5 Valuable Project Management Blogs I Suggest to Follow

How can you extend your knowledge on a daily basis? By reading project management blogs. Though, not all of them are equally useful. Therefore, I prepared a list of blogs I can suggest you to read.

Why would I advise you to spend time reading blogs rather that a solid book on project management? First of all, I understand the scarcity of your time, energy, and willpower. It is hard to force yourself even to start something like Rita’s PMP Exam Prep.

So, I would like you to develop a habit. A habit of continuous learning. Once you have it, you will be able to find more time to do greater efforts.

Why blogs again? Project management bloggers tend to write articles from the perspective of practical experience. All of them are or were project managers. So, they can share tips and tricks on how to do the work. Not just retell the theory from a book. And you know it is a huge difference.

How to Find Time to Read

#1. It all start with “Why”. Why do you even need to spend time and efforts? It may be a better salary, interesting projects, promotion, or more margin in life. You need to identify the “why” that can push you forward.

Just like you, I have a full-time job, family, kids. Nevertheless, I find time to write you this post. I find time to read dozens of blogs and books. Simply because I have my own “WHY”. I believe all of us have it. It is a matter of finding the right one.

#2. Treat it like an important task. For example, I put all important tasks in calendar. I reserve a particular time slot. And anything that goes into my calendar gets done with top priority.

You can have your own system. In any case, just ensure that reading blogs tasks gets into it.

#3. Commit to a schedule. You should aim for daily reading. But it ‘s hard. Start with two days a week. If you can stick with the schedule for at least a month, add another slot.

How much time should you reserve? I say, 15 minutes a day. You can read three to five posts. It won’t take too much of your efforts. But you will have enough mental resources to process the information even with a full day of work.

#4. Always connect with the “Why”. Every time you are going to skip the reading return to the reasons for your commitment. Remind yourself why it is important. It works best when you have it written somewhere close at hand.

#5. Find a like-minded colleague. Reading regularly gives you a lot of new topics to discuss. I suggest you to find one co-worker who is interested in project management. Have a regular coffee break to discuss new ideas, techniques, and approaches. It will become much funnier.

Now let’s get down to the list of project management blogs. I don’t have an order of preference. I find them equally valuable.

A Girl’s Guide To Project Management

Do not let the name confuse you. Content on this blog is very professional and mature. But I find it fairly easy to read.

Elizabeth Harrin started it back in 2006. So, it is an established resource with a focus on stakeholder management, collaboration with the project team, and communications.

Nevertheless, you will find posts on different topics here. From time to time guest authors contribute to the blog as well.

There is also a library of freebies. I suggest you to check it out.

The Practicing IT Project Manager

Dave Gordon is the owner of the blog. He is a highly experienced portfolio, program, and project manager. Over 25 years in IT as a project manager.

He does a great thing! Every week he reads through dozens of blogs and hundreds of posts. From that, he compiles a weekly round-up.

Content filtered by his vast experience results in a valuable reading list. And you can get it into you Inbox by subscribing to his newsletter.

PM Hut

First of all, it is a very active blog. A new post comes every day or two. They do not have any specific focus and articles cover all aspects of project management.

There is a lot of guest posting here. Though, PM Hut moderates content and allows only project managers with real experience to contribute.

Also, they have the “Huts”. A hut is a collection of articles that cover the whole process. So, it is a project management blog with vast archives. You can browse them for quite a while.

Doug Thorpe’s Blog

Like me, Doug Thorpe has a passion for helping first-time managers. But his project management blog focuses on working and leading people.

Writing about the practical application of soft skills is difficult. There is a lot of information on motivation and leadership. Most of it is an interpretation of theoretical texts. But without practical experience in projects environment, such information rarely helps.

You want a person who knows both – theory and practice. That is the reason why I do follow Doug Thorpe’s blog.

Michael Hyatt’s Blog

It is not one of the project management blogs actually. Though it is about leadership, personal development, and productivity. And I believe these areas are vital for any project manager.

Michael has a lot of products. They are not all relevant from us. But for sure, I would suggest you get his free ebook “Shave 10 Hours Off Your Workweek”. It is full of practical suggestion on finding more time. And I do hope that you will find more time to read my posts.

Honorable Mentions

Life goes on; the world is changing. Here I will add some new links to valuable and growing project management blogs.

Project Bliss – a lively PM blog with in-depth articles written by Leigh Espy. I noticed that I read each new post with pleasure. Therefore, I would strongly suggest following Project Bliss as well.

Recommended Further Reading:

• Project Management Methodologies: Which one is better?
• Ultimate Guide to Effective Team Meeting