Jerry Madden spent 37 years working for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he has earned a reputation as one of the biggest personalities in the field of project management. Since 1995, when he retired from the position of the Associate Director of Flight Projects at Goddard Space Flight Center, he has still been working on several projects externally and sharing his project management experience with the public. He also published "128 lessons for project managers" from which we selected the most interesting ones for you.
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Most problems are caused by people but they don't admit it. Therefore, you must be familiar with the people you work with and their weaknesses.
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Beware of workaholics, they can cause a damage to you very quickly. Make sure they have enough rest.
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Never undermine your people in public.
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Don't ask your superiors to decide about something you can decide yourself. Bear your own responsibility.
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Not all successful managers are competent and vice versa. Luck is, however, on the side of managers who work hard.
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Don't be afraid to make a mistake. Being able to ask for help and set things right is more important than making no mistakes.
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Experience is a good thing but testing in practice is even better.
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Sometimes it is best to do nothing and listen.
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Other people's time is very precious, help them to save it.
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Projects stands on teamwork. Remember that teams do not have a boss, but a coach.
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Important decisions usually don't arise at meetings. Reviews and meetings have usually only little to do with reality.
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A project manager who is the smartest member of his project team don't know how to recruit people.
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