Preaching doesn't help.

If you are not practicing yourself, stop preaching about it.

I have written perhaps umpteen times how getting a mentor helps, it sure does. Everybody needs their priorities to be evaluated once in a while, may be on quarterly basis. So, while I was looking for something more, I asked myself- what do I want to do now?

I write this blog and want to become a project manager but honestly how much progress have I made in the mast 3 months. Not much.

So, given the limited situation not much of the theories I read about I can really put into use. I have been stagnant for a while and it’s not what you want.

So, I sent out a tweet saying that I was looking for a project manager to mentor me. Yep- tweet! I did get some cool replies and I’m so grateful and appreciative of the fact that these project mangers that are awesome and so talented actually tweeted me back. I have told you; get into the social media- its helps!

Very exciting, right. It means lot of work as well. Working with the best in the field means that you will need a lot of preparation and putting in the hours.

So, I’m putting in the pieces together on what I need to get done:

• Get into a schedule rhythm- it gets me working to my best. Very hard to start and push yourself to get up at 6 in the morning but it will work! I need to study, remember?
• Mentally prepping myself up that work shouldn't tire me away and I will work very hard. If the mentor after leading such a busy life is agreeing to help me out, shouldn’t I be more than ready to double up my effort and make it worthwhile for them?
• Got my space set up, to study of course. Same place, same time everyday, helps me concentrate. I decide 2 hours everyday at least!
• Oh yeah and the blog wont stop, it will be rolling like never before- more information for me means more for you. Details of my sessions perhaps won’t be revealed unless my mentors agree to it. I’m not asking them now, not unless I have got an A in my assignment.
• I’d love to snooze for 10 more minutes. I’m awake and writing the blog at 6.30 n the morning. Who knew?

So, now that I’m doing it perhaps its time to get over the “tomorrow factor” for you as well. Rise and shine and get something done!

(Pic Courtesy)

Update your skills -now!

Time to update your wardrobe bring out your winter clothes and full sleeves, watch new season of greys anatomy and learn new skills.

So, why should blogrolls be left behind? There are new additions now:

http://scrummethodology.com/

http://agilemethodology.org/

http://www.agile-software-development.com/

Isn't that something?

(Pic courtesy)

The business flow-how important is it?

You are handling projects and it seems too much of confusion and information and you are at loss and feeling naive.

It doesn’t matter what domain you are working in, if you understand the basics you are good to go.

• Understand the business- why you are doing what you are doing?
• How will it help the client/stakeholders?
• Visualize the logic
• Reading the proposal/ statement of work to start getting into the details
• See previous templates of project trackers (if available)
• Ask for help from seniors or just mentors
• Once you know the business logic behind your project; the rest is really easy.
• Read as much details as you can and start organizing
• Create a flow diagram of the work module wise
• Take input from your team
• Make sure you track every single details against the requirement
• If you know your checklist, how can you miss it
• If you don’t miss it, you have your project on the way

(Pic courtesy)

PMI 09 Orlando

If you would like to follow the ongoing PMI conference and watch some cool videos, click here

Organizing wardrobes

Project management is so related to organized behavior and efficiency, I just did it unknowingly- yep, in my apartment!

Far away from work, where it shouldn't have mattered, I decided to color co-ordinate my wardrobe and see if it would make me happier in the mornings, because it would be easier to dress. I always crave some color in the mornings, now instead of browsing through the clothes, I can see them at one glance- the color the style, the collar and the stripes.

It's simple- color and style co-ordination done to keep my worries limited and hopefully make my day. Will it work? I hope so, haven't moved to my apartment yet completely, but the wardrobes arranged and the couch scheduled to deliver.Should be in by the end of the week!

As I came back to my old place with boxes scattered all over I had to think-is this how you become a project manager, so attuned to perfection that it comes automatically to you? Or is it self cultivated that turns even the relaxed and the lazy to the conscious being?

Organized behavior is all you want!

Does being happy make you a better project manager?

What do you think?

When do you work your best? The day you are happy and the day's sunny and breezy or simply run down?

Thats what I thought, so did these articles:

article 1

article 2

If you need more tips on how to be happy at your work and in life, read this The Happiness Project

(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)

Searching for apartments

So, here I'm trying to set up with all things necessary- apartment, phone, internet- one long checklist. While i look for an aparment near my office, here are some of my favorite readings you can browse:

• pmstudent
• noop.nl
• arras people

Enjoy!

Check-in

By the time you read this- perhaps Monday morning, I'll be travelling accross continents.

So, the next post will come later part of the week after I have my internet connection set up. So, till I struggle with overweight luggage and move things around trying to balance it- enjoy your week ahead.

(Pic Courtesy:Google Images)

Where's your mentor?

I have written about mentoring before and I think its one of the most important things to focus on while you are trying to find a ground for yourself in the professional world.

I read Alec's post the other day and thought would share it with you as well. Here are links related to mentoring I have written before:

What mentoring can teach you

Why its hard being a newbie?

Calculative risk- take one. Anyone?

Donald trump himself taught me about it. It’s the best take away money can buy.

So, when something needs to be done and you have waited your turn and outgrown it and nothing seems to work, that’s when you take a calculative risk.

•Analyze- why you should take the risk and not wait another month?

•Check all your facts before taking the plunge.

•You have cross checked all alternatives and they don’t work.

•Be ready to accept that the risk might fall flat and not work and you have to live with the consequence.

•Take the risk, only when you are have strong of chances of getting it done. That way its worth the preparation that you have to take to take the risk

•Go prepared when you take the risk.

So, if you think getting into project management might be a risk (career change/ stream change), prepare for it and then go ahead and take one. Talk to people and instead of waiting for a lifetime on how you should go about doing it- go do it.

Take a calculative risk.