40 must-know project management terms | I'm launching a course 🎉

Thank you to everyone who applied for my Program Manager internship position! I’m so floored ya’ll believe in my mission to empower the next generation of program managers. I promise to get back to you shortly :)

Okay let’s move onto KEY project terms.

I was so shocked to see my hacky Canva-built 30 Must-Know Terms in Project Management one-pager got 400+ likes and 55+ reposts!

More importantly, it helped readers like you gain clarity around key project terms we tend to throw out willy nilly without really knowing its meaning.

So I want to share with you 11 more terms to add to your PM toolkit.

1/ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Metrics that tell you how successful your project/program is.

• Example: Tracking new website visitors weekly for a web traffic growth goal.

2/ Project Management Software: Tools for planning, organizing, and tracking project tasks and resources.

• Example: Using Trello or Asana to assign tasks and monitor progress. I use Asana daily at Figma.

3/ Triple Constraint: The balance of scope, time, and cost in a project, where adjusting one affects the others.

• Example: Extending a deadline might lead to increased costs and scope changes.

  

4/ Project Manager: The lead who guides the project from inception to completion, ensuring goals are met.

• Example: Overseeing schedule and budget in a construction project.

5/ Project Lifecycle: The series of stages a project goes through from start to finish, including planning and execution.

• Example: Taking a software product from concept to launch and beyond.

6/ Dependencies: Tasks that rely on each other. One task needs to be completed before another can start.

• Example: You need the product to be localized in Japanese before localizing marketing materials in Japanese.

7/ Scope Creep: Unplanned expansion of a project’s scope, leading to delays, unfinished work and stress.

• Example: A project to redesign the homepage turned into an entire redesign of the website.

8/ Project Plan: The blueprint outlining tasks, responsibilities, and timelines for a project (usually a one-pager) Here’s how to build a project plan from zero to 100.

• Example: Planning a conference, including venue booking and speaker coordination.

9/ Gantt Chart: A visual representation of a project's schedule, showing task overlaps and timelines.

10/ Iteration: Repeated cycles of planning, executing, and reviewing tasks, typical in agile methodologies.

• Example: Software teams working in two-week sprints to develop and refine features.

11/ RACI: A decision-making matrix defining who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each project task. Check out my post on 🤔 What’s DACI, RACI, RAPID?

Have a specific topic in mind? Let me know what you need help with! Just hit reply.

PS If you enjoyed this, share this newsletter with your friends

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. 📄 Grab my go-to project plans - 100% customizable templates so you can launch any project confidently.

2. 🎁 Grab your Pivot to Program Management guide (loved by 1500+) Unlock the secrets of Program Management and chart your own path.

3. 📣 Sponsor this newsletter just hit reply for details and promote yourself to 3900+ subscribers.

And you can read all the previous Path to PM newsletters here 🎉