You’ve nailed your certification exam and landed your first job as a project manager. While it might feel like you’ve reached the light at the end of the tunnel, your learning curve is only just beginning.
As you learn the ropes in your new position, keep an eye on the following websites for boots-on-the-ground wisdom from experts in the industry.
Become a Project Manager
Website Address: https://pmbasics101.com/blog/
Even if you’ve already earned your PMP certification, you won’t want to write off Dmitriy Nizhebetskiy’s site, Become a Project Manager. Though many of the site’s articles are geared towards those still preparing to take their exams (and who might be candidates to purchase Nizhebetskiy’s online training course), there’s still plenty of content here with enduring value for working managers.
Take Nizhebetskiy’s recent post, “One Work Breakdown Structure Example That Will Make it Clear.” The article shares the following annotated WBS example, which is just as useful as a reference for new PMs as it is for those who are still learning the career.
Voices on Project Management
Website Address: https://www.projectmanagement.com/blogs/286796/Voices-on-Project-Management
You’d expect that ProjectManagement.com would have great resources to offer new managers… and you’d be right.
In fact, the site offers several multi-contributor blogs, as well as a community discussion forum, webinars, and a template library project managers can draw on. The Voices on Project Management blog in particular features contributions from 24 authors, including recent articles such as:
- What Makes for a Good PMO Lead?
- Exploring the Philosophies and Principles of Planning Approaches
- What I’ve Gained as a PMI Volunteer
- 5 Career Tips for 2020
- 3 Things I’ll Be Keeping an Eye on in 2020
Project Times
Website Address: https://www.projecttimes.com/
Like Project Management above, ProjectTimes can be considered a “one stop shop” for the resources needed to grow and thrive in a project management career.
In addition to articles broken down by category (including Agile, Leadership, Requirements, Risk, Communicate, Planning, and PM Jobs), the site offers webinars, templates, whitepapers, job listings, and more.
Looking to build your professional brand as a project manager? ProjectTimes allows external contributors to submit articles and ideas for consideration.
Project Cub!cle
Website Address: https://www.projectcubicle.com/
The Project Cub!cle blog was first launched back in 2007, and in the 13 years since, they’ve built a great collection of resources for project managers.
Not only does the site offer three blogs (the Contract Management blog, the PMP blog, and the Project Management blog), it offers downloadable guides, infographics, and other resources on topics ranging from Communication Management to Time Management and more.
Not sure where to get started? You’re in luck. The site’s home page features a “Most Popular” section that’ll direct you to the resources project managers are enjoying most across all categories.
Leading Answers
Website Address: https://leadinganswers.typepad.com/
The Leading Answers website is the work of Mike Griffiths, an “independent author, project manager, trainer and consultant based in Canmore, Alberta.” Dating back to July 2006, the site’s most popular categories include articles on Agile project management, leadership, and team management.
Readers who appreciate Griffiths’ style and perspective can take advantage of his books and training courses for more in-depth education.
Work Life, by Atlassian
Website Address: https://www.atlassian.com/blog
Work Life isn’t a project management blog specifically. But as experienced project managers know, when Atlassian – the company behind tools such as Jira, Trello, and Bamboo – speaks, we’d all be wise to pay attention.
Because Work Life isn’t exclusive to PM topics, its articles delve into everything from the impact of up-and-coming technologies to personal and team productivity tips. Get started with the “Latest Stories” section on the blog’s home page, or dig into one of its Featured Collections on “Bring Your Full Self to Work,” “Communication in the Workplace,” or “Company Culture.”
Scrum.org Blog
Website Address: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog
As the authority behind a number of Scrum-specific certifications, the Scrum.org website should be required reading for any project manager that anticipates operating in an Agile development environment.
That said, you don’t need to be an Agile specialist to benefit from the insight shared here. Articles like “What Really Causes Technical Debt?” and “3 Steps to Grow Your Impact and Influence” are appropriate for readers working on all different types of teams.
Management Skills
Website Address: https://managementblog.org/
This site isn’t dedicated to project managers specifically, but it’s still a great resource for project managers who are responsible for leading teams. If your people management skills aren’t yet up to par, Management Skills may have the insight you need to improve in this area.
In particular, check out posts in the “Ask Tom Mailbag” series, where founder Tom Foster answers reader-submitted questions on specific managerial situations.
Mike Cohn’s Blog
Website Address: https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog
Mike Cohn of Mountain Goat Software has spent 20+ years, “building high-performing software development teams and organizations through the use of agile and Scrum.”
He’s been blogging since 2005 and has thoughtfully taken the time to organize his best content for new site visitors. Start here for Cohn’s best posts on Estimating, Product Backlog, Product Owner, Scrum Master, Sprints, User Stories, and Presentations.
Girl’s Guide to Project Management
Website Address: https://www.girlsguidetopm.com/
Though project manager and author Elizabeth Harrin’s site is geared towards female project managers, all PMs can benefit from her guidance. As she emphasizes, “We are a community trying to get work done in the real world, not the ideal situations that the textbooks describe.”
To help project managers navigate real world scenarios, Harrin has compiled the following list of top resources on her site:
- The Ultimate Guide to Getting People to Take Responsibility at Work
- How to Take Over an Existing Project
- 6 Reasons Why Networking is Important
- The Definitive Guide to Project Success Criteria
- 50 Quick Project Management Tips
- How to Delegate Tasks
Reddit Project Management
Website Address: https://www.reddit.com/r/projectmanagement/
As savvy Redditors know, the site is about so much more than memes and flame wars. Take the r/projectmanagement community as an example. With more than 30,000 members and an active spam moderation system, the forum is packed full of helpful advice for both new and experienced project managers alike (and, yes, plenty of funny memes as well).
As an example of the kind of guidance you’ll find in the forum, check out this thread: “The Most Effective PM Behaviors.” While the initial post provides tremendous value, the additional insights shared by forum commenters result in even more impactful takeaways.
Green Project Management
Website Address: http://www.blog.greenprojectmanagement.org/
If environmental and sustainability issues are top-of-mind for you, you’ll want to add the Green Project Management (GPM) to your reading list. Though the site only publishes about once per month on average, the topics covered are forward-thinking and thought provoking.
For instance, consider these recent GPM articles:
- Are We Robbing our Children of the Ability to Believe in a Positive Future?
- Two Technologies that Could Regenerate Our Planet
- Why Your Sustainability Report Might be Awful?
Project Management Podcast
Website Address: https://www.project-management-podcast.com/
Prefer to take your project management learning on the road? Then you’ll want to check out the PM Podcast, produced by Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, CSM.
The podcast has already published more than 400 episodes – thankfully, it has also released lists of recommended episodes “For PM Beginners,” “For PM Experts,” on “PM Career Advice,” and “For Laughs.” Use these lists as a starting point, or explore on your own for episodes that cover your top priority issues.
Kanbanize Blog
Website Address: https://kanbanize.com/blog/
If you prefer Kanban-based planning, this site is a must-visit. But even if you use different planning methodology, you’ll find something on this site if you have an interest in Lean project management, Agile, or general productivity.
The site also offers a handful of podcast episodes that feature deep dives into Lean Agile Management topics. Though the site’s podcast series isn’t as extensive as the PM Podcast, listeners will appreciate its inclusion of featured guests, such as Klaus Leopold and Judy Rees.
The Taskworld Blog
Website Address: https://taskworld.com/blog/
At the risk of coming across as too self-promotional, we hope you’ll consider adding Taskworld to the list of project management resources you’ll revisit regularly.
Like many of the other sites shared here, the Taskworld blog isn’t exclusively based around project management topics. Instead, you’ll find insights on everything from product management and productivity to general leadership guidance. We’re committed to continually publishing high-value content for our readers, and we hope you’ll come back soon for more!
What You Can Do Right Now
Of all the sites listed, pick 2-3 that resonate with you. Then:
- Subscribe to their email newsletters.
- Or, if you prefer, add them to your favorite feed or RSS reader.
- Block out 15-20 minutes once per week on your calendar to read the new content or top posts published by these sites.
It might sound difficult to free up time for reading in your already-busy schedule. But if you don’t commit to regular professional development, you risk being left behind your more-motivated project management peers.