Have you ever started a project and felt so excited by the possibilities? But then things happen. Somewhere along the way, something falls apart and the project begins to crumble.

I think every project is like that – full of endless possibilities.

Clients are excited to take on the task. They’re full of promises and legions of people that are happy to help you on your quest to success.

Initial brainstorming sessions bring enthusiastic buy-in from stakeholders, accompanied by ambitious, noble goals for the project. But something happens along the way. Communication slows, deadlines are missed and the project stalls.

It’s happened to the best of us.

In my experience, the easiest way to avoid this result is to learn how to implement effective, strategic project management. I’ve been trying to hone this strategy for a while now. In this article, I’d like to review some of the strongest project management tips I’ve encountered for increasing productivity and profitability of projects.

When a project hits a roadblock the entire team can go into crisis mode. Alarm bells will ring, coworkers will panic and the stakeholders will turn to you, the project manager. Being able to handle sensitive situations with a time-conscious, solution-based approach is the key to success in this role.

A project manager will use a variety of approaches during periods of high-pressure to ensure that the team remains motivated and engaged, ultimately driving the project forward. Check out these 5 tips for successfully handling your next project management crisis.

Project management is no cakewalk. From crushing deadlines to strangling budgets, there is no arguing with the fact that project management is downright brutal.

In my experience, one of the best ways to view the task of project management is from the perspective of studies and statistics. I’m no math whiz, but numbers have a way of putting things into perspective and helping me find my place on the maelstrom of management.

In this article, I’ve assembled a few fascinating and shocking statistics regarding project management. I think there are some valuable lessons we can learn.

Disclaimer: These statistics come from publicly-available studies. They are representative largely of the IT industry, and are not intended to be characteristic of all companies or project management practices.