Ronald Smith has over four decades of experience as Senior PM/Program Manager. He retired from IBM having written four books and over one hundred articles on project management, and the systems development life cycle (SDLC). He’s been a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) since 1998, which has a membership of about 3 million professionals worldwide. From 2011 - 2017, Ronald had been an Adjunct Professor for a Master of Science in Technology and taught PM courses at the University of Houston’s College of Technology. Teaching from his own book, Project Management Tools and Techniques – A Practical Guide, Ronald offers a unique perspective on project management that reflects his many years of experience. Besides writing, he swims five times a week to keep in shape. Lastly in the Houston area, he has started up two Toastmasters clubs and does voluntary work at various food banks to help people facing hunger.
LatestScope creep rarely arrives all at once, and Ronald B. Smith uses the Swiss Army Knife to show how small additions accumulate into unmanageable projects.
Learn to spot a Catch-22 project, where contradictory requirements make progress impossible, and how to reframe the structure so your team can move forward.
Projects misbehave because people behave normally — Ronald B. Smith explains why experienced PMs stop being surprised and start building systems that bend without breaking.
Ronald B. Smith uses the humble toilet paper roll to unpack six enduring truths about preparation, quality, and the invisible work of project management.
Discover how the hourglass metaphor reveals the way time, tasks, and momentum work together in IT project management — and why managing the flow is the key to project success.
Discover why setting clear project direction matters more than chasing deadlines, and how compass-guided leadership delivers real value in project management.
Learn how project reserves protect your budget and schedule from unexpected risks, including when and how to use contingency, management, schedule, and cost reserves effectively.
Discover the spooky parallels between Halloween and project management, from scope creep monsters to ghosted team members, in this fun survival guide for PMs.
Discover essential best practices and tools for managing remote project teams effectively, from communication strategies to handling time zone differences.
Learn why 43% of IT projects exceed budget and discover Tom DeMarco’s four-point framework to improve cost estimation accuracy for software development projects.
Learn 9 key stakeholder roles and 8 proven engagement strategies to control expectations and drive IT project success with real-world examples.
Discover how AI is transforming project management through predictive analytics, automation, and data-driven insights that improve success rates and efficiency.
