analyzing the data is that AI isn’t going to take your job if you work in project delivery. Too many project management skills can’t be done by computers… which is a good thing in my view! You can only get so much business acumen, systems thinking and cultural understanding from a model.

  However, the many surveys and research studies all point to the same thing: the role of a project manager is changing, so you do need to keep up to date with how the tech is evolving. Sentiment analysis, for example, is an area where we could get stakeholder engagement insights from a data set to help determine action plans for different stakeholder groups.

  Consider how AI can help with monitoring, controlling and creating project deliverables. The other area to actively look into is resource management: resource availability and capacity planning is a common pain point with the project managers I mentor, so anything that helps is a plus.

  I think there is a lot of data and training out there now, including courses from LinkedIn Learning and PMI, so there is no excuse not to have a basic understanding of tools like GenAI and what they can do.

  If you can lobby for AI training and time to practice with the tools available for you, then do so. Knowing how AI-driven solutions work will only make your job easier, and most project managers report not having been provided with adequate training.

  Takeaway 2: AI benefits complex projects

  The next thing that was clear to me from reviewing the data is that AI benefits complex projects. The larger your data sets for research and analysis, the more AI-powered tech can make it easy for you to sift through the data.

  We're going to see a move from predictive analytics to prescriptive analytics, where AI gives us information on project performance and ideas about how we should act on the data to course correct or take the next step. At this point, we still need a human to scrutinize the output, but this will remove some of the 'gut feel' of project management and hopefully help us all make better, data-driven decisions.

  APM’s research says that IT and Technology projects are most likely to see a benefit from AI but I think over time we’ll also see legal project management and construction seeing benefits due to the huge amounts of data that can be used in those projects.

  I think that the biggest barrier to making use of this advancement is having clean data. I would suggest that any project teams looking to use the analytical power of data models and LLMs need to schedule time on the plan for data cleansing and preparation.

  Takeaway 3: GenAI benefits less experienced project professionals

  Finally, I picked out the point that GenAI is more beneficial to people with less experience. Project success rates are hugely impacted by the quality of the team working on the project. With natural language processing and machine learning, it is easier to review data from historical projects to support project planning.

  This is so important for a profession where we are losing experienced project managers to burnout and people transitioning out of the job. Routine tasks can be made easier and projects processes can be turned into workflows with RPA.

  Final thoughts

  Reliable AI facts and statistics on artificial intelligence in project management is important to understand the sentiment of how project professionals are feeling about the impact of newer technologies and to provide valuable insights into how it is used.

  AI will continue to dominate project delivery conversations and become embedded in the ways that projects are scoped, executed and analyzed in the years to come, most likely removing administrative tasks and supporting informed decisions.

  Perhaps the question we should be asking is how do we want AI to impact project management? Then we can shape the technology to deliver the best results.

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: 57 AI in Project Management Statistics

• PMO KPIs: Success metrics to prove the value of your PMO

  

  What should a PMO measure?

  There are millions of data points, so how do you decide what is really going to make a difference for your team?

  In my experience, we want to track metrics that we can do something about and that enable decision-making. There are plenty of things that your Project Management Office could track but that wouldn’t move the needle – focus on capturing data that’s to do with things you can actually do something about.

  Below are some examples of key performance indicators to consider, that measure project performance in an aggregated way.

  If you are looking for KPIs to set for people in project roles, as part of their annual performance review, then I have a guide to KPIs for Project Managers that also covers goals you can set for PMO analysts and PMO managers.

  

  Delivery success KPIs

  • Project benefits realized vs planned – in my experience this is the most important one!
  • % of projects delivered on time
  • % of projects delivered on budget (or combine these two for a ‘project success rate’ measure, although you’ll have to be very clear how ‘success’ is defined)
  • Customer/stakeholder satisfaction scores
  • Milestone completion rate – helps you identify trends in projects running behind

  If you’re in a less mature environment, it can also help to track aggregated project-related KPIs, for example, actual cost of all projects under portfolio management.

  Don't track earned value

  I wouldn’t track earned value. That’s a project management KPI. I’ve seen other people recommend tracking Planned Value or Schedule Variance but really, what does that give you at PMO level? If your teams are using earned value, they’ll be using this data for operational efficiency anyway, so the results will show up in your other metrics.

  Governance adherence KPIs

  • % of projects with approved business case (which will be 100%, obviously!)
  • Compliance with reporting cycles (e.g. weekly updates submitted)
  • Audit or QA findings resolved within agreed time

  Someone suggested that we include ‘% of projects following the agreed methodology’ but as you should be tailoring the methodology to suit the project, that is a bit pointless.

  It’s also really hard to establish what it looks like to follow the methodology. Perhaps track how many projects go through the stage gates or approval process, if that’s important to you.

  Operational/throughput KPIs

  • Number of active projects vs resource capacity
  • Resource utilization (useful for professional services organizations)
  • PMO response time (e.g. to new project requests)
  • % of projects using standard templates/tools
  • Project stage distribution (e.g. initiation vs execution vs close)

  KPIs are different for different PMO types

  Choose KPIs based on your PMO type (supportive, controlling, directive etc). Focus on what people want to know about and that would drive actions and decisions.

  How to report PMO KPIs to senior leaders

  As a PMO leader, you've got to share information with other leaders.

  Tailor the message to the audience

  Execs care about strategic alignment, risk, ROI, or in your organization the emphasis might be on something different, like sustainability goals or budget spent.

  They want data they can use to take decisions, so measures like resource utilization rate, rework rate, resource conflicts, those are things they can act on. And your data can surface this information.

  Practitioners (that’s project managers like you) would want to see different things. I am interested in whether my project is achieving its sustainability objectives, of course, but I’m also more bothered about whether I’m being judged on compliance with reporting cycles. And in that case, I want to see my track record.

  Tailor the message to the audience so everyone gets what they want.

  Use visual dashboards

  Use Red-Amber-Green (RAG) status for measures, projects or the portfolio overall. Read my guide on how to define RAG and use it on projects, so you can set criteria about what each color means.

  Show trends and the impact you’ve made, not simply raw data points. Add spark lines in Excel or use arrows or RAG status to show movement from last month (or the last time you reported – try not to get into the habit of reporting weekly as it’s a lot of work and really things don’t change that much).

  Make it easy to spot outliers or risks needing action: call these out with colors or in a separate section of the dashboard if necessary.

  Suggested reporting cadence

  Live dashboards are great, and people can self-serve information in real-time. But let’s be honest: stakeholders won't go looking for the information. The number of individuals I can think of who have self-served in my career would fit on a hand. That’s not because they don’t care, but because once the dashboard is in place, they assume someone will report outliers and escalations, and we do.

  As a PMO leader, you’ll still have to send out links to dashboards, packs, decks or email updates, depending on what your leadership team needs. 

  Monthly or quarterly portfolio review packs are useful to have as an audit trail of a snapshot in time. You might also need to produce KPI snapshot slides for exec meetings or ad hoc deep dives for problem areas, so be ready!

  Communicate the reporting deadlines to project managers so they can organize themselves to give you the data you need.

  KPIs in action: Example metrics dashboard

  There’s an example below of what a dashboard could look like in table format. I wasn’t able to use status indicators as colored blobs in the Status column, as the emoji characters wouldn’t show up in this article in every browser, but I would recommend that you do that.

  Switch out the words ‘Red/Amber/Green’ in the Status column with a visual color indicator. Leave the word in as well. This makes the report more accessible. Remember, people with red/green color deficiency will find it harder to distinguish on track and off track projects if you skip the words.

  KPI	Definition	Target	May	June	July	Status
  % Projects on Time	% of active projects meeting timeline commitments	? 85%	78%	81%	88%	Amber
  % Projects on Budget	% of active projects within agreed budget limits	? 90%	92%	94%	93%	Green
  Reporting Compliance	% of projects submitting status updates on time	100%	95%	100%	98%	Amber
  Stakeholder Satisfaction	Avg score from post-project survey (1–5)	? 4.0	4.2	4.5	4.3	Green
  Benefits Realisation	% of forecast benefits delivered (closed projects)	? 80%	76%	85%	83%	Green
  PMO Response Time	Avg days to respond to new project requests	? 5 days	4.2	5.8	4.6	Amber
  Open Risks Resolved on Time	% of high-priority risks mitigated by due date	? 85%	72%	86%	88%	Green

  Include a legend:

  • Green = On target
  • Amber = Watch / trending up
  • Red = Off track

  Tips for customization

  • Replace months with weeks or quarters depending on your reporting cycle.
  • Add trend arrows (? ? ?) if desired for visual clarity.
  • You could also highlight the top 3 KPIs in a summary box at the top of your report

  Add any extra measures you’ve identified that will help your execs or team make the right choices about where to focus their attention.

  Agile PMO dashboards

  What if your PMO has to cover projects using Agile methods? You can use agile metrics to report overall on projects, but do tailor as necessary to give you useful data, not just reporting on project-level info that isn’t useful when rolled up.

  Here are some examples.

  KPI	Definition	Target	Sprint 6	Sprint 7	Sprint 8	Status
  Sprint Velocity Stability	Consistency of story points completed across sprints	? ±15% variance	12 pts	14 pts	13 pts	Green
  Team Throughput	Total stories or features completed	? 8 per sprint	9	10	8	Green
  Planned vs Delivered Ratio	% of committed work completed per sprint	? 90%	88%	92%	91%	Green
  Defect Leakage Rate	% of defects found post-release	? 5%	6%	3%	4%	Amber
  Cycle Time (Avg)	Average time from work start to completion	? 7 days	9 days	6 days	7 days	Amber
  Team Happiness / Morale Score	Team-rated satisfaction score (1–5)	? 4.0	3.8	4.2	4.4	Green
  Business Value Delivered	Sum of value points assigned by Product Owner to completed work	Track only	48 pts	65 pts	58 pts	For info
  Story Carryover Rate	% of stories not completed and carried to next sprint	? 10%	12%	8%	5%	Green
  Release Predictability	% of releases delivered on planned dates	? 95%	100%	100%	90%	Amber

  Tools for dashboarding

  If you already have enterprise project management software, you may find it has dashboards or rolled up reporting already. If so, use that as a starting point.

  You can also pull out data from your project management tools and display it through Excel. Google Sheets, PowerBI or other tools like Smartsheet.

  What to do with your KPIs

  Use KPIs to trigger action, not just report history. They should (if I haven’t already made this point often enough above) drive action and decisions. Reporting for the sake of reporting is time consuming and pointless.

  Create KPI ownership within the team.Show people what the KPIs are being used for so the project teams understand what is happening to their data.

  Review and evolve KPIs as the PMO matures.What works in the first few months of your PMO won’t be what you report on in two years. Go with it, you’ll get feedback and evolve in time, and that’s fine!

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: PMO KPIs: Success metrics to prove the value of your PMO