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Last week we heard how Jerry Manas uses simplicity, clarity and focus to approach managing the ever increasing complexity in business processes. This means that project management processes consequentially are getting more and more complex as well. And we project managers need to be able to handle them.

But what does this approach actually look like in real life? What exactly does he do and how does he do it? Where does he begin his work and what hands-on advice does he have for us. In particular I want to know from him what the first 3-4 steps are that we should take when we begin working on a complex project.

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Are your projects complex?

And if your answer is "Yes of course they are complex" then how do you first of all measure this complexity and second and more importantly how do you manage project complexity?

Is it just a question of using standardized project management approaches, PM processes or maybe a project management office (PMO)?

These are some of the basic questions that I discuss in this episode with Jerry Manas. Jerry Manas has been a guest previously on our show about various project management topics. Today we discuss how to successfully manage complex projects with simplicity, clarity and focus.

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Play Now [Update: the audio is no longer available, so we removed the link] :

In this special episode we introduce you to PM War Stories - a podcast for the experienced, senior project manager. The show is hosted by Wayne Thompson and here is what he writes about this particular episode:

Project managers face and overcome risks and uncertainties frequently in their projects. Creating a project management office (PMO) is no different. It requires securing a large commitment on the part of the organization, obtaining buy-in at all levels, actively managing stakeholders and sponsors, and carefully gauging, and in some case disregarding, risks and uncertainties.

Success is not achieved merely with the creation of the PMO itself. In fact, 25% of PMOs typically fail in the third year of their existence. To build a PMO that will last, project managers need the proper infrastructure, processes, people and tools. Implementing a project portfolio management (PPM) strategy is an important early step as it helps tie those pieces together in building a PMO. Additionally, it helps drive the sustainability and success of the PMO by providing the necessary system of checks and balances that ensure projects are on track and in alignment with the organization’s goals.

This is the third podcast in a series on project management offices, sponsored by Oracle Primavera. In this episode, we will examine how to overcome the risks and uncertainties in creating a project management office and more importantly, how to successfully maintain it.

To do this, I’m sitting down with industry insider, Beth Partleton who has more than 30 years of project and portfolio management experience in manufacturing and construction. During her illustrious project management career, she was the Director of Strategic Projects for Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; she was a founder, charter member, and president of the Milwaukee/Southeast Wisconsin PMI Chapter; she was Chair of the PMI Educational Foundation Board of Directors and lastly she served on the Board of Directors for PMI’s Manufacturing specific interest group. Today she will be sharing her insights and war stories around the importance of PPM to maintain a successfully operating PMO.

We are pleased to announce that there will be three more chances to win a netbook. The next drawing will be held on February 19, 2010. To register for your chance to win, please click here - Netbook Contest [Update: the template website is no longer available, so we removed the link] . Members are limited to one entry per month so don’t forget to visit our site and complete an entry form today. Good luck and thank you for listening.

This episode is reserved for subscribers of the Premium Podcast. Learn how to subscribe to the Premium Podcast to access this interview and transcript...

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In this Premium episode of The PM Podcast we welcome back Peter Taylor, PMP who is the author of The Lazy Project Manager. 

We Talk about his lessons learned in setting up a Project Management Office (PMO). You may recall that he is the PMO Manager for the Siemens PLM Software PMO and in this episode he tells us what he has learned in the 3 years since the PMO's inception.

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