The risk management process provides teams with a clear methodology to identify and tackle risks before they disrupt projects. A well-prepared risk management plan keeps your team focused on each step to keep the project steady and successful. A project is most successful when you plan and manage it effectively. Developing your project management skills and implementing tried-and-true project management mitigation strategies can help. But even the most well-developed projects will have risks.

Servant leadership is a leadership model developed by Robert K. Greenleaf. Servant leaders display characteristics such as strong listening skills, empathy, self-awareness, and the desire to create a healthy work environment. Read our tips on becoming a servant-first leader and find out what the pros and cons of this leadership style are. Finding the right leadership style is no easy feat. It has to feel natural to you, be accepted within your organization, and effective with your team members.

A product backlog is an ordered list of tasks, features, or items to be completed as part of a larger product roadmap. With an effective product backlog, you can assign developers daily, weekly, or monthly tasks that target your end goals and help you build a better product. Learn how to create a product backlog, plus tips on how to prioritize the items in your backlog. A product backlog is an ordered list of tasks, features, or PBIs (product backlog items) to be completed as part of a larger roadmap.

Concept maps are visual representations of information that help keep ideas organized and easy to understand. The different types of concept maps can help you visualize concepts and processes or illustrate systems. Depending on the complexity of what you're mapping, you can either use concept map templates, draw your maps by hand, or use mapping software for more advanced projects.

Organizational culture is more than just beer on Fridays. It defines and shapes your work environment, and it’s created by all of the programs, communications, and behaviors within your organization—not to mention your business goals and values. But building a good organizational culture takes time and effort. Read on for our culture-building tips, plus six things to focus on to develop a positive culture at your company.

Breeze through your to-do list with the Pomodoro Technique—a time-management strategy that uses 25-minute work sessions and 5-minute breaks. By breaking work into manageable chunks, you can limit interruptions and reduce mental fatigue. Below we explain how the technique works, its benefits, and how to implement it for yourself. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your to-do list and wonder how you’ll complete everything?

Rapport is an essential soft skill to help you build trust, establish effective communication, and develop great relationships with your team members. In this article, we walk you through 6 tips to break the ice and build rapport. Everyone wants a positive relationship with the people they work with. But building a healthy level of camaraderie, rapport, and comfortable conversations takes effort. Sometimes, it seems like people are just born with this skill.

Icebreaker questions help you learn who your teammates are as people—beyond just their work habits. This team building activity focuses on answering fun questions and is a simple way to build trust and morale. Get started with these 130 prompts, which range from favorite knock-knock jokes to existential questions (e.g., is a hot dog a sandwich?). How much do you know about your team members?