Relationship Management for Managers

Dec 9, 2008 | | 0 comments |
Out of the 10 articles I have read in the last 2days, perhaps 8 of them talk about networking. 

I know it's necessary, so do you. What about it? If you read my review for Beyond Code; see the Take Home section at the end of the review.

Relationship Journal is what the book and the author Rajesh Setty emphasizes. It's a must and you cant go wrong if you can maintain it. Sure I read the book, I even tried reviewing it. So, did I start keeping a  Relationship Journal? Yes, I just did.

I read Alec Satin's post this morning about Highrise and guess what, I signed up for Highrise! This is really cool and I must tell - you are free to sign up for a  FREE account. You get to keep 250 contacts and can upgrade to the paid version if you think it's necessary. So, I created mine and added Alec as my first contact. Well, he told me about it.

So, begins my relationship journal. 

I have used similar version for the project communication at work, never for my personal contact management. It's a great tool and am glad I signed up.

Here's the link, just incase you would like to see how it works.

(Picture: Google Images)

Ten traits of a PM

Alec Satin talks about the Traits of a successful PM, in his blog.

Very interesting read and must share with everyone who wants to be one. Here are the 10 pointers from the Guru:
  1. Develop a consistently positive attitude.
  2. Make wise choices.
  3. Believe in your abilities.
  4. Be a master at setting goals and achieving them.
  5. Have a clear vision of what success means to you and to your project.
  6. Develop steady, positive habits.
  7. Show persistence.
  8. Over-communicate.
  9. Be transparent.
  10. Do what you say you will do without exception.
To learn more keep reading.

PM Terminology

Dec 7, 2008 | | 0 comments |
Oh yeah, we all have read about PM terminologies- some from the PMBOK; others from blogs or Wikipedia. But here's something you might want to know. 

Bill Duncan talks about price estimate terminologies  and their differences which we  should know. 

Project Managers who Blog

Dec 5, 2008 | | 1 comments |
If you are someone who blogs regularly, here's a hint about how to get your blog popular.

I stumbled upon the term Search Engine Optimization few months back while working in a project which had SEO part of it. It's fascinating to know how internet, well rather Google works. Why we see the site we see.

When I started blogging, I just did what I thought was right and I would like to read. I didn't have any intentions to optimize my site and I never did. My interest was triggered when I suddenly saw my blog  rank (page rank) 2. Not bad I thought, 5 months into blogging and it ranked! Than one day, the rank was simpy gone. 

I didn't change anything, I still wrote the way I write and enjoy every bit of it.  So, I just decided to ignore the entire thing. While doing some research about SEO for a project, I read the article on how to optimize a blog and thought that was rather interesting.

If you are one of those who optimize along with writing, well you already know about SEO. If you don't, the information is worthwhile. 

I don't think I will be changing very soon the way I write or think just because I need the page rank back. I would rather prefer more visitors to my site and see how they react. Of course, if it comes with an added bonus of a Page Rank -good enough I say. Actually more than good. I like being appreciated once in a while for my hard work and if it comes from Google, why not?

(Picture: Google Images)

P.S. Can I please have a minute of your time and  if you could please vote for the poll (on the right hand side) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Beyond Code- Reviewed

Dec 4, 2008 | | 0 comments |
Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events and great minds discuss ideas 

Discussing ideas is what Rajesh Setty has done so stylishly in his much coveted book BEYOND CODE. His e-book is 145 pages (has blank pages inserted) and before you think it would take too long to read, let me remind you- its one of the fascinating books we all look for. Once you start reading it, chances are you will finish it the very day. 

The review is my own understanding of the book and points that I would like to remember. Please note that this review is not in any way a replacement for the original book reading experience. 

Your ROI (return of investment) will be much higher than you expected. You have the book free (link given below), so all you invest is your time. The book is perfect if you are looking forward to imbibe some valuable changes into  your personal or professional life. The language is simple and straightforward with points and anecdotes and experiences shared from the authors own life.

 Three things to know when you start reading the book-

  • Believe- Trust the author and the fact that you would like to bring in some change.
  • Participate – You have “accountability forms” running throughout the book!
  • Personalize the read- Take the lesson and use it your way.

In the various chapters, the author discusses various points of what the readers can do to bring about the changes. Given below are some random points taken from the book which I think were quite thought provoking-

  • What can you (as an individual) bring that special You in the table?
  • Know what you are doing and where you want to go (Be different)
  • Path to success cannot be followed, create your own path- innovate
  • Have clarity in what you communicate - understand others perspective
  • Read well chosen matter- Setty talks about reading 1 book/week.
  • Use accelerated learning techniques- music increases the effectiveness of learning and yes I have personally tried it in more than several occasions and it works.
  • Use mindmapping as an effective tool
  • Love and enjoy your work
  • Go beyond the call of duty- take extra responsibility and people will take note.
  • Have a great attitude- a sure one, it always get noticed.
  • Find a mentor- no matter at what level you are this helps. I have written about it in more than several occasions. Never hesitate to make a connection.
  • Let go the HULK complex- don’t hesitate taking help from others, if they are willing to. Trying to solve all issues by yourself doesn’t help. To know amore about the complex try answering the questionnaire in p.78.
  • Make others feel good about themselves- so true
  • Be genuinely interested in other people
  • Be optimistic
  • Keep an open mind- listen to other ideas and people even if you don’t agree to it.
  • Prep yourself up for your next role- if you want to be team leader, try volunteering for some of the work and know what it is to be one.
  • Be ready for your leadership moment 

Here’s what I consider the Take Home from the book:

  • Create your own brand
  • Maintain a relationship journal
  • Your career is all about delivering the right ROI to your employer and yourself.
  • Share the book with someone- you can download the e-book right here.

 (Picture:Google Images)

Project Management Presentations

Dec 3, 2008 | | 1 comments |
Look no further. All you need is a simple idea and rest is history. 

It's not a big deal anymore since sharing has become over-simplified over the net. I have been eyeing the Slideshare feature for a while now (it's one of the new application added in Linkedin as well) and uploaded my first slide today.  

I have always been a huge fan of new technology and Slideshare seems very exciting. Here is how you can use Slideshare for your PM needs:

  • Create power point presentation ahead of time and upload it in Slideshare
  • While uploading your presentation you have the option to check/uncheck if you want the PPT to be downloadable.
  • Having well thought out PPT  and access to it can be amazing for your team
  • You can keep them all in one place and use it as required. 
  • Of course you can browse through the presentation of others and add it to your favorites, great way to get in touch with new people and get some fresh idea.
You can view my presentation about Communication Skills necessary for aspiring Project Managers by simply clicking on the slideshare link. 

(Picture: http://www.slideshare.net)

Project Management Tool- twitter

When I first started my Twitter account, little did I know about it's advantages.

Frankly, two days later I thought I couldn't use it properly and perhaps was missing some information.

Thats when I found this article at Guy Kawasaki's blog. Its absolutely mind blowing and a must read for everyone who has a twitter account.

I am sure it's a great marketing tool if you are keen on building your brand or market your product (website or services). However, it can be turned into a great Project Management tool as well. Tweet with some PM experts and you can get solutions to your problems and even have some light moments communicating with your team. If your team's not techsavy, who else should be ?

Of course it also allows your team to be on the edge on emerging technologies and will encourage them to share new tools and technologies with all. Share the work list and team meetings in the twitter way and it could turn into a great tool for team building and sharing information.

Here's a tip if you are a new Twitter user- Install Google Desktop and then get the Twitter gadget from the site. You can update your tweets by this gadget alone and you dont need to login to the site everytime.

(Picture:Twitter.com)