Blog - Sydney Australia | Elemental Projects

Secrets revealed! Expert trainers spill top tips to impress PM recruiters

Posted on09 May 2019

When it comes to mastering project management, it’s all about getting the knowledge and tools we need. From legitimate educators. Experience, of course, is always important – and you can be an absolute superstar at your job – but the ability to manage projects is not...

A few tips to skyrocket the success of your next team building day

Posted on22 Apr 2019

As project managers, it’s probably safe to say that we’ve hosted team a building day or two before. Or at least, we’ve participated in one. Now, I don’t know about you, but a vast majority of the team building days that I’ve been involved in have...

5 Reasons the Agile method won’t work for construction & engineering projects

Posted on27 Mar 2019

Terms like Agile and SCRUM are all the rage right now… By its very nature, it’s hard not to think that working ‘agile’ is not an ideal solution for projects, in any industry. It sounds so good in theory, right? But that’s the very thing… It...

4 secret management weapons that’ll have you quickly dominating your next project – no training required

Posted on07 Mar 2019

We get it. Time is something you wish you had more of (don’t we all!). Maybe if you had more time – getting a new degree, diploma or certification would be more than viable… But reality sets in, and there’s simply not enough time in the...

Is training in Project Management really worth it?

Posted on12 Feb 2019

Alright…so, you’ve been browsing PM for some time now. Perhaps um-ing and arh-ing about which project management course, if any, you could or should do to better position yourself at work, or in your career. Maybe you want to increase your salary potential? Or perhaps, you’d...

Project Management – what is it in simple terms?

Posted on31 Jan 2019

Let’s start with a simple breakdown… The act of Project Management refers to how we apply a set of processes and structures to an activity that’s not central to business operations, or in other words, a project. This set of processes helps us to ensure we can achieve...

Growth Trajectory, Improved Results & Emerging Trends The project management industry continues to show strong growth both globally and locally as indicated by the number of new projects across industry and the increased demand for project skills in jobs. The PMI’s Project Talent & Job Gap...

Le Brouhaha

Posted on21 Nov 2017

An Agile project management simulation set in 18th Century revolutionary France. The French term “brouhaha” has the following translations according to the English Collins dictionary: hubbub; commotion; a babel of noise; a babble of voices; cross talk. Sounds like projects to us! A glorious din of collaboration,...

PMI Sydney Chapter gets Mad About Projects with this gamified project simulation

Posted on11 Oct 2017

Mad About Projects Kestrel Stone and the rest of the Elemental Projects team were excited to introduce members of the PMI Sydney Chapter to the concept of gamification with a 1-hour project simulation (aka The Pitch) inspired by the hit TV show “Mad Men” on 25 July 2017 at...

The Accidental Project Manager Boom

Posted on08 Sep 2017

Nothing Accidental About Project Growth According to the Project Management Institute’s (PMIs) Talent Gap Report it is projected that more than 15.7 million new Project Manager (PM) roles will be created globally by 2020 with an economic impact of more than US$18 trillion and spread across...

The Evolving Definition of Project Success

Posted on09 Aug 2017

Project Success Rates are Rising Good news often does not travel as fast as bad, and it may surprise you to learn that the annual PMI’s Pulse of the Profession 2017 global survey found that project success rates had risen for the first time in five...

The Innovation Shake Up – Projects, Processes and People

Posted on07 Jul 2017

Innovation Invites Adaption I went to a talk on innovation in project management recently and was struck by some common themes we are seeing across business in all industries and disciplines. Or in other words that innovation is giving us a rather overdue multi-faceted shake-up. At...

Elemental Projects wins Platinum for ‘Best Team Building Project’ at LearnX Awards

Posted on07 Jun 2017

Best Team Building Project Elemental Projects and client Sydney Water are proud to announce we have won the prestigious Platinum Award by LearnX for ‘Best Team Building Project’ in 2017 for our interactive project simulation, The Battle, designed and delivered for a group of 180+ project...

Choose Your Own E-Learning Adventure – Top Tips for E-Learning

Posted on07 Jun 2017

I was an avid reader as a child and grew up on a diet of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and many more. I loved mysteries and adventures (usually featuring an individual or group of pre-adolescent heroes) like ‘The Famous Five’. When one year I was given...

The Transformation of Learning & Development As We Know It

Posted on01 Feb 2017

Disruption & Digital Channels Driving Change The influx of new learning channels and approaches over the last 10+ years has challenged traditional conceptions of learning. In fact industry wave-maker Donald Clark argues that there has been more change in learning in the last 10 years than...

2016 – Project Management Post Year Review

Posted on14 Jan 2017

Key Project Management Trends No sooner did the shops start to put up Christmas decorations in October than it seems we have been thrown headlong into a new year, leaving 2016 unceremoniously behind us. It was an eventful year globally, politically, environmentally, economically and socially –...

Indigenous Project Managers’ Workshop

Posted on09 Dec 2016

Professional Development, Capability, Diversity and Inclusivity Elemental Projects are absolutely delighted to have supported the National Aboriginal College to design and deliver the Indigenous Project Managers’ Workshop in November 2016. Our Principal and Director, Kestrel Stone, worked closely with Normal Ingram from the National Aboriginal College on...

EP Wins ‘Best Use of Gamification/ Simulation for Learning’

Posted on07 Dec 2016

Elemental Projects Wins ‘Best Use of Gamification/Simulation for Learning’ at the AITD Excellence Awards 2016 We are proud to announce that our epic project simulation, The Battle, designed by Elemental Projects in collaboration with client Sydney Water, won the ‘Best Use of Gamification/Simulation for Learning’ at the Australian...

‘The Battle’ Project Simulation

Posted on28 Sep 2016

Check out the video to see ‘The Battle’ in action… The Brief, Design & Execution Elemental Projects was excited to take on the challenge to design and deliver a project simulation for a project community of 180+ staff for client Sydney Water in 2016 as part of their broader...

A Cautionary Project Management Tale: The Three Little Pigs

Posted on16 Sep 2016

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs, so the fairy tale goes. Now the pigs knew that the big bad wolf (let’s call him Wolfie) frequented their neighborhood and was fond of pig products – hence their project objective was clear: to build a...

6 Reasons Why You Need Project Management

Posted on18 Aug 2016

Projects are about changing, improving, and ‘future-proofing’ organisations and communities. Projects are how organisations from across the public and private sectors implement their corporate strategy, achieve organisational goals, deliver outcomes, implement policy, restructure, upgrade, innovate, engage, and so on… To do this, they need a strong...

Team Building Strategies for the 21st Century

Posted on01 Aug 2016

6 Team Building Strategies Team building events rarely live up to expectation and deliver limited benefits to individuals, teams or the business. Anna Keavney asks WHY and provides some practical team building strategies to maximise outcomes and inject these events with excitement and learning. Read these Team Building Strategies...

Love Affair with Projects

Posted on20 Jul 2016

As I sat across the Senior HR Partner from a big 4 bank in a job interview, he leaned complicity towards me and said, “I can’t tell you what the project is, its top secret, so do you want the job?” From that moment on I...

Building Project Management Capability

Posted on04 Jul 2016

In this age of disruption companies are transforming their operating models to be more competitive, adaptive and lean. At the heart of this transformation is the need to build project management capability, the fundamental link between strategy and delivery. So how does an organization go about...

Dodgy RTO’s exposed, but students pay the price

Posted on10 May 2016

Recent investigations into Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in Australia have revealed some shocking and corrupt practices, where profit was sought at the expense of quality and value. The result has been a flood of students that enrolled but failed to complete courses that were substandard, over...

When does Benefits Realisation Begin and End?

Posted on09 May 2016

The problem with realising benefits The goal of many projects is to have a new product, service or business improvement successfully adopted by an organisation. And for many project managers, the buck stops there. The project is implemented, reviewed shortly afterwards and declared a success as...

Infographic: Team Building Strategies

Posted on03 May 2016

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Disaster Recovery and Risk Management

Posted on25 Apr 2016

Be Prepared not Scared when it comes to Disaster Recovery and Risk Management A well-defined and effective project will be underscored by innovation and will drive towards a dynamic and shifting goal. Said simply, in the world of project management risks are necessary, and unexpected developments...

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Video – changing the face of change management

Posted on11 Apr 2016

Whether in project management or change management, learning and development is essential for an organisation to succeed. An increasingly fast paced and globalised world has put increased capital on having flexible resources that you can redirect, as well as a team that exists in a learning...

12 Tips To Make Your Project Environmentally Friendly

Posted on01 Apr 2016

Think forward and go green. We all live in the same fast-paced capitalist consumer society and find ourselves subject to its relentless pursuit of growth. Indeed as Project Managers, we are often tasked with the delivery of new developments, change and business value and are evaluated...

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Innovation & Project Management

Posted on28 Mar 2016

Innovation and Project Management Are Old Friends If you’ve turned on the TV in the last few months you’ll be well aware of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s fierce championing of innovation as the lifeblood of Australia’s economic future. In the federal government’s recent National Innovation and...

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The Critical Role of Project Management in Consolidating Local Government

Posted on14 Mar 2016

In 2015, a trend in local governments to establish or strengthen their PMOs reflected the forced amalgamation many New South Wales councils faced. The independent Local Government Review Panel recommended the consolidation of councils in 2013, suggesting a number of “super councils” be established. The new...

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The X Factor of Stakeholder Management

Posted on02 Mar 2016

Some crucial aspects of project management, like time, cost, and quality of work, are typically bestowed with supreme importance in the success or failure of projects. However, of possibly greater importance is the often-mishandled element of projects, stakeholder management. Its reliance on ‘soft skills’, such as...

An illustration of 2015 shifting into 2016

2015 – Project Management Post Year Review

Posted on29 Jan 2016

Foreword The Chinese philosopher Confucius once called reflection “the highest method of gaining wisdom”. Well, project managers (renowned philosophers that we are) also have a saying for this: we call it “lessons learned”. With this in mind, the following Post Year Review (PYR) for 2015 will...

A descending bar graph with hazard cones and signs at the smallest end

Why IT Projects Fail – and Why They Don’t Have to Anymore

Posted on13 Dec 2015

IT projects have a reputation for failure. They have success rates of just over 30% when compared to projects in other sectors. Those that do succeed often suffer severe hiccups along the way. Another shameful reality for many IT projects is that often whey they are...

A Computer and Some Documents on a Table, With Two People Leaning Over It

The Benefits of Creating a Project Management Office

Posted on13 Dec 2015

A Project Management Office (PMO) is a department within your business that helps to define and maintain the standards for how your projects are handled. It is their job to make sure that your projects are successful, and that the procedures used in those successful projects...

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Gamified Professional Training and Development

Posted on13 Dec 2015

There is an emerging trend to use gamification or simulations in the workplace. It is being seen in both recruitment and also during in house training events. So what exactly is gamification and why is it so popular? When recruiting, team activities and games are sometimes a...

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Smart Professional Development is your doorway to career opportunity

Posted on09 Dec 2015

Despite a growing trend of many entry-level employees needing at least a Bachelor’s Degree qualification, a recent study found that only around 70% of new graduates find full-time employment within four months of completing their education. Only 20% of these secured part-time or casual employment while...

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Project Management and Your Business

Posted on09 Dec 2015

Project Management is the art of making sure that your projects reach their goal. From the first stages of the project – design, brainstorming and sharing of ideas, through to the wrap – good management will get you results. If your goal is to drive sales...

Soft skills for project managers

Posted on19 Mar 2015

There’s a saying in project management: “When it comes to achieving outcomes, project managers have all of the responsibility but none of the authority”. Meaning we often find ourselves with little or no formal authority over the project team, resources or constraints. We manage teams of...

What is a project?

Posted on17 Mar 2015

These days, the word “project” is applied to an enormous range of activities – from building a facility, developing software, rolling out a new service, launching a product, running an event, implementing a new policy, executing a merger, restoring an ecosystem, and so on. So what...