Elizabeth Harrin's Blog, page 2

How to Set up a PMO (Project Management Office): A Step-by-Step Guide

I love this topic because, like many of you; I was brand new to PMO Management when I was first offered a PMO. It was scary and you might not understand where to start. Yes, you can search up and down LinkedIn, and I can tell you that there is advice there for sure, but it is often not expert advice.

I read it all the time, people telling you how to run a PMO and have zero or very limited experience doing it themselves. I saw a PMO expert that was offering an eBook for building PMOs on LinkedIn a couple of days back, but when I dug into his profile, he had no PMO experience. His LinkedIn banner said he was a PMO coach as well!

So, I am not saying this to disparage anyone; I am not. I say that the key to learning is through hands-on experience, and a classroom setting can only provide limited knowledge. So, please search for people who have done this before because those are the ones that have learned the hard lessons and can really help you grow in this PMO space.

Why learn from me?

Let me spend a minute and tell you the story of when I started in my first PMO leadership role. I was a project manager working for AT&T Wireless in the early 2000s; I think it was 2003, and my director at the time asked me to take on running the Data Warehouse PMO from her.

I was a Data Warehouse Project Manager at the time and had lots of experience managing projects, but never a PMO. But, she wanted me to do it, so I said yes, I would love to try. She was managing the PMO at that time, and was asking me to take it over for her.

I was excited and scared at the same time. Handing me her PMO meant a ton to me, and I would not fail. So, that’s it, and really that simple; I hinted to her I wanted it for a long time and she finally caved in and gave it to me.

What is a PMO?

I have said this a couple times in articles and interviews before, but there is no single definition of a PMO.

Let me explain. A PMO at one company can mean something completely different to another company.

For example, when you define a PMO, focus on the P of the PMO. Is that P stand for Project, or does it mean Program or Portfolio? That’s the point, but when you don’t know what the executives want for the PMO, then you will not know how to define the PMO properly.

I have seen so many definitions of a PMO being a “Project Management Office” meaning the P is for project management and that is not wrong, but it is not the same across every company.

My current PMO has Portfolio, Program and Project Management. So, I am using all 3 Ps in this case. Therefore, don’t look for a single definition from the web or anyone article. Look for what makes sense for your company.

What are the different types of PMOs? Aka… The PMO Model

I think this list grows every time I get on LinkedIn. It is crazy how we can keep saying the same thing in different ways.

Here is the list I have used for a while that seems pretty solid and ones adopted and accepted by the industry.

PMO types include:

DirectiveControllingEnterpriseAgileManagingSupportiveCenter of Excellence

You may see different names from these listed above, and I get that and like I said, it is changing all the time. But for now, as you are learning and growing in this space, stick to what the industry is already using.

What are the roles and functions of a PMO?

This is also a very interesting question because what you see when you search on what roles and functions do you need in a PMO on the web, the most common result that comes back is project management roles.

You might see some other roles like Business Analysts, but again, it is very much project management related. That will make sense when your PMO has Project Management as the main P, but what I have done is come up with a better and more structured way of understanding what roles and functions you need in your PMO.

I have used this same process across my PMOs for years now with great success. Basically, what you do is take your PMO Service Offerings that your PMO is going to perform, and you create the roles needed to perform those services. It is that simple.

You can check out the book here: PMO Service Offerings eBook on Amazon today that guides you through this simple but effective end-to-end process.

What are the benefits of a PMO?

This is another significant area to cover when creating your PMO, but another area as well that will differ from PMO to PMO and organization to organization.

You should start with a benefits list like this below, but adjust and tweak for your organization.

Standardization of program and project executionImproved governance across the organization and individual projectsResource management and utilizationIncreased program and project visibilityIssue and risk management across programs and projectsKnowledge sharingEnhanced communicationsStrategic alignment to the companies mission and visionPerformance measurement and process improvementOngoing training and employee development

As you can see, there are just some of the top benefits of having a PMO at your company, but these benefits, although standard across the industry, may not resonate with your company.

As a new PMO leader, make sure you have a benefits list that everyone in your organization can rally behind.

What skills are you going to need to run a PMO?

As a new PMO leader; you don’t know what you don’t know, so having a list of these skills is important.

Here is what I feel you will experience most days in your PMO and, therefore, you will need these skills to be successful. They include:

HelperAdvisorTeacher/MentorFacilitatorAuditorStrategic PlannerHR ManagerNegotiationCommunicationsMotivationProblem Solving

Make sense? Did I miss any? Anything else you would add? If you are new at running a PMO, jot down this list and look for courses and ways to improve your skills in these areas. I can help you as well if you are really serious. If interested, just email me at billdow@dowpublishingllc.com.

Ok, let’s jump into it now, with a look into how we build a PMO.

How do you setup a PMO?

That’s a significant question because when I got that PMO role, I had eleven years of project management experience already, but zero running a PMO. So, I did not know where to start officially, but more in a position to take over what she already had in place.

Remember, back then, 2003 PMOs were new, so there was nothing in place like there is today. At that time, the internet had limited resources to assist me in understanding what to do. There were no books or experts available in the field.

So, what I did and in hindsight, it was not the right thing to do, but I started running the PMO based on how I ran my projects. So, if I had an issue and risk log for my projects, then, of course, my PMO would need risks and issue logs.

If I had a schedule for my project, then, of course, my PMO needed a schedule as well. With that, I also wanted to see all the project manager’s schedules, so one of the SOPs of my PMO was that all project managers had to have project schedules.

Basically, I ran the PMO like I ran a project. In hindsight, that was not the right approach, but that was ok, it was all I knew back then. My focus was on the tactics and execution of all the projects in the PMO, rather than on the PMO itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoZT3... did I do wrong? A look back into how I built PMOs

Well, first I have to say, go easy on me, remember the timeframe, it was 2003 and there was not a lot of information about PMOs. It is quite different today where everywhere you turn, there are PMO materials at your fingertips. Back then, YouTube wasn’t available either!

But, what did I do wrong and where many, many PMO managers struggle today, and that is this: not treating their PMOs like fully fledged organizations.

Ineffective leaders don’t treat their PMOs like they would treat Finance, HR, IT, Marketing, etc. They don’t look at PMOs like a business function, but more so a place to crank out programs and projects, which is very wrong.

I wanted to share where I began managing PMOs and how I approached it because I believe it will resonate with you and where you might be today. You might not look at your PMO like an organization as important as say Finance.

I would say “STOP” right there and change your thought process. If you think that way, change your thinking about your PMO, so you are giving it the importance that it is at your company. It is not about cranking out programs and projects.

Does that make sense? Ok, let’s keep going and unpacking that a bit more.

Challenges in setting up a new Project Management Office

Establishing a Project Management Office can be an exciting, but it is not without its challenges. Trust me, in the ten PMOs I have built, they have not been easy. I had management challenges, people challenges, budget challenges…etc.

I know for a fact that one common hurdle that organizations face when setting up a new PMO is resistance to change. PMOs have such a negative connotation to them that just in the name alone, people turn away and think it is negative. Employees may be comfortable existing processes and reluctant to adopt new methodologies introduced by the PMO.

Manage the change

Most people don’t like change and introducing a PMO is a big change to how projects are run in a company.

As a PMO leader, to address this proactively, it is crucial to involve stakeholders early in the planning process, communicate the benefits of the PMO clearly, and provide ample training and support to help everyone transition smoothly.

Emphasize the benefits

By emphasizing how the PMO will enhance efficiency, reduce risks, and ultimately lead to better project outcomes, you can mitigate resistance and foster agreement from all levels of the organization.

I have done this by ensuring the “why” behind the PMO and what value it brings to the organization. You do that by interviewing key stakeholders and understanding the problems they are having around program and project execution and then put those Services in place to address those challenges for your PMO.

Yes, there are many challenges to getting support for a Project Management Office (PMO), but if your PMO effectively addresses current and future business challenges, it will increase its acceptance.

Secure the right resources

Another challenge that organizations often face when setting up a new PMO is the limitation of resources. Limited budget, inadequate staffing, or competing priorities can hinder the smooth implementation of the PMO.

For example, many PMOs are not just one person, they often start out with limited staff and then grow and grow based on the perceived value they are bringing to the organization. But the more staff you hire or move into the PMO, the more expensive it is going to be for the company. Executives don’t often want to put a large budget towards operating a PMO, which is a huge challenge.

To overcome this resource obstacle, it is important to identify resource gaps early on and prioritize allocation based on critical needs. By defining the service offerings and using my PMO Staffing Model RACI, you can identify the services the PMO will offer and determine the staff needed to perform those services.

Here is an example: your PMO is going to have a governance and intake process. Well, on the PMO Staffing Model, you would have Governance and then you outline the staff you need to perform the Governance Process.

Another example, your PMO will have dashboard and reporting, then you are going to need report developers. I have outlined this entire process in a lot of my materials, of course, the best being my book “The PMO Lifecycle: Building, Running, and Shutting Down” sold on Amazon today.

Be proactive

Navigating the complexities of setting up a new PMO, finding practical solutions to address challenges efficiently becomes huge and challenging for any new PMO leader. This means being proactive with your project management office and constantly searching for opportunities to grow in the future.

Embracing a mindset that values continuous improvement and agility ensures that your PMO remains adaptable and will continue to grow. I can’t stress that enough that you need to be continually looking to improve and mature your PMO.

Planning your PMO

When embarking on establishing your Project Management Office, the initial crucial step is to define clear and measurable goals and objectives for your organization.

Your PMO is a fully fledged organization and if you don’t treat it like that, you will only ever be a bunch of programs and projects. If you approach it like an organization, you will need to have clear statements about your purpose, your future direction, and your targets because that is what you typically do in any organization.

I strongly believe that your PMO is just as important as Finance, HR, IT…etc. So, when you align your PMO goals and objectives with overarching organizational goals and objectives, you create a roadmap for mapping your PMO to your company.

If you want more information on my tactical steps of building a PMO, check out my article on the steps to building a PMO. 

Building your PMO team

As you embark on establishing your Project Management Office (PMO), one critical aspect is building a strong and cohesive team. Identifying key roles and responsibilities within the PMO structure is vital to ensure that operations run smoothly and efficiently.

A PMO team plays a unique role in creating an amazing PMO, and your role is to ensure you build the best one possible.

Create a staffing RACI

I have a tool that I have been using for years that I think you might like as well. It is called the PMO Staffing Model RACI. I used it for years and what I love about it is that it gives you the roles and the services of the PMO and it outlines how you are going to staff those roles.

Consider the skills required

When determining the roles required for your PMO, consider the diverse skills and strengths needed to cover all aspects of the organization, not just project management.

For example, you may need a Governance Analyst that may or may not have project management skills and that’s ok. Or a Communication Specialist who ensures clear and effective interaction within the PMO. By assigning responsibilities that align with each team member’s skill sets, you are optimizing their performance and enhancing overall productivity.

Read next: How to create a powerful PMO Mission Statement

Build out people-based programs

Once you have your PMO staff in place, one thing that I have done for the last several PMOs was build out a series of people-based programs in the PMO.

Those programs include:

PMO Leadership ProgramPMO Buddy SystemPMO Mentoring Program

It is these kinds of programs that will help you grow your staff, invest in their future and give them the hope they can keep growing and learning in your PMO.

Build a team

Imagine your PMO team as puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together to complete the bigger picture of an organization’s success. Each individual brings something valuable to the table, whether it’s technical expertise, leadership skills, or creativity.

By recognizing and capitalizing on these unique talents through thoughtful role assignments, you are not only ensuring optimal performance but also fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute their best work.

Ultimately, building your PMO team is about creating a supportive ecosystem where each member can thrive and collectively drive projects towards successful outcomes.

Ok, I have lots and lot to share in the people side of running a PMO, but for now, let’s move onto another area where I feel is critically important, and that is standard operating procedures (SOPs). I love them; I think they are so important.

Developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the PMO

As you think about creating a PMO, one of the smartest things that you can do is to ensure very early in the process that you have SOPs created for the particular services of your organization.

I love this idea and I have created SOPs before, so let me provide some details here so we can align on this process. When you think about what SOPs to create, it is going to be based on your PMO services you offer.

As I mentioned before, your PMO services they are going to be based on your PMO type (Directive, Controlling, Supportive etc), and when you think about creating SOPs, you need to think about the ones that make sense for the different services of your organization.

Here are some typical PMO SOPs you can create:

Governance SOPsPortfolio Management SOPsProgram Management SOP’sProject Management SOP’sBusiness Analysis SOP’sTraining SOP’s

This is just some SOPs that you can create for your PMO, and again, it is going to depend on the Services, the type of PMO…etc. That will all drive which ones you will have in your organization.

Why SOPs?

The SOPs are like the guideposts to which the various roles in the organization follow for their particular area. You want everyone to follow repeatable steps to ensure standardization across the organization.

Imagine having a series of SOPs for all roles in the PMO and you know people are following the same processes and procedures where possible. Also, by having clearly defined SOPs, you eliminate ambiguity and ensure consistency across all roles.

Examples

For example, in executing projects, you could create a standard operating procedure that includes clear descriptions of important steps, goals, assigned tasks, and communication guidelines that apply to all projects.

This clarity not only defines expectations, but also facilitates smoother coordination among team members who are aware of what is expected at each stage of the project.

Another example could include having a standard procedure for risk management within your PMO ensures potential risks are identified proactively, mitigated effectively, and tracked consistently across projects.

Document your SOPs

Documenting these procedures in a user-friendly manner will make it easier for new team members to onboard quickly and align themselves with the established processes without unnecessary confusion or delays.

When documenting SOPs that are more comprehensive, you create valuable resources that can be referred to whenever needed by anyone inside and outside of the PMO.

By documenting lessons learned from past projects and incorporating them into future endeavors, this systematic approach not only enhances risk response mechanisms, but also contributes to building a culture of continuous improvement within your PMO.

These documented lessons become valuable resources that can be referred to whenever needed by anyone inside and outside of the PMO.

Many PMO leaders forget about having standard SOP’s in place, but when you do and you get these all setup, you are going to help move your PMO bar tremendously.

Implementing tools and technologies for Project Management Offices

Selecting the right project management software is a crucial step in establishing how you will report and show the data from your PMO.

You need to research and select tools that perfectly align with the unique needs of your organization and be clear, there is no one tool that solves everything you will need in your PMO.

For example, if your organization focuses on agile development methodologies, opting for software like Jira or Trello could be beneficial.

If your world runs both Agile and Waterfall software development projects, then traditional project management tools might work better. This is an organization specific decision and tools need to be right sized for your needs.

Ensure your team can use the software

Once you’ve chosen the software for your PMO, the next vital step is ensuring that your team members are well-equipped to use it effectively.

Imagine giving your PMO team members tools and expecting them to run their projects with those tools without training? We can expect that the results may not meet expectations.

Similarly, by providing thorough training sessions on using the selected software, your team members can sharpen and enhance their efficiency. This investment in training will pay off in the long run by streamlining processes and optimizing project delivery using tools and processes incorporated into these tools.

Popular tools

There are tons of tools on the market for PMOs that include:

Microsoft Project OnlineMicrosoft Planner PremiumSmartSheetAsanaMonday.comWrikeClickUpJiraTrelloConfluenceAirTableBasecamp

The tool list is endless and grows daily, so keeping a full consistent list won’t be possible. However, the list above is some of the more popular tools and ones I would recommend.

Your company is going to have their own versions and opinions of what they recommend, so a lot of times PMO Managers need to deal with the tools the company gives them to use in their organization.

Choose tools that create your foundation

When selecting tools that complement your projects and offering comprehensive training to your PMO team, you’re not just modernizing project management within your organization – you’re laying down a foundation for future program and project success.

Remember, investing time upfront in choosing suitable software and empowering your team through training is key to unlocking maximum efficiency and success within your PMO structure.

Monitoring performance and continuous improvement

Once your Project Management Office is up and running, the next step is to think about monitoring performance and striving for continuous improvement.

I think it is so important to continue to determine how you are going to grow and mature your PMO that I wrote an eBook on the topic. It is called PMO Process Improvements eBook and you can grab the eBook here. In this eBook, you are going to find the tricks and techniques I have used for years in growing and maturing PMOs.

If you incorporate just some of these areas, you will go a long way in maturing your organization.

Establish KPIs

Another way, and this is not something I recommend you doing immediately when first building a PMO, but when the time is right, but that is establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Align these KPIs with your organizational objectives and they should provide a clear snapshot of how well the PMO is functioning in meeting its goals.

For example, if one of your PMO’s objectives is to reduce project delivery time, a relevant KPI could be the average time taken from project initiation to completion. I have written an eBook on the topic called PMO Metrics eBook, and you can click the link to grab your copy.

Regularly review metrics

Regular KPI and metric reviews are essential in the monitoring of your PMO and allow you to identify areas that require attention and drive continuous growth within your organization.

By conducting these reviews at set intervals, you can create a feedback loop that enables you to adapt strategies, address challenges proactively, and capitalize on opportunities for improvement across your organization.

By defining specific KPIs unique to your PMO’s objectives and instilling a culture of regular performance reviews, you can cultivate an environment that thrives on data-driven decision-making and ongoing enhancement.

Monitoring performance allows you not only to measure success objectively but also empowers you to make informed adjustments towards creating a more efficient and effective project management ecosystem.

Embrace this step as a chance to refine and innovate within your PMO, driving sustainable growth while staying aware of emerging trends or changes in industry best practices that can enhance your operations.

Communicating effectively within the PMO and across teams

Effective communication is the cornerstone of a successful Project Management Office (PMO). Let me say that again, communications are key.

I wrote a book called Project Management Communication Tools a couple years back for project communications and I'm thinking strongly about writing a new book specifically for PMO Managers on communications.

Establishing clear communication channels within the PMO not only promotes transparency but also fosters collaboration among team members.

For instance, setting up regular team meetings, using project management software for updates, and encouraging an open-door policy can promote that information flows seamlessly within the PMO.

Transparency in communication helps in aligning everyone towards common goals and enhances overall productivity. When you think about various communication channels, here are the top ones I have found in running many PMOs.

Let’s look at what I use in my PMO.

PMO communication channelsPMO Leadership to Executive LeadershipPMO Leadership to Customers and Customer LeadershipPMO Leadership to PMO employeesPMO Leadership to other organizational employees

Does that resonate with your organization as well, because across several PMOs these have been the main interactions I have and therefore, should be roughly the same for you as well?

Emphasizing the importance of effective communication across the PMO is vital to minimize risks and address issues promptly across your organization.

Encouraging feedback loops where team members feel comfortable sharing concerns or suggestions can lead to quicker problem resolution and improved decision-making processes.

Sometimes, you are still going to go through the forming, storming, norming, and performing with people and that’s normal and expected, and really an important part of learning how to communicate with one another.

Collaboration tools and dashboards help PMO communications

Another trick and tool I have used across several PMOs is implementing tools like instant messaging platforms (for example, Microsoft Teams) and PMO Dashboards (like PowerBI) can facilitate real-time updates on project progress, ensuring that everyone is informed.

By fostering a culture of open communication both within the PMO and across teams, organizations can create a supportive environment where ideas are freely shared, leading to innovative solutions and smoother project executions.

This is a topic I could write about all day, and my advice as a PMO leader is that you have to focus on those different communication channels every day running your PMO. The more you communicate and get the PMO information out to your various audiences, the better position you are in running your PMO.

Running your PMO – How is that different than building!

We have covered the basic steps for building a PMO, but you are also going to be in a spot where you have to run what you have built. That differs from building a PMO and pulling everything together. I have lots of information that I can share, such as my “How to run a PMO webinar” that you can watch and get some information, because building and running is very different.

One of my best pieces of advice I can give you is that you need to continue to mature your PMO at a pace that is comfortable for you and your organization.

You will always have an executive who wants you to go faster and produce more, but the reality is that your organization will control the pace of change. Nothing else, so remember that as you think about maturing your PMO.

You yourself will also want to implement everything as fast as possible to show value, and I get that. I have done it before myself, but don’t forget to remember crawl, walk, run. Crawl, walk, run is something I talk about all the time in maturing PMOs.

Making incremental improvements is more important than trying to rush maturity on everything and in the end making little to no improvements.

Remember, your organization controls the pace of change, so understand that pace of change and you will do just fine running and maturing your PMO.

Your next steps

As we wrap up one of the most important areas I wanted to cover in this entire process is: you are not alone. I was exactly where you were, 20+ years ago and if there is anything I can make your journey easier, I am here for you.

To everyone embarking on this PMO journey: remember that successful implementation is not just about ticking off boxes – it’s about embracing each step as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

With determination, dedication, and a sprinkle of humor along the way, you are well on your path to achieving your end-goal of efficient and effective project management practices. Stay focused, stay resilient, and watch how these fundamental steps will help your PMO grow.

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to Set up a PMO (Project Management Office): A Step-by-Step Guide

Are Google Career Certificates Worth It for Getting Hired? Employers Weigh In

If you’re considering a Google Career Certificate to boost your resume, you’re probably wondering: Will it actually help me get a job?

Google has built a strong reputation with its Coursera-hosted certificate programs across digital marketing, project management, data analytics, IT support, and UX design. But what do employers think?

We spoke with legal experts, recruiters, and business owners who hire entry-level talent to get their unfiltered thoughts on whether Google certificates carry real weight in the hiring process.

But before we get to their thoughts on employability post-training, let me quickly recap what you can expect from the Google Career Certificates (and I’ve got the project management one and the digital marketing one).

What are Google Career Certificates?

Google Career Certificates are self-paced, online training programs developed by Google and delivered through Coursera, which is a learning platform I find surprisingly easy to use. I thought it would be clunky, but it’s really well designed.

Designed for beginners, the certificates cover job-ready skills in:

Digital Marketing & E-commerceProject ManagementData AnalyticsUX DesignIT Support[lasso id="39905" link_id="301453" ref="google-professional-certificates"]

Each certificate takes roughly 3–6 months to complete at 10 hours/week and ends with a shareable digital credential on Credly (this is my Credly profile).

But you can do them faster (as I did) if you put the work in – it also helps to have some prior experience as there is quite a learning curve if you’re coming to the topics from nothing.

This is my Google Digital Marketing and e-Commerce certificate

So on to the big question: Do Google certificates get you a job? Let’s hear what employers said when I asked them.

What employers said“A positive signal”

I have over 15 years in law and run a specialised wills and estates practice, which means recruitment is very deliberate. I’ve come across candidates mentioning Google Project Management certificates. It can be a positive signal, especially if the certificate is paired with relevant experience and practical skills.

While the certificate alone doesn’t guarantee success, it shows commitment to learning. I once hired a paralegal who had the Google Project Management certificate. Their organisational skills and understanding of project timelines improved our case management efficiency noticeably.

In my view, these certificates work best as a supplement to hands-on experience, showing a candidate’s willingness to grow and adapt.

Oliver Morrisey, estate lawyer, owner and director at Empower Wills & Estate Lawyers

“Recommended”

This is one certification we recommend that our remote candidates pick up if they're interested in project management positions.

It gives employers a recognizable resume line to pair with their overseas universities, and also helps with aspects of U.S. corporate culture that may be unfamiliar to Latin American candidates.

Hayden Cohen, CEO of Hire With Near

“Demonstrate initiative and technical upskilling”

These certificates can be great for demonstrating initiative and technical upskilling, but they’re not always seen as a direct substitute for real-world experience. Some clients have faced frustration when recruiters or hiring managers dismissed their qualifications, despite having completed these intensive programs and showing clear competency.

The certificates tend to carry the most weight in companies that already value alternative pathways into the workforce, especially tech startups or forward-thinking mid-sized businesses.

I’ve advised clients to pair the certificate with tangible project work such as freelance gigs, case studies, or internships, which significantly boosts their credibility.

For employers, it’s not just about the credential, it’s about whether the candidate can apply what they learned in real workplace scenarios.

Edward Hones, Founder at Hones Law

“Most valuable for entry-level and early career candidates”

The individual’s background and the role they’re applying for influence how much value the Google career certificate adds to their resume. I see it as most valuable for entry-level and early career candidates, or those who are pivoting from another career path -- basically, individuals who don’t have a lot of relevant workplace experience on their resumes.

In these situations, a Google certification can make a difference in whether I advance them to the next stage of the hiring process.

The context around the certification makes a difference here, too. Google Professional Certificates are solid credentials, but they are also widely available, so on their own they aren’t likely to be a difference-maker for most candidates.

However, they increase in value when paired with a well-rounded portfolio of work like project plans and retrospectives.

Matt Erhard, Managing Partner, Summit Search Group

“Not a game changer”

Typically, these certifications aren't game changers in our interview processes. There will be very niche roles where Certifications could add great value, such as our Google Researcher role, but in those cases the technical abilities of the people who have earned those certs is far more important than the certification itself.  

Generally, I do like to see that candidates are continuing their education and learning new things to keep ahead of trends and convey that their interests match what we are looking for, but more often than not, having a Google certification isn't likely to land you a job.

It may be a keyword that gets a recruiter to find your profile, but other than that it's just a confirmation that the candidate is continuing to learn.

Todd Riesterer, Chief People Officer, Huntress

Do employers recognize Google Certificates?

Short answer: increasingly, yes. Employers do respect Google certificates.

Google Career Certificates are supported by an Employer Consortium of over 150 companies, including Deloitte, T-Mobile, Accenture, and SAP. These organizations consider graduates from Google’s programs for open roles and encourage non-traditional pathways into digital careers.

Beyond that, the Google name carries weight. A Google-backed credential on your LinkedIn profile or CV often stands out, especially for entry-level applicants without formal degrees or experience.

Where they help (and where they don't)

Most employers who responded to my request for an interview agreed: Google certificates are a good start, but not a full substitute for experience.

They help when:

You're early in your careerYou’re switching industries or rolesYou use them to build a portfolio or complete side projectsYou can speak to what you learned in an interview.

They may not be enough when:

You're applying for mid or senior roles without experienceYou treat the certificate as the end goal rather than a launchpad. This is my Google Project Management Certificate, verified on CredlyFinal thoughts: Are Google Certificates worth it?

So, are Google certificates worth it for jobs and employability?

For self-starters? Yes.For changing industries? A helpful stepping stone.As a signal of skill? Stronger than you might expect, especially with Google’s brand behind it.

Remember, there are a lot of Google individual certificates that don’t carry the same weight as a fully-rounded Career Certificate (i.e. a group of courses under one umbrella topic that leads to a meaningful education in a topic and a Credly badge).

In a competitive job market, getting a job after earning a Google Professional Certificate can be easier as they help you stand out in a meaningful way. They show you can upskill quickly, show initiative, and learn employer-relevant tools like Google Ads, Asana, SQL, and more.

As someone who’s reviewed the course and spoken to employers, I’d say yes, but you have to put the work in. Also, the hiring value is different for different employers.

They won’t guarantee a job, but they can absolutely get your foot in the door, especially when combined with self-led projects, volunteer experience, and a standout LinkedIn profile.

Thinking about enrolling? Explore all Google Career Certificates on Coursera.

If you’re serious about changing careers or launching into digital-first roles, it’s one of the smartest steps you can take.

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Google Data Analytics Certificate reviewGoogle Project Management Certificate reviewData Analytics: The real time commitment and 10 week study planHow I passed the Google PM certificate in a week

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Are Google Career Certificates Worth It for Getting Hired? Employers Weigh In

3 Myths About Managing Multiple Projects That Are Blocking Your Promotion

Watch my free webinar training on the 3 critical skills you need to manage multiple projects. Learn the skills you really need to juggle all your work!

Managers promote people who are a safe pair of hands, who know how to get the job done and can work efficiently at all levels of the organization.

Being able to manage multiple projects is one way to evidence that you can do all of that.

Here are 3 myths you might be telling yourself about what it’s like to manage multiple projects: myths that might be stopping you from taking the next leap in your career and showing your boss you can do it.

Myth: The books will show you what to do

You’ve got a bunch of project management books on your shelf. You’ve done a course. You’ve got this project management thing all figured out – maybe you’ve even got a certification to prove that you can do it.

Truth: Certification won’t give you the skills to juggle multiple projects

The truth is that ALL the books I regularly recommend (and yes, even the ones I have written) tend to look at managing projects as a one-off thing.

You start a project.You work on it with your team.You finish it.

But back in the real world, people are juggling more than one project. We work in businesses and organizations where we don’t have the luxury of being able to manage a single project at a time.

Partly that’s because most average projects are small enough not to need someone working on them full-time.

The other part of the reason is that businesses are delivering more change and people with good project management skills are in short supply. There is simply too much that organizations want to get done and not enough PMs to go round, so we all end up managing multiple projects simultaneously.

The certification prep books will show you how to pass the exam, but not how to adapt your ‘official’ skills into a way that streamlines the effort of managing several things at once, so you remove duplication and stop annoying stakeholders with multiple requests of their time.

Tip: Get the skills to manage multiple projects so you can truly tackle all the things on your To Do list in the most efficient way.

Myth: Your manager knows what you are working on

You do regular reporting, and maybe even time sheets. Your manager knows what you are doing every day and how much work you have.

Truth: They set work but haven’t really got capacity to track what you are doing day to day.

Your manager gives you stuff to do, but in my experience, they only have a very high-level overview of what you are working on from day-to-day. I learned this the hard way.

I called my manager late at night after a particularly difficult conversation with a project sponsor. I burst into tears and couldn’t hold my voice steady so I had to call her back.

The problem was this: my sponsor had asked me to do something that was virtually impossible and also (in my opinion) a waste of my time. It was an admin task: copying handwritten lists of who had attended a training course into another format so they could be kept electronically.

I couldn’t get that done and do everything else, and I was already working until late at night from a hotel. I came up with another plan: if it had to be done, get a temp admin assistant to do it. Although that came with the overhead of recruiting and hiring someone to sit and transcribe the list.

Still, if he felt this work was valuable, then paying for it was going to be OK.

I explained all this to my manager and she said: “He probably doesn’t know what else you are doing, so he thinks it’s OK.”

It was like a lightbulb going off in my head. He literally has no idea of how I am spending my time, and certainly isn’t aware I’m on the phone crying to my boss at 10pm at night because of the need to type up lists of names.

I also thought: How can he not know? I speak to him every day. He knows we are busting a gut to get this project delivered. What does he think we’re doing?

But the truth is: he probably wasn’t thinking about me (or anyone else in the team) that much at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2aZE...

We’re all senior managers. We should be able to manage our time and escalate, and have adult conversations about workload. Why wasn’t I doing that?

Because I was burning out with trying to please everyone and hold this project together… but that was on me.

My sponsor had his own difficulties, his own stakeholders to keep on side. He was also working long hours in a complex environment, where requirements were changing regularly as new information became available.

He had enough in his brain without wondering whether I had time to type up some lists.

So: lesson learned. Don’t assume your boss or your project sponsor know how you are spending your time. They heap on the work because they don’t have complete visibility, however much you try to provide that. The only one who knows how long your workload is taking is you.

I’m sure this is why we sometimes get given extra projects and the expectation that we can get them done.

Tip: Transparent reporting helps. Weekly reporting on fast-moving projects helps, and include the effort you are making as PM. For too long I reported on what the team was doing without including my effort. Find ways to tell people what you are doing.

Myth: Working longer hours is the only way to survive

When you get given more projects to run, the only way to get the work done is to spend more time at work.

Truth: There are strategies to help you structure your work and still get home on time.

There are synergies (I hate that word) that you can deploy to speed up managing more than one project. You can batch work, merge meetings, and structure your time.

In other words, if it takes 10 hours a week to manage one project, it doesn’t necessarily take 20 hours a week to manage two. (That’s simplistic as each project is unique and is going to take a different amount of time depending on lots of factors, but go with me on this.)

Working efficiently between several projects is the best way to get the work done and get home on time.

Caveat: Sometimes people truly do give you more work than you can humanly do, and in those situations you need to push back.

Tip: Blend processes together and find ways to streamline the effort. Use the right strategies to structure your work and manage your time, so you can take advantage of the synergies between projects and processes.

Learn how to manage multiple projects. Watch my free training on the 3 skills you really need to know to learn how to juggle your workload effectively and get all your projects done (yes, even the low priority ones).

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: 3 Myths About Managing Multiple Projects That Are Blocking Your Promotion

Can You Get a Job with the Google Project Management Certificate? (Yes, here’s how)

One of the questions I’m asked most often via LinkedIn or through my mentoring practice is whether the Google Project Management Certificate is enough to get a job.

People are worried that they’ll invest time and energy and it still won’t be enough. So is it?

I’ve taken it myself (as well as many other project management exams over the years) and I used to lead a team of project managers, so this is my take on the job prospects linked to the Google Project Management Certificate.

Key things to knowThe Google PM Certificate can open doors to a new job (phew!).You’ll build a better, stronger application if you can show practical experience and interpersonal skills as well.A lot depends on your potential employer’s expectations and industry norms.What does the Certificate teach you?

The Google Project Management Professional Certificate teaches you the basics of project management in an easy-to-consume, accessible way. You’ll learn:

Practical project skills: planning, execution, kick off and closeAgile ceremonies and basic Agile principlesDocumentationSoft skills like stakeholder communication

The Capstone project helps you apply your learning and gives you an example you can talk about at interview (although a real example is 100 times better than one from your studies).

[lasso id="35054" link_id="300991" ref="coursera-pm"]Do employers recognize the Google Certificate on Coursera?

OK, on to the big question! Do employers recognize the Google Project Management Certificate?

On the plus side:

Google’s brand is highly credible.Anyone who has looked at the training will know that it is good quality.Many recruiters see Coursera certificates on resumes these days, so it’s a well-known and common training provider.

But employer practices vary. Some will insist on PMI credentials or APM credentials, or train you in their in-house method and look for potential rather than courses.

Employability reality check – are you likely to get a job?

So, is there evidence that employers recognize the Google Project Management Certificate when hiring for project management roles?

Actually, there is quite a lot!

1. Employer recognition through Google's Career Certificates Employer Consortium

Google has established a Career Certificates Employer Consortium, comprising over 150 U.S. companies, and there is a UK version as well – I’m not sure if there are others but it’s worth checking for your country.

These are made up of organizations that are committed to considering Google Career Certificate graduates for entry-level positions. When you complete the Project Management Certificate, you gain access to an exclusive job platform where you can apply directly to opportunities from these employers.

2. Job listings on employment platforms

Job platforms like ZipRecruiter list lots of positions that mention the Google Project Management Certificate. For instance, when I did a search for "Google Project Management Certificate" I got over 350,000 job listings across various industries and locations.

You’d want to narrow it down a bit based on your location and interests (and removing the jobs where ‘certification’ is in the job title), but you’ll certainly find some roles where it will be valuable.

3. Academic institutions incorporating the Certificate

Some educational institutions, such as Purdue Global, have integrated the Google Project Management Certificate into their programs, offering students the opportunity to earn the certificate alongside academic credentials.

That’s a good thing, right? It highlights the certificate's relevance and recognition in both academic and professional settings.

The certificate certainly won’t be the only thing employers look for. They’ll also want to see a strong LinkedIn profile, highlighting relevant work experience.

What employers say

"This is one certification we recommend that our remote candidates pick up if they're interested in project management positions," says Hayden Cohen, CEO of Hire With Near.

"It gives employers a recognizable resume line to pair with their overseas universities, and also helps with aspects of U.S. corporate culture that may be unfamiliar to Latin American candidates."

Helps with cultural fit

It gives employers a recognizable resume line, and also helps with aspects of U.S. corporate culture that may be unfamiliar to candidates.

Hayden Cohen

Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon Placements, agrees. "We've seen candidates with the Google Project Management Certificate secure interviews and offers where their practical understanding of frameworks like Agile and Scrum gave them an edge over peers without formal experience," he says.

"Employers, particularly startups and mid-sized firms, appreciate that the certificate signals initiative and foundational knowledge. While it's not a replacement for experience, it does reduce onboarding time, especially in project coordination and junior PM roles."

Reduces onboarding time

While the Google Project Management certificate is not a replacement for experience, it does reduce onboarding time, especially in project coordination and junior PM roles.

Deepak Shukla

However, employers also look for other skills -- the certificate alone isn't going to let you waltz into a role.

"In my view, the Google Certificate is more like a starter kit, not a differentiator," says Oleksii Kratko, CEO of Snov.io, which has an international team including workers based in Ukraine.

"In the past, we’ve hired three managers with Google Certificates, all for entry-level roles. The credential signals foundational knowledge (Agile, Scrum, risk matrices) and, crucially, self-motivation. For junior positions, it’s a pragmatic filter, and if two candidates are tied, the cert tips the scale. But it’s never outweighed real-world tests."

A filter for hiring

If two candidates are tied, the cert tips the scale. But it’s never outweighed real-world tests.

Oleksii (Alex) Kratko

Snov.io hiring managers simulate crisis scenarios during interviews, like, 'Your dev team just lost connectivity mid-sprint. Walk me through your next 20 minutes.' "Certificate holders often default to textbook steps, while stars improvise solutions using tools like Starlink backups or decentralized task re-routing," Kratko says."

The Google project management training doesn't cover much in the way of softer skills or help employers see that you have those interpersonal and power skills like creative thinking or resilience.

"Senior hires at our company need 'algorithmic empathy'," Kratko says. "It's about balancing data-driven deadlines with human crises, for example pausing a sprint because a teammate’s city is bombed."

"We’ve passed on certified PMs who aced Coursera but failed our 'empathy audit',  like refusing to adjust timelines for an engineer evacuating family. Conversely, our best PM joined as a support agent with zero certs but re-engineered our deployment pipeline during the 2022 blackouts using handwritten Gantt charts."

Now that's a unique experience to share at interview... 

What jobs can you get with the Google Project Management Certificate?

The Certificate is an entry-level course – you aren’t going to get a Senior PM job or be hired to manage a major infrastructure program as a result, especially if you don’t have any prior project management experience.

Look for entry-level project management roles:

Project CoordinatorPM AssistantJunior Project ManagerProgram AssistantScrum Team Support roles

Salaries for these jobs vary by geographical region and industry. The APM salary survey (2025) reports that consultancy, energy and utilities and the legal profession have the highest project management salaries, so if you’re not bothered about what sector you work in, check those out!

Entry-Level Job TitleTypical Salary (UK/US)NotesProject Coordinator£25k–£35k / $45k–$65kGreat first stepJunior Project Manager£30k–£40k / $55k–$75kOften needs some experiencePM Assistant£22k–£30k / $40k–$55kSupport-focused roleScrum Team Assistant£30k–£45k / $60k–$80kAgile-focused teamsProgram Assistant£24k–£32k / $45k–$60kBroader admin/project workHow to boost your job prospects after the Certificate

Let’s say you’ve completed the certificate and are looking for a job. Here are some tips on how to boost your job prospects and make your application more attractive to employers.

1.      Complete the Capstone

Complete the capstone project. It’s a lot of work, but it gives you hands-on experience filling in documentation and drafting emails to stakeholders.

For tips, see my article on how to get through the Sauce and Spoon case study.

Showcase your project on LinkedIn.

2.      Do a project

Sounds obvious but hiring managers want experience. Get some experience.

Volunteer through PMI or a local project management association.Take on a project at work.Structure your own work like a project – there’s nothing stopping you writing a project initiation document or starting a risk register for your day job activities.3.      Use the AI Job Search course

This is a bonus module available within the certificate program. It’s not going to affect whether you get your certificate or not, but it’s worth going through it to learn how to maximize your job opportunities.

It will help you plan for interviews and draft a strong application. You’ll also get hands-on experience with Gemini and Notebook LM, so that’s more skills you can put on your CV or resume.

4.      Post your Credly badge

Link your achievement to Credly and get your badge and course completion linked to your LinkedIn profile. This is so it can be verified by employers.

5.      Keep learning

Read, watch YouTube, go to conferences. I recommend starting with some accessible project management books like Managing Multiple Projects that will help you get job ready for a busy workplace.

The bottom line

Yes, you can get a job – but the certificate is just the first step. You won’t necessarily walk into a job, but it can certainly help you get hired.

Many employers still look for PMI credentials, so get the Google certificate first as it’s cheaper and counts towards your professional learning study hours requirement for PMI credentials, and then consider the PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®.

Keep learning and applying your knowledge. You’re on the right path, and a job is just around the corner!

Your next steps

Want to kickstart your PM career? The Google Certificate is beginner-friendly and flexible – enrol now on Coursera.

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Can You Get a Job with the Google Project Management Certificate? (Yes, here’s how)

Google Data Analytics Certificate: Time Commitment + 10-Week Study Plan [Realistic Breakdown]

I put off taking the Google data analytics certificate because I thought it would take forever… in this article I’ll share what I learned so you can plan your time.

So, how long does Google data analytics certificate take?

First, we should acknowledge that the course is advertised as around 140+ hours for the mandatory modules, but my experience and other students’ experience show that completion time varies.

How long it’s going to take you is determined by:

Your previous data analytics experience (I had none)Your willingness to put the time inHow comfortable you feel with the tools, and how quickly you pick up the conceptsYour learning style and preferences – people who take a lot of personal notes are going to probably learn more comprehensively, but it will take longer.

Having said all of that, the most important factor is your motivation: why are you doing this course? If it’s simply to tick a box, you can scan through the materials. If you are doing it because you really want to get an analytics job, you’ll need to truly learn and therefore spend more time on the concepts and assignments.

Not sure if the course is right for you? Read my full Google Data Analytics Certificate review.

Google Data Analytics Certificate: Time estimates from Coursera

The published Google data analytics time commitment recommendation is that you should spend 10 hours per week on learning which means it will take you around 6 months to finish the materials.

The timeframes given by Google (and Coursera) for each module are:

Foundations: data, data, everywhere: 12 hoursAsk questions to make data-driven decisions: 15 hoursPrepare data for exploration: 19 hoursProcess data from dirty to clean: 20 hoursAnalyze data to answer questions: 26 hoursShare data through the art of visualization: 18 hoursData analysis with R programming: 31 hoursCapstone project (case study): 11 hoursAccelerate your job search with AI: 6 hours

Don’t worry – you can complete it much faster. Lots of students report completing it in 2-3 months. If you can spare a couple of evenings a week or a full weekend day, you can get through the material sooner.

[lasso id="37398" link_id="301045" ref="google-data-analytics"]Realistic completion time for the Google Data Analytics course

I found that I was much faster with the Foundations module than any of the others because it covers ‘corporate’ stuff that I found easy to pick up. I got through the first module of that in a couple of hours one Saturday afternoon, and that included going through all the ‘general’ course readiness introductory pieces as well.

The data analysis with R module includes learning new tools, so the recommendation is right that it will take longer than any of the others.

10-Week Google Data Analytics study plan

Here’s a Google Data Analytics study plan that you can use as a starting point for your own learning.

Week 1: FoundationsWeek 2: Ask questionsWeek 3: Prepare dataWeeks 4-5: Process dataWeeks 6-7: Analyze dataWeek 8: Share data with visualizationWeeks 9-10: R programming

This Coursera data analytics weekly schedule doesn’t include time recommendations for the Capstone or the AI job search courses as these are optional. If you do want to do them, the Capstone could take 2-4 weeks. The AI job search course you can complete in an afternoon.

Each course has a different number of modules.

Foundations has 4 modules. You’ll get through this course the quickest and it gives you a chance to get into the studying habit.

Ask questions has 4 modules, with module 4 being one on stakeholder relationships so that’s a relatively ‘light’ module.

Prepare data has 5 modules. Module 4 and 5 are short, but the database essentials module is time-consuming.

Process data is 6 modules. Module 5 is optional as it’s about adding data to your resume – which may or may not be relevant. You can always come back and do it later. Not completing that module won’t affect your pass mark for the course. The final module is a course wrap up which you can scan through quickly.

Analyze data is 4modules but this is a sizeable course so it’s worth allowing a couple of weeks. If you do it faster, great.

Sharing data is 4 modules, with module 4 being about creating slide presentations. If you are already experienced at using slides and building out stories in presentation format, you will be able to get through this one quite quickly.

R programming is 5 modules. There is a lot of new things in here. While the course builds on what you have learned in other courses, you’ll be programming in RStudio, learning R Markdown, creating visualizations and exporting them.

If you already have R experience or pick up this kind of tool quickly, you might be able to do it faster, but it is not something I have previous experience of.

How to finish the Google Data Analytics Certificate faster

OK, let me share some tips for how to complete the Professional Certificate faster. However, be aware that whizzing through the material does not equal learning!

If you want to recall the concepts and be able to talk about it at an interview, learn at your own pace.

Watch videos at 1.5x or 1.75x speed.Read the transcripts instead of watching the videos at all (skip to the end of the video with the scrub bar to mark it as complete)Focus more time on hands-on labs and assignments – this is the really valuable stuffBatch small modules into study sprintsUse the mobile app for flexibility so you can watch videos on the moveComplete your data journal as you go – it does help.

You’ll also complete it faster if you don’t do the Capstone or the AI job search module. Having said that, you get the certificate whether you do those courses or not, so it won’t make it faster really – it will just feel faster!

Is the Google Data Analytics certificate worth the time?

Even part-time study makes progress. I watch Coursera videos while at the gym (which is not often!!) or while having breakfast. You can fit them in as they aren’t long.

You’ll be learning new skills throughout the course, and you can put those into practice immediately in your job. You don’t have to wait until you complete the whole certificate before you use them or talk to your employer about your career preferences.

Want to start today?

Ready to begin?
Start the Google Data Analytics Certificate on Coursera today and learn at your own pace. No experience required!

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Google Data Analytics Certificate: Time Commitment + 10-Week Study Plan [Realistic Breakdown]

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate: My experience and review

I put off starting the Google Data Analytics course because I read that it was a big time commitment, and I didn’t really have time to feel like I was giving it my all. I was also a bit daunted about having to learn programming languages.

I’ve now got round to starting the courses (at least), and this is my Google Data Analytics course review of the materials and the Professional Certificate.

How I did this review

I signed up for a Coursera free account and audited the class. I watched the videos and took the ungraded quizzes, working through the course materials to see what I thought of the content and the course learning management system.

Key things to knowThere are 9 courses in the professional certificate: only 7 are compulsory.You will need to spend time learning new tools.The certificate is going to make you less job-ready than you think, although employers will still value your new skills.Course overview

The Google Data Analytics professional certificate is made up of 8 courses:

Foundations: data, data, everywhereAsk questions to make data-driven decisionsPrepare data for explorationProcess data from dirty to cleanAnalyze data to answer questionsShare data through the art of visualizationData analysis with R programming (this is the Act step – the doing of the work)Capstone project (case study)

There is also an optional course called Accelerate Your Job Search with AI. That’s 4 modules and is helpful if you want to learn how to use Gemini and Notebook LM for interview prep or to work on your resume or online presence.

Courses 1-7 are the steps you’ll go through as a data analyst to use data to inform your decisions. The capstone project is a way to synthesize all that you have learned. The other Google Professional Certificates also have capstone projects – it’s a way of making sure that you’ve got actionable skills instead of just having the ability to pass multiple-choice assignments.

Each course is made up of multiple modules – Foundations has 4, for example – and you have a graded assignment at the end of each module in order to pass.

Who is this course suitable for?

Is the Google data analytics certificate good for beginners? Absolutely. This course is suitable for beginners. It’s open to everyone including non-traditional learners and those without degrees.

Alternatives to the Google Data Analytics Certificate

If you already have some data analysis experience, there is an alternative course aimed at people like you: Google Advanced Data Analytics.

There’s also the Google Business Intelligence Certificate, which is great if you use BI a lot in your job (or would like to).

There are also courses by IBM and Meta that might be a good fit for you, but I’ve had amazing experiences with other Google courses so to be honest I didn’t even look at those!

How to pass the Google Data Analytics Certificate

To pass, you need to complete and pass all the mandatory courses in the certificate program, which means scoring 80% or more in each of the graded assignments.

You also need to pay the course certificate fee (or pay through another method, such as Coursera Plus subscription, the Coursera financial aid program or via your employer’s subscription or sponsorship).

How long does it take to complete the Google data analytics certificate??

You might be wondering, what’s the time commitment? That’s certainly why I delayed starting the training.

There is a lot of material to cover. The mandatory courses are advertised as taking 141 hours. You can speed up some of this by watching videos at 1.5x speed, and I’ve always found that the estimates given are a bit over-egged for my personal learning.

You are going to have to put the time in.

It sounds easy, but you’ll also need to commit to not giving up!

If you are coming at this course from a non-mathematical, non-data background like me (as a project manager) then you have quite a steep learning curve.

How hard is the Google data analytics course?

For someone who hasn’t done any type of data analytics before, I found it quite hard!

The Foundations module is OK, because if you have corporate experience, the material on ‘why do we need to do data-driven decision making’ is easy. But if you’re coming to the topic fresh out of school, then there is definitely a learning curve.

However, the material is well-presented and each course builds on the next with plenty of revision over topics.

Skills covered in the course

The analytical skills you’ll learn in the course include these:

CuriosityUnderstanding contextTechnical mindsetData designData strategy

Although the course trainer makes it clear that you probably already have these skills already and it’s just a case of learning how to use them in a business scenario.

There’s nothing in the course about stakeholder engagement, conflict resolution when two sets of customers want the data to show different things, working with project managers or business analysts or any of the other multitude of soft skills that will make it easier for you to do the job.

There are other courses that teach that, so you can learn soft skills elsewhere, just don’t expect to cover them in this certificate.

Interactivity and engagement: learning with Coursera

I like the Coursera platform. The videos are well-produced in the Google courses, with engaging quizzes and hands on labs. There are plugins, templates, downloads, glossaries and other resources that help you learn.

There’s also the community, so if you get stuck or just want to hang out with other learners, there is that option too.

Coursera interactive quizzesThe data journal

During the course, you’ll create a data journal which is a useful place to put your reflections and learnings.

The course includes a template and reflection prompts, so you can complete it as you go along.

What tools are used in the Google data analytics course?

You’ll use Google Sheets, Google Docs, Kaggle, SQL, R, Tableau, Google Slides, and some AI tools like Notebook LM and Gemini if you take the AI course.

Does the Google data analytics certificate teach Python?

No, the training does not cover Python, so if you want to learn that, it would be best to take another course.

There is the Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate that does cover Python, so check that one out.

The Capstone project

People worry about the Google Professional Certificate capstone projects, and this one is a big project.

You have two options to work through the case study, either using existing questions and data sets or choosing your own data. If you don’t have any professional experience to draw from, I’d recommend using their dataset (Track A) so you have data to get started from.

There are two options within Track A: a case study on bicycle trip data or one on fitness tracker data.

Track B is where you can use your own data to create a case study path – better if you have a job where you can use a real business problem. However, you have to use a publicly available dataset that focuses on an area of interest so it’s not possible to use corporate confidential information for your case study.

I mean, you could if you wanted, but it’s probably best not to as you’re submitting it for the world to see.

As part of the Google data analytics capstone project, you’ll create a Kaggle profile and notebook, which is where you’ll put your portfolio content.

However, it’s worth noting that the Capstone project is optional. You don’t have to complete it in order to earn the certificate.

Google Data Analytics CapstoneOverall pros and cons of the Coursera Google Data Analytics courses

The advantages of doing this professional certificate from Google are:

You’ll learn new skills and have a different outlook on data.It’s an entry-level data analyst course, so suitable if you don’t have any work experience in the field.You’ll be learning SQL and R for data analytics, at least the basics.You’ll be able to talk knowledgeably enough in an interview to land an entry-level job.It’s open to everyone, and you don’t need any prior knowledge, so you can check out data analytics as a career choice without having to commit too much – then if you like it, you can move into that role.

The disadvantages are:

Most corporate jobs I know rely heavily on Excel, and all the resources here are Google Sheets – not good, but understandable.There is nothing on Python. Perhaps there are license issues that mean they can’t offer that? Instead, you’ll learn SQL and R, which are OK but perhaps not so common in corporate jobs.The SQL content is light. That might be OK for you, but you might also want to learn more in an additional course, especially if you want to go for roles that require SQL skills.Will you get a job?

Finally, we need to address this: Can you get a job with Google data analytics certification?Well,

I can’t say if you as an individual will get a job, but as an employer I can say that I would think highly of this certificate but it wouldn’t be the only thing I’d look for. Additional work experience and interpersonal skills are also important.

Maybe use your new data analytics skills to take on some small projects in your existing job, or do some volunteer work, or use publicly available datasets, so you’ve got some examples to talk about at interview.

Google Project Management Certificate Jobs resultsIs the Google Data Analytics Certificate worth it?

Yes, my conclusion is the data analytics certificate is worth it if you are in a job where you need to work with data (so, lots of jobs) or if you want to make data analytics the core of your professional career and are just starting out or want to job switch into that kind of role.

It will help you get an entry level job and talk knowledgeably at interview but it will not equip you with enough hands-on practical skills to feel like you could easily get started in a job. I think you’d still need a bit of hand-holding and live experience to feel properly confident.

Once you’ve learned the material, there is nothing to stop you using the tools in your spare time to get better, and build a portfolio you can use at interview. But you’ll have to put extra time in for that.

Cheapest way to get the Data Analytics certificate

I hope you’ve found this Google Data Analytics certification review useful! If you’re ready to sign up yourself, the best and cheapest way to get the Google career certificate in data analytics is to join Coursera Plus.

Audit the courses first to do as much of the learning as you can – or at least make a start without paying anything. Then sign up for Coursera Plus and complete as much as you can during the free 7-day trial. Then you won’t have to pay for Plus access for too long!

Other Coursera Certificate reviews

I’ve been a long-time fan of Coursera and the courses you can do there.

Check out these other reviews of courses and professional certificates you might find useful:

Google Project Management Professional Certificate ReviewIBM IT Project Manager Certificate ReviewLearnQuest Scrum Master Certificate ReviewIBM Project Manager Certificate ReviewGoogle Digital Marketing & E-commerce course reviewFundamentals of Project Planning and Management course review

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate: My experience and review

Managing Multiple Projects: The research

What are the key skills for working on multiple projects simultaneously? What tools do you use to prioritize your work? How do you get through the day when you’re juggling All. The. Things?

I posed these questions (and more) to our community and the insights were illuminating. And unfortunately, not in a good way. In this article, we’ll dive into the statistics and you’ll learn:

The top challenges facing people managing several projects at onceThe key skills required for managing multiple projectsThe top tools for prioritizing work day-to-day

This wasn’t a survey about project portfolio management at the PMO level. Instead, I wanted to know what it’s like as someone who has a workload made up of several projects – because that’s the world I live in too.

Other research you might find interestingManaging multiple projects statistics (2024 research that informed the 2nd edition of my book, Managing Multiple Projects)Project management statistics and survey results (2023 study)Managing multiple projects research (2022, this informed my book, Managing Multiple Projects -- first edition)Project management report (2021, this research is where the much-quoted "most project managers lead 2-5 projects" statistic comes from)As someone running several projects at a time, which of these challenges do you face?

The biggest challenge for people leading many projects is that they feel like nothing is being done to a good enough level of quality due to time pressure: 62% of respondents said this was an issue for them. Project managers want to do a good job, and when things are busy and you have multiple balls to keep in the air, that’s tricky. Tasks get done – but they don’t necessarily get done to the standard we’d like. Everything is a compromise.

“It gets very difficult to keep up with timelines AND quality,” one respondent added. “Trying to cut scope or ask for more time are the only options if you want to keep up with quality.”

“For me the difficulty is that management doesn't make a decision up front as to what's important but rather waits until the umpteenth detail is known with a lot of time wasted to decide not to do it,” wrote another. “Repeat the next year.”

The next biggest challenge reported was working longer and longer hours as time goes by (46%). That could be to do with the fact that 44% of project professionals reported that their manager giving them more work.

“New work is being assigned without being reviewed for priority or as part of the long term strategy/plan,” wrote one project manager, and many others added similar comments about the lack of organizational portfolio management, like these:

Poor strategy planning hence poor implementation in order to realize benefits sought.Other corporate requests are not coordinated so I am trying to do my program work whilst being bombarded with multiple other requests/deadlines.Competing priorities where everything is considered priority #1.

What’s that saying: If you want something done, give it to a busy person?

Project managers are busy, and we’re good at getting stuff done. We’re a safe pair of hands for managers to delegate to, and more often than not we deliver.

Work is falling through the cracks

About a third of project managers (34%) report that work is slipping through the cracks and that’s a challenge for them as a professional leading multiple projects – no one wants to drop the ball.

Case study

“The example I am thinking of is a situation when I had 2 projects with different sponsors but stakeholders overlapped. The difficult part was one project hit some issues early on and I was being pulled by that project more because of that. The sponsor for the other project raised concerns about his project falling through the cracks because of that (it didn't and his noise caused more work and frustration).”

Anonymous project manager

What are the key skills for managing multiple projects?

There are as many ‘key skills for managing projects’ lists as there are researchers who have asked people what they think are the top skills. However, this particular study turned up some interesting insights as you can see from the graph below.

Planning is the top skill identified as being able to manage multiple projects, closely followed by communication and stakeholder engagement.

Nearly 70% of project professionals thought that team management was crucial, with 62% reporting they felt project control and governance was key.

Survey respondents recognized over 60 different skills, from attention to detail to vendor management. Here are some of the verbatim responses:

You should really be a skilled PM before managing multiple projects. Building relations and cross-coordination between more projects are important.Organization is also a key skill when it comes to managing multiple projects!Self-care - i.e. taking on only what can reasonably be delivered without burning out.Proactivity and ownership.Political awareness. Ability to use a crystal ball particularly in a global pandemic.Case study

“I had two major projects that were at different stages. One internal department ITSM launch nearing implementation using ICT resources only who struggled to prioritize time to complete tasks due to BAU and supporting the corporate customer need plus other internal ICT projects. We didn't have the benefit of resourcing tasks with addition project staff so a drain on people's time which led to realigning the implementation date (which we had in our gift). Unfortunate that we didn't have resource to take time to implement something well for ourselves as in place to assist corporate customer and we couldn't meet the expectations and control that we normally demand from the business customer. We were the business customer but knew where our tolerance was and cut corners which isn't how you should run projects.

“The other project at the time was in the initiation stage with an external customer in partnership. This had a higher priority and required the same resources and it was deemed for this to take priority which was frustrating for the resources involved as we couldn't prioritize our internal need.”

Anonymous project manager

What techniques do you use to prioritize your work?

Prioritizing work when you have more than one project running at the same time is a challenge. We all know that some stuff is intrinsically more important, but it’s hard to have the argument with a senior executive who wants tasks for their projects to be completed by yesterday.

So how do multi-project managers choose what to work on?

The urgent vs important matrix (also known as the Eisenhower matrix) topped the list at 42% of project managers reporting they consider task urgency and importance before making the choice about what to get done.

The Pareto 80/20 principle also scored highly, with more than a quarter of respondents reporting that they actively considered the tasks that drive results and focused on those.

Both Eisenhower and Pareto require professional judgement, so it’s no surprise that there were so many project managers who responded to the survey with verbatim remarks that reflected that.

Responses ranged from:

The numerous enterprise /PMO metrics which are measured on a monthly cycle combined with reporting out to the stock market every 12 weeks.

to

Literally, it is whatever is on fire today.

Ouch.

Here’s a selection of what people had to say about how work is prioritized in a multi-project environment.

I have to write things down. I have a 'to do' book, lists of things to do, the bigger/more asterisks, the more important. And if urgent I move things through to the 'do today' list – sort of Eisenhower but not as structured.My own work: gut feeling. Team's project delivery tasks: MoSCoWWhich client is screaming the loudest ...Whoever yells the loudest? (It’s horrible and embarrassing to admit, I know!)No real formal tools used, it's often ‘gut feeling’ or management determination based on project constraints.I just have a list I maintain with dates and notes.Case study

“One difficult experience comes to mind where we were creating a touchless check-in application for visitors. There were 3 different systems that needed integration and the Engineering Manager thought it would be good experience for a junior developer to work on the project. What was initially estimated to take one quarter, ended taking 4. The frustration came where this developer was very green and didn't have the experience needed for such a complex project. The senior developer put in charge to mentor her was very hands off and ended up leaving the organization. After raising my concerns several times to both of the Engineering Managers, it seems everyone was just too busy on their other projects to give her the time needed to help her complete the project (thus finishing the work in 4 quarters instead of 1).

“With all the "busyness" I tried several times to ease team-lead and Engineering Managers burdens by attempting to delay their current projects so they could help the junior developer finish the project, but with all of us working remote, it just didn't seem to pan out. They would say in meetings that they would help her, but just kept getting too busy to make the time.

“I documented this as a risk, and continued to communicate it up the chain to leadership, but nothing changed. Time went on, and she finally finished the project. She did receive some help from other developers at times, but I was astonished that her direct managers did not provide more guidance.

“In the future, when I see projects that require multiple system integration, I will push more for more senior/experienced resource, and ask that if a junior developer be assigned to the project, require they pair program with a senior developer and actually assign that project to the senior so they are the one accountable/responsible, instead of the junior. I will also make sure the team has a better understanding of how all the systems will be affected and increase the estimated development timeframe to accommodate the unknown for complexities when it comes to integrating multiple systems.

“I think the demands on project managers these days to be the best at communication, problem solving, emotionally high IQs, leadership skills, etc. etc. is incredibly difficult to maintain and achieve. Even if one person is able to harness all those qualities, that still doesn't make up for the rest of the team needed to make a project successful. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink! A project manager needs the team to also have those qualities of excellence to be a success!”

Katherine

What stops you from being productive?

The survey also asked about productivity killers and what gets in the way from being able to do the best work possible in the time available.

It was surprising to see that procrastination (putting off doing tasks) came out top with 34%. For people who confess to being busy and overworked, it seems odd to delay doing the work, but procrastination is the result of many issues, not least being so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start.

Over a fifth of respondents said that disorganization was an issue for them: not being able to find their files or wasting time looking for things or doing work unproductively due to not having everything to hand.

Poor planning – not knowing what should be done – affects one in five project managers.

The story I take from this is that the multi-project environment is overwhelming, complex and changing. It’s hard to plan when priorities change daily and your To Do list is getting longer and longer.

Some of the other reasons for not being productive included:

Death by Meeting: the vendor scheduled multiple meetings every week with overlapping agendas. Too much time spent talking and not enough time to actually do the work.Decision makers can't be reached, delays until we get the yes or no on direction.Inability to have meaningful, timely conversations with stakeholders because of scheduling conflicts, time zones, and lack of urgency for some in the group.Lack of focus which leads to mistakes, missing things are not being organized. Feelings of firefighting projects rather than managing them.Multiple fires, team members not meeting deliverables, having to include everyone in decisions before moving on.Peri-menopause messing with my head so having to spend every morning recapping where I am on each workstream and every evening setting up myself an overly complete handover. Also duplication of tasks that I don't remember I've already done.How do your projects relate to each other?

How do you work on several projects at once and still keep your sense of humor? Well, being able to think about projects in buckets helps. Categorizing the work into ‘Client X’s projects’, ‘Transformation initiatives’ ‘Construction projects due in December’ and so on helps you see how they relate.

In the survey, 59% of project managers reported leading work that was dependent on other projects they were running. This should be a good thing, because you can more easily identify the impacts of any resource or time constraints and juggle things around within your workload to deal with them.

Nearly 70% of respondents said their projects had dependencies on other people’s projects, and that’s tricky. When you are reliant on other project managers, there’s a lot more communication, negotiation and juggling to do to make sure both your project and their project still hits all the expected deadlines.

It’s also common to have to juggle both types of dependencies: 43% of professionals said they handled a personal portfolio that required them to both manage dependencies between projects they were leading and those that others were leading. Only 16% of people reported only running projects that had no dependencies on any other projects.

Case study

“It’s very difficult to make a case for why your opinions should matter when others don't have the big picture view of repeat issues, e.g. Engineering isn't doing enough QA testing. Program managers are treated more like secretaries than like experts in their field. I'm becoming more and more aware of the sexism in this job. And how many men I have to convince that my opinion counts just keeps growing. They are getting promoted while I sit here holding the bag. What am I doing wrong?”

MJ

How do you streamline your work?

Two of the techniques I teach for managing multiple projects are merging meetings and consolidating risks.

Over 80% of project managers do not consolidate risks across multiple projects to see if the combined effect of a risk is greater than individual effect. That is not surprising: project risk management is not currently taught in that way. Creating a consolidated risk profile is something typically done by the Project Management Office to show the overall risk exposure for a portfolio across a department or division – not by project managers.

Nearly 30% of project managers do not combine project meetings where it makes sense to do so.

There are opportunities for teams that don’t consolidate risks or meetings to consider whether doing so would win them back some more time (I think it would). Having said that, I agree with what one Kris wrote in the survey responses: “No amount of project management will help with overload of work. Sometimes projects must be cancelled or put on back burner and that's okay.”

Case study

“I'm right in the middle of a startup with my company. Expectations are constantly moving around. 13 official projects. I'm barely keeping it together. Oh and we're most likely changing our project management software. No big deal. To summarize, I'm in the thick of it. Managing personalities and expectations is probably my biggest issues. Some stakeholders want to know exactly what to do and how to do it. The others go off on their own without a plan of attack. I schedule regular meetings with my stakeholders for all updates. I at least feel in the know about information.”

Sara

What this means for project management practice

You guys are amazing. I'm in awe at what people manage.

At the same time, some of the stories are awful. People who left jobs because of the workload. People who are trying to protect their team's well-being because the organization itself doesn't seem to care.

There were lots of comments that were hard to read: people being under-appreciated and overworked. People struggling with poor management and lack of a strategy.

Project management is a great job, but only when it’s a great job. When the other pieces aren’t there, it’s a hard slog to get anything done. Sadly, today it feels like it’s mostly slog. The role of the project manager is in crisis.

For every celebratory story in lists like PMI’s most influential projects , there’s a project manager crying on her way home from work, or handing in her notice because it’s too much, or struggling to get a seat at the table, let alone a voice.

All the project management training I’ve ever done has focused on how to manage one project, with the expectation that you can simply repeat everything for all the projects you manage.

There’s a gap between how project managers are trained today and what the real-life expectation is for someone doing the job – a gap I can help you fill with my Managing Multiple Projects book or course (if you prefer to learn like that).

Let me help you juggle all your work. I can’t magically make your boss understand what the role of a PM is or help your company develop (and stick to) a set of strategic priorities. But I can help you feel more in control of your own workload and more equipped to talk about how stretched you are.

Notes on the research

This article is based on data collected from an online survey conducted during 2021. There were 413 responses from people self-selecting to take part and identifying as project professionals in some capacity or other. We did not collect demographic data (age/gender/location etc) but instead focused on meaningful questions that would provide insights into what it is really like to work on multiple projects simultaneously.

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Managing Multiple Projects: The research

A Framework for Managing Multiple Projects

How do you start to get your work under control when you are juggling several projects at once? That’s the question I answer in my book, Managing Multiple Projects.

The starting point is knowing how all the different parts of your workload fit together so you can manage them in an efficient way. And do not worry, I have a simple 5-step framework that will guide you through.

https://youtu.be/bU5UVdzAeQA?si=b-Ys2...

The picture below shows the Managing Multiple Projects framework. It’s not truly linear because not much in project management is. Most methods for getting work done require review and reflection so the ‘step-by-step to a specific end goal’ is rarely the perfect answer to the complexities of the modern work environment. There are too many complications and diversions that get in the way!

Instead, think of the framework as the five concepts that will help tame the chaos of multiple projects, leading to (hopefully) more confidence that you are making the right kind of progress.

You don’t have to look at them in order. It does help to have an understanding of your personal work portfolio before you try to plan your activities for the next few months, but if you want to dive into personal productivity first, go right ahead.

The pieces of the framework are:

PortfolioPlanPeopleProductivityPractices.

Let’s look at each of those.

Portfolio

This is where you gain a consolidated understanding of your current workload in a way that helps you see patterns and groupings across all the things you are doing.

You’ll be equipped to talk about your workload in a different way – using portfolio management principles – and get tools to prioritize what you have to do.

Plan

This is where you combine your project schedules to give you a holistic, big picture overview plan of all your responsibilities. You’ll learn to look at task scheduling in different ways to help you make better decisions about where to spend your time and to avoid wasting effort on planning work that will have changed by the time you get to it.

This overview will inform whether you can take on additional work and when by improving visibility of what you are already committed to in the coming weeks and months.

People

This part of the framework teaches you how to engage and work with the most influential stakeholders – the people who are interested in and impacted by your projects, and those who have to contribute to the work.

You’ll learn how to keep track of all the people you work with and how to prioritize your time with them. Just as project schedules overlap, so too do people’s interests.

When you understand how your stakeholders interact with your various projects, you can use their time more efficiently too.

Productivity

The best processes in the world won’t help if you feel personally disorganized and struggling with productivity. While productivity looks and feels different to different people, there are some common elements that many people find challenging.

In this part of the framework, you’ll learn and implement tips and tricks for managing your own work and creating focus time in your week to dedicate to the tasks that are a priority for you.

Practices

Finally (although it doesn’t have to come last in your learning), you’ll find it easier to be successful if your wider environment is set up for success.

Many people managing projects are not the top leaders in their organizations and can’t influence strategy, what tools are in use, or how many projects the business promises to clients.

This section is about looking for things you can influence that will make your life easier and support your colleagues at the same time, such as by creating processes and checklists to make work repeatable and standardized.

That takes away some of the mental overload of having to think of what to do all the time so you can use your brainpower for more value-added tasks instead.

Putting it into practice

The framework is designed to be scalable whether you are managing two projects or twenty-two (hopefully you aren’t managing 222). You can take the pieces of it that feel the most important to you and use those, or adopt the whole thing as an extension to the way you work today.

If you want more information on how to make this happen for you, the step-by-step approach is covered in my book. That will help you make choices about how you can implement tips, tools and tactics, and it includes a roadmap for turning what you learn into action.

Managing Multiple Projects takes you on a journey to critically review your workload and make changes in how you work to be more efficient.

This is an edited extract from Managing Multiple Projects: How Project Managers Can Balance Priorities, Manage Expectations and Increase Productivity (Kogan Page, 2025.)

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: A Framework for Managing Multiple Projects

3 Reasons you need the skills to manage multiple projects

Watch my free webinar training on the 3 critical skills you need to manage multiple projects. Learn the skills you really need to juggle all your work (and still leave the office on time!)

Why do you need to learn how to manage multiple projects? That’s what we’re looking at in this article.

I’ll share the 3 main reasons why you need to develop a range of skills – beyond what’s taught in the project management books – to help you meet the real demands of the job: multi-project management.

What does it mean to run multiple projects?

If you are managing multiple projects it means you have more than one project on the go at the same time.

You’ll have different project teams (even if the people on them are the same people). You might have different sponsors or customers.

Each project has its own timeline and you have to manage your time to keep them all moving forward to hit the planned deadlines and milestones.

The hardest thing, in my experience, is managing the expectations of the different stakeholders because they all expect their project to be the most important.

That’s what it looks like to juggle several projects at the same time. But why is any of that important? Let’s look at why you need the skills to manage several projects simultaneously.

1. Because most people manage multiple projects

If you are (or want to be) a project manager today, you’ll most likely be managing multiple projects at the same time.

Multi-project management is the norm. In a survey of project professionals, only 15% are running one single project. Everyone else is running more than one. Between 2 and 5 projects is the most common range, but 26% people are leading more than 6 projects at the same time.

Part of your job description as a PM today is to run more than one project at the same time. Simultaneous multi-project management is what the job is all about.

2. Because it’s expected of you

Your manager might not say it, but more projects are coming your way! It might not be written in your role profile, but your boss expects you to juggle several things at once.

That’s partly because more and more work is project-led. There’s more knowledge work, there are more change initiatives to get done. And partly because we’re expected to have the skills to cope with a greater workload.

Efficiency, project management tools and streamlined processes help us deliver more with less time.

At least, that’s the expectation.

When those things aren’t in place or aren’t working efficiently, you still might feel overwhelmed with it all! Managing multiple projects with competing deadlines takes it out of you, and that’s why Reason 3 is important.

3. Because you need to get home on time

Ready for the truth of it? Without the skills to manage multiple projects, you’ll crash and burn.

I’ve seen it happen, and I’ve been on the verge of it myself (fortunately I managed to change my situation before it became crippling).

When I first started getting more and more projects added to my workload there were two choices: do the extra work and work more hours, or don’t do it and take the career implications of being seen to not deliver.

Neither of those are great choices, to be honest.

Having the skills, tricks, processes, experience, knowledge – whatever you want to call it, and it’s a blend of all of those – to keep multiple projects happening, moving forward, being seen to deliver AND get home on time… that’s the secret to being able to meet your manager’s expectations and avoid the burnout.

Protecting your mental and physical health (and that of your team) should be one of your key priorities. It was something I didn’t realize until much further along in my project management career. I figured I would always be able to do it all, but actually I couldn’t.

Whether you want time to go to the gym on a work day, or time to spend with your family, or time to unwind with the TV and a glass of wine at the end of the day (instead of doing emails until 11pm and then rolling exhausted into bed), you need to make that happen.

Juggling multiple projects is a challenge and a skill. And when you get it right it’s rewarding. You get to meet more people, deliver more value and have variety in the day to keep your job interesting. But it does come with the risk of overwhelm, which is why going home on time should definitely be on your ‘must do’ list.

What if you can’t leave on time?

Time for another reality check: It’s not always possible as a project manager to make it out of the office on time every day. In fact, the more senior I got in my job, the more likely it was that there was some kind of crisis to handle or a request from a director that couldn’t wait until the next day.

However, you should get to leave on time some of the time. The more you can manage your own diary, prioritize your workload and make progress during the normal working day, the easier it is to manage your time to at least get away from your desk at a reasonable time, some of the days.

Next steps

To reach your ultimate career success goals, it’s normal these days that you have to manage multiple projects. It’s part of the job – despite most textbooks only teaching you about how to manage a single project.

Learn how to manage multiple projects. Watch my free training on the 3 skills you really need to know to learn how to juggle your workload effectively and get all your projects done (yes, even the low priority ones).

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: 3 Reasons you need the skills to manage multiple projects

Thinking Commercially: A Skill Every Project Manager Needs (and Can Learn)

Delivering value – real, strategic, measurable value – requires something more than delivering on time and within budget: commercial awareness. Project managers need to drive the commercial impacts of their projects.

It’s not just about spreadsheets and budgets. It’s about understanding how your project contributes to the bigger picture, spotting opportunities, asking better questions, and sometimes challenging assumptions.

Commercial thinking isn’t just for senior leaders or finance teams. It’s something every project manager can, and should, develop.

I’ll share what thinking commercially means in practice, why it matters, and some ideas to help you build your confidence in this area, drawing on concepts from my book, Customer Improvement Selling: Unlocking Commercial Potential in Technical Experts.

The book provides practical frameworks based on insights from behavioural science, commercial best practices, and my own international research. Its goal is to enable employees in technical roles (any non-sales role) to make more meaningful contributions to projects and thereby help drive their commercial impact.

Why project managers need a commercial AIM

To break silos and enable all types of experts in an organisation to contribute to the commercial success of projects, project managers can adopt the commercial AIM mindset: Anticipate needs, Inspire with insight, Mobilise change.

Anticipate needs

Project managers must be proactive in identifying customer needs and market trends. By anticipating these needs, they can develop solutions that address potential challenges before they arise.

This proactive approach ensures that projects are aligned with customer expectations and drive client loyalty and retention.

Inspire with insight

Inspiring stakeholders with valuable insights is crucial for gaining their support and commitment. Project managers can identify key opportunities for customer improvement and communicate these insights effectively.

By doing so, they can inspire different stakeholders to rally around new ideas and drive positive change.

Mobilise change

Mobilising change asks project managers to engage and motivate their teams and stakeholders.

Applying a structure to better understand stakeholder motivations and addressing potential obstacles enables project managers to develop strategies that facilitate smooth transitions and successful project outcomes.

The COSMOS™ Framework: A checklist for commercial impact

The COSMOS framework can be used as a checklist to prepare for commercial impact. It can be applied straight away to help increase commercial impact and outcomes at an individual, group, or organisational level, especially in B2B contexts.

As we saw above, AIM describes the mindset and behaviours that, if combined and put into action, will support customer improvement through implementing the COSMOS framework.

By using both AIM (to drive customer improvement) and COSMOS (as a preparation framework for specific opportunities and customer interactions), project managers will be able to make a noticeable impact on the client experience. As a result, they will also help create opportunities to improve client retention and increase business growth.

The COSMOS framework applies to every commercial context, independent of the size or type of the organisation or the products and services an organisation sells.

It can also easily be used as a preparation tool alongside different sales and delivery methodologies to impact customer improvement at every stage of the sales or delivery process. This framework will help technical experts and all project managers to be less reliant on the knowledge or expertise of salespeople and take ownership of commercial skill development.

The COSMOS Framework: Key components

The COSMOS framework developed in the book consists of six key components:

Context

Understanding the customer's world is the first step in the COSMOS framework. Project managers need to gather information about the customer's environment, challenges, and goals. This context provides a foundation for identifying relevant opportunities for improvement.

Opportunities

Identifying opportunities that can drive customer improvement is crucial for commercial success. Project managers should focus on areas where their solutions can add the most value and develop strategies to capitalise on them.

Stakeholders

Engaging the right stakeholders is essential for driving change. Project managers need to identify who will care about customer improvement and who may resist it. The COSMOS framework provides guidance on stakeholder analysis and engagement, ensuring that all relevant parties are involved in the process.

Motivation

Understanding what motivates stakeholders to support or resist change is key to successful project outcomes. The COSMOS framework helps project managers uncover these motivations and develop strategies to address them. By aligning project goals with stakeholder interests, they can build strong support for their initiatives.

Obstacles (or Objections)

Anticipating and addressing obstacles is critical for smooth project execution. The COSMOS framework encourages project managers to identify potential objections and develop contingency plans. This proactive approach minimises disruptions and keeps projects on track.

Strategy

Developing a clear strategy for achieving commercial outcomes is the final component of the COSMOS framework. Project managers should outline their plans for realising new commercial opportunities and ensuring customer improvement. The framework provides a structured approach to strategy development, making it easier to achieve desired results.

Five valuable reasons for the application of AIM & COSMOS in a project management role

The ideas and tools explained in the book are highly relevant to project management for these 5 reasons:

Enhancing stakeholder and customer engagement: Project managers oversee teams that frequently interact with customers and stakeholders. Understanding how technical experts can contribute to customer improvement efforts helps ensure projects align with business growth and customer satisfaction.Strengthening cross-functional collaboration: It’s so important to break down silos between leadership, HR, and project teams. Project managers can leverage this approach to foster better collaboration across departments, ensuring technical teams contribute strategically to commercial success.Unlocking hidden commercial potential in teams: Technical experts, whether in IT, product development, or legal, often have valuable insights that can improve customer relationships. Project managers can use these frameworks to help their teams recognise and act on customer improvement opportunities.Aligning projects with business growth: By integrating commercial awareness into project management, teams move beyond execution to actively contributing to long-term business success. This ensures that projects don’t just meet deadlines but also support sustainable growth and customer retention.Addressing global talent challenges: Sales and marketing skills are among the most in-demand technical skills today. When project managers help their teams develop commercial capabilities, you can reduce reliance on external hiring and strengthening internal talent pipelines.

More information on Customer Improvement Selling can be found on my website, www.customerimprovementselling.com.

Promotional launch May 7-8th, the Kindle version of Customer Improvement Selling will be available to download on Amazon for only £1

This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Thinking Commercially: A Skill Every Project Manager Needs (and Can Learn)