EduMind Inc

As project managers, we are often told that we must deliver value on a project. In a controlled environment, value is easily calculated in monetary terms. A project has an expected return on investment (ROI) and an expected cost, making it relatively simple to understand what the total value of performing the project would be. In reality, determining the value of a project can be much more complicated. Often, projects build something that costs a lot of money and is expected to deliver a great monetary "value," only to find that the end deliverable ends up underutilized or the project becomes unnecessary. So, what does it mean in the real world to deliver value? The blog covers, 1. What is Business Value, Anyway? 2. Putting Value into Context 3. How Do Project Managers Deliver Business Value?      3.1 Understand the vision      3.2 Understand the business value in relation to t...

For those who may be new to the wide world of agile, the terms "agile" and "Scrum" may be used interchangeably. This is a very common mistake to make, as Scrum is the most common agile methodology used to manage teams, organizations, and projects. However, there are many different agile practices that can be tailored to fit the needs of a given project, and boxing ourselves into just knowing about Scrum limits our knowledge of agile. Project managers are expected to understand agile in a wholistic way - after all, agile is meant to be adaptable! On the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, you will be expected to know the difference between these different agile methodologies, and you can expect to get a handful of questions testing your knowledge in this area. In this article, we will examine agile practices as a whole and then go over the major concepts of different agile project management methodologies. The blog covers: ...

Business analysts (BAs) and project managers (PMs) are often seen as partners in crime. While their roles are distinctly unique, BAs may find themselves performing both the job functions of a BA and a PM depending on the needs of their organization. Business analysts are often expected to analyze a business problem, identify needs, and provide solution design. The project manager works to ensure that implementing that solution is done according to the needs of the project. Given the fact that business analysts have their own unique responsibilities, should they be familiar with project management methodologies? The answer is that it depends . In this article, we will dig into the responsibilities of a business analyst that differ with those of a project manager and then consider where they may overlap. While most of the time business analysts will perform distinctly different roles than project managers, there may be some situations where a PMP certification is relevant for a BA. Read...

If you are reading this article, chances are that you have failed your first attempt at the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, and you are probably not feeling great about it. First and foremost, relax and take a deep breath. It's going to be alright. Though you may feel like this is the worst possible outcome, it's not. The PMP is a difficult exam, and although PMI does not disclose exactly what the failure rate is, we know that many fail on their first attempt. The good news is that it is more than possible to recover from a failed PMP exam attempt. This guide will show you how to do just that and prepare you to retake the exam with much more confidence. The blog covers, 1. Facing the Practicalities of Failing the Exam 2. Give Yourself Time Before Rescheduling Your Exam 3. Keep a Positive Mindset 4. ...

Organizational culture is a chief aspect of running a business, and it has become a hot topic of conversation over the last five to ten years. In the early 2000s, company culture wasn't at the forefront of conversation when discussing how to run a successful business. As a stark difference, over 70% of employees said that organizational culture is one of the top things they look for in a company last year. Despite this dramatic shift in employee values, only 31% of leaders believe that their organizations have gotten culture "right" in their organization. This disparity affects all aspects of a company, and it ultimately has an effect on projects and their likelihood to succeed. In this article, we will take a closer look at how a strong organizational culture can increase the success rate of your projects. We know that an organization's culture has a significant impact on its long-term success . A project, as we know, is not a long-term endeavor - the very definiti...

In order to pass the PMP exam, you will need to be able to correctly interpret and answer a variety of exam question types. The PMP exam is much more than a test of rote memorization or basic knowledge. You will be expected to apply concepts to complex situations, apply mathematical formulas to project performance metrics, and even consider morally conflicting situations. When taking the exam, it is important to quickly recognize the type of question that you are being asked. Once you know this information, it will be much easier for you to recall the specific knowledge that you need in order to answer the question correctly. In this article, we will go through the different types of PMP questions that you will encounter on the exam and give you an understanding of how to approach each type. The blog covers: 1. Situational Questions 2. Formula-Based PMP Exam Questions 3. Defin...

For many years, project managers approached the project management lifecycle the same way we would climb a staircase: one step at a time, completing each step before moving on to the next. Project managers have always been known to be methodical, deliberate, and task focused. While this remains a pillar of good project management, the world is changing. As project environments become global, digitally focused, and increasingly complex, the solely linear approach to project management has become outdated. Often, projects do not follow a "straight line" to success. They may circle back or revisit previous steps or work on multiple things at once. If projects were managed in a way that meant every step was done individually, it would be agonizing to get complex projects done in a timely manner. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has taken note of this. In their commitment to ensuring that project managers adapt to changing needs, PMI have revised the exam to reflect the ever...