Project Steps

Being Civil

2013-05-19T10:05:00.002-04:00

A local foundation here in Florida, USA has developed a set of "Ten Keys to Civility". These are a perfect set of guiding principles for the project manager. Click here to view their website and find out more. Respect Others - Honor other people and their opinions, especially in the midst of a disagreement. Think Positively - Keep an open mind and assume others have good intentions.Pay

Holiday Break - 50,000 Free Songs!

2013-01-03T13:14:00.001-05:00

Amazon offers downloads of 450 Free Albums and over 50,000 Free Songs!for free

Principled Thinking

2012-12-15T19:11:00.000-05:00

Principles come from natural laws that are recognizable by all cultures. Principles have been around since the dawn of time. They are timeless and aren’t dependent on us making them a permanent part of our lives. I believe a most of our problems in society come from the fact that many of our leaders don’t live principle-centered lives. What are principles that are easily recognized? These

Blast from the Past - 2006

2012-11-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

Tell somebody you care, and how much they really mean to you. Let them know how they have changed your life. If you have children, encourage them with love, and let them know they are a blessing to you. If you live to make more money, get a (new) life! If you aren't having fun doing your job, move on to something new. Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes - Tom

Leadership Practices

2012-11-16T13:11:00.001-05:00

Great article from Inc.com about changing your leadership style. You might not feel it day-to-day, but business management is in a major transition. The old days of command-and-control leadership are fading in favor of what might be better termed a trust-and-track method, in which people are not just told what to do, but why they are doing it. More formally, we're moving from what was

More Tom Peters Wisdom

2012-11-08T20:07:00.001-05:00

Top Twenty This list of “success factors” emerged after-the-fact from an interview with a reporter from Moscow in preparation for a seminar I’m giving in Moscow in mid-November 2012. FYI: Just one “secret” to innovation: It’s a messy world. We’re always operating half informed. Hence, “try more stuff than the other guy” and sort it out as you go forward is the best way to up success odds. (“

The Dysfunctionals

2012-09-22T16:32:00.001-04:00

When you go to meetings, pretend to listen then walk away and criticize those you just met with, that is dysfunction When you pretend to trust others, but look for ways to poke holes in their beliefs, that is dysfunction When you reward mediocrity…dysfunction When you create something that has questionable value yet hold it up as something awesome….hyper-dysfunction When you support and

Visibility and Relevancy

2012-09-14T14:46:00.000-04:00

A good project manager must always rise above petty political partisanship and keep fighting for what is right and best for their project, the project sponsor and the funding organization. More free advice and personal thoughts... Never use fabrications, slander, and distortions to sell the value of your project Never tear down another organization (or person) to build yours (yourself) up

Paradox of Our Time Reposted

2012-08-25T15:19:00.001-04:00

I cited the wrong author in a previous post. This was written Dr. Bob Moorehead. Geoge Carlin didn't write this and wasn't impressed when he read it. I like it! The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families

Project Team Needs

2012-08-19T11:49:00.004-04:00

Project team members will perform at their peak when they: Clearly understand and embrace the project's goals Understand clearly the expectations put upon them Understand how success will be measured Understand the expectations of the project manager and sponsor Believe their concerns will be listened to and addressed Believe the project manager and sponsor are 100% committed to the

Project Sponsor Checklist

2012-08-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

NOTE - I recently changed jobs and haven't taken the time to post to this blog. To all the people that visit here and support this blog, thank you. I will be posting more often in the future. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Project Sponsor Checklist Identify the participants and their roles Identify potential project team members

101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders

2012-06-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

The Manager's Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders By Inside CRM Editors Management is all about connecting with the people on your team. So how do you effectively manage a team? With common knowledge, of course. These are a few back-to-basics rules that will help you develop management skills that really matter. Body Language Like it or not, your body speaks volumes, even when

Pete's Estimating Laws - Humor?

2012-06-20T13:46:00.000-04:00

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Simplify Your Project Management Processes

2012-06-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

There was a popular survey some time ago that asked leaders in several mid-sized companies about their success. One of the main reasons that many were successful is they focused on simplicity in everything they did. The study concluded that simple, focused companies were more profitable. The Pareto or 80/20 Principle can help us realize the power of keeping things simple. Some popular

One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers

2012-06-04T08:13:00.000-04:00

Reposted again for those that haven't seen it. Very good list of rules we all should follow! The Project Manager Rule #1: A project manager should visit everyone who is building anything for his project at least once, should know all the managers on his project (both government and contractor), and know the integration team members. People like to know that the project manager is interested

Project Team Dysfunction

2012-05-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

Project teams are dynamic, and interpersonal relationships amongst team members are always in a state of flux. Some teams are high performing and function at a high level over a long period of time. Other teams can't seem to come together and function at all. An effective, experienced project team leader is an important part of any successful team, however, all team members must be personally

Great Project Management Site

2012-05-23T08:46:00.001-04:00

A Girl's Guide to Project Management....Awesome!

Project Management Habits

2012-05-22T06:47:00.000-04:00

(Exerpts from Habit 1: Be Proactive, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey) Dr. Stephen Covey's book, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a must read for anyone seeking to be highly effective. One of the concepts Dr. Covey talks about in his books is the "Circle of Concern" and the "Circle of Influence". The basic concept is that we need to focus our time and

Project Knowledge Capture

2012-05-14T07:02:00.003-04:00

Knowledge Capture can be painful! Organizations have a lot of knowledge. This knowledge is critical to the organization’s success and is housed in many places. Knowledge transfer among employees is always a challenge, and most organizations do not have processes in place to ensure that timely knowledge transfer takes place. An organization’s culture can inhibit effective knowledge transfer

Project Critics are Everywhere

2012-05-02T08:48:00.003-04:00

Tom Peters a highly regarded speaker and writer said it best in his book The Project 50, “as project managers we should not try to convert our project enemies by overcoming their objections” and I would add through appeasement. Tom states “we should set out to surround and marginalize them; additionally, the most effective change agents ignore the barbs and darts, their time is spent on allies

Does Your Project Have Value?

2012-04-30T12:40:00.000-04:00

Are you working on a project that has diminished in value? Does your project seem like it would have been a good idea if it was implemented two years ago, two years from now? If you are questioning the value of your project think about these things.What would happen in your company if the project were cancelled?Does the project link to your organizations strategic goals and/or objectives?Does

Project Management - Communicating Change

2012-04-23T07:33:00.000-04:00

Think about these questions prior to communicating change to your organization, project team, or stakeholders. 1. Why are we changing things? Be prepared to address the value of the change to the people impacted by the change 2. What is required for those impacted by the change to do? What needs to be done first, second, etc.? Outline the steps required to implement the change 3. How will

Assumptions vs. Facts

2012-04-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

Dr. Lewis Ireland wrote the excellent article below in 2003 talking about the differences between Assumptions and Facts. Introduction The difference between an assumption and a fact is often subtle and confusing. Some organizations, and individuals, view assumptions and facts in the same light. This approach causes confusion in managing both the assumptions and facts as well as communicating

Quote for the Day

2012-04-12T08:09:00.001-04:00

You've got to have an atmosphere where people can make mistakes. If we're not making mistakes, we're not going anywhere. - Gordon Forward

Where are your Process Maps?

2012-04-09T07:36:00.000-04:00

Well crafted business process maps should be designed to make work flow visible, understandable, and measurable. An important consideration when mapping your business processes is to view them through the eyes of your customers. Here are some areas to consider when you are mapping business processes: Identify Your Organization's/Project's Business Processes What are the processes