Blogs - Straight Talk on Project Management

“No. We don’t have a Business Analyst, with budgets as they are, we can’t afford one.” If I had a pound for every time, I hear something like this, I could buy EVERYONE a Business Analyst!! What can’t you afford?

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”– Nelson Mandela I heard something on a podcast this week that was both an epiphany and blindingly obvious in equal measure, in fact, its genius was its simplicity. “If you find

The IT Project Management landscape is rapidly and constantly evolving, and with the increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in IT projects, Project Managers are faced with new challenges but also new opportunities. Perhaps paradoxically, despite technical advancements, one “soft

Do you have a huge IT project challenge right now? A problem that is keeping you awake, maybe even a project that is failing, or at risk of slipping into a pathway to failure? A couple of my PM friends

Empowerment, autonomy, ownership – these buzzwords have rattled around for a few years now in relation to IT Project talent. Most project managers, business analysts (etc) would agree that they have the power to schedule their own time, track their

I can hear the movie trailer voice-over: “In a world where business change is forged through IT, where innovation and progress are constant, one unsung superhero stands tall, the pillar of all successful endeavours: IT Project Manager.” When I started

“At least AI should sort the talent gap,” joked Paul, a tech HR Director, with a propensity for dark humour. Actually, what with AI “taking all our jobs” and the raft of well publicised tech layoffs lately, you’d expect the

The right project management methodology (PMM) lays the foundations for a successful IT Project, it’s that simple. The correct methodology creates structure and governance, defines communications and documentation, and establishes principles that guide the team and help them stay on

Interesting perspective from a Chief Experience Officer, Sandy, on how her organisation is making decisions – “we’re like a car that’s forgotten it has a steering wheel and more than one gear”. I love this metaphor. I can see the

CIOs have always been “at the wheel” when it comes to business change through IT, in this post-pandemic-AI-led era though, the CIO’s role in driving change feels to have organically boomed and flourished – or as a CIO friend modestly

Creating a great IT Project “workplace” has never been more important – or harder for that matter! Post pandemic, the way we work and where we work has changed, it may never go back to how it used to be.

Despite the slow economy and provisional estimates which suggested lower mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity at the start of 2023, there were 365 mergers and acquisitions involving UK Companies during Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2023 according to the Office

Stoneseed engagements tend to fall into two categories – “Operate” or “Advisory”. Or as a colleague put it this week … “operational” or “inspirational”. Stoneseed employs a team of Project Management and Technical Professionals, delivering services through a flexible, on-demand

5 tips to successfully pitch an IT project. So many worthwhile IT Projects never even get greenlighted here’s why. You had made a solid case for your IT Project, convincing you and your team that the C-suite would be putty

As an IT Project professional you can imagine my delight upon opening this post-Chinese takeaway fortune cookie: “ALL WILL GO WELL WITH YOUR NEW PROJECT”. “Happy news!” I thought. “That’s alright, then. We can ease up on all that governance

Most IT Project Management teams are masters of the technical aspects of the project – all the i’s are dotted, and the t’s are crossed, the business case is clear and delivered (on paper at least) but what about the

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” Herbert A. Simon Given that it’s called Information Technology, is it surprising that many organisations are unknowingly compromising their strategic business and IT Project effectiveness through information overload? Actually, given the

“What do you do?” I was a little hurt when a life-long friend asked me this question, after all, I remembered that she is a Director of HR. “You know what I do. I’m a Business Analyst.” I replied. “No,

Much has been written about the Project Manager of The Future lately, which is encouraging. A lot has been written about the impact of AI on our industry too, so it’s nice to know that our profession has a future!!

Everything that your business does should be aligned with your business strategy. Here’s why.. My friend’s business is delivering financial services and he ensures that all his staff are suitably trained to provide the best advice, another friend’s business is