Here are 2 survey's happening right now in Project Management, so if you have a few minutes to spare take them please:
Economy and Project Management
Social Media and Project Management
There are new blogs in PM town, find them here and some more here.
If you have questions, you want to ask- don't wait any longer, try out this site
This year will certainly be interesting, lots of new stuff happening now.
Plan for 2010
Dear Newbie’s,This year I am bringing in a lot of new goodies to the blog!
The regular postings continue twice a week with Expert Interviews happening every month. We talk to Project Managers, Human Resource experts, Marketing Gurus and almost anyone who has been there and done that transition- from being a newbie to the expert. We also talk about what newbie’s should do to be noticed and taken seriously other than running errands and doing photocopies.
We are starting the Coffee Break Series because newbie’s -let’s face it don’t have the luxury of an hour long lunch. This will be a 2-4 minute of audio, video, postings that center around discussion and issues that all newbie’s face and how to get through them. So, while you munch down on your sandwich and coffee and run to your next meeting trying to get into a project where you happily volunteer your lunch time- this is it- a 2 minute Coffee Break moment that will help take you to the next level. Listen to it while you doze off on the couch after a long day or first thing in the morning when you know it’s going to be difficult.
You are still here because you are not the quitter; your brother once said you were. You know what you want and will not give up till you get it. So, this year is for all your dreams, the dreams you believed in when no one else did!
With best wishes,
Soma
(Pic Courtesy)
Sneak peek into the life of Project Manager's- Pt 2
This is Part 2 of the interview and if New Year Resolution is in style right now, that’s what I ask the Project Manager's- What’s your New Year resolution? Anything related to project management?Are there any other PM’s out there who love planning and goal setting so much that they do it all through the year? I actually couldn't wait for January 1 and revised my latest goals and objectives this past week. Don't want to give anything away - but let's just say that I can't wait to do some new things with my blog. In terms of project management, I'm excited to be part of the PMI New Media Council, and look forward to helping bring information both to and from Project Management International.
Here's to a successful, happy and healthy 2010 to you Soma, and all your readers.
In 2010 I will start active virtual mentoring and coaching.
In the last 20 years I have had the same new year's resolution every single year. It is "I will not make any new year's resolutions.". I have a 20 year record of successfully completing this resolution.
New years resolution...I don't really make New Years Resolutions because a lot of the New Year thinking for me happens in the fall at the Jewish New Year. And even then I don't always remember to come up with specific goals, except the general one of trying to be a better person. This year I am definitely trying to work on improving my work/life/family balance... I need to make more quality time to spend with my kids before they get too old and tell me I'm not cool enough to hang out with them (they are ages 3 and 5 :)
Finish the jumper I am knitting.
I say this every year, but be better at managing risks and issues. They should be active documents, not just a worksheet in a spreadsheet!
I think my New Year's resolution will center around balance. I tend to schedule/accept too many meeting invitations in a day. This, in turn, leads to less time available to reflect on what was discussed and follow up on actions promised during each meeting. This is how project managers end up in the office late in the evening. Blocking time during the day so that you can reflect/plan/follow up is crucial to having time left for yourself at the end of each day.
My own NY resolution related to project management is based around PMO (Programme Management Office), I’m a member of a voluntary group called PPSOSIG (Programme and Project Support Office Specialist Interest Group http://www.ppsosig.co.uk/) and we’ve been putting on conferences for the last 9 years in the UK. We’ve been holding two conferences a year and in 2010 I want to expand what we do so we can engage even more PMO professionals.
I’ve launched two local groups which concentrate on two major cities in the UK and I’m really excited about growing that in 2010. The events are going to be free, which is going to be great news for people and I’m looking forward to not only hosting the conferences but also project managing them (and hopefully making them a great success!)
Samad Aidane (www.
My New Year resolution, related to project management, is to enroll in and complete a meditation class. I want to learn how to use meditation to manage stress better. I have a major project coming up next year and I need all the help I can get.
I could not implement or complete many of previous year’s resolutions – mainly related to acquiring some more academic qualifications and formal learning. However professionally it was a “happening” year with some interesting projects.
I don’t really have any bad habits to quit. How ever I am looking forward to upgrade my skills in management and technical aspects.
To read Part 1 of the interview and detailed bio of the interviewed Project Manager's click here.
Interview with Jurgen Appelo
He has always inspired me and is considered one of the most serious blogger. I don't remember how I came across his blog, must have been blogroll of other bloggers.
The first time I read his blog, I went blank. The combination of research and thought that was put in most of the postings was so clear and refreshing. It was different. I wanted to write like him, may be if possible- even think like him.
So, this year I wanted to take that extra plunge and do things I wanted to do but was too scared to think about it. This is one of them. I have always wanted to interview him but thought he would deny. I was so sure, he would deny that I decided to write an email and ask. I mean- what the heck- he would deny anyways, so why not just write an email and forget about it.
How do you inspire yourself everyday?
I have no need to inspire myself. I am always curious to know how the world works, and I always want to find out what my own opinion is on many different topics. So I never have trouble picking up another book, or a science magazine, or reading blog posts. Because I know that I will be interested in the new knowledge available for me to discover. And I am usually rewarded with insights, in the form of "Wow, I never knew!" or "Of course! That explains it!" I really love such moments. And then, having picked up new things here and there, I am ready to write about my own thoughts, which is usually little more than connecting the dots between different things I've learned.
Do you have a regular schedule that you start your day with?
No, I have trouble getting out of bed. But I also have trouble going to bed (always too late), so that compensates for the first problem. :) I don't keep regular schedules throughout the day, because for me that doesn't seem to work. For example, writing is something I cannot do for 8 hours straight. I simply lose my concentration. I like my days best when I do a number of different things.
How did you train yourself for what you are doing today (and I don't mean the certifications and degrees)?
I'm afraid I have a very boring answer: I simply read a lot, and I practice a lot. I have read a few different books on writing (how to write well, how to write blogs, how to write books). It helps to learn from the experts that way. But practice is even more important. Looking back at the first blog posts I wrote, I think they are awful. I became much better at writing blog posts. But you only get there by writing many bad ones first. Now I'm writing a book for the first time. And it's a whole new learning experience for me. Maybe some time in the future, when I'm writing my 10th book, I will look back on the book I'm writing now, and I will think "My god, that was an awful book I wrote back then!" :)
What is more important- talent and IQ or the inspiration and conviction to go the extra mile?
Both, I think. If you are untalented it seems to me it doesn't make much sense to go the extra mile. It would be a waste of effort. For example, I know I am bad at sales and account management. It's not my thing. I could spend 100 hours trying to learn it, but (because I have no talents in that area) the return on investment wouldn't be worth it. Of course, I probably would get a little better at it, but not much. Instead, it is wiser to spend those 100 hours on things that I have some talents in. Because then the return on investment is much higher.
Thank you very much.
Oops I forgot to ask, if I can have an autograph- a signed copy of a sticky note would do.
Sneak peek into the life of Project Manager's- Pt 1
This is my second year of this year ending tradition and it's one of the best moments that I really enjoy.
This year ends with a fun light-hearted interview where the Project Managers talk about their everyday routine and New Year resolutions. I have always wondered how most of them have the time to do so much. Running successful blogs, doing podcasts and writing books along with high profile jobs and managing their global team.
This year ends with a fun light-hearted interview where the Project Managers talk about their everyday routine and New Year resolutions. I have always wondered how most of them have the time to do so much. Running successful blogs, doing podcasts and writing books along with high profile jobs and managing their global team.
So, I wanted to peek into their secret schedules with the hope that I might
borrow some of their routine and fit into mine.
I ask them 2 simple questions:borrow some of their routine and fit into mine.
- Do you have an everyday routine that you start your work with everyday?
- What’s your New Year resolution? Anything related to project management?
Morning is the most productive time for me. Someone from the software development side once recommended that all project managers schedule their status and team meetings in the afternoon, as it keeps the most productive time for developers open. That idea makes a lot of sense.
Here are the things I tend to do most mornings:
- Write down 3 things for which I feel grateful
- Imagine (and write down) a few sentences about how I envision the day going.
- Review all open items in my Autofocus task log and select any that must be completed today.
- Add any tickler items from my google calender to my autofocus log.
- Note the day's meetings and prepare any notes, documents, etc as
needed.
- Prepare a large glass of hot green tea (Pi Lu Chun from Upton Tea is a current favorite)
The start of my day consists of coffee, coffee and coffee.
I like to leave the start of the day as much open as possible, to be able to "walk around", get in touch with remote team members, go through the mail, etc.
After I have had my cup of tea in the morning I do what everyone else who works in an office does these days: I sit at my computer and I answer the ten-trillion emails that seem to have arrived overnight. My project team members are in various time zones around the world, so it's quite normal for me to spend about one hour just responding before I can get any other work done. Note that I said " get any other work done" and not "get any real work done".
This is an important distinction. Many people think that answering emails in the morning isn't real work, but remember that one of the most important jobs that we project managers have is to communicate. We receive information, we disseminate the content, we correlate it with other information on the project and then we make decisions and communicate these decisions to other people. That is why I don't look at this morning "ritual" as something that makes me lose time but as something that allows me to keep on top of my projects and to keep everyone else on target.
But sometimes I do wonder why people who live in the same town as I do send emails to me at 2am in the morning. Don't they ever sleep... ;-)
My team here has interesting hours, they all come in/start at different times(including me). So, morning meetings normally don't work out so well,anything we need to do early in the day happens around 11am or later.So, my own routine before I start moving on my day is to scroll through the twitter-#PMOT feed from the last 10-12 hours, see if there was anything interesting that came in the night before. I am more of alurker than a contributor, but I do try to contribute when I can.
My normal routine is more like - Promise myself I will get up in time to have a healthy breakfast. Get out of bed at the last minute and grab unhealthy breakfast on the way to work (current choice is Caffe Nero's Amaretto Latte which comes with a free biscuit).
Flo CastroMy team here has interesting hours, they all come in/start at different times(including me). So, morning meetings normally don't work out so well,anything we need to do early in the day happens around 11am or later.So, my own routine before I start moving on my day is to scroll through the twitter-#PMOT feed from the last 10-12 hours, see if there was anything interesting that came in the night before. I am more of alurker than a contributor, but I do try to contribute when I can.
My normal routine is more like - Promise myself I will get up in time to have a healthy breakfast. Get out of bed at the last minute and grab unhealthy breakfast on the way to work (current choice is Caffe Nero's Amaretto Latte which comes with a free biscuit).
I am normally in the office around 8.30am. Most of the time my team is not in the same building as me, so I don't routinely call them together for a stand up meeting or anything, although on Tuesday mornings we have a team conference call. I'm addicted to my Blackberry so by the time I get to my desk I have already read all my messages on the tube on the way to work.
Once I'm settled, breakfast over, I review the top three things that I wrote on a post-it note the evening before, which I stick on my laptop when I pack it away for the night. That gives me my three most important things to get done that day and a focus for my activity.Each day and each night I have a routine. Each day before I leave/close down, I look at the actions set for the rest of each week. Each day before I leave I check off, add, and prioritize what needs to get done to meet those goals. Each morning does have one common element.
since they are generally geographically varied, I will dial them.
(Flo Castro has a fifteen year track record as an information systems program and project manager, with a broad range of expertise in Information governance, Enterprise software development & integration, eDiscovery, and Strategic information planning/Business intelligence. Prior to Vetta Solutions, Flo was a program manager and JPMorgan Chase, & Cos. where she led eDiscovery, Finance, Trading, and Investment Banking initiatives. She maintains annual program portfolio s of $21MM to $36MM annually. She has been a PMP since 2002.)
Josh Nankivel- First, I get a good breakfast and go to the gym every morning. The exercise and nutrition wake me up and get me excited about the day!
- When I get to work, I would usually walk around a bit and chat with my team for about 10 minutes. Now that I'm producing training full time, this is mostly Twitter time for me!
- Next I bring up my to-do list that I updated the night before. I glance over the top things on it and get it ready for my next step.
- Calendar check - take note of meetings
- Email time. Anything that's actionable within 2 minutes I do immediately. Everything else goes on my to-do list. I mark all email as read and clear it from my inbox. I'm done when my inbox is empty. (In some cases, I block out time on my calendar to work on a specific to-do item)
- My to-do list is now updated and in priority order. I use it and my calendar to guide my activities throughout the day.
Lindsay Scott
My work day always starts with my plan for the day; I use a day book which contains a list of everything I want to achieve in that day. Sometimes the list is already pretty full with some carry overs from the day before! Generally though it works for me and I would be pretty lost without it.
Depending on the day of the week the mornings might start with our team breakfast which we do every Friday. This is an opportunity for us all to talk about current workloads, any new ideas we want to develop or help each other out on any issues that might have surfaced during the week. It’s an informal meeting but actually this is how most of our business improvements might be kicked off, an idea generated by anyone within the team. Other days the mornings might be spend on set pieces of work, we do a lot of blogging, twittering and other social media activities and it’s important we do this every day so a schedule of activity is needed for each member of the communications team.
(Lindsay Scott is Director of Arras People, the Programme and Project Management Recruitment Specialists. Lindsay is also an enthusiastic blogger on How to Manage a Camel which is focused on project management and careers. Lindsay is also interested in the world of PMO within project management and helps run the PPSOSIG)
I grab a cup of tea or coffee and I skim through emails, rss feeds and general news. If there's something important to do I find in email or I know before I come to office I terminate the routine and start dealing with the priority issue.
(Pawel Brodzinski is a team builder, project firefighter and program manager. He runs Software Project Management blog where he shares his knowledge and experience in creating software, managing projects and building great teams)Samad Aidane
I try (and the key word here is “try”) to list the top 3 priorities for the day and make sure that if, by the end of the day, I don’t complete them that I at least have made major progress on each one of them.
It is hard to do this every day, with all the fire fighting that has to be done, but it always feels good when I can do this.
(Samad Aidane is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 15 years of IT experience. His industry experience spans Telecom, Finance and Health Care, and Government on projects in U.S, Germany, Austria, and Belgium. For the last five years, Samad has been focusing on two specialty areas: Large complex system integration projects and troubled project recovery.Samad shares his thoughts on project management at www.
I am totally different person at home compared to office. Let me presume that what I do at home is not quite relevant here.
I start my work day with a long drive to the plant where I am working. It’s a gas processing plant. We have a site office and I start the day with a half an hour standing meeting with my team. We discuss the outcomes of last day’s work, pending activities and scheduled work for the day.
I believe in work ownership, accountability and chain of command. These things are essential to run any organization or team. Where people don’t take ownership of the work they are performing, you may observe several delays and issues. I use “Why” method to find root cause whenever a complaint or issue has been received or where ever I find things improper. We meet and communicate throughout the day attending work packs and trouble shooting.
Hope you enjoyed the interviews as much as I did going through them.
The New Year begins with another interview from none other than Jurgen Appelo himself.
Happy New Year everyone!
(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)
(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)
