I’ve faced plenty of problems when building content teams. Sometimes, those problems led to outright failures. Content falls flat, email campaigns flop, or new hires don’t work out. At times, it feels easier to just accept reality and move on. “Well, that new hire wasn’t the right person for our team right now. We’ll do better next time!” But, if you don’t understand why that hire didn’t work out — if you fail to understand the real problem — you’re bound to repeat it. Conducting a root cause analysis (RCA) helps you confront your perceived reality and truly understand what […]

Here’s a quick truth. Before writing this article, I stumbled on Akin’s laws, which aptly summarize work breakdown structures. The fun “law” reads: It’s called a Work Breakdown Structure because the Work remaining will grow until you have a Breakdown, unless you enforce some Structure on it. This law is clear and true! Jokes aside, while studying to acquire my project management degree, I found an instructive note in the PMBOK guide. The guide, which is a go-to source for project managers, warns that “no project should be without a WBS.” Without a work breakdown structure (WBS), your projects have […]

As a freelance writer, I’m always receiving and reviewing scope of work documents. These digital documents help me maintain clarity, so I know who’s responsible for what and when tasks are due. Many projects derail because expectations aren’t clearly set from the start. Deadlines get missed, budgets spiral out of control, and no one seems to know the next step. The good news? A well-crafted scope of work can solve these problems before they arise. In this guide, I’ll show you how to write a clear and effective scope of work, complete with examples and a handy template to streamline […]

Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better. I started my career as a Designer before transitioning into Project Management, and I’ve now been in this field for over 15 years in which 10 of them I worked as a Program Manager. It’s amazing to reflect on how much the landscape has evolved and matured, with new roles and responsibilities along the way. When I moved to the United States and was building my career in this new country, I spent a lot of time searching for […]

Your project’s success hinges on a single crucial factor: clarity. When we say clarity, we’re talking about crystal-clear instructions on who does what. Everyone involved in the project, from employees to stakeholders, should know their roles and responsibilities inside out. Any confusion or oversight can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts, derailing your project faster than you can imagine. That’s where the RACI matrix comes in. When integrated into your project lifecycle (PLC), this simple yet powerful approach spells out project roles and responsibilities, guiding your team toward collaboration and improved outcomes. Click here to get HubSpot’s free RACI Matrix Template […]

Imagine you have hundreds of files in a folder labeled “Important Files.” Some of the files are named by date, some by subject, and some by author. You have to sift through all of them to find a review of the new neighborhood pizza place. Without a consistent filename or organizational structure, you’re not going to find that review anytime soon. That scenario illustrates the value of technical SEO, which I learned about while managing a project to rebuild a previous employer’s website from the ground up. The original website didn’t have a consistent formula for creating new URLs — […]

The first step in any successful project is drawing up a game plan with a clear objective. It’s one of the reasons marketers love creative briefs. A creative brief acts as a roadmap that takes a project from ideation to completion. It ensures the scope, timeline, key stakeholders, and purpose of the project are communicated clearly. The creative brief is the single source of truth for everyone working on a project. If questions come up or tasks become unclear, the creative brief will steer things in the right direction. The Purpose of a Creative Brief Whether you’re a consultant pitching […]

What problems and obstacles do you face as a project manager? For many, scope creep, poor communication, and task delays top the list. To state the obvious, project management can be tricky. Without careful planning and strategizing, it can feel like you’re f working blind. So, if you’re in a project management position, starting with the basics is your best bet. Here, we’ll break down projects into five phases to help you better understand what needs to be done and when. The Project Management Lifecycle The Five Stages of Project Management Stage 1: Project Conception and Initiation Stage 2: Project […]

Project management isn’t just about building software and hardware. Project managers distribute resources appropriately, manage timelines, and take care of stakeholders throughout the process. However, that’s often easier said than done. After all, there’s a reason project managers are constantly tweaking their approaches and rethinking their processes. In this article, you’ll learn project management basics and how you can implement them in your business. Let’s get started. Table of Contents What is project management? Why is project management important? What is a project manager? The Project Management Life Cycle Popular Approaches to Project Management Project Management Best Practices The process […]

Successful projects have support from stakeholders across the organization. That’s why stakeholder management is essential for any initiative. Stakeholder management allows you to identify and meet leaders’ needs while keeping communication open. In this article, you’ll learn what stakeholder management is, why it’s important, and how to create a stakeholder management plan. Table of Contents What is stakeholder management? Why is stakeholder management important? Benefits of Stakeholder Management Inside the Stakeholder Management Process Tips for Stakeholder Management Why is stakeholder management important? Projects fail when the interests and needs of stakeholders are ignored. This leads to a lack of buy-in […]