Stories by Meridith Levinson

It’s no wonder only 29 percent of it projects are completed successfully, according to The Standish Group. Project management consultants and software providers say they see IT departments making the same project management mistakes over and over: IT groups don’t follow standard project management processes. They don’t have the right staff working on projects. They don’t assess the risks that could imperil their projects or determine ways to mitigate those risks. The list of mistakes unrolls like a ball of yarn

Leadership consultant and psychologist Henry Cloud explains why having priorities and setting personal boundaries is so critical to preserving some semblance of work life balance in the era of the 60-hour work week. He also discusses the damaging effects of workaholism

IT project management practices are stuck in the mud, and they're hindering IT departments' ability to deliver projects successfully. That's the conclusion of a recent Forrester report, "Stretching Your Project Management Muscles," which was published in July.

Not every employee is chomping at the bit to telecommute. A survey commissioned by Steelcase, a manufacturer of office furniture, shows that professionals have decidedly mixed feelings about the option to work from home.

The 14 most common IT project management mistakes and ways to avoid them

The CIO job comes with lots of money and lots of perks. But would a software developer ever be willing to cash in his integrity and passion for programming to become a corporate wonk? Here are five compelling reasons why developers might do so.

1. Software developers live to write code.

A new report from Forrester Research explains how IT project management metrics influence perceptions of failure and describes four specific measures project management offices can take to increase the perception of project success.

By paying attention to the language hiring managers use in job ads and the emphasis they place on certain skills and requirements, you can determine more quickly and easily what the job is really about, and thus, what to highlight on your resume to get noticed

Chorus, a provider of clinical, practice management and financial software for health care providers, closed its Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., headquarters in early June and its other office, in Stafford, Texas (outside of Houston), in early July; that means all of the company's 35 employees and full-time consultants work at home.

Rick Boyd used to spend US$500 a month on gas and tolls commuting 48 miles a day between his home in Westchester County, N.Y., and his office in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. Now Boyd doesn't commute any more because his company, Chorus, which provides clinical and management software for community health centers, has gone virtual.

Understanding expectations going into a new job better prepares you for success in that role

If you ever regretted not joining the Peace Corps, you may yet have your opportunity to lend your time and skills to a developing nation. FINCA International, a nonprofit that provides financial services to the world's lowest income entrepreneurs in 21 countries across Africa, Latin America and Eurasia, is seeking volunteers with IT skills to help the organization expand its mission of fighting poverty. FINCA primarily offers microloans (small loans of a few hundred dollars) to individuals who wish to start a business, such as selling food or handicrafts.

IT leaders are well-positioned to benefit from and facilitate organizational changes inside their companies, according to one executive recruiter.

Bob DeRodes hasn't left Home Depot yet, but that's not stopping the CIO from pursuing new career opportunities. DeRodes was appointed to NCR's board of directors on April 29, less than four weeks after Home Depot announced his intent to leave the company at the end of the year. NCR provides Home Depot with its self-checkout machines, which were installed on DeRodes' watch.