Interview with Raj Menon

Oct 11, 2010 | | 2 comments |
He is honest, insightful and encouraging. If you havent met him, you should. Meet Raj Menon who writes about leadership, he thinks "My job is to make it easier for you to meet your goals by giving you confidence, direction and guidance.” You can also find him in twitter 


Your blog is in Alltop and that says a lot about the quality of your posts- tell us something about your blog.
Thanks Soma. Alltop included my site a long time ago under the leadership category, back when 13apples.com was lap31.com. I am not certain if my site is still listed as one of the upcoming and promising leadership blogs. That was a proud moment for me and I still cherish every win I have ever had.
The origin of the 13apples Blog started with a simple question I asked myself when I turned 30yrs old - am I ready to lead? You can say I was a bit paranoid. I looked back into what I had achieved in life and tried to figure out where I was headed. My writing was a way for me to find my path forward. I considered the site to be a pit stop for me. I was in a race called life and like any race driver I was in the pit stop to refuel, change tires, tune up, and zoom out to race another lap. As you can tell, I am a big F1 (Formula 1) racing fan, which is also where the original name for the site "lap31.com" came from as I was on my 31st lap in a race called life.

Why did you choose to write about leadership?
I believe that there is a leader in every one of us. As I was reflecting on my leadership lessons through my writing and life experiences, I thought of giving back to the world by exploring the mindset of leaders in every walk of life and thus provide every one who visits my site with the opportunity to awaken the leader in them, to share their leadership stories, to collaborate. Eventually it led to the site slogan "where leaders collaborate".

What are the qualities of a real leader, do you have a favorite?
It's tough to encapsulate all the qualities of a real leader in a few words or sentences. It's like asking "What makes a person good?". There are so many things - characteristic, environmental, situational, personal, professional, etc - to consider before summing it all up. To best answer this question, let me share with you what I believe are Leadership Mantras that everyone is inherently born with but needs to develop or fine tune:


  • Leadership is about people. We lead by creating an environment of trust, transparency, openness, empowerment and support; where failure is an opportunity to learn, where success stories are celebrated.
  • Leaders are social beings. They create collaborative teams beyond boundaries and borders, bridging cultural divides, in a globally diverse workspace.
  • Leaders inspire themselves by learning and listening so they can in turn inspire others by sharing and collaborating. 

How did you end up being in project management? Is this something you always wanted to do?
Project Management was never a goal for me, at least not when I started out in the IT field 11 years ago. I was an ASP developer, moved on to PHP and to Java development before I was promoted to a Lead role to manage the company's first dot net project overseas. I continued to wear multiple hats, that of a developer and a lead for another 2 years till I realized that I needed to be a full time lead if I am going to be held accountable for the project. During 2004-05 I was doing Project Leadership full time which gradually helped me go up the ranks to a Project Manager and now Program Manager. In short, I worked my way to project/program management.

I know you are part of toastmasters, so do you also read a lot? What are the last 3 books you read?
Yes, I have been part of toastmasters since 2008. I spoke about my foray into toastmasters and the journey in a speech last year, which you can find at this link here . I do read a lot, especially these days.
I am glad you asked me about book coz I read 3 very insightful books recently. The interesting part is that each author led me to the next book.

  • Who's Got Your Back? by Keith Ferrazzi
  • Get It Done Guy's 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More by Steve Robbins
  • The Go-Givers by Bob Burg & John David Mann (I am currently reading their 2nd book The Go-Givers Sell More)

Any new plans for your blog?
I have so many plans but I am taking it one step at a time. With my salaried job, toastmasters, family life and networking, I struggle to find time to put my 13apples plans into supersonic speed. But someday I will when my life permits.

Some immediate plans are to increase my subscription base. I have around 30 amazing subscribers now but I want to grow that as rapidly as possible. I will also continue to have 1 post per week emailed to my subscribers. I am also working on an eBook that I will be distributing freely to my subscribers, around a new concept I am working on called the Circle of Influence. These are the plans in action right now.

By the way, congratulations on your PMP- how much do you think preparation time one needs to go for it?
Thank You! Frankly, I spent a year of ad-hoc studying which was mainly listening to the PMPrepcast (which you are promoting on your website as well). Ad-hoc studying will not really get you through the test. What made a difference for me was the 1 week I took off from work and put my brain and body into overdrive to piece it all together. However, that is not the method I would recommend. Instead, I would advice any PMP aspirant to put in 3 months of effort (2 hours per weekday) and a dedicated review time 2 weeks prior to the exam, mainly to attempt sample tests.

Three qualities you think every aspiring project manager should have?
1. Be Confident in Yourself
2. Respect People especially your Team
3. Be Accountable for your actions and Never Give Up

Thank you for your time Raj.
Thank You!!

So which side are you on- 80 or 20?

This is a guest blog post from my friend and a budding Project Manager Sanchita Bhattacharjee and along with our love of Project Management; we also happen to share our last name.

She talks about the Pareto Principle, brushes on her discovery of project management and how she plans to implement it in her life.

The other day, someone asked me about the Pareto principle and I fell from the sky!
Faintly did I hear economist Vilfredo Pareto and Juran's names in the University corridors but that's all. Never really thought I could use it one day in the work I was learning myself- yes, Project Management.  

Technically, The Pareto principle also called the 80-20 rule/Law of the vital few states that 'for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.'

What Pareto initially observed was that 80% of the land or wealth in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Not too sure if Gregor Mendel also inferred that 20% of the pea pods contribute to 80% of peas produced when he was playing with genetics in his garden:) Come to Software, even Microsoft noted that by fixing only 20% of bugs they were able to eliminate 80% of errors reported.

Interestingly when Business Schools started seeing more of it, it was concluded that actually 80% of your total sales come from 20% of your clients. So the next question comes up, how can we imply this in Project Management? A general response would be that in any project, the first 10% and last 10% of a project are the most crucial parts. In other words the Initiation and Delivery Phases will take up 80% of your time and resource.

An article I read somewhere highlights that ' 80 percent of your sales will come from 20 percent of your sales staff. 20 percent of your staff will cause 80 percent of your problems, but another 20 percent of your staff will provide 80 percent of your production. It works both ways.'  

Even the very famous management consultant Richard Koch discusses how to apply the Pareto principle in all walks of life. So here is the deal, so far all of us have heard and believed in the 'work smart' technique. Perhaps, the same is based on focusing your energy, your attention of 20% of things which really matter.  Stop being on the 80 side and keep struggling with causes which can be treated later. So first step would be to identify them. Even if you are missing out points and areas in your daily life, make sure they do NOT fall under the significant 20%. So work smart but on the right things. 

To know more read on and do not forget to mention how YOU imply the 80-20 rule in your work and in your life!


The site will be unavailable this weekend, while I and my designer friend try to upload the new design to bring in a better visual experience for you. 

(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)

Interview with Elizabeth Harrin

She got me started on project management and is one of my favorite person who inspires me everyday. She is a great person to talk to, email for some advise and meeting her last year in person was the best thing ever- meet Elizabeth Harrin.


Her second book  is out and she is providing a free course, if you want to ramp up on your social media skills today.
  
Enjoy the interview.


Elizabeth, congratulations on your new book! Tell us something about your book and why did you choose to write something so specifically about project management and social media?


I’m part of PMI’s New Media Council and at the Congress in Orlando last year we did a presentation on the uses of social media for project teams.  It was amazingly well attended and people were standing up at the back as the room was so busy.  There were other presentations at Congress on new technologies that also had their rooms packed out.  It made me realize that there was an appetite amongst the project management community to learn about how we can embrace new technology and specifically social media to help with the way we manage project teams.  There are lots of books written about how to use social media for marketing and communication with customers, but nothing about how to use it behind the firewall for collaboration and communication between colleagues.  That’s the gap I was trying to fill.


I know you are an advanced user of social media, however how much of it do you use in ongoing projects and how?


I use Twitter and LinkedIn for personal development and information seeking, to stay in touch with relevant people, and to keep abreast of industry developments.  My blog allows me to connect with industry colleagues and other project managers.  I use Highrise as a contact management system - it's not 'pure' social media, but it includes several social media-y features like tags and as it is cloud-based it is good for multiple people keeping the same records up to date.  We also use wikis for keeping track of project
information.


I am personally inspired by simply observing how much you are doing everyday- the book, the Otobos Group (your company), the job - how do you manage to keep everything together? Do you plan on a regular basis or yearly? Do you make a list of things you want to do and achieve every New Year and follow the plan or is it more instinctive?


I have two jobs and a life!  


I’m Head of IT Programme Delivery for a UK healthcare company, and I run my own company, a business writing practice that supplies content to websites.  We do other writing-related things too; recently I wrote a project management case study for a professor to use in her university classes, for example.  


Do I plan?  Well, as a project manager I should say yes, but it is a pretty flexible plan.  I’ve been blogging for nearly 5 years and this is the first year I have drawn up an editorial calendar.  I have a spreadsheet with a tab per month and in each month I note what I want to publish when, notes for the following month and so on.  So I can tell you that I have already started thinking about what A Girl’s Guide to Project Management will be doing for its 5th birthday in January!  I do regularly review what I would like to achieve, but new opportunities come along all the time and the plan gets reworked.  For example, Social Media for Project Managers is officially launched on 11 October, and I wanted to do something alongside that, so I wrote a course which you can get as a series of emails or as a short e-book.  That needed to be done in time for the launch of Social Media for Project Managers, but I have more flexibility with other deadlines.


In terms of fitting it all in, I believe that people make time for things that they love.  I love my healthcare job and I love writing.  It’s all about prioritizing your time.  I still have enough hours in the day to fit in the rest of my life, family, hobbies.  We waste a lot of time not doing the right things.


Tell us about a day in the life of Elizabeth Harrin.


OK, I’ll pick today.  I got up, checked my emails, and responded to a client who is enquiring about some website content for his site.  I left for the office, and read a bit more of The Get-it-Done Guy’s 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More, which is the book I’m currently reviewing.  I picked up a coffee on the way, and got to my desk about 8.45am.  


The office day comprises of project planning, financial management and budgets, a team meeting, prep for a meeting next week, following up on outstanding tasks, catching up on emails, reviewing documentation and speaking to suppliers.  I left the office after 5pm and head home, reading a daily paper on the journey.  
Once I’m at home, I reviewed personal and Otobos Group emails that I received through the day.  Many of the Otobos Group’s clients are in the U.S. so they are still at work by the time I get to their messages.  I do a bit of writing or office admin, catching up with sources for articles, talking to editors or editing video content.  Dinner, more work, an episode of CSI and bed!  Like many people who run their own business, I work long hours, but I love what I do so I don’t notice it until someone like you asks.


Did you always envision being who you are today as a child? What did you want to be then and what do you think changed you goal?


I never grew up thinking I would be a project manager.  Who knew what one of those was?  I wanted to be an ambulance driver.  My goal was changed when I realized I could join the ambulance service straight out of school and I really wanted to go to university first.  At university it changed again.


What inspires you?


What a difficult question!  I like learning, so I’m inspired by new things.  And snow.  I do like a good snowy landscape.


Do you have a new list coming up for New Year?


I expect I will re-work an old list and see how well I have done.  As I said, next year is A Girl’s Guide to Project Management’s 5th birthday, and the 5th year that Project Management in the Real World has been on the shelves, so I think I’ll be doing something around that.


Thank you for your time Elizabeth, always wonderful to have you here.


Thanks for having me!


To read her award winning blog click here and to see more on what she is working, visit her shop.  

Stressful Times

Oct 1, 2010 | | 1 comments |
How you react during crisis  and manage your stress level tells a lot about you.

If you are like me where crisis strikes rarely, moments like this can be turned into learning experiences.

There are few things to keep in mind:

Handling pressure- Having to deal with the pressure is good perhaps because it keeps you alert and open. It also suddenly teaches you lessons of a lifetime in handling it and keeping your sanity itact also at the same time.
To learn more about stress and learning to handle it, read this.

Using the time effectively- When you encounter situations where decisions have to be made quickly, everyone wants to make the right use of time. 

Ensure:
·         You know your current situation based on reality and not assumptions
·         You know your goal and what you want to decide
·         You are aware of the time factor and not procrastinating decisions
·         You are using time effectively for your own benefit.
To learn more on stress management click here 

Support – Your social support is perhaps one of the most important thing at this point. If you are lucky, you already have a strong array of family and friends there for you. No one can make the decision for you, however they can be your sounding board to test ideas, talk about other options and just the fact that they area round you is enough to keep you going.

Creating Opportunity- You might not be writing a blog post out of it, but you sure can take the time to make the best decision for you based on the opportunities you have. 

Chances are you are more open to earning more about yourself and what you can do, this might be the best time to try out things you have been waiting to try.  Your acceptance of the situation and willingness to try new things can bring up more than you have been expecting. Before you decide, listen to everyone, look into every single details and most importantly listen to yourself. Don’t let the confusing time drag you down. Make the decision that works best for you- emotionally and professionally.

Vulnerability- When in tough situations especially if it is publicly known, feelings of vulnerability are natural.  It almost like standing in the glass box where people pass by freely with their opinions about you.  The fear of being judged on everything is a nightmare but if you look into more calmly, you will realize you get to know you, your fears which you have been avoiding and things that you haven’t really noticed before.  Use this as an opportunity to know from others and you what you should be working on, where you lack and what you can do about it.
If it can happen to pros, its ok if it happens to you.

Listen you your body- It never lies. You knew this was coming you just wasn't prepared for it. Next time, when your body gives up, don't take it for granted. it has more to say than we realize.

Want to read more and reduce your stress, try here .

Interview with Cornelius Fichtner

Todays interview is with none other than Cornelius Fichtner, PMP who has been working as a Project Manager in his native Switzerland, in Germany and in the USA for the last 18 years and received his PMP credential in April 2004. Currently, Cornelius helps project managers to stay on top of the industry with his free Project Management Podcast and helps them pass the PMP Exam with The PM PrepCast. His passions obviously are project management methodologies and PMOs.


You are known for your podcast. How did this all start and how did you come up with the idea?
It's all my wife's fault  because in 2004 she gave me an iPod for my birthday. At first, I was just listening to music and some books. Then the first podcasts arrived and I realized that there wasn't one for project managers. At first, I dismissed the idea to create one several times until I finally decided to start The Project Management Podcast at www.pm-podcast.com late in 2005. The mission of this podcast has been "Bringing project management to beginners and experts" ever since.


I have to mention that I am a big fan of your prepcast and love it and am going to use it for my PMP preparation- what suggestions do you have for people getting ready for CAPM and PMP?
The first step in becoming a CAPM or PMP has to be the mandatory reading of the CAPM Handbook or the PMP Handbook, readily available from PMI. Once you understand the certification process, then it's time to read the PMBOK Guide 3 times, read a PMP Prep Book in parallel and take a prep class as well. In regards to classes I always recommend that people first contact their local PMI chapter because chapters often offer good quality prep classes. 


For those who don't have the time to go to an in-person class, there is always my own PM PrepCast which allows you to earn your 35 required contact hours on your iPod or other portable player. 


After about 3 weeks of study, it is also time to start testing your self on sample questions. Begin using the free ones available on the web and then you must subscribe to a paid online service, where you can take simulated PMP exams.


Any memorable experience while doing your podcast?
In episode #50 I interviewed Max Wideman (www.maxwideman.com), who is one of the most well respected project managers in the USA. I was amazed by his friendliness, graciousness and depth of understanding of project management as a discipline. There is a reason why he has been so successful in his career. And then, in episode 100 I was star struck because I had a chance to interview musician Alan Parsons from the Alan Parsons Project. He has always been a favorite musician of mine (my iPod is full of his music), so having him on the program was fun.


Did you always plan to become a project manager?
Does anyone?


Three qualities every project manager should have?

  • Flexibility, because when you arrive at your office tomorrow morning, I can almost guarantee that much of what you had planned to do may not turn out exactly as you had expected.
  • Empathy, because you are going to have to deal with dozens of people every day and in order to be successful you must be able to think how they do, understand what makes them tick and communicate in a way that makes sense to them.
  • A sense of humor, because you are spending at least 8 hours at work every day and if your work isn't fun or you cannot make it fun, then why are you doing it?

Last three books you read.
I very rarely read books any more. I listen to them on my iPod

  • Dr. Nathaniel Branden - The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem
  • Robert A. Heinlein - Stranger in a strange land (this would be my 4th time hearing it)

What inspires you everyday to do what you do (working full time and yet make the time for podcasts and new applications for PMP exams)?
2 years ago, I made project management training my full time job. This means, that I have moved over to "The Dark Side" and I am now a project sponsor, who has a lot of PMs reporting to him, so that we can deliver all the great products that we do. But frankly, the thing that keeps me going are people writing me a short email saying that they have passed their exam and how much my training materials have helped them.


Cornelius is the 2007 Chair of the Project Management Institute Orange County Chapter. He currently lives in Silverado, California, USA with his wife and their four computers. 

Placing ads

Sep 21, 2010 | 0 comments |

The winner for PMP exam iphone flashcard application is Dana James. Congratulations Dana!


By the way, since I get too many requests for placing ads in my site and in the blog, hopefully the advertise section will provide the answers you are looking for.

In case it still doesn't, feel free to email me.

Iphone flashcard Giveaway

Sep 15, 2010 | | 0 comments |
Looking for another giveaway- look no further.


If you would like a free iPhone free PM application app, all you have to do is sign up at SIPM  and then email us or post in Facebook that you want the app. Remember to send your full name in the email, so I know you have also signed up for SIPM.


Last day to send email is Sept 20. 

Lessons from NYC

Sep 13, 2010 | 1 comments |
My vacation is over. 


New York was fantastic; weather was good and am loaded with good memories and great time.


The best part was meeting some inspiring people and seeing why they are so good at what they do. Here are some New York City NYC flavors for you:


•Being around ambitious people works- you see other people implementing their careers and you not only get more information but also learn great things simply by observing them. In NYC you are rubbing shoulders with the best everyday.
•They love their careers, not jobs- attachment to their current location is zero, what they are striving for everyday is more opportunities, more money and take every chance to grow.
•Networking is part of their lifestyle- they are always looking for new contacts, saving phone numbers and keeping in touch.
•They stay updated and gearing up everyday for the next move- reading, taking up classes and stay in top of their games everyday. It’s an initiative NYC professional don’t take for granted.


So, whichever city you are in, its time to be inspired!


(Pic Courtesy: Soma.
by the way if you happen to visit NYC- try out Bubba Gump at Time Square- great food and wonderful place)

Winner of giveaway

Sep 10, 2010 | 0 comments |
The winner of PM Podcast is Tracey Hitchings.

Congratulations Tracey! Details will be sent to your inbox.

PMP Prep Tools

Whether you are having a long weekend or not, the prep to become a better PM goes on.

Here are some awesome resources I found; if you are plaanning to take the exam or simply learn more:

Good luck.