New project management articles published on the web during the week of July 28 – August 3. We give you a high-level view so you can read what interests you. Recommended:

Contract Management

• Todd Williams shares some insights gleaned from litigation over failed projects. Unless you only manage internal projects with in-house staff, you need to read this!
• Glen Alleman articulates the key distinctions between fit for purpose and fit for use, and applies them to project management.
• Pat Weaver outlines method for preventing, minimizing, or at least making visible, delays due to client inaction.
• Andy Jordan presents an interesting case study of an outsourced portfolio management office. Or more accurately, outsourced PMO services.

PM Best Practices

• Pollyanna Pixton notes that it’s easy to get metrics wrong, and explains how to design them to be effective.
• Craig Brown vents at project management textbooks that get the work breakdown structure wrong.
• Bryan Barrow points out that there are some things that Kanban software can’t do as well as Gant charting software.
• Bruce Harpham offers a few stress management best practices.
• Elizabeth Harrin provides an executive summary of PMI’s “Navigating Complexity” practice guide. PMI members can download the guide at no charge.
• Kailash Awati mines a paper from the British Medical Journal for an understanding of how organizations deal with human error: scapegoats and systems.
• Kiron Bondale lists the stakeholder questions you want to answer in your project kickoff meeting.
• Gina Abudi details a set of roles and responsibilities for team decision making.
• Nick Pisano considers the early stages of project execution, as the team establishes its operating rhythm.
• Dan Stober shares the Q&A from his recent webinar on the project manager as business analyst.

Agile Methods

• Mike Burrows recounts his experience with implementing Kanban with a new team, and how they evolved from a generic process to just what they needed.
• John Goodpasture expounds on the need for Agile methods to take compliance with external requirements (say, auditors and regulatory agencies) into account.
• Shim Marom considers (and questions) the incremental value of “deeper” retrospectives.

Professional Development

• Cheri Baker recounts her recent experience with a French client who wasn’t enchanted with her “American cheerfulness.” Time to recalibrate!
• Scott Berkun provides a master course in refining and delivering your pitch, so that your ideas get the traction they deserve.
• Lynda Bourne details the steps in building your personal brand, and leveraging your knowledge of your business contact’s brand.
• Karina Keith shares some factoids about the profession of project management, to help you get a little perspective.

Podcasts and Videos

• Cesar Abeid interviews Ky Nichol on the challenges of managing event projects like the World Cup and the Olympics. Just 39 minutes, safe for work.
• Dave Prior interviews Troy Magennis on how to apply the lessons from Money Ball to portfolio management. Just 9 minutes, safe for work.
• Mike Wheatley speaks with SAP America VP of Global Operations Tina Rosario on the growing importance of data governance. Just 12 minutes, safe for work.
• Rich Maltzman and Dave Shirley share a video of a presentation on innovation by former Obama administration CTO Aneesh Chopra. Over an hour, safe for work.

Enjoy!