tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92185102024-03-06T22:34:33.207-07:00Shipwrecked ProjectOh, no! Not another project!
Have you ever felt like this? Then you're in the right place. We talk about leading projects - what it takes and how to get there.Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-23374239348080957882007-07-04T01:52:00.000-06:002007-07-04T01:52:16.065-06:00Moving Day<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now I've gone and done it!</span> I've created my own blog at http://shipwreckedproject.com.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Using WordPress, I have a website and blog all in one.</span> It was pretty cool to figure out how to do all of that. It helped immeasurably that the WordPress community is generous with beginners.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you subscribed to this blog, please subscribe to that one.</span> If you need a different option than RSS, just let me know and I'll figure out how to get it for you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I copied all of the existing posts from this blog over there.</span> Although I intend to take this blog down at some point, it won' be in the near future.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My new posts are all being published on http://shipwreckedproject.com.</span> Take a look at it. I hope you like it!<br /></span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1164666369354615902006-11-27T15:16:00.000-07:002007-04-24T14:56:58.634-06:00Project Managers vs. Executives - Part 3or<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do the Dumb-dumbs in the executive offices know?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In the first two parts of this series, we learned how to decide which executive to start building a relationship with, and what we need to do in order to advocate project management processes in our company.</span> In this final part of the series, we'll talk about a very important, but often overlooked, part of the advocacy process - when to advocate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 3: When</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After you've done all your homework and learned about selling, it's time to start working.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">As with any communication between people, timing is important.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Choose a time to talk with your executive when a project has succeeded in a way that the executive can appreciate.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The worst time to talk with an executive is when a project has failed, or is on the road to failure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Even when a project is proceeding well, there's no proof for your pudding.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be careful to understand the executive's timing as well.</span> Just after layoffs are announced is probably not a good time. Wait for a few days - or until the assistant lets you know that it's okay.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Choose a time to talk when you won't be interrupted.</span> It's often a good idea to get out of the office - lunch, coffee, dinner, or some other place where the two of you can talk openly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Because you've gotten to know a bit about this executive, you'll know how much small talk he/she wants.</span> Many executives want to get to the point quickly - even at dinner.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summary</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We've talked about the who, what, and when of talking with executives about the value of project management practices.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be picky about who you talk with.</span> Choose with care.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Build a relationship with that executive.</span> Base your talks on the benefits that project management practices will bring to the strategy that the executive has.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Choose your times to talk very carefully.</span> Make sure you're both ready to talk, and go somewhere that limits interruptions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is only the starting point.</span> There's so much involved - people skills, communication skills, strategic thinking - that it takes time.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />There are two main points:</span><br /><blockquote>1. Build a one-to-one relationship with the executive<br />2. Talk with one executive at a time</blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Until next time . . .</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1164665764923804112006-11-27T15:07:00.000-07:002006-12-04T03:05:41.448-07:00Project Managers vs. Executives - Part 2or<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do the Dumb-dumbs in the executive offices know?<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In part 1 we learned how to decide which executive to start building a relationship with.</span> In this part of the three-part series, we'll learn the beginning steps about what to do next.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 2: What</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Selling is NOT evil.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are a couple of definitions that I prefer.</span><br /><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sell - to persuade another to recognize the worth or desirability of something</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">Sell - to cause to be accepted; advocate successfully</span><br /><br /> American Heritage Dictionary</blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Besides thinking of ourselves as advocates, we're also teachers.</span> Whether we want to or not, as project managers we teach people about project expectations every day. They come to expect success, or failure, based on what we deliver.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">When we consistently deliver successful projects, it's much easier to advocate the process.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Learn how to sell.</span> Read books, take classes, talk with salespeople. There are many sales techniques - and some are not relevant to what we do. I've found that techniques that use relationship building work best for this type of sale.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Then translate the word "sell" to "teach" or "advocate."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">We don't convince other people of anything - they convince themselves.</span> We supply the information for them to do that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The best information to give them is the benefits of project practices.</span> Answer this question: What will they get?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be careful here and really study this point.</span> Benefits are not features. A feature would be the project schedule. A benefit would be opening a new market.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next time, we'll talk about when to sell project management practices.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Until then . . .</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1164665008375859662006-11-27T14:53:00.000-07:002006-11-27T15:03:28.416-07:00Project Managers vs. Executivesor<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What do the Dumb-dumbs in the executive offices know?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">As project managers, we know that the processes we use are valuable.</span> We want to help our companies to succeed. It makes sense to us that using project management throughout the company will lead to success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">No brainer, right?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wrong.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Executives see projects as operational processes, and not part of a successful business strategy.</span> Which means that they see project managers as staff people, not executive managers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How do we do that?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">As project managers, we need to learn more about the business of our companies.</span> Do you know your company's business plan? Marketing plan? Sales plan?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">In this three-part post, I'm presenting some ideas on how to get started talking with executives about the value of project management practices.</span> We'll talk about the who, what, and when.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Part 1: Who</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I mentioned that executives view projects as operations, not strategy.</span> That's the key to unlocking the mystery of executive support.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">As project managers, we understand the strategy that we use to manage a project.</span> We also know to break that strategy down into tactics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Just like a project plan maps out the project strategy, the business plan maps out the company's strategy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">In a project the communications plan and risk management plan are tactical support for the project plan.</span> It makes sense that the marketing plan and sales plan are tactical support for the business plan in a company.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Knowing the strategy, as well as the tactical details, allows us to see our goal before we get there.</span> It's the same in running a business.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Executives deal with the strategy of the business, and their direct reports deal with the tactical details.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">So when you want to talk with an executive, remember that strategic solutions are their only interest.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">So how do we find out about the company's strategy?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do the research and read the plans.</span> It may take some relationship building with people in marketing and sales in order to get access to the plans. There are many advantages to having these relationships - but that's another subject.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Find out more information about the various executives in your company.</span> Does any one of them have a project management background? Do they come out of an industry that views project management as a core competency?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Choose the person who you find you have the most in common with.</span> When building any type of relationship, people are more comfortable when they can bond at some level.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">One of the criteria for choosing an executive is how likely that person is to be open about his/her concerns.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How do you find that out?</span> By talking with other people in your company. Figure out who knows the most about the people at your company. You may need to start talking with people outside of your own department.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">One of the things that I learned in the Navy is to always treat the commanding officer's secretary, the finance person, and at least one corpsman with great respect.</span> These people can make, or break, your career.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The CO's secretary can help out in many, many ways</span> - from information to head's up notification to scheduling time with the CO.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The finance person keeps your payroll records and authorizes your pay check.</span> That's someone to keep happy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The corpsman maintains your medical records - including your shot records - and can make your transfers a living hell.</span> Don't make that person angry.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It's the same in companies.</span> If your executives have assistants - whether it's an admin assistant, executive assistant, or personal assistant - those are the people who know the most. Build a relationship with them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">When you've learned about the company's strategy and chosen an executive to talk with, then you're ready to begin the sales process.</span> That's the What.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Until next time . . .</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1163111740383529832006-11-09T15:21:00.000-07:002006-11-09T15:35:40.423-07:00Prefer talking to a brick wall than an executive?<span style="font-weight:bold;">Would you rather talk to a brick wall than an executive at your company?</span> Do you wonder why executives don't have time to talk about project management? Then this call's for you!<br /><br />I'll be participating in a conference call hosted by <span style="font-weight:bold;">PM Lessons Learned</span> (Henry Will is the founder). Here are the details:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thursday Nov. 16, 2007, at 9PM (EST/NYC)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"Tips from a PM who's also an ex-executive: How to talk with executives about the value of PM practices"</span> - Diana Lindstrom, PMP (that's me!)<br /><br />For the phone number and access code, go to <a href="http://www.pmlessonslearned.com/">http://www.pmlessonslearned.com/</a><br /><br />Just in case the link doesn't work, here's the info:<br /><blockquote>Conference Dial-in: (712) 432-6060<br />Access Code: 424424#</blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I'm looking forward to speaking with you then.</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1162424536956431982006-11-01T16:41:00.000-07:002006-11-01T16:42:57.766-07:00Leadership - Do followers choose leaders?In September, I heard <span style="font-weight:bold;">Billy Jean King</span> (US tennis player; instrumental in getting laws passed to provide equal opportunities for female sports in high school and college (aka Title 9)) <span style="font-weight:bold;">talking about leadership.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She said that followers choose leaders. Not the other way around.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What do you think?</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1161071450593017432006-10-17T01:48:00.000-06:002006-10-18T14:35:50.673-06:00How do we record project Lessons Learned?<span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you considered implementing a monthly report of Lessons Learned - a mini-newsletter?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It's the idea that I not only offered to companies where I worked, but volunteered to implement it.</span> And it worked quite well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">As the Lessons Learned editor, I interviewed each project manager each month.</span> I asked questions, and became trusted by writing the stories objectively. No blaming; no finger pointing. Every month the project managers would read the Lessons Learned newsletter to see if their story was in it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">There were only two companies where project managers didn't gather at the water cooler to discuss lessons learned.</span> One company was probably too small, and the other wasn't interested in changing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lessons learned are best told as stories.</span> And told in a stand-alone format. No going through physical or electronic files. No blaming others. Just a learning experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">My proudest moment at one company was when a new project manager was hired, and our COO gave him several issues of the Lessons Learned newsletter BEFORE he gave him the project management manual.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Stories - that's how humans learn.</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1158965402185013652006-09-22T16:48:00.000-06:002006-09-22T16:56:59.106-06:00Why are you a project manager?<span style="font-weight:bold;">Are you one of the millions of "accidental" project managers?</span> You were assigned a project and told when it has to be complete? No budget. No other people on the team. Just you, an idea of what the project is, and a deadline.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Not a very comfortable place, is it?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">But for those of us who chose to be project managers, the story is a little different</span>. Take mine, for example.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I get easily bored.</span> Who doesn't?!? (smile)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I love looking at the "big" picture while planning the details to make it happen.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">From what I've read, that makes me one of a small number of people on this planet.</span> And I think it's a vital part of what a project manager needs to be able to do. Keep the project goal firmly in sight, while putting the roadmap in place.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I also love managing groups of people at almost anything.</span> People are the reason that any jobs are interesting - for me. Kind of an odd confession for an engineer, huh?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Project management keeps me involved, challenged, and never bored.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Well, on second thought, I did get bored managing construction projects - but, hey, that can stay between us, can't it?</span> (smile)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Easily bored and find people fascinating - an unbeatable combination for a project manager.</span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1156451761543744002006-08-24T14:30:00.000-06:002006-08-24T14:36:36.753-06:00How do you avoid burnout?<span style="font-weight: bold;">As project managers, we often find ourselves looking into the deep, dark hole of burnout. What is burnout?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burnout is the state of mind where we stop being creative</span>, where our physical energy is low, where we can't imagine doing one more thing, and where we're very likely cranky and difficult to get along with.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burnout is usually caused by working too much - and playing too little.</span> When all we do is work, our brains never get the chance to recuperate. By concentrating all our mental and physical energy on one thing - work - we don't allow ourselves a "change of scenery." By that I mean allowing ourselves to think about different things so that we see things in a different way. Seeing things in a different way is what creativity is all about.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you think you're approaching burnout, or are already there, ask yourself these questions.</span><br /><ul><li> Do you prefer to eliminate stress, or learn better ways for coping with it?</li><li> Can you review your workload?</li><li> Can you assess the roles/responsibilities of your team (or get a team if necessary)?</li><li> Can you block out regular time for your favorite social activity, and then make it your priority?</li><li> Can you arrange your next vacation now, and make it non-negotiable?</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are some ways to avoid burnout - or recover from it.</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keep a stress-level chart each day</span> (1.0 = good day, 0.5 = so-so, 0.0 = bad). Review it weekly to see where you are, and where you want to be next week.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Delegation</span> - I know, I know. Everyone tells you to delegate, but how can you? There's a whole industry that will help you learn how to delegate. The point of this article is to suggest that you either start delegating, or delegate more work to others. If you choose wisely who to delegate to, and what to delegate to that person, both of you benefit. Win-win.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Start doing something that you really love.</span> One project manager that I know took up sailing in order to prevent burnout and burn off stress. He started sailing every day by making it an appointment in his calendar.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Evaluate your life when you're not hovering around burnout.</span> What do you do? What don't you do? Then look at your life when you're burning out. What's different? What can you start doing again, or stop doing at all, that will move you away from burnout?</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another interesting definition of burnout is that we are not paying attention to the things that we need in life to keep our minds sharp.</span> By focusing our minds on different areas of life, we often see a different approach for solving a problem in our projects. There is one caveat to this, however, and that's to stop over-committing ourselves and our time. Warning symptoms are the words "should" and "ought."<br /><br />As project managers, we're used to setting boundaries for our projects and our project teams. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The secret to avoiding burnout is to know and enforce our own boundaries.</span><br /><br />A special thank you to the members of the <a href="http://www.sdbpluspm.com/index.php">SdB+PM Forum</a> for their contributions to this article. Without their great ideas and input, this article would never have been written. You guys are the greatest!Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1154985118285161782006-08-07T15:06:00.000-06:002006-08-07T15:11:58.303-06:00How a project plan is like a musical scoreAn orchestra conductor uses a musical score to direct a piece of music. Every instrument has a different part to play. It's in the way that these parts work together that music is created.<br /><br />Each instrument has its own part. The sheets of music that each musician uses tell exactly when, and what, to play. The musician knows how to play already - after years of studying, practice, and performance.<br /><br />The conductor uses the musical score to know all the parts. He knows exactly when, and what, each instrument needs to play. The conductor has spent many years, usually, studying music. His emphasis has not been on the in-depth study of an instrument, but on the interpretation of the music. And on how to lead the musicians who make up the orchestra.<br /><br />In the same way, a project manager "conducts" the project. Using a project plan, each member of the project team knows exactly when, and what, to do. She is able to perform the required work because of her knowledge, skills, and education.<br /><br />The project plan is made up of many different parts - all the specific plans like communication, risk, quality, etc. - so that the overall project accomplishes it goal(s). The schedule and budget are integral parts of the project plan, but not the only parts.<br /><br />Each member of the project team is interested only in the part that they contribute to the project. The project manager is the one who's interested in making sure the project dove-tails together at the end.<br /><br />By using a project plan, the project manager is directing the project. Utilizing the knowledge and skills of the project team members, the project manager is able to successfully complete projects.Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1154642325821676812006-08-03T15:54:00.000-06:002006-08-05T12:46:46.726-06:00How is project management like conducting an orchestra?<span style="font-style: italic;">Conductors of great symphony orchestras do not play every musical instrument; yet through leadership the ultimate production is an expressive and unified combination of tones.</span><br /> - Thomas D. Bailey<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How is project management like conducting an orchestra? In many ways.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A project manager does not need to be the subject matter expert to be able to lead the project team.</span> Some people think that this is blasphemy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But here's why it's not blasphemy.</span><br /><br />Project managers must know:<br /><br />- the technical and business requirements of the project product<br />- those areas of expertise and skills required<br />- the best process for producing those requirements<br />- the corporate culture and how to navigate it<br />- how to manage people and resources<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Just like a conductor knows the musical piece that the orchestra is playing, the project manager must know the ebb and flow of the project process.</span> A conductor doesn't play every instrument, but he knows every note in the piece. He knows the phrasing of each movement. He knows the entry and exit point of each instrument - what instrument plays and when.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A good conductor also understands at a profound level how the instruments interact.</span> Sometimes the strings carry the main melody while the brass provides a bed of deep, resonant notes. The percussion section maintains the foundational beat, keeping everyone together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A good project manager knows when each member of the team needs to be contributing and what they need to do.</span> The PM knows how to keep the project moving at just the right pace. That project manager understands that she is the foundation for the project - keeping everyone working together through her leadership.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A good project manager "conducts" the project. She doesn't run herself ragged trying to perform all the parts. </span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1154072277447829062006-07-28T01:28:00.000-06:002006-08-04T10:18:56.403-06:00Stolen Computer FoundThe news was all good when the US federal government announced that they had recovered the stolen computer - and all the data it contained.<br /><br />Although many of us suspected that if a stolen computer would be found - it would be this one. The Bush administration did NOT need one more reason for people to talk about ineffective leadership. Or even - gasp - incompetence.<br /><br />I wonder how the investigation to solve this crime was organized. Was one agency appointed as "lead" (project manager)? And another agency assigned as the command hub (project controls)? And perhaps an entirely different agency as the communications hub (communication plan)?<br /><br />While the processes that law enforcement uses are well defined, this was a project. The project goal: find one laptop computer in the Washington, DC, area. There was a definite beginning: when the press leaked the information that the data was missing. And a definite end: accessing the hard drive to make sure the confidential data was still there.<br /><br />Now the prosecution begins - or not.<br /><br />How does everything translate into project management?!?! :-)Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1148592585574381982006-05-25T15:21:00.000-06:002006-05-25T15:29:45.603-06:00US Veterans Information Stolen<span style="font-family:verdana;"> Recently, the US national news services have reported that a laptop computer with the identifying information for 26.5 million US veterans was stolen from a government employee's home. The US agency that the employee worked for is the Department of Veterans Affairs, under the Department of Defense.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Although the theft was reported immediately by the employee, the DVA did not report it to the general public. Three weeks after the theft, the story was "leaked" to the press. At this time, the government can not figure out what to do about the information that was stolen.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Hopefully the thieves have no idea what they have. With names, birth dates, and social security numbers, they could pull off credit fraud at a level never seen before.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />If you, or someone you know, have been affected by this theft, it's easy to put a fraud alert on your credit report. Here's how:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family: verdana;">1. Call one of the 3 credit companies in the US. That company is required by law to inform the other two companies of the fraud alert.</blockquote> <blockquote style="font-family: verdana;"> <blockquote><b>Equifax:</b> 1-800-525-6285; <a href="http://www.equifax.com/" target="_blank">www.equifax.com</a>; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241<br /> <b>Experian:</b> 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742);<a href="http://www.experian.com/" target="_blank"> www.experian.com</a>; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013<br /> <b>TransUnion:</b> 1-800-680-7289; <a href="http://www.transunion.com/" target="_blank">www.transunion.com</a>; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790</blockquote> </blockquote> <blockquote style="font-family: verdana;">2. You will be asked for your social security number, address, phone number, and/or other information to identify you and pull up your credit file.<br /><br />3. You will be sent confirmation of the INITIAL fraud alert that's been placed on your credit report. (There are two types of fraud alerts, initial and extended. The initial alert stays on your credit report for at least 90 days - and entitles you to one free credit report. The extended alert stays on your credit report for 7 years. You have to have already been a victim of identity theft to use this one.)<br /><br />4. Check your credit report when you receive it and report anything that's incorrect on it.<span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;">For more complete information, the Federal Trade Commission has an easy-to-read website at </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/">http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Here's hoping that the thieves don't have a clue about what they got!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Cheers,</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Diana </span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1126594096875066452005-09-13T00:37:00.000-06:002005-09-29T03:42:25.206-06:00Project Managers as Leaders<p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">The biggest failure that I can see – with the limited knowledge we have right now – in FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina was a failure in leadership.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">Now that a new director has been appointed at FEMA, we’ll see if he has what it takes to succeed.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">How do we know if someone’s a leader? And do project managers need to be leaders?</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">Someone’s a leader if the people around her/him are willing to do their jobs at 100%. Some of the characteristics of a leader are:</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal""></p><ul style="font-family: verdana;"> <li>Able to communicate vision</li> <li>Able to develop strategies to reach that vision</li> <li>Able to develop tactics to support those strategies</li> <li>Able to create passion about that vision</li> </ul> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">Think about leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., and John F. Kennedy. Both of these men had vision. They were both passionate about their visions. And they were able to get other people passionate enough to take action toward achieving those visions.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">As project managers, we need to have a vision for every project – no matter how large or how small. And we need to communicate that vision to everyone around us. That’s a 360 degree radius.</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal">Project managers are great at developing strategies and tactics – those are the tools of our trade. But do we create passion in other people for each of our projects?</p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;">Write a comment here and tell me how you create passion for your projects. I love to hear what you’re doing.</p>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1126243492794039102005-09-08T23:23:00.000-06:002005-09-29T03:55:58.570-06:00FEMA Leadership<p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoBodyText">Let’s look at the qualifications of the most recent three FEMA directors.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The current FEMA director is Mike Brown.</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Before joining FEMA as a lawyer, he was an estate lawyer and worked for 11 years managing and adjudicating horse shows. He became FEMA head when his boss, Allbaugh, left and recommended him to the president.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Joe M. Allbaugh served as the second President Bush's national campaign manager for Bush-Cheney 2000.</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Prior to that Allbaugh was Governor Bush's chief of staff in Texas from 1995 to 2000. Allbaugh left FEMA in 2000 to run a Washington private consulting company to help companies make millions in Iraq. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Clinton's FEMA director was James Lee Witt.</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> Prior to his appointment to FEMA, Witt served as the Director of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services (OES) for four years. Prior to that he had a background in commercial and residential construction, and was, at age 34, the chief elected official of his county with judicial responsibilities for county and juvenile court. He was re-elected six times.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 2003, he became the Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council (ICC)</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, a 50,000-member association dedicated to building safety. It develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My friend, James Huggins, has also asked me <b>which one of the three people described above would I choose to head FEMA.</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">My answer, after several days of thought, is none of the above.</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">James Lee Witt was director of FEMA when Los Alamos, NM, was burning</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> due to a poorly planned, and even more poorly executed, prescribed burn done by the Park Service.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Even with his experience in emergency services in Arkansas, <b>he was criticized soundly by the people of Los Alamos.</b>(Keep in mind that we have to discount that criticism just a bit because the pampered scientists who work for the Department of Energy are overpaid and over-served by that department.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In every emergency situation, grim realities slap survivors</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> every single day – for a very long time.<span style=""> </span>I won’t talk about those realities now – maybe in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In my opinion, <b>the director of FEMA must have enough experience to deal with the experts who work for FEMA.</b>And not one bit more.<span style=""> </span>I refer you to my story in the previous post.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In addition, <b>the FEMA director must be a person who can communicate </b>– directly, honestly, and often – with all levels of government bureaucrats, media, politicians, and the general public.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I listened to a brief out-take of a teleconference</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> held between the head of the hurricane center, the president, head of Homeland Security, and head of FEMA that was held days BEFORE the hurricane hit.<span style=""> </span>The head of the hurricane center warned them about the at least 20’ surge that would hit New Orleans and the Mississippi coast.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And I heard the <b>head of FEMA say exactly what all of us would want to hear</b> - we’re ready, we have people on the ground already, we’ll do whatever it takes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">This brings home the lesson that <b>actions are more powerful than words</b>.<span style=""> </span>He said all the right things – but didn’t do all the right things.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:blue;" >What do you think?</span></b></p>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1126160286173628412005-09-07T23:46:00.000-06:002005-09-08T00:45:27.606-06:00FEMA Director<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A friend of mine, James Huggins, asked this question about project managers being subject matter experts.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">“While they don't need to be SMEs, how much DO they need to know about the context, culture, processes, technology, etc.?</span></p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">As an example, can ANYONE be head of FEMA? Or does it need to be someone with a background in disaster recovery?”</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What an excellent question!</span> And one I’ve been considering in the context of FEMA leadership.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In my previous posting, I said that a project manager should be leading the FEMA efforts for disaster recovery. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I believe that good project managers have all the skills and knowledge necessary to COORDINATE, COMMUNICATE, AND LEAD.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">But is that enough?</span> Should a project manager also know the detailed requirements of disaster recovery in order to lead FEMA?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I’ll share </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >one of my earliest project management experiences</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> to answer those questions.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> As an engineering co-op student,</span> working my way through college, I worked as a civilian for the US Navy. In our command, we tested aircraft weapons and weapon delivery systems. I was put in charge of testing the side loads for a weapon that was mounted under the wings of Navy aircraft.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I was very pleased to get this assignment.</span> It showed that the engineers I worked with trusted my judgment. I was also very scared. I didn’t know anything about side load or testing it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I started out my first project meeting </span>by telling the very experienced, active duty personnel that I didn’t know anything about what we were going to do.</span> I also told them that I needed their help – not only to have a successful project, but also to learn. I reminded them that I was a student, and part of my work was learning engineering.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The rest of the meeting went very well.</span> Each SME stepped up to my request and contributed the information I asked for. By the end of that first meeting, we had a work breakdown structure (every task required), a schedule, and action assignments.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Throughout the rest of that project,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> each of the SMEs would come to me with information that I needed </span>– both on a project level and on a technical level.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> So the short answer to my friend’s question is:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ANY GOOD PROJECT MANAGER COULD HEAD UP FEMA.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> The caveat is:</span><span style=""> </span>Assuming the SMEs work at FEMA and want to do the best possible job. And are willing to work with a project manager who admits what she/he doesn’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> My only example is Elizabeth Dole as head of the American Red Cross.</span><span style=""> </span>What do you think?<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> To find out more about James Huggins, visit his websites at:</span><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><a href="http://www.jamesshuggins.com/">http://www.JamesSHuggins.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><a href="http://eclecticpower.com/">http://EclecticPower.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1125988742647070722005-09-06T00:28:00.000-06:002005-09-06T16:21:36.453-06:00Steaming Mad<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I’m a bit surprised by my reaction to Hurricane Katrina, the category 4 hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast of the US on August 29, 2005.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">I am angry.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I’m angry that the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">evacuation plans did not include everyone</span>.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I’m angry that the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">infrastructure has not been updated and maintained</span>.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I’m angry that the most economically active country in the world <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">could not help its own people to survive this disaster.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">I was angry even before the hurricane hit land.</span><span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The mandatory evacuation of towns and cities had been started too late.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Highways became parking lots.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>And there was no sign of public transportation for people who don’t have access to private vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">And where were the shelters for the folks who did evacuate?</span><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span></span>With over one million people heading inland, were they all supposed to go to family?<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>That’s not even a possibility for a large percentage of folks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">After the hurricane hit land, it seemed that our federal government went into slow motion.</span><span style="font-size:0;"> </span>How many civil, structural, and dam engineers had to tell them that the levees in New Orleans could not withstand a category 4 or 5 hurricane?<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>And who decided that since the levees were holding on Monday night, there wasn’t a real hurry to get people out of the damaged Superdome?<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>(Who didn’t see that coming with winds of over 150 miles per hour??)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Today our leaders in Homeland Security and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) say that <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">the pictures they saw on television weren’t confirmed by their people in the field.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">WHAT???</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Do we have people in leadership positions who don’t believe their own eyes?</span><span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Or do they think that the US media has some ulterior motive in televising the desperation of the survivors – in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Alabama?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Even the president said that it was a terrible disaster</span> after he flew over the Gulf Coast.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Didn’t his hand-picked subordinates believe him?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">So, to get this rant in perspective, <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">what does all this have to do with project management?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">It’s an excellent example of how project managers could have made all the difference between life and death.</span><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A project manager has the skills to coordinate many different types of efforts.<span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>A project manager has the skills to communicate effectively with everyone involved.<span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>A project manager knows how to LEAD so that the team will follow – and make the right decisions about priorities.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But the fact that <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">the leaders of the federal effort after the hurricane hit were not project managers</span> – but had been put in that position – indicates that the top echelons of leadership in the US still do not appoint people for their skills.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>It’s still a political, back room, good ole’ boy system of political appointments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">After all the dead have been counted, maybe the US leadership – yes, the president – will think twice about appointments to positions that deal with life and death.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>And <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">maybe we’ll finally get a project manager in charge of FEMA</span>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:12;"></span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1115148741369230272005-05-03T13:26:00.000-06:002005-09-13T00:54:59.466-06:00Self Coaching?<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >©</span><span style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Diana Lindstrom 2005 All Rights Reserved</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText">I wrote a Letter to the Editor of <span style="font-style: italic;">PM Network</span> magazine – one of the three publications from PMI (Project Management Institute).<span style=""> </span>Here it is:</p> <p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal">John Sullivan's article, <u>Coaching Yourself</u>, in the April 2005 issue of PM Network, misses one very important point. <b>If self-coaching worked well for people, everyone would be doing it.</b> Professional athletes don't do it, singers don't do it, actors don't do it.<br /><br />The value of coaching lies in the fact that <b>someone outside of yourself will be more objective than you are</b>. Setting goals is your job. You and your coach will work together to define exactly how to reach those goals. Your coach is there to assist you in staying focused on what you want - even if that changes. And she/he will help you discover your real strengths - <b>things you may not see about yourself.</b><br /><br />Take a professional athlete like Tiger Woods. Tiger sets his goals. He and his coach define how to reach each goal. His coach observes his performance and gives him pointers for improvement. Could Tiger watch videos of his performances and pinpoint problem areas? Sure he could. <b>But would he know how to make the necessary improvements?</b><br /><br />In Mr. Sullivan's article, he points out that one possible issue to finding a good coach is that she/he needs to <b>have the "right combination of training, values and personal style."</b> I completely agree with this statement. And I wonder how many project managers know where to look for a project management coach that meets these requirements.<br /><br />In Fast Company, May 2005, an article, <u>Making Change</u>, by Alan Deutschman quotes Dr. Edward Miller, dean of the medical school and CEO of the hospital at Johns Hopkins University. <b> "If you look at people after coronary-artery bypass grafting two years later, 90% of them have not changed their lifestyle,"</b> Miller said. "And that's been studied over and over and over again."<br /><br />Mutual of Omaha and Dr. Dean Ornish, professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, conducted a study of 333 patients with severely clogged arteries. They attended group support sessions twice a week, which included psychological support, as well as meditation instruction, yoga, and aerobic exercise classes. They had a program to quit smoking and to use Ornish's extreme vegetarian diet (10% of calories from fat). <b>With all of this support, 77% of the patients had stuck with their changes for three years.</b><br /><br /><b>90% of people can't change without help. 77% can. Where do you want to be?</b><br /><br />There are project management coaches out there, and there is a wide range in pricing, knowledge and personal styles.<br /><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span><br />Diana Lindstrom, PMP<br />ShipWreckedProject.com<br /></p> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-size:130%;">What do you think about this issue?</span><br /><br /><br /></span>Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1106854355212260402005-01-27T13:24:00.000-07:002005-01-27T12:32:35.213-07:00Do Project Managers Have to be Technical SMEs?<em>© Diana Lindstrom All Rights Reserved</em>
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<br />Now that I’ve taken a European-type holiday, I’m back. A lot has happened in the world during the holidays – and since. Joining the billions of people across the globe, I am saddened by the loss of life caused by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
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<br />Back to project management.
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<br /><strong>Do project managers have to be technical subject matter experts (SMEs)?</strong> Is it better for a project manager to have expertise in managing projects? Or is it better for a project manager to have expertise in the technical requirements of the project product?
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<br /><strong>This question is often debated in project management circles.</strong> It’s also hotly debated at the senior executive level. Each one of us has an answer based on our own experiences and knowledge.
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<br /><strong>My answer: Project managers do a better job of management if they are NOT technical SMEs.</strong>
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<br /><strong>You may be shocked or stunned with this answer.</strong> So let’s look at the reasoning behind it.
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<br /><strong>When I’m managing an engineering design project, I pay close attention to the electrical requirements of the project.</strong> I spend time reviewing the details of the electrical design including the types of drawings, the exact specifications, and the drafting standards. The role I take on is that of final reviewer of the electrical design, or technical SME.
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<br /><strong>While I’m spending time and energy reviewing the electrical design, I am not spending time planning and executing the project.</strong> Now, I’m as fond of 70-hour work weeks as the next person, but there’s no reason for me to spend this additional time as a technical SME. I already have at least one on my project team.
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<br /><strong>By adding a layer of review, I’m also telling my electrical SME that I don’t trust him/her.</strong> Why else would I take the time to review everything he/she’s already reviewed?
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<br />And what about those times when my comments are directly opposed to the assigned SME’s comments? The engineer who’s actually producing the design gets frustrated – and rightfully so.
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<br /><strong>So now I have three people on my project team who are frustrated</strong> – the design engineer, the technical SME, and me. And all for no constructive reason. It certainly doesn’t help the project.
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<br /><strong>When I manage a project where I am NOT the SME in any technical area, I spend my time and energies doing the planning and executing of the project.</strong> I interview the technical SMEs in order to plan the project. I spend much more of my time educating stakeholders about the project. My priority becomes communicating with my team. I monitor the project more closely. All of this leads to a more successful project – on time, within budget, all stakeholders happy. <strong>So I am the project manager SME.</strong>
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<br /><strong>Now the question becomes, do you want a full-time project manager, or a part-time project manager?</strong> If the answer to that question is that you want a part-time project manager who is also a technical SME, then you must not want a successful project.
<br />Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1103502117634436142004-12-19T17:18:00.000-07:002004-12-19T17:30:50.533-07:00Project Goal Statement© 2004 by Diana Lindstrom, PMP
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<br />I’m a die-hard Broncos fan. I watch every game. At the beginning of today’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dante Hall ran back the kick off for a touch down for the Chiefs. A 97-yard return for a touch down! And they only used 13 seconds for the touch down and point after.
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<br />My husband’s comment was, “The Chiefs aren’t doing a very good job with clock management. They have the ball for only 13 seconds and then have to turn it over to the Broncos!”
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<br />After we stopped laughing, it started me thinking about project teams. How do the individual members of the project team perceive the project goal? And what are their parts in reaching the shared goal?
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<br />The goal of the football team is to win the game. Simple. Yet when any specialist on the team thinks only about his area of expertise, the whole goal can change. Would any coach, or assistant coach, or player give back the touch down points in favor of holding on to the ball longer? NO, of course not.
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<br />Similarly, when the subject matter experts (SMEs) on a project team focus on the project goal, the team uses individuals’ strengths to meet that goal. With multiple people working together, using specialized knowledge and skills, the project manager’s job is to show them the “big picture.”
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<br />Like great football coaches, great project managers communicate the vision (goal) of the project at every opportunity. To the project team as a whole. To individual members of the team. To stakeholders. To complete strangers. You get the picture.
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<br />Have you taken the time to create a simple statement communicating the project goal? If you haven’t, it would be a good thing to do over this holiday. That one simple statement becomes the project vision. Simple, to the point, and descriptive statements work best. For example, a construction project might have this simple statement:
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<br /><em>We’re building the most high-tech office building in the downtown Chicago area.</em>
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<br />You might go on to say something like: <em>Chicago has never seen an office building that has such versatile electronic connections. All areas will feature wireless Internet connections and wireless communications. The security system is state of the art – beyond anything Chicago has in place right now.</em>
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<br />Perhaps you would describe the luxury office suites. Or anything else that the prospective lessee would be interested in knowing. This could also be called a benefit statement – what benefit(s) the end user gets when the project is completed.
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<br />Have fun and be creative with it. When you have the simple statement fully developed and can say it easily, you’ll need to make sure it’s on every piece of paper, or electronic file, that has anything to do with the project. Repetition begets memory. You’ll know you’ve succeeded in keeping the project goal in front of the team when they use the simple statement in their communications with others.
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<br /><em>ShipWreckedProject.com – I work with project managers who are struggling toward success.</em>
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<br />I hope your holidays are full of joy and cheer!
<br />Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1102366180976919162004-12-06T13:41:00.000-07:002004-12-19T17:23:17.923-07:004 Keys to Managing Schedules© 2004 by Diana Lindstrom, PMP
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<br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">This article is on the long side with 1,033 words. It’s well worth the time!
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<br />I just found a wonderful website! All about project management and how to become successful as a project manager. I can’t believe it took so long for me to find it, but I believe that we all find things when the time is right.
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<br />The website is </span><a href="http://www.projectcommunity.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">http://www.projectcommunity.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> and the article is found under Compass Newsletter. The name of the article is Why Schedules Fall Apart. I’m using the following excerpt with permission of the copyright holder, David A. Schmaltz.
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<br /></span><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Why Schedules Fall Apart
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<br />. . . What can we carry forward . . . to make our future project schedules more effective?
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<br /><strong>1- Never Mistake The Method For The Mission.</strong>The path to your objective is not your objective, and straying from this path will be necessary to reach your objective. Divergence from plan is how the objective is reached.
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<br />Work with your sponsors to help them understand that their well-intended attempts to maintain accountability by insisting that the project execute as planned doesn't help the project achieve its objective. If the project must both execute as planned and achieve its objective, . . . this is a double-binding expectation, one that creates an unmanageable contradiction for the project.
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<br /><strong>2- Plan early and often.</strong>To paraphrase the old adage about voting in Chicago, planning early and often will preserve the possibility for success by allowing you to take advantage the of [sic] learnings and coincidences that so contributed to the success of your retroactive project plan. Managing a schedule is a process of destruction and recreation which refreshes expectations, thereby preserving the possibility for achieving the objective. You will be wiser with each recreation and your project will be better for it.
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<br /><strong>3- Defer Details.</strong>Frame expectations within time boxes, but defer the details for far distant project activities. The likelihood is very high that these activities will never execute as originally expected. I remember (and not that fondly) a project I led early in my career to plan the five-year conversion of a very large application. No task was planned as greater than forty hours, and each estimate was padded within a most likely - least likely weighted average framework. After several months spent producing this plan, the members of the senior management review committee noted the details, turned to the last page, gasped at the bottom line, and canceled the project. I could have made them gasp with a few scribblings on the back of an envelope and not missed the bottom line by an order of magnitude.
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<br /><strong>4- Stay In Touch.</strong>The schedule is not the project and the project is never the schedule. The schedule might provide a useful framework within which to understand what is going on around you as the project unfolds, but it is never, . . . the final arbiter of project success. das</span>
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<br /><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:80%;">All works published in this newsletter are the property of True North pgs, Inc., and may not be reprinted, used, or otherwise distributed without the expressed, written permission of the publisher. Ask for permission and you’ll get it.
<br />David A. Schmaltz, President
<br />True North pgs, Inc.
<br />PO Box 1532, Walla Walla, WA 99362
<br /><a href="mailto:TN@ix.netcom.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;">TN@ix.netcom.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></p></blockquote>
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<br />So, what does this have to do with my previous article about scheduling? It takes it several levels higher. My previous article talks about the mechanics of scheduling – knowing what’s on the schedule. David’s article talks about the philosophy of scheduling – knowing what it is and how to best use it as a tool.
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<br />The project is a living, changing thing. In order to manage it, you have to be able to deal with those changes as they occur. And changes in schedule occur very often, sometimes every few minutes. Understanding that the schedule will change is the first step to successfully managing change.
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<br /><strong>1. Never Mistake The Method For The Mission</strong> – One way to manage the project sponsor and senior executives is to give them the top level of the schedule, i.e. the major milestones. I usually give the title of the milestone and the target date for it – and that’s all. If they request more information, I get exact requirements from each of them. I do not give them more information than I absolutely have to.
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<br />This is not an attempt to keep anyone in the dark. It’s more like the philosophy that medical doctors use with patients – why give them more information than they can process?
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<br />If one of the stakeholders insists on more details, arrange a one-on-one meeting and enough time to really explain the schedule – especially the fact that the important date is the milestone date. Not the intermediate dates on tasks and subtasks.
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<br /><strong>2. Plan early and often</strong> – On a construction project, schedule reviews happen every week. Along with budget reviews, quality reviews, and risk reviews. I always review every project weekly and include updates from those stakeholders who had some action for that week. Then I incorporate the changes to the tasks and subtasks. After reviewing those changes, I know if I’m going to need to make other changes to the schedule in order to meet those important milestones. (Is that a little redundant? It’s not a milestone if it’s not important, is it?)
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<br /><strong>3. Defer Details</strong> – Don’t even put subtasks into the schedule if they’re more than a few months away. If the scope of the project changes, you’ll have saved yourself and your team a lot of time. And if the project is cancelled, you’ll feel better that you didn’t waste time on it.
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<br /><strong>4. Stay in Touch</strong> – I’ll go a little farther with this one. Continuous communication with the project team and other project stakeholders will keep you on top of the issues. Instead of finding out about an issue after it’s too late to do anything, you’ll be positioned to find out right away.
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<br />As a successful project manager, these 4 keys to managing schedules must be incorporated into your daily consciousness. It’s only when you manage the schedule, instead of the schedule managing you, that you can keep your eyes on the prize – the project product.</span>
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<br />Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1101153020539027022004-11-22T13:45:00.000-07:002004-12-19T17:23:53.033-07:00Schedule for Project Managers© 2004 by Diana Lindstrom, PMP
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<br />This time of the year, one of the most important aspects of project management becomes magnified – SCHEDULE. Vacation time, holiday time, sick time all become very important factors in any project schedule.
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<br />As a project manager, you’re expected to juggle all of this – AND your personal time requirements. Your life has certain scheduling requirements, whether it’s making the time to visit with relatives on Thanksgiving, going to the kid’s Christmas play, taking the family to a special production of The Nutcracker Suite, attending more choir practices for the big concert, or attending both your company’s Christmas party and your spouse’s company’s Christmas party. How are you supposed to keep track of all that PLUS your projects?
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<br />I think it means that you have to do more than put it all down on paper. Of course, you have to have all of this time included in any project that will span the holiday season. Have you included enough slack time to cover a bad flu season? Have you negotiated your milestones for after the holiday season? Do you have the holiday time scheduled in? And have the members of your team let you know when they’ll be taking vacation days?
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<br />But do you also monitor and manage the schedule every day? By that I mean do you know exactly who should be doing what on any given day in each of your projects? If not, your schedule is danger of being blown. Especially this time of year.
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<br />Project managers need to learn how to motivate people to stay on schedule. Some people respond to rewards; other people respond to attention. As a project manager, you need to learn what your team members respond to – and then give it to them.
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<br />One of my most validating moments was when a physicist came to me a week before a major milestone in our project - an important client presentation which would determine if the project proceeded or was killed. He asked me why I wasn't freaking out like the other project managers would be. In response, I asked him if he remembered how I stayed on top of him to meet his schedule for this presentation? After he said yes, I told him that keeping everyone on schedule was my job so that no one - especially me - would have to get really stressed right before the presentation. I suggested that the presentation would go much better because the entire team would be relatively relaxed and completely prepared. He thought about that for several days.On the day of the presentation, the team arrived rested and prepared. We had used the time usually devoted to freaking out to instead get more practice for our respective roles in the presentation. The client was impressed with our presentation, the project was given the green light, and our boss was overjoyed! I didn't know until that evening that our company's cash flow was so tight that this project actually would pay our next payroll.
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<br />The day after the presentation, the physicist came to me and told me that he’d learned several lessons from this experience. The first lesson was that his schedule actually made a difference in the success of the project. The second lesson was that meeting that schedule would keep the project manager off of his back. And the third lesson was that getting the work done on time allowed him more time to prepare for the next step – in our case it was usually a presentation.
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<br />About a month later, this physicist came back to me and said that he’d found one more benefit to meeting the project schedule. He was able to write and publish a paper in the time since the presentation because he wasn’t working overtime to catch up on the schedule for our project.
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<br />At the time of that project, I was also managing 6 other projects. All equally important to the bottom line for the company. And all of my projects were completed on time, or a little early. Now you’re probably wondering how I did this.
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<br />I kept all of the schedules for all of my projects in front of me every day. Using MicroSoft Project, I built a multi-project schedule. Using that schedule, I put my daily To Do list together every evening before I left work. The first thing I did every morning was review my To Do list for that day.
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<br />If you have someone on your team who’s responsible for the schedules, then have that person give you a daily schedule of all your projects. If you don’t have someone like that, then you’ll need to spend time to put all the schedules together into one master schedule. Use whatever project software you normally use – the software is the tool, not the goal.
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<br />Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And yet in the hectic blur of every day, it can become almost overwhelming to do. Try it for a week and see if you experience any of the benefits. If you do, then keep doing it.
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<br />For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.shipwreckedproject.com">http://www.shipwreckedproject.com</a> .
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<br />Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218510.post-1100766768481872662004-11-18T01:34:00.000-07:002004-12-19T17:24:28.406-07:00Our First Post© 2004 by Diana Lindstrom, PMP
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<br />So I find myself joining the great masses in this adventure called blogging. Using the metaphor of a ship on the high seas, full steam ahead!
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<br />If you are in the position of leading a project, no matter what your industry is, then you have a real challenge in front of you. The skill sets that are required to successfully manage a project are multiple. Many people argue that you need to be an expert in your field, as well as an expert in dealing with people. Whew! Not very many people have all those skill sets - unless they've gone out of their way to develop them.
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<br />Are you a natural leader? Are you detail-oriented enough to keep the books? Can you manage people who are experts in their jobs? Do you see the "big picture?" How are your public speaking skills? And can you coordinate people, materials, customers, and products so that they all come together at the exact time and place of your choosing?
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<br />It's enough to make you pull your hair out! And yet, there are many of us who love doing just this. Everyday is a juggling act. There's never a dull moment!
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<br />Stay tuned for more information about what it takes to be a successful project manager. I'm looking forward to our journey!
<br />Diana Lindstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08863159115579033502noreply@blogger.com0