Gina Abudi

You’re a New Project Manager on the Team – Now What??

Gina — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:30:49 +0000

A big challenge for project teams is when you join the team as a new project manager to lead the project. � There may be many reasons why the previous project manager was replaced or left, but important for you as the new project manager is to take a few steps to ensure [...]

40 Marketing Mistakes Companies Make

Rob — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:30:27 +0000

There was a rich discussion recently among members of the Marketing Executives Group on Linked In. The topic of debate was Top Marketing Mistakes.

Each company should periodically step back and take a look at their marketing activities. The following list can be utilized as a checklist for activities that should be [...]

Keep Your Strategy Simple

Paul — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:30:21 +0000

So what is it that makes understanding business strategy so difficult and confusing for people? If a business’s strategy is so fundamental to its growth and indeed survival surely it should be crystal clear for everyone who needs to know about it.

So, who needs to know and fully understand what the strategy [...]

On Leadership

Dr. David — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:30:04 +0000

Much has been written on leadership. But how much has been said? Is anyone a credible source who talks about leadership without having been a leader himself? I think not. In fact, I will start by asserting the acid test of knowledge is action. That’s doubly true for leadership.

So, briefly, here’s what I [...]

Using Communities to Develop and Drive Best Practices and Knowledge Sharing within Organizations

Gina — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:30:20 +0000

Online communities are being used more frequently by a variety of companies and groups to drive best practices and share knowledge between their employees. Given the number of individuals in many organizations who either work remotely or are frequent travelers due to their role within the company, online communities enable them to stay [...]

Why Companies Underperform Part II

Henry — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:30:34 +0000

And what they must do to succeed in the new economy

In Part I we outlined why companies underperform in the long term, let’s now take a look at why they underperform in the short term, and what they can do about it.

Most companies can do pretty well when they are immersed in [...]

Preparing Mid-Managers for a Leadership Role: A Case Study – Part 4 of 4

Gina — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:30:43 +0000

Evaluating Progress: Three Years Later – Program End

Part I of this case study discussed the background and initial steps in developing a program to prepare mid-managers of a national car rental company for future leadership roles. Part II focused on evaluating progress of the program after one year. � Part III focused [...]

Preparing Mid-Managers for a Leadership Role: A Case Study – Part 3 of 4

Gina — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:30:38 +0000

Evaluating Progress: Two Years Later

Preparing Mid-Managers for a Leadership Role: A Case Study – Part 2 of 4

Gina — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:30:48 +0000

Evaluating Progress: One Year Later

Part I of this case study discussed the background and initial steps in developing a program to prepare mid-managers of a national car rental company for future leadership roles. Part II will focus on evaluating progress of the program after one year.

Surveying done after the [...]

Preparing Mid-Managers for a Leadership Role: A Case Study – Part 1 of 4

Gina — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:30:13 +0000

This case study focuses on a national car rental company that wanted to prepare their mid-managers for future leadership roles. The organization was expanding operations and had opportunities for mid-managers within the next 12 – 16 months and, additionally, had to prepare for replacing a third of the senior leaders who were expected [...]

Ask Your Customers to Define Your Brand

Linda — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:30:26 +0000

It is not uncommon for me to be approached by a client or a potential client who wants to “develop their brand.” They are often surprised to find that they already have one – we all do.

You may also be surprised to learn that, whether you realize it or not, you [...]

Tips for Getting Started Right on a New Project

Gina — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:30:59 +0000

When assigned a new project (or, when you take one on yourself), there are a few actions you can take right up front to improve the chances of success.�

Make sure you really understand the objective of the project.� Every project has an objective. Think about:

Why is the project being done? [...]

Is There a Difference Between Leading a Project and Leading a Business?

Paul — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:30:05 +0000

Well of course there is, these are completely different animals aren’t they? Businesses are complex mixtures of owners, managers, leaders, investors, products and services; and projects just have a start and an end. Well, maybe. Let’s look a little more carefully at projects though and see what’s really involved in their leadership.

[...]

Why Companies Underperform – Part I

Henry — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:30:46 +0000

And what they must do to succeed in the new economy

The recent economic downturn has caused much concern about how organizations will continue to exist and deal with the ambiguity and adversity caused by the recent "great recession." Some researchers have taken an evolutionary approach to the issue, examining the performance of numbers [...]

Resolving Project Team Conflicts

Gina — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:30:04 +0000

Conflicts on project teams are a fact of life!� Only on rare occasions do conflicts not arise – even on the smallest projects conflicts rear their ugly heads!� It’s human nature to have conflicts and it arises for any number of reasons, including:

Misunderstandings Personality clashes Disagreements about the right way to approach a [...]

Book Review: Hiring and the Potter’s Wheel

Gina — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:30:04 +0000

I recently read a book by Phil Wrzesinski called, Hiring & The Potter’s Wheel: Turning Your Staff into a Work of Art.� What a great read!

I know Phil from LinkedIn. He was looking for HR managers to review his book and provide their feedback on its usefulness. Although I’m not an HR manager, [...]

Some Thoughts on Measuring Project Success

Gina — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:30:37 +0000

I often talk with clients about what makes a project successful for them. Obviously of importance are:

Finishing on time Staying with the budget Ensuring stakeholder satisfaction Ensuring a quality project

These are always at the top of the list certainly – for any project without doubt. But then we start talking about [...]

Do You Know Who Your Competitors Are? Are You Sure?

Linda — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:30:31 +0000

When most businesses consider their competition, they tend to think of the obvious – their direct competitors. If I run a salon, the salon across the street (assuming it targets the same clients) is my direct competition. But direct competitors aren’t the only competitors we need to be concerned with. We need to [...]

Marketing: Art or Science

Rob — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:30:32 +0000

I have always been fascinated with the debate that Marketing is an Art or a Science. Now Campbell’s Soup is introducing Neuroscience into the discussion.

Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing is a relatively new approach for companies to delve into customer responses to marketing and advertising. Researchers are divining what small changes in biometrics like [...]

Creating and Delivering Effective Presentations

Gina — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:30:47 +0000

Whether you have to deliver presentations only on occasion or on a regular basis, it’s important to effectively prepare up front for the presentation to ensure you meet your goals.� Remember that presentations are vital to business.� They inform and educate your audience and enable the audience to get to know you and [...]