Few people are naturally endowed with good presentation skills, so it is important that we constantly practice out presentation technique. In any setting, presentations are very important, and so is the way you deliver them. A single presentation could make or break a whole fortune.
The initial planning consists of familiarizing yourself with the factors surrounding the presentation. Primarily, these factors are the type of talk you are expected to give, the composition of the audience, the time allowed, and the expectations for the informational content. Being familiar with all these aspects and what they all cover will help greatly in giving your presentation.
Once you have gathered the general idea of what you wish to say, you must now focus on how to say it. Unlike other things, however, a presentation only allows one chance for you to say what you need to say. It is important that you know everything you wish to cover, and to know it well, with no ambiguity. Tips for preparation are many, and include starting way in advance, try to develop a single thesis statement for the whole presentation, avoid using lists, and many others. The most important and useful tip is to simply rehearse.
The purpose of a presentation is to offer your audience information which they can recall at a later date. This must be kept in mind at all times while you create your presentation. Small details are not only unnecessary, but will bore your audience, and they won’t be remembered anyways. It is essential to remember that quality is more important than quantity; a good, full presentation doesn’t need to be long.
A good way to organize your ideas is to come up with a simple outline of your presentation. Include all your main ideas, ordered by importance, and add all your smaller details to those main ideas, respectively. This can be an invaluable tool in writing your presentation, and can help you remember it much better.
There are five principal elements to keep in mind when actually presenting. The first is the rate, the speed of which you talk. Try to keep it slow enough for people to follow yet not too slow, as to not bore them. The second is to have a ‘hook’ introduction; something that will catch their attention from the very beginning. Try to avoid cliché phrases in your opening. The third element is transitioning between subjects. Try to make your transitions as smooth and successive as possible, so that the presentation seems more like a whole talk than just a bulleted list. Fourth, be sure to have a clear and concise conclusion that adequately recaps everything in your presentation. Last, quite simply, do not go over your time, ever. Cut out any concepts or small details you need to in order to keep your time.
Practice is the most important tool you could ever have in preparing for your presentation. There are many useful practice techniques, such as reading through the text several times before beginning. Keeping good airflow in and out of your body helps as well. Try not to procrastinate at any step in preparing your presentation. Try not to memorize phrases word-for-word as to avoid being monotonous; rather, memorize the ideas, then elaborate on them as you go.
Using notes can also be of great help while giving your presentation. However, the correct use of notes can make the difference between a great and a poor presentation. As previously stated, make sure any notes that you use revolve around the concepts of what you are presenting rather than actual text; this keeps the presentation from turning into a recital. Also, try to run through the talk several times, and each time writing comments as you go.
When the actual presentation is at hand, it is imperative to keep focused on your talk. Try to run through your presentation just once more, as soon as you can before the actual presentation. Familiarize yourself with where you will present, and always have ready any extra materials you will have, if any, to assist you in your presentation. Try to rely on your host as least as you can. If you are using any computer equipment, be sure everything is set up correctly, and you know who will be operating it and when. Occasional hand and body gestures for emphasis show that you are involved, which is a good thing, but be sure they are not a distraction.
During the actual presentation, there is another set of tips to help. First of all, as always, be sure to be taking deep breaths. State all your objectives at the beginning and end of your talk. Try to keep the same pace all the way through, as we have a natural tendency to rush through parts that we know better (remember, the audience, unlike you, is hearing all this for the first time). Also, don’t assume that the audience knows beforehand any allusions you make. If you feel something needs clarification, be sure to do so accordingly. Try to keep a conversational tone with your audience, and involve them in your presentation. Lastly, be prepared for anything; late arrivals, technology malfunction, sudden decrease in time, etc. Be ready to continue and still cover all parts of your talk, no matter what.
Going along with being prepared, be ready to answer any and all questions your audience has (they will have questions, that’s guaranteed). When asked a question, repeat the question so that the whole audience knows what it is. Take a moment to reflect on the question yourself, as to not stumble your way through the answer. Always remember to answer after the entire question has been asked. Try to postpone all questions until the end of the talk, unless it is of immediate consequence. Avoid prolonged discussions, lengthy answers, and most of all arguments. If you do not know an answer, just say so, and do not apologize. However, offer alternatives to the questioner. Lastly, always end your answer by asking the questioner if the response clarified his answer.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
3 Ways to Handle Anger Before Anger Handles You
by David Romanelli
"Feelings are much like waves. We can't stop them from coming, but we can choose which one to surf." -Jonatan Mårtensson
In the Western world, we think of strength as big muscles, heavy weights, physical power. But in the ancient Eastern cultures, strength means something entirely different. The yogis think of strength more as an ability to overcome powerful emotions such as anger and jealousy.
In the heat of the moment, a normal person (myself included) will want to lash out. In her song "White Trash Deco," country singer Cynthia Ford catches her husband cheating and responds with anger and jealousy by maxing out his credit cards to misdecorate his house. The words go like this:So don't write any checks cuz they'll just bounce backDon't use the credit cards cuz they're all at the maxBut don't worry, babe, I spent it all on youTo go along with all the cute little things you doOh, I've wanted so long just to wring your neck, ohInstead I redid your house in White Trash Deco
Is this the best way to respond to anger? Probably not. Can most of us relate to it? Hell, yeah! But if we cultivate the rare ability to overcome powerful emotions, we make better decisions. So much of life comes down to the decisions we make in intense, pivotal moments.
Here are some tips on dealing with anger so you can walk proud on your finest path through life:
1. Remember that anger and love are two sides of the same coin
If you really want love in your life, you must be willing to spend a little time with love's less comfortable relatives, anger and pain. It's common to think that with anger and pain come breakup and divorce. But the bottom line is the more you love someone, the more able they are to piss you off. So be aware: Anger and intense emotion are normal when you truly love and care. Mel McDaniel sings about this two-sided coin in "Anger and Tears":
Anger and tears, anger and tearsIs that all that's left of us after loving all these yearsAs slowly as love grows how soon it disappearsIn a house full of anger and a heart full of tears
Remember, true strength is being able to work through the anger rather than letting the anger work through you.
2. Before you lash out, look within
When you're struggling with anger, it's common to blame others for every little thing. A true sign of strength is taking responsibility for yourself. In "Startin' with Me," Jake Owen comes to a very yogic resolution to dealing with anger:
If I had a dime for half the things I did that didn't make no sense at allI'd be living a little higher on the hogIf only I'd have known That later on down the road I'd look back and not like what I seeI'd have changed a lot of thingsStartin' with me
3. Practice feeling without reacting
The 6,000-year old practice of yoga teaches that when you are in challenging situations, you make the best decisions in even the worst of situations if you just breathe and relax. Try it: Lift your arms to the sides of your body and hold them so you form a letter "T." Allow your arms to stay parallel to the ground for 2, 3, even 4 minutes. When your shoulders start to burn, notice that by breathing and relaxing, you gain more endurance. There's very little that physical strength, hustle, and effort can do you for you in this situation. As a famous Zen proverb reads: "Nothing on earth can overcome an absolutely nonresistant person."
"Feelings are much like waves. We can't stop them from coming, but we can choose which one to surf." -Jonatan Mårtensson
In the Western world, we think of strength as big muscles, heavy weights, physical power. But in the ancient Eastern cultures, strength means something entirely different. The yogis think of strength more as an ability to overcome powerful emotions such as anger and jealousy.
In the heat of the moment, a normal person (myself included) will want to lash out. In her song "White Trash Deco," country singer Cynthia Ford catches her husband cheating and responds with anger and jealousy by maxing out his credit cards to misdecorate his house. The words go like this:So don't write any checks cuz they'll just bounce backDon't use the credit cards cuz they're all at the maxBut don't worry, babe, I spent it all on youTo go along with all the cute little things you doOh, I've wanted so long just to wring your neck, ohInstead I redid your house in White Trash Deco
Is this the best way to respond to anger? Probably not. Can most of us relate to it? Hell, yeah! But if we cultivate the rare ability to overcome powerful emotions, we make better decisions. So much of life comes down to the decisions we make in intense, pivotal moments.
Here are some tips on dealing with anger so you can walk proud on your finest path through life:
1. Remember that anger and love are two sides of the same coin
If you really want love in your life, you must be willing to spend a little time with love's less comfortable relatives, anger and pain. It's common to think that with anger and pain come breakup and divorce. But the bottom line is the more you love someone, the more able they are to piss you off. So be aware: Anger and intense emotion are normal when you truly love and care. Mel McDaniel sings about this two-sided coin in "Anger and Tears":
Anger and tears, anger and tearsIs that all that's left of us after loving all these yearsAs slowly as love grows how soon it disappearsIn a house full of anger and a heart full of tears
Remember, true strength is being able to work through the anger rather than letting the anger work through you.
2. Before you lash out, look within
When you're struggling with anger, it's common to blame others for every little thing. A true sign of strength is taking responsibility for yourself. In "Startin' with Me," Jake Owen comes to a very yogic resolution to dealing with anger:
If I had a dime for half the things I did that didn't make no sense at allI'd be living a little higher on the hogIf only I'd have known That later on down the road I'd look back and not like what I seeI'd have changed a lot of thingsStartin' with me
3. Practice feeling without reacting
The 6,000-year old practice of yoga teaches that when you are in challenging situations, you make the best decisions in even the worst of situations if you just breathe and relax. Try it: Lift your arms to the sides of your body and hold them so you form a letter "T." Allow your arms to stay parallel to the ground for 2, 3, even 4 minutes. When your shoulders start to burn, notice that by breathing and relaxing, you gain more endurance. There's very little that physical strength, hustle, and effort can do you for you in this situation. As a famous Zen proverb reads: "Nothing on earth can overcome an absolutely nonresistant person."
www.Epsilen.com
What is Epsilen?
What is Epsilen? Epsilen places social networking and ePortfolios in the center of global eLearning, creating a totally new environment for the next generation of learners and professionals. Current Epsilen users describe Epsilen as an academic "MySpace" or "FaceBook," connecting peers to share knowledge and exchange objects. Epsilen is a comprehensive software package that provides wide-ranging tools and services that students and professionals need for their day-to-day learning, teaching, networking, and collaboration. The Epsilen suite includes ePortfolios, Learning Matrix, a Global Learning System (GLS), Group Collaboration, Object Sharing and repository, Blogs, WIKI, Messaging, Resume, Social and Professional Networking, and much more...How does Epsilen work?Epsilen members’ collections (files, courses, etc.) and data are securely stored in a remote central database accessible from school, home, work, or anywhere via the Internet. An Epsilen member has total control for sharing his personal portfolio and collections with schoolmates, teachers, or potential employers, as well as social and professional groups. Additionally, each Epsilen member has a personal Web site (ePortfolio) with a lifelong Web address (URL). Upon sign-in, an Epsilen member may access any of a number of internal application software packages and tools. Within the Epsilen Environment is an ePortfolio management software package where members can create and maintain personal ePortfolios and Web sites, where teachers can use the Global Learning System (GLS) to deliver course content online so students receive complementary learning material and can interact with classmates outside the classroom, and where members can use the extensive resume and career builder software to create resumes or curriculum vitae (CV) and produce career portfolios. Finally, the networking software built into the Epsilen Environment can intuitively connect students, faculty, and professionals according to their academic, professional, and social communities.Picture a mature Epsilen environment where a faculty member can automatically determine how many professors from other schools throughout the world are teaching the same course or are sharing relevant learning objects. This may initiate new opportunities for the research and professional community within the same interest group. Imagine an online environment where students can participate in various global learning groups beyond those just within their campus, and envision those students dynamically learning about potential job opportunities matched with their academic and career interests as they share their ePortfolios for job placement throughout the world.Other Epsilen Benefit$The Epsilen design is also based on a new economic model that offers a cost-effective solution for school administrators seeking to reduce the increasing costs of IT services. Using the Epsilen hosted model, schools are no longer required to maintain local computer servers to host software nor retain numerous technical experts for day-to-day technical support. Indeed, Epsilen offers many tools within one package -- a package that substantially cuts the combined cost of software otherwise obtained separately from various vendors. Using the Epsilen hybrid open source model, Epsilen can interface with the campus Student Information System databases for dynamic creation and maintenance of member accounts, ePortfolios, and course accounts. Major software tools available within the Epsilen Environment As illustrated in Figure 1, the software packages within the Epsilen Environment include:
A complete ePortfolio management system to support creation of various personal and institutional ePortfolio sites, including student learning ePortfolios, faculty ePortfolios, career ePortfolios, and alumni and professional ePortfolios.
An easy-to-use Global Learning System (GLS) that provides course authoring and course Web site creation for some or all campus courses. Epsilen GLS can be used to complement a lecture-based course or to offer an online distance learning course.
Professional networking for interaction and collaboration with academic and professional peers across the global community, just as Facebook (facebook.com) similarly and successfully offers social networking and entertainment among college students.
A lifelong repository space where student and faculty members can create and store learning and professional outcomes in electronic format (academic papers, creative arts, etc.). Students may wish to share their collection with potential employers while faculty members may want to have it reviewed and rated by peers for tenure or promotion needs.
An internal email system with unique and smart functionality. More and more students are switching from their campus email accounts to commercial email accounts such as Gmail and Hotmail, and with Epsilen they will soon learn the importance and desirability of upgraded services that the cost-effective internal Epsilen email system offers, such as automatically blocking junk or spam email messages.
A personal intelligent agent, called Pomegranate Agent, which Epsilen provides to each user. The Pomegranate agent is another internal built-in software component within the Epsilen Environment that makes it smart and intuitive, with capabilities to think, to reason, to act and react intelligently according to a member’s personal interests and past performance. You can think of Epsilen with its Pomegranate Agent as your own personal administrative assistant helping you with your day-to-day business activities. Epsilen HistoryEpsilen is the result of six years of research and development activities at the CyberLab, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI. Epsilen is being proposed as a new model and software framework for the next generation of lifelong learners and professionals. Free beta accounts are available at www.Epsilen.com. Limited institutional licensing is available to colleges and universities through the Indiana University Office of Technology transfer before expected commercialization of Epsilen Inc. in 2007. For more information, please contact Professor Ali Jafari, Epsilen PI and Architect (email: jafari@iupui.edu; phone: 317.274.4565; ePortfolio: http://jafari.iupui.Epsilen.com). Epsilen is a copyrighted product and registered trademark, Trustees of Indiana University, 2000-2007. For more information, please visit www.Epsilen.com.
What is Epsilen? Epsilen places social networking and ePortfolios in the center of global eLearning, creating a totally new environment for the next generation of learners and professionals. Current Epsilen users describe Epsilen as an academic "MySpace" or "FaceBook," connecting peers to share knowledge and exchange objects. Epsilen is a comprehensive software package that provides wide-ranging tools and services that students and professionals need for their day-to-day learning, teaching, networking, and collaboration. The Epsilen suite includes ePortfolios, Learning Matrix, a Global Learning System (GLS), Group Collaboration, Object Sharing and repository, Blogs, WIKI, Messaging, Resume, Social and Professional Networking, and much more...How does Epsilen work?Epsilen members’ collections (files, courses, etc.) and data are securely stored in a remote central database accessible from school, home, work, or anywhere via the Internet. An Epsilen member has total control for sharing his personal portfolio and collections with schoolmates, teachers, or potential employers, as well as social and professional groups. Additionally, each Epsilen member has a personal Web site (ePortfolio) with a lifelong Web address (URL). Upon sign-in, an Epsilen member may access any of a number of internal application software packages and tools. Within the Epsilen Environment is an ePortfolio management software package where members can create and maintain personal ePortfolios and Web sites, where teachers can use the Global Learning System (GLS) to deliver course content online so students receive complementary learning material and can interact with classmates outside the classroom, and where members can use the extensive resume and career builder software to create resumes or curriculum vitae (CV) and produce career portfolios. Finally, the networking software built into the Epsilen Environment can intuitively connect students, faculty, and professionals according to their academic, professional, and social communities.Picture a mature Epsilen environment where a faculty member can automatically determine how many professors from other schools throughout the world are teaching the same course or are sharing relevant learning objects. This may initiate new opportunities for the research and professional community within the same interest group. Imagine an online environment where students can participate in various global learning groups beyond those just within their campus, and envision those students dynamically learning about potential job opportunities matched with their academic and career interests as they share their ePortfolios for job placement throughout the world.Other Epsilen Benefit$The Epsilen design is also based on a new economic model that offers a cost-effective solution for school administrators seeking to reduce the increasing costs of IT services. Using the Epsilen hosted model, schools are no longer required to maintain local computer servers to host software nor retain numerous technical experts for day-to-day technical support. Indeed, Epsilen offers many tools within one package -- a package that substantially cuts the combined cost of software otherwise obtained separately from various vendors. Using the Epsilen hybrid open source model, Epsilen can interface with the campus Student Information System databases for dynamic creation and maintenance of member accounts, ePortfolios, and course accounts. Major software tools available within the Epsilen Environment As illustrated in Figure 1, the software packages within the Epsilen Environment include:
A complete ePortfolio management system to support creation of various personal and institutional ePortfolio sites, including student learning ePortfolios, faculty ePortfolios, career ePortfolios, and alumni and professional ePortfolios.
An easy-to-use Global Learning System (GLS) that provides course authoring and course Web site creation for some or all campus courses. Epsilen GLS can be used to complement a lecture-based course or to offer an online distance learning course.
Professional networking for interaction and collaboration with academic and professional peers across the global community, just as Facebook (facebook.com) similarly and successfully offers social networking and entertainment among college students.
A lifelong repository space where student and faculty members can create and store learning and professional outcomes in electronic format (academic papers, creative arts, etc.). Students may wish to share their collection with potential employers while faculty members may want to have it reviewed and rated by peers for tenure or promotion needs.
An internal email system with unique and smart functionality. More and more students are switching from their campus email accounts to commercial email accounts such as Gmail and Hotmail, and with Epsilen they will soon learn the importance and desirability of upgraded services that the cost-effective internal Epsilen email system offers, such as automatically blocking junk or spam email messages.
A personal intelligent agent, called Pomegranate Agent, which Epsilen provides to each user. The Pomegranate agent is another internal built-in software component within the Epsilen Environment that makes it smart and intuitive, with capabilities to think, to reason, to act and react intelligently according to a member’s personal interests and past performance. You can think of Epsilen with its Pomegranate Agent as your own personal administrative assistant helping you with your day-to-day business activities. Epsilen HistoryEpsilen is the result of six years of research and development activities at the CyberLab, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI. Epsilen is being proposed as a new model and software framework for the next generation of lifelong learners and professionals. Free beta accounts are available at www.Epsilen.com. Limited institutional licensing is available to colleges and universities through the Indiana University Office of Technology transfer before expected commercialization of Epsilen Inc. in 2007. For more information, please contact Professor Ali Jafari, Epsilen PI and Architect (email: jafari@iupui.edu; phone: 317.274.4565; ePortfolio: http://jafari.iupui.Epsilen.com). Epsilen is a copyrighted product and registered trademark, Trustees of Indiana University, 2000-2007. For more information, please visit www.Epsilen.com.
Adapter Draws Power from In-Flight Audio Jacks
Those airplane power adapters you can buy for your gadgets are useless without an actual power outlet for your seat—and unless you're in first or business class, you probably won't get one. Enter Inflight Power and its clever new adapter, which lets you draw juice from the headphone jack on your armrest. Pretty cool.The actual adapter ($35-$50, depending on the model) doesn't look like much—it's just a little box with a USB port and a short power cord. Simply plug the cord into your seat's audio jack, turn the dial to an in-flight channel with consistently loud sound (rock music works nicely, according to Inflight Power), crank the volume, and plug in your MP3 player or handheld (adapters are available for iPods, BlackBerrys, Morotola phones, or most any pocket device with a mini USB port for charging). It doesn't look like the Inflight Power adapters will work for laptops, but at least you'll be able to watch an entire season of "Lost" on your next long-haul flight without skipping a beat.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid
10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid
by Jody Gilbert
Takeaway: Sending a less-than-perfect e-mail to a friend is one thing; mistakes aren't really a problem. But if you want to craft an error-free message that reflects your professionalism, be on the lookout for these common grammatical slip-ups.
These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we're in a hurry, quickly dashing off e-mails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I'm being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It's expected. It's no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care, avoiding mistakes so that there's no confusion about what we're saying and so that we look professional and reasonably bright.
In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, Did she just say "irregardless"?, but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten.
That's not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in e-mails, discussion posts, reports, memos, and other professional documents, there's no going back. We've just officially gone on record as being careless or clueless. And here's the worst thing. It's not necessary to be an editor or a language whiz or a spelling bee triathlete to spot such mistakes. They have a way of doing a little wiggle dance on the screen and then reaching out to grab the reader by the throat.
So here we are in the era of Word's red-underline "wrong spelling, dumb ass" feature and Outlook's Always Check Spelling Before Sending option, and still the mistakes proliferate. Catching typos is easy (although not everyone does it). It's the other stuff -- correctly spelled but incorrectly wielded -- that sneaks through and makes us look stupid. Here's a quick review of some of the big ones.
#1: Loose for lose
No: I always loose the product key.
Yes: I always lose the product key.
#2: It's for its (or god forbid, its')
No: Download the HTA, along with it's readme file.
Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.
No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise again.
Yes: The laptop is overheating and it's making that funny noise again.
#3: They're for their for there
No: The managers are in they're weekly planning meeting.
Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.
No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door, and their not happy about it.
Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door, and they're not happy about it.
#4: i.e. for e.g.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).
Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).
Note: The term i.e. means "that is"; e.g. means "for example." And a comma follows both of them.
#5: Effect for affect
No: The outage shouldn't effect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't have any effect on users.
Yes: We will effect several changes during the downtime.
Note: Impact is not a verb. Purists, at least, beg you to use affect instead:
No: The outage shouldn't impact any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage should have no impact on users during work hours.
#6: You're for your
No: Remember to defrag you're machine on a regular basis.
Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.
No: Your right about the changes.
Yes: You're right about the changes.
#7: Different than for different from
No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.
#8 Lay for lie
No: I got dizzy and had to lay down.
Yes: I got dizzy and had to lie down.
Yes: Just lay those books over there.
#9: Then for than
No: The accounting department had more problems then we did.
Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we did.
Note: Here's a sub-peeve. When a sentence construction begins with If, you don't need a then. Then is implicit, so it's superfluous and wordy:
No: If you can't get Windows to boot, then you'll need to call Ted.
Yes: If you can't get Windows to boot, you'll need to call Ted.
#10: Could of, would of for could have, would have
No: I could of installed that app by mistake.
Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.
No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Bonus peeve
I'll just throw one more thing out here: My current burning pet peeve. At some point, who knows when, it became common practice to say that something is "hit and miss." Nuh-UH. It can't be both, right? It either hits or it misses... "Hit OR miss." Granted, it's a small thing, a Boolean-obsessive sort of thing. But it's nonetheless vexing because it's so illogical. Okay, that's mine. If you've got a peeve of your own, share it in the discussion (or post a comment and tell me to get over it).
Page: 1
by Jody Gilbert
Takeaway: Sending a less-than-perfect e-mail to a friend is one thing; mistakes aren't really a problem. But if you want to craft an error-free message that reflects your professionalism, be on the lookout for these common grammatical slip-ups.
These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we're in a hurry, quickly dashing off e-mails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I'm being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It's expected. It's no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care, avoiding mistakes so that there's no confusion about what we're saying and so that we look professional and reasonably bright.
In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, Did she just say "irregardless"?, but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten.
That's not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in e-mails, discussion posts, reports, memos, and other professional documents, there's no going back. We've just officially gone on record as being careless or clueless. And here's the worst thing. It's not necessary to be an editor or a language whiz or a spelling bee triathlete to spot such mistakes. They have a way of doing a little wiggle dance on the screen and then reaching out to grab the reader by the throat.
So here we are in the era of Word's red-underline "wrong spelling, dumb ass" feature and Outlook's Always Check Spelling Before Sending option, and still the mistakes proliferate. Catching typos is easy (although not everyone does it). It's the other stuff -- correctly spelled but incorrectly wielded -- that sneaks through and makes us look stupid. Here's a quick review of some of the big ones.
#1: Loose for lose
No: I always loose the product key.
Yes: I always lose the product key.
#2: It's for its (or god forbid, its')
No: Download the HTA, along with it's readme file.
Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.
No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise again.
Yes: The laptop is overheating and it's making that funny noise again.
#3: They're for their for there
No: The managers are in they're weekly planning meeting.
Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.
No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door, and their not happy about it.
Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door, and they're not happy about it.
#4: i.e. for e.g.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).
Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).
Note: The term i.e. means "that is"; e.g. means "for example." And a comma follows both of them.
#5: Effect for affect
No: The outage shouldn't effect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't have any effect on users.
Yes: We will effect several changes during the downtime.
Note: Impact is not a verb. Purists, at least, beg you to use affect instead:
No: The outage shouldn't impact any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.
Yes: The outage should have no impact on users during work hours.
#6: You're for your
No: Remember to defrag you're machine on a regular basis.
Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.
No: Your right about the changes.
Yes: You're right about the changes.
#7: Different than for different from
No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.
#8 Lay for lie
No: I got dizzy and had to lay down.
Yes: I got dizzy and had to lie down.
Yes: Just lay those books over there.
#9: Then for than
No: The accounting department had more problems then we did.
Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we did.
Note: Here's a sub-peeve. When a sentence construction begins with If, you don't need a then. Then is implicit, so it's superfluous and wordy:
No: If you can't get Windows to boot, then you'll need to call Ted.
Yes: If you can't get Windows to boot, you'll need to call Ted.
#10: Could of, would of for could have, would have
No: I could of installed that app by mistake.
Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.
No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.
Bonus peeve
I'll just throw one more thing out here: My current burning pet peeve. At some point, who knows when, it became common practice to say that something is "hit and miss." Nuh-UH. It can't be both, right? It either hits or it misses... "Hit OR miss." Granted, it's a small thing, a Boolean-obsessive sort of thing. But it's nonetheless vexing because it's so illogical. Okay, that's mine. If you've got a peeve of your own, share it in the discussion (or post a comment and tell me to get over it).
Page: 1
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Team Evaluation
Team evaluation
The team that I chose to evaluate is the working team of the first semester in MIST that was part of the assignment. The team players were pre-assigned by the instructor, so the selection process was already decided for the team. That bypassed the process of matching capabilities of professional and putting a team together to perform a certain task or a project. It was the first time for all the group members to be formally introduced to each other. In all honesty, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea of jumping into a group of people, strangers if you may, that is required to work as a team and produce results on weekly basis that none of us knew anything about. The first thing we did was to get together and have the opportunity to match names with faces. The very first assignment we did as a team was to set a time and a place to meet. This was harder that it seemed in the beginning. Finally, after several vigorous attempts, the group was able to decide on a time and place. Unexpectedly, it went real well, mainly due to the efforts of some of the members that had a good handle on team work and they were willing to do more than their part to prepare the team for the coherent spirit and working attitude. This is crucial to every planned process that we undertake whether that was in our daily lives or as a responsibility at our place of employment.
The following rating will be conformed to the following four capabilities; Problem Analysis, Decision Making, Conflict Management and Continuous Learning. Evaluation will be based on an easy to understand methodology for ranking a team’s IT related activities. This ranking system is know as CMM that has five levels from 0-5 as follows:
Level 0 � Not Performed Level 1 � Performed Informally Level 2 � Planned and TrackedLevel 3 � Well-Defined Level 4 � Quantitatively Controlled Level 5 � Continuously Improving
Problem Analysis
The first problems faced the team was task assignments within the group. The team worked real well in spite of many obstacles. Their positive efforts and attitude in solving the problem earned a full 5 rank.
Decision Making
The need for making decisions faced the team frequently and on daily bases for a wide spectrum of obstacles. These decisions ranged between times for meetings to final touches on the product of the week. The team came though in more that one occasion. Everyone worked very hard on this; however, we as a team fell short of meeting some of these challenges. I gave the team a rank of 4.
Conflict Management
This was the area that troubled the team most. Several of the members were new to the nature of the assignments. Although they weren’t new to team work, since all were professionals in their perspective fields. However, misunderstandings and miscommunications were unavoidable.
That didn’t last long, the team was able to collectively improvise and responsibilities were flexibly reassigned accommodating the players’ needs and other responsibilities also implementing good communication practices. That worked like a charm and the team was able to meet all the deadlines and deliver the assigned tasks as instructed. The team ranked 4 on this capability.
Continuous Learning
The learning process never ends, that being within a working team or on individual bases. Yet the trial and error strategy of acquiring knowledge never fails. The team working skills that the group picked up during this experience came real handy later during other team assignments through MIST. The team ranked 5 on this capability.
The team that I chose to evaluate is the working team of the first semester in MIST that was part of the assignment. The team players were pre-assigned by the instructor, so the selection process was already decided for the team. That bypassed the process of matching capabilities of professional and putting a team together to perform a certain task or a project. It was the first time for all the group members to be formally introduced to each other. In all honesty, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea of jumping into a group of people, strangers if you may, that is required to work as a team and produce results on weekly basis that none of us knew anything about. The first thing we did was to get together and have the opportunity to match names with faces. The very first assignment we did as a team was to set a time and a place to meet. This was harder that it seemed in the beginning. Finally, after several vigorous attempts, the group was able to decide on a time and place. Unexpectedly, it went real well, mainly due to the efforts of some of the members that had a good handle on team work and they were willing to do more than their part to prepare the team for the coherent spirit and working attitude. This is crucial to every planned process that we undertake whether that was in our daily lives or as a responsibility at our place of employment.
The following rating will be conformed to the following four capabilities; Problem Analysis, Decision Making, Conflict Management and Continuous Learning. Evaluation will be based on an easy to understand methodology for ranking a team’s IT related activities. This ranking system is know as CMM that has five levels from 0-5 as follows:
Level 0 � Not Performed Level 1 � Performed Informally Level 2 � Planned and TrackedLevel 3 � Well-Defined Level 4 � Quantitatively Controlled Level 5 � Continuously Improving
Problem Analysis
The first problems faced the team was task assignments within the group. The team worked real well in spite of many obstacles. Their positive efforts and attitude in solving the problem earned a full 5 rank.
Decision Making
The need for making decisions faced the team frequently and on daily bases for a wide spectrum of obstacles. These decisions ranged between times for meetings to final touches on the product of the week. The team came though in more that one occasion. Everyone worked very hard on this; however, we as a team fell short of meeting some of these challenges. I gave the team a rank of 4.
Conflict Management
This was the area that troubled the team most. Several of the members were new to the nature of the assignments. Although they weren’t new to team work, since all were professionals in their perspective fields. However, misunderstandings and miscommunications were unavoidable.
That didn’t last long, the team was able to collectively improvise and responsibilities were flexibly reassigned accommodating the players’ needs and other responsibilities also implementing good communication practices. That worked like a charm and the team was able to meet all the deadlines and deliver the assigned tasks as instructed. The team ranked 4 on this capability.
Continuous Learning
The learning process never ends, that being within a working team or on individual bases. Yet the trial and error strategy of acquiring knowledge never fails. The team working skills that the group picked up during this experience came real handy later during other team assignments through MIST. The team ranked 5 on this capability.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Project Management and Monkeys ...
A tourist walked into a pet shop and was looking at the animals on display. While he was there,another customer walked in and said to the shopkeeper, "I'll have a C monkey please." The shopkeeper nodded, went over to a cage at the side of the shop and took out a monkey. He fitted a collar and leash,handed to the customer,saying, "That'll be $5,000." The customer paid and walked out with his monkey. Startled,the tourist went over to the shopkeeper and said,"That was a very expensive monkey. Most of them are only a few hundred pounds. Why did it cost so much? "The shopkeeper answered, "Ah,that monkey can program in C - very fast,tight code, no bugs, well worth the money." The tourist looked at a monkey in another cage. "Hey,that one's even more expensive! $10,000! What does it do?" "Oh,that one's a C++ monkey; it can manage object-oriented programming,Visual C++, even some Java All the really useful stuff," said the shopkeeper. The tourist looked around for a little longer and saw a third monkey in a cage of its own. The price tag around its neck read $50,000.The tourist gasped to the shopkeeper, "That one costs more than all the others put together! What on earth does it do?" The shopkeeper replied, "Well, I haven't actually seen it do anything, but it says it's a project manager".
Posted by: Eric Tao
Posted by: Eric Tao
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Self Evaluation / Leadership
Self Evaluation / Leadership
A leader needs always to instill in his followers the sense of worthiness to create a personal interest in them to motivate them to be willing to undertake the project. It is of utmost importance that the objectives of a project to coincide with the individual own needs and wants of every member of the working team.
My leadership envisions my team members as fellow professionals and not merely subordinates. It allows my team players to be leaders in their own level that I pre-assign for them. This way my leadership will not be
Working as a part of a teaching team is a stride through an unpaved road, especially if it was the first time working with that particular team. During my three years that I have been working here, I encountered many changes. Although I have been teaching in California for the last twelve years, yet my experience in here is substantially different from that of the public schools. The objectives are better set and well defined at my new job. All the members of the teaching team are well aware of their role in the outcome of the team.
A new type of teamwork experience I was exposed to once I joined MIST. I will be discussing my experience working with a work team of students to produce a weekly product in the form of a cumulative report that the team needs to turn in on specific dates set forth by the instructor. I will be using the five stages of team development mentioned in Eric Verzuh’s book. The stages that every team goes through, the team leader has to adjust his or her style to accommodate these changes and address the goals of the project at hand keeping in mind the individual needs of the team players.
Forming:
As the group got together, we were not sure what to do or how to do it. So several face to face meeting were arranges to get the players to know each other and to get familiar with each other’s way of performing. The second step was to talk about the goals and objective set forth by the instructor. This stage was necessary to assure each member of clarity of vision when it comes to what is expected of us as a team.
Then it was important to share the vision of each team member on how to achieve these goals.
Storming:
As the meetings became frequent, the diversity of visions start colliding and the different styles of member started to bang against each other. This was not out of the ordinary at all. This is the stage where members are still new to each other’s ways. The mutual trust is not built up yet. Some people felt confused and even were considering leaving the team all together. Although I was not selected to be the leader of this team per say, but I tried to make use of my experience in leadership that I acquired from running my own business for the last six years. These years taught me that the best way to approach a complaint is to ask the person to offer you their vision in dealing with that particular situation. It helped among many strategies that the other members were sharing and this stage was short lived because of that.
Norming:
The vision became clearer at this stage and the team started to work together. Although there were still quite few things need to be ironed out, yet, we were able to set some short-term goals and assign roles to different members and divide responsibilities among us. The team was still far from total harmony although it was getting to be fun and few tasks were accomplished. Trust was building up leading to mutual respect.
Performing:
As thing started falling into place, goals were better achieved and the weekly production was on track now. Out assignments were done on time. The communications among the member started to be clearer and uninterrupted. That by itself lead to open channels of exchanging assignments and substituting roles when the assigned member was not available to undertake the task assigned to them. Teamwork spirit was at its most when some member with strong writing skills offered to help other members in reports.
Adjourning:
There was a bittersweet kind of feelings among the team members. We were able to meet our goals and developed some new team working skills, also were happy that our patience and the will to excel took the team all the way to our goals and met the objectives. Yet it was time to disband and move on to new projects. We were able to separate our personal feelings from our professional commitment. As a leadership practice, I made sure to recognize each team member and the role that they play in the enrichment of our experience, thank them for bringing their own experience into the project, and wish them the best. It is mighty nice to part on a good note.
On the other hand, my leadership, sometimes, tends to focus more on goals and let the human side slips away. In the heat of the demanding objectives and the urgency of deadlines, it shifts attention to the big picture forgetting the small details. It is commendable that the leader focuses on the set goals of his or her project, but keeping in mind the needs of the players, prolong their endurance and hence their production. This can be achieved by catering to their individual interests and steering them back on track.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A leader needs always to instill in his followers the sense of worthiness to create a personal interest in them to motivate them to be willing to undertake the project. It is of utmost importance that the objectives of a project to coincide with the individual own needs and wants of every member of the working team.
My leadership envisions my team members as fellow professionals and not merely subordinates. It allows my team players to be leaders in their own level that I pre-assign for them. This way my leadership will not be
Working as a part of a teaching team is a stride through an unpaved road, especially if it was the first time working with that particular team. During my three years that I have been working here, I encountered many changes. Although I have been teaching in California for the last twelve years, yet my experience in here is substantially different from that of the public schools. The objectives are better set and well defined at my new job. All the members of the teaching team are well aware of their role in the outcome of the team.
A new type of teamwork experience I was exposed to once I joined MIST. I will be discussing my experience working with a work team of students to produce a weekly product in the form of a cumulative report that the team needs to turn in on specific dates set forth by the instructor. I will be using the five stages of team development mentioned in Eric Verzuh’s book. The stages that every team goes through, the team leader has to adjust his or her style to accommodate these changes and address the goals of the project at hand keeping in mind the individual needs of the team players.
Forming:
As the group got together, we were not sure what to do or how to do it. So several face to face meeting were arranges to get the players to know each other and to get familiar with each other’s way of performing. The second step was to talk about the goals and objective set forth by the instructor. This stage was necessary to assure each member of clarity of vision when it comes to what is expected of us as a team.
Then it was important to share the vision of each team member on how to achieve these goals.
Storming:
As the meetings became frequent, the diversity of visions start colliding and the different styles of member started to bang against each other. This was not out of the ordinary at all. This is the stage where members are still new to each other’s ways. The mutual trust is not built up yet. Some people felt confused and even were considering leaving the team all together. Although I was not selected to be the leader of this team per say, but I tried to make use of my experience in leadership that I acquired from running my own business for the last six years. These years taught me that the best way to approach a complaint is to ask the person to offer you their vision in dealing with that particular situation. It helped among many strategies that the other members were sharing and this stage was short lived because of that.
Norming:
The vision became clearer at this stage and the team started to work together. Although there were still quite few things need to be ironed out, yet, we were able to set some short-term goals and assign roles to different members and divide responsibilities among us. The team was still far from total harmony although it was getting to be fun and few tasks were accomplished. Trust was building up leading to mutual respect.
Performing:
As thing started falling into place, goals were better achieved and the weekly production was on track now. Out assignments were done on time. The communications among the member started to be clearer and uninterrupted. That by itself lead to open channels of exchanging assignments and substituting roles when the assigned member was not available to undertake the task assigned to them. Teamwork spirit was at its most when some member with strong writing skills offered to help other members in reports.
Adjourning:
There was a bittersweet kind of feelings among the team members. We were able to meet our goals and developed some new team working skills, also were happy that our patience and the will to excel took the team all the way to our goals and met the objectives. Yet it was time to disband and move on to new projects. We were able to separate our personal feelings from our professional commitment. As a leadership practice, I made sure to recognize each team member and the role that they play in the enrichment of our experience, thank them for bringing their own experience into the project, and wish them the best. It is mighty nice to part on a good note.
On the other hand, my leadership, sometimes, tends to focus more on goals and let the human side slips away. In the heat of the demanding objectives and the urgency of deadlines, it shifts attention to the big picture forgetting the small details. It is commendable that the leader focuses on the set goals of his or her project, but keeping in mind the needs of the players, prolong their endurance and hence their production. This can be achieved by catering to their individual interests and steering them back on track.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Putting Discipline to Work
Putting Discipline to Work
Enterprise Project Management
Ch 13
Introduction:
Only in the last 15 years or so has the development of project management as a skill, and supplementary project management skills really taken shape in the corporate world, or in any field, for that matter. We should take full advantage of all the new perspectives in project management available to us. One dramatic change that has taken place is the use of competition to focus projects and their end goals. Since then focus on end project-driven projects as a result of competition has greatly increased.
Defining enterprise project management:
What is enterprise project management, exactly? Enterprise project management (EPM) is the conscious integration of processes, technology, organizational structure, and people in order to align strategy with the execution of project. EPM ties together project resources and organizational strategy. Similarly, all the enabling components of EPM work together. However, the term EPM can only be applied in certain situations, situations in which the business is project driven, and usually where some sort of external competition is involved.
Defining practices requires assigning responsibility and authority
Authority determines almost every factor in a project: whose responsibility it is to assign tasks, whose responsibility it is to complete those tasks, whose responsibility it is to make sure that tasks are being completed promptly and accurately, and whose responsibility it is to manage the project. Assigning responsibility is just as important as assigning the authority which administers such responsibilities. Assigning authority begins by defining the manager and the sponsor, as well as any other relevant roles. An organization chart showing where authority lies and the escalating steps to that authority can be very useful to a project team.
EPM technology Capability
EPM covers an expansive range, from managing smaller, individual projects to monitoring project progress. EPM can be summarized by eight common capabilities. Project management, the most basic, consists of the plan for a project, from costs to scheduling. Team collaboration is the correct assignment of responsibilities and authority for a group to work together to reach their common goal. Visibility of interproject dependencies is the perception of common resources needed by different projects, and the correct utilization of those resources to all projects that need them. Visibility of resource use across all projects ties in to the previous point, in that common resource use can be seen within several projects. Project portfolio summary is quite simply the summary of reports for all factors concerning a project. Project status reporting is the frequent and accurate reporting of the status quota of a project regularly. Cost accounting is the management of all financial aspects of a project. The utilization of interfaces to complementary systems can also help take the work load off of accounting staffs
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics
Enterprise Project Management
Ch 13
Introduction:
Only in the last 15 years or so has the development of project management as a skill, and supplementary project management skills really taken shape in the corporate world, or in any field, for that matter. We should take full advantage of all the new perspectives in project management available to us. One dramatic change that has taken place is the use of competition to focus projects and their end goals. Since then focus on end project-driven projects as a result of competition has greatly increased.
Defining enterprise project management:
What is enterprise project management, exactly? Enterprise project management (EPM) is the conscious integration of processes, technology, organizational structure, and people in order to align strategy with the execution of project. EPM ties together project resources and organizational strategy. Similarly, all the enabling components of EPM work together. However, the term EPM can only be applied in certain situations, situations in which the business is project driven, and usually where some sort of external competition is involved.
Defining practices requires assigning responsibility and authority
Authority determines almost every factor in a project: whose responsibility it is to assign tasks, whose responsibility it is to complete those tasks, whose responsibility it is to make sure that tasks are being completed promptly and accurately, and whose responsibility it is to manage the project. Assigning responsibility is just as important as assigning the authority which administers such responsibilities. Assigning authority begins by defining the manager and the sponsor, as well as any other relevant roles. An organization chart showing where authority lies and the escalating steps to that authority can be very useful to a project team.
EPM technology Capability
EPM covers an expansive range, from managing smaller, individual projects to monitoring project progress. EPM can be summarized by eight common capabilities. Project management, the most basic, consists of the plan for a project, from costs to scheduling. Team collaboration is the correct assignment of responsibilities and authority for a group to work together to reach their common goal. Visibility of interproject dependencies is the perception of common resources needed by different projects, and the correct utilization of those resources to all projects that need them. Visibility of resource use across all projects ties in to the previous point, in that common resource use can be seen within several projects. Project portfolio summary is quite simply the summary of reports for all factors concerning a project. Project status reporting is the frequent and accurate reporting of the status quota of a project regularly. Cost accounting is the management of all financial aspects of a project. The utilization of interfaces to complementary systems can also help take the work load off of accounting staffs
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics
Controlling the Project / Measuring Progress
Controlling the Project
Measuring Progress
Ch 12
Introduction:
It is imperative to track progress just as carefully all along the span of a project, for starting out strong ensures ending a project in the same manner. If we were to only start tracking progress towards the end, it would be too late to change anything anyways. This helps using up valuable project time only to help catch up to an earlier lapse in progress. This helps us to identify problems while they are still small so they can be dealt with more efficiently.
Earned value reporting
Keeping track of costs is paramount to running a successful project. However, simply comparing planned cash flow against actual cash flow may not be sufficient; it doesn’t tell whether or not the project will be under budget, or if the project will be over budget. With earned value reporting, you can develop a more complete overall picture of the project by combining schedule and cost status, thus giving a more whole viewpoint. Only tracking schedules or only tracking cash flow blocks your perspective of the project. There are many formulas you can use to employ earned value reporting in your project.
Escalating Thresholds
Sometimes certain situations within a project arise in which certain people must be granted more authority in order to properly deal with said situation. Such temporary shifts in authority or position as a result of situational necessity are escalation thresholds. Depending on a situation, one may be brought up to higher management or even brought to the attention of senior management. Such escalation thresholds separate the changes that can be made by a project team and those that can only be made by a change board. Problem resolution thresholds give arisen problems the proper attention they need in order to be dealt with promptly and efficiently. Overall project thresholds signal to upper management the necessity to be more directly involved in a project.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics
Measuring Progress
Ch 12
Introduction:
It is imperative to track progress just as carefully all along the span of a project, for starting out strong ensures ending a project in the same manner. If we were to only start tracking progress towards the end, it would be too late to change anything anyways. This helps using up valuable project time only to help catch up to an earlier lapse in progress. This helps us to identify problems while they are still small so they can be dealt with more efficiently.
Earned value reporting
Keeping track of costs is paramount to running a successful project. However, simply comparing planned cash flow against actual cash flow may not be sufficient; it doesn’t tell whether or not the project will be under budget, or if the project will be over budget. With earned value reporting, you can develop a more complete overall picture of the project by combining schedule and cost status, thus giving a more whole viewpoint. Only tracking schedules or only tracking cash flow blocks your perspective of the project. There are many formulas you can use to employ earned value reporting in your project.
Escalating Thresholds
Sometimes certain situations within a project arise in which certain people must be granted more authority in order to properly deal with said situation. Such temporary shifts in authority or position as a result of situational necessity are escalation thresholds. Depending on a situation, one may be brought up to higher management or even brought to the attention of senior management. Such escalation thresholds separate the changes that can be made by a project team and those that can only be made by a change board. Problem resolution thresholds give arisen problems the proper attention they need in order to be dealt with promptly and efficiently. Overall project thresholds signal to upper management the necessity to be more directly involved in a project.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics
Monday, June 11, 2007
Application is the Art
Application Is the Art
Solving Common Project Problems
Ch 14
Introduction
As much technology as we have available today to help us with our projects, we are still humans, thus conflicts will always arise. It is absolutely imperative to promptly find the most efficient solution to such conflicts, as to not hinder the overall progress of the project. Different techniques can be employed to solve a variety of conflicts, from technical aspects to personal disagreements.
Responsibility beyond Your Authority
Especially with larger projects, you may find that you must rely on people and sources over which you have no authority. If such these people are shortcoming of their respective duties, your whole project suffers. Learning how to make sure other people are reliable is a vital aspect of a successful project. This can be achieved by a statement of work, communication plans, network diagrams and sponsors, just to name a few methods.
Reducing the Time to Market
We’ve all heard the phrase “time is money”. Especially in this setting, this phrase proves quite true. Since speed counts in the industry, so it is paramount to employ any techniques you need to in order to finish as soon as possible without the suffering of quality. This can be achieved by project plans, completion criteria, project status meetings, and fixed-phrase estimating.
Managing Volunteers
In many situations, in order to get things done one must enlist the use of volunteers in a project. These people do not question your leadership, however you have no real authority over them, which if not managed properly can hinder or even stop the progress of project. This can be done first of all by treating your volunteers slightly different than you would workers. Be more respectful and understanding, because unlike your workers the commitment of volunteers really does depend on how much they like you as a leader. You can also manage a volunteer project by status meetings, statement of work, status meetings, and having small tasks with strong completion criteria.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solving Common Project Problems
Ch 14
Introduction
As much technology as we have available today to help us with our projects, we are still humans, thus conflicts will always arise. It is absolutely imperative to promptly find the most efficient solution to such conflicts, as to not hinder the overall progress of the project. Different techniques can be employed to solve a variety of conflicts, from technical aspects to personal disagreements.
Responsibility beyond Your Authority
Especially with larger projects, you may find that you must rely on people and sources over which you have no authority. If such these people are shortcoming of their respective duties, your whole project suffers. Learning how to make sure other people are reliable is a vital aspect of a successful project. This can be achieved by a statement of work, communication plans, network diagrams and sponsors, just to name a few methods.
Reducing the Time to Market
We’ve all heard the phrase “time is money”. Especially in this setting, this phrase proves quite true. Since speed counts in the industry, so it is paramount to employ any techniques you need to in order to finish as soon as possible without the suffering of quality. This can be achieved by project plans, completion criteria, project status meetings, and fixed-phrase estimating.
Managing Volunteers
In many situations, in order to get things done one must enlist the use of volunteers in a project. These people do not question your leadership, however you have no real authority over them, which if not managed properly can hinder or even stop the progress of project. This can be done first of all by treating your volunteers slightly different than you would workers. Be more respectful and understanding, because unlike your workers the commitment of volunteers really does depend on how much they like you as a leader. You can also manage a volunteer project by status meetings, statement of work, status meetings, and having small tasks with strong completion criteria.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Controlling the Project / Communication
Controlling the Project
Communication
Ch 11
Introduction
Controlling a project differs from planning and defining a project in that it refers to long term management of the project. Control implies the techniques and skills it takes to measure progress, foresee the direction of the project, and for successful and efficient communication.
Project communication
In any situation, communication is usually the most important factor for success in reaching a common goal. Open communication defies a good working group, more than technical skill. Constant and efficient communication amongst every member involved in the project is paramount to the success of the project. Getting right things done in the right way, which, in essence, is a project, takes communication among all members. Helpful techniques are communicating within the team, communicating with management and customers, change management, and closeout reporting. The value of communication is even greater when it comes to project managers. Each team member has four main communication needs: responsibility, coordination, status, and authorization. The project manager could make these responsibilities easier by making task assignments clear, holding individual status meetings, and putting meetings on the calendar.
Configuration management
A subset of change management, which focuses on how to apply [approved] changes, configuration management limits the changes to control documents, in turn avoiding confusion by keeping all members on the same page. This helps to avoid potential disasters, for correcting the issue can be nigh impossible once well into the project. Control documents, computer files, prototypes, and test environments can all be subject to configuration management. To implement configuration management, the first step is to identify products and items that need to be controlled. Next, the management must establish the control structure. This step must take into account access restriction, possible record of changes, and notification for all the members. The final step in the process is to assign configuration management responsibility. Choosing this person should be a cautious choice, one that can handle the job yet still be respected by all the members in the project.
Closeout reporting
Closeout reporting is an often overlooked and neglected project management activity. This is usually because this phase isn’t always the most exciting; however it can be just as important as any other. Since the end product is the goal of the entire project itself, a successful closeout reporting is vital to delivering the final product, whatever it may be. Many closeout tasks can be identified as transition tasks, such as notifying all the project participants of status changes in the project, giving product improvement ideas, or detailing any open tasks by making an updated project plan.
End point
For this particular project that I am undertaking, communication is of uttermost important because of the nature of the goals of the outcome. The final product will be promoting communication through unspoken language or what is known in the field as Kinesics. Kinesics is the non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body, or the body as a whole.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics
Communication
Ch 11
Introduction
Controlling a project differs from planning and defining a project in that it refers to long term management of the project. Control implies the techniques and skills it takes to measure progress, foresee the direction of the project, and for successful and efficient communication.
Project communication
In any situation, communication is usually the most important factor for success in reaching a common goal. Open communication defies a good working group, more than technical skill. Constant and efficient communication amongst every member involved in the project is paramount to the success of the project. Getting right things done in the right way, which, in essence, is a project, takes communication among all members. Helpful techniques are communicating within the team, communicating with management and customers, change management, and closeout reporting. The value of communication is even greater when it comes to project managers. Each team member has four main communication needs: responsibility, coordination, status, and authorization. The project manager could make these responsibilities easier by making task assignments clear, holding individual status meetings, and putting meetings on the calendar.
Configuration management
A subset of change management, which focuses on how to apply [approved] changes, configuration management limits the changes to control documents, in turn avoiding confusion by keeping all members on the same page. This helps to avoid potential disasters, for correcting the issue can be nigh impossible once well into the project. Control documents, computer files, prototypes, and test environments can all be subject to configuration management. To implement configuration management, the first step is to identify products and items that need to be controlled. Next, the management must establish the control structure. This step must take into account access restriction, possible record of changes, and notification for all the members. The final step in the process is to assign configuration management responsibility. Choosing this person should be a cautious choice, one that can handle the job yet still be respected by all the members in the project.
Closeout reporting
Closeout reporting is an often overlooked and neglected project management activity. This is usually because this phase isn’t always the most exciting; however it can be just as important as any other. Since the end product is the goal of the entire project itself, a successful closeout reporting is vital to delivering the final product, whatever it may be. Many closeout tasks can be identified as transition tasks, such as notifying all the project participants of status changes in the project, giving product improvement ideas, or detailing any open tasks by making an updated project plan.
End point
For this particular project that I am undertaking, communication is of uttermost important because of the nature of the goals of the outcome. The final product will be promoting communication through unspoken language or what is known in the field as Kinesics. Kinesics is the non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body, or the body as a whole.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesics
Controlling the Project
Controlling the Project
Building a High-Performance Project Team
Ch 10
Introduction
Building a strong and committed team is the dream of any project manager. Controlling the project and keeping it on track, that is the outcome of a hard working project manger. Controlling a project blends the art and science of project management, (Verzuh, Erick, 2005, pg 231).
The challenge of building project teams
Luck and mystery has nothing to do with building good working teams. It is the hard work that goes into selecting the team members and creating in them the will to cooperate and learn to work together. Every team faces several difficulties before assembling as a one unit. Two main factors should be taken into consideration when creating a high-performing team. The first is the clear understanding of the team member that they are teaming up to solve some complex problems and these problems must be solved. Second, working relationship between the forming team players are temporary, hence, it is a must that they learn to get along together. It is all about employee empowerment and employee involvement.
Leadership responsibilities
Actions speak louder than words. This old saying did not go wrong when addressing leadership issues. As project managers, it is not what we believe will influence our team mates but our deeds. What inspires a team is the personal energy that comes out through example. Leaders put the team in motion, focus on the objectives and keep moving forward until goals are achieved. It is rare that the commitment and attitude of the leader drops below that of the team players. On the other hand it is vitally crucial to remember that out team mates are humans. Humans with feelings, egos, and career goals beyond this particular project that they ate part of. Their confidence in us, their leaders, may dictate their level of motivation and dedication to the progress of the project. Our genuine concern to their needs demonstrated in addressing their dignity as human beings, may by a catalyst factor in deciding their dedication to the goals of the project. We all know the golden role that came in the good book, yet it is required of us, as leaders to even treat out team mates with a little bit more that we want to be treated. Always remember to stop before you reach the burnout point for your team members’ production limit.
Active listening
As the old saying goes, listening is an art. However, active listening is double that art. For the listening to be active the listener has to be attentive to the speaker, giving them his full undivided attention. Several factors may hinder out capability as project managers to listen. Some of these hindrances could be summarize in the followings:
- Distraction caused by the environment that we are in, such as degree of comfort and relaxation that a crowded conference room can offer. That can steal our concentration.
- Some times a prior knowledge of the spoken subject may rob out full attention given to the speaker. That might give us the false conclusion regarding what is being said, believing that giving more attention to the speaker will is not necessary since we know all needed to be known about the subject at hand.
- People talk in different styles according to the part of the world they are from or according to their level of education. Listeners tend to shut speakers off when using a different style than ours.
- Also a negative past experience with the same speaker may shut us off to his ideas. A good listener has to detach themselves from any prejudice against the speaker because of prior experience.
End point
Although we all as project managers could benefit from learning how to put teams together and how to work with them and get them to work with each others. Yet in this particular project, that is one thing I have to touch lightly. I’m performing the vast majority of the work plan tasks myself. The administrative portion of the project will be taken care of by the acting dean at CE in the form of rolling on decisions and budgets.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Building a High-Performance Project Team
Ch 10
Introduction
Building a strong and committed team is the dream of any project manager. Controlling the project and keeping it on track, that is the outcome of a hard working project manger. Controlling a project blends the art and science of project management, (Verzuh, Erick, 2005, pg 231).
The challenge of building project teams
Luck and mystery has nothing to do with building good working teams. It is the hard work that goes into selecting the team members and creating in them the will to cooperate and learn to work together. Every team faces several difficulties before assembling as a one unit. Two main factors should be taken into consideration when creating a high-performing team. The first is the clear understanding of the team member that they are teaming up to solve some complex problems and these problems must be solved. Second, working relationship between the forming team players are temporary, hence, it is a must that they learn to get along together. It is all about employee empowerment and employee involvement.
Leadership responsibilities
Actions speak louder than words. This old saying did not go wrong when addressing leadership issues. As project managers, it is not what we believe will influence our team mates but our deeds. What inspires a team is the personal energy that comes out through example. Leaders put the team in motion, focus on the objectives and keep moving forward until goals are achieved. It is rare that the commitment and attitude of the leader drops below that of the team players. On the other hand it is vitally crucial to remember that out team mates are humans. Humans with feelings, egos, and career goals beyond this particular project that they ate part of. Their confidence in us, their leaders, may dictate their level of motivation and dedication to the progress of the project. Our genuine concern to their needs demonstrated in addressing their dignity as human beings, may by a catalyst factor in deciding their dedication to the goals of the project. We all know the golden role that came in the good book, yet it is required of us, as leaders to even treat out team mates with a little bit more that we want to be treated. Always remember to stop before you reach the burnout point for your team members’ production limit.
Active listening
As the old saying goes, listening is an art. However, active listening is double that art. For the listening to be active the listener has to be attentive to the speaker, giving them his full undivided attention. Several factors may hinder out capability as project managers to listen. Some of these hindrances could be summarize in the followings:
- Distraction caused by the environment that we are in, such as degree of comfort and relaxation that a crowded conference room can offer. That can steal our concentration.
- Some times a prior knowledge of the spoken subject may rob out full attention given to the speaker. That might give us the false conclusion regarding what is being said, believing that giving more attention to the speaker will is not necessary since we know all needed to be known about the subject at hand.
- People talk in different styles according to the part of the world they are from or according to their level of education. Listeners tend to shut speakers off when using a different style than ours.
- Also a negative past experience with the same speaker may shut us off to his ideas. A good listener has to detach themselves from any prejudice against the speaker because of prior experience.
End point
Although we all as project managers could benefit from learning how to put teams together and how to work with them and get them to work with each others. Yet in this particular project, that is one thing I have to touch lightly. I’m performing the vast majority of the work plan tasks myself. The administrative portion of the project will be taken care of by the acting dean at CE in the form of rolling on decisions and budgets.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
The Planning Process / Realistic Scheduling
The Planning Process
Realistic Scheduling
Ch 7
Introduction
A successful project should meet the goal on time and within budget. In addition to that a successful project should have a realistic schedule. A practical schedule that is feasible to accomplish. Such schedule would include a detailed knowledge, a task sequence and an account of constrains that are not within the capability of the team to solve considering objective of all the team members.
Planning
On planning any project there are two stages should be considered, the preparing stage and the developing stage. The preparing stage is when the project is defined with a work plan that states the purpose, scope of the project and the responsibilities of each team member. Also, the project manager should prepare a risk log. While the development stage is recognizing resources available, building a breakdown structure, identifying task relationship, creating a schedule, and estimate work packages in size and in milestones.
Milestones
A milestone is defined to be an event or a stage in the life of an event that demonstrate progress or development of that event with time. That been said, it is obvious that the two most important milestones in any given project are the first and the last. There are three good reasons for me as a project manager to use. These reasons are:
- To mark inputs from one project party to another.
- To keep progress organized and easy to read.
- To catch any potential problem as soon as it happens.
Scheduling
As project progresses, it is imperative that tasks are completed in such a way that a successor task doesn’t start until the predecessor one is completed (fig 7.3 pg 137). Or what is called a finish-to-start relationship which is the most common task relationship on the network. This requires an adequate scheduling and awareness of the delivery date especially if it is an externally imposed finish date. Externally imposed deadlines usually do not come with a little or no float and once the float is used up the project will run in the negative float. That happens when the finish date is impossible to meet, hence for the experienced project manager the float should not be an opportunity to move slow on tasks.
End Point
Reading Realistic Scheduling, I realized couple of concepts I wasn’t implimenting in my project. As important as the milestones are to any successful project, I really did not include them in my work plan, simply because I wasn’t aware of them and their significance to my project. Although I had a float in the finish date, I didn’t take the negative float possibility in my consideration. Although it is not too late to incorporate new milestone as the project progresses but still I would save a lot of valuable time had I used them.
The second was the finish-to-start task relationship. I'm not sure whether that would’ve worked for me but definitely my work plan would’ve been more precise and better organized. I had more than one task going the same time. It didn’t ruin my project but for sure it spread out my resources unnecessarily.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Realistic Scheduling
Ch 7
Introduction
A successful project should meet the goal on time and within budget. In addition to that a successful project should have a realistic schedule. A practical schedule that is feasible to accomplish. Such schedule would include a detailed knowledge, a task sequence and an account of constrains that are not within the capability of the team to solve considering objective of all the team members.
Planning
On planning any project there are two stages should be considered, the preparing stage and the developing stage. The preparing stage is when the project is defined with a work plan that states the purpose, scope of the project and the responsibilities of each team member. Also, the project manager should prepare a risk log. While the development stage is recognizing resources available, building a breakdown structure, identifying task relationship, creating a schedule, and estimate work packages in size and in milestones.
Milestones
A milestone is defined to be an event or a stage in the life of an event that demonstrate progress or development of that event with time. That been said, it is obvious that the two most important milestones in any given project are the first and the last. There are three good reasons for me as a project manager to use. These reasons are:
- To mark inputs from one project party to another.
- To keep progress organized and easy to read.
- To catch any potential problem as soon as it happens.
Scheduling
As project progresses, it is imperative that tasks are completed in such a way that a successor task doesn’t start until the predecessor one is completed (fig 7.3 pg 137). Or what is called a finish-to-start relationship which is the most common task relationship on the network. This requires an adequate scheduling and awareness of the delivery date especially if it is an externally imposed finish date. Externally imposed deadlines usually do not come with a little or no float and once the float is used up the project will run in the negative float. That happens when the finish date is impossible to meet, hence for the experienced project manager the float should not be an opportunity to move slow on tasks.
End Point
Reading Realistic Scheduling, I realized couple of concepts I wasn’t implimenting in my project. As important as the milestones are to any successful project, I really did not include them in my work plan, simply because I wasn’t aware of them and their significance to my project. Although I had a float in the finish date, I didn’t take the negative float possibility in my consideration. Although it is not too late to incorporate new milestone as the project progresses but still I would save a lot of valuable time had I used them.
The second was the finish-to-start task relationship. I'm not sure whether that would’ve worked for me but definitely my work plan would’ve been more precise and better organized. I had more than one task going the same time. It didn’t ruin my project but for sure it spread out my resources unnecessarily.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
The Planning Procees / Work Breakdown Structure
The Planning Process
Work Breakdown Structure
Ch 6
Introduction
Any project that takes more that few simple steps to complete is a complex project. For example if you are to prepare some boiled eggs, then you don’t need such a complex planning and calculating to be able to put up a working plan. Yet if you were to cook some lobster tails dinner, then you need to put together some pre-cooking working plan. First you need to get the recipe, the ingredients, the mixing formula, cooking time and instruction and probably quite few more steps. Perhaps the most powerful technique in project management is to breakdown the work plan. If done well, it can become the secret to successful project management.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The work breakdown structure or as it is some times referred to as task list. It is the tool that divides a large and complicated project into several small easy to mange tasks. Putting a WBS together helps the project manager in providing a detailed illustration of project scope also monitor progress and create accurate estimates, in addition to building project teams.
Work Package Size
According to Verzuh, the secret to a successful project management could be the ability to breakdown a large size project to smaller units of work. This way these small work units will be easier to manage and assess. In addition, it will be far more manageable in case of an uncertainty happening. As every project manager realizes that things on the planning sheets will not move as expected on ground, it is advisable that the manger plan these small unit of work with some simple yet effective rules in mind. The 8/80 rule, that suggests keeping the size of working packages between 8 to 80 hours of labor. Also, the reporting period or what is called status meetings should not be longer than the time needed to complete any of these units of work. These meetings are convened for the purpose of reporting the progress of the project and to identify any potential problems.
Planning for Quality
Quality is job number one on any project manager’s mind. Yet the phase that this quality control process takes place is crucial for the planning and delivery of the final product. Steve McConnell in his book Rapid Development, talks about the wasted efforts and lost time in repairing a defected product in the final stages. He states that “if a defect is fixed in the construction phase, it can cost 50 to 200 time as much to fix as it would have in the requirement phase.”
End Point
I found that WBS is important to my Capstone project as it is to any of the projects that mentioned in the chapter. After reading this chapter, I went back to my drawing board and tried to break it down to smaller work units, not because it is a huge and complex project but just because following WBS makes it easier and more manageable to do one task at a time, and once it is completed, I can move on to other tasks without worrying about the completed one anymore. That by itself takes away a lot of an unnecessary pressure.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Work Breakdown Structure
Ch 6
Introduction
Any project that takes more that few simple steps to complete is a complex project. For example if you are to prepare some boiled eggs, then you don’t need such a complex planning and calculating to be able to put up a working plan. Yet if you were to cook some lobster tails dinner, then you need to put together some pre-cooking working plan. First you need to get the recipe, the ingredients, the mixing formula, cooking time and instruction and probably quite few more steps. Perhaps the most powerful technique in project management is to breakdown the work plan. If done well, it can become the secret to successful project management.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The work breakdown structure or as it is some times referred to as task list. It is the tool that divides a large and complicated project into several small easy to mange tasks. Putting a WBS together helps the project manager in providing a detailed illustration of project scope also monitor progress and create accurate estimates, in addition to building project teams.
Work Package Size
According to Verzuh, the secret to a successful project management could be the ability to breakdown a large size project to smaller units of work. This way these small work units will be easier to manage and assess. In addition, it will be far more manageable in case of an uncertainty happening. As every project manager realizes that things on the planning sheets will not move as expected on ground, it is advisable that the manger plan these small unit of work with some simple yet effective rules in mind. The 8/80 rule, that suggests keeping the size of working packages between 8 to 80 hours of labor. Also, the reporting period or what is called status meetings should not be longer than the time needed to complete any of these units of work. These meetings are convened for the purpose of reporting the progress of the project and to identify any potential problems.
Planning for Quality
Quality is job number one on any project manager’s mind. Yet the phase that this quality control process takes place is crucial for the planning and delivery of the final product. Steve McConnell in his book Rapid Development, talks about the wasted efforts and lost time in repairing a defected product in the final stages. He states that “if a defect is fixed in the construction phase, it can cost 50 to 200 time as much to fix as it would have in the requirement phase.”
End Point
I found that WBS is important to my Capstone project as it is to any of the projects that mentioned in the chapter. After reading this chapter, I went back to my drawing board and tried to break it down to smaller work units, not because it is a huge and complex project but just because following WBS makes it easier and more manageable to do one task at a time, and once it is completed, I can move on to other tasks without worrying about the completed one anymore. That by itself takes away a lot of an unnecessary pressure.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Friday, June 1, 2007
The Planning Process / Risk Management
The Planning Process
Risk Management
Ch 5
Risk Management
Ch 5
Introduction
Uncertainty is present in every newly designed project. Even sometime when the project is completed and the product enters into the production process, things could go wrong. The conscientious project manager is the professional that has an umbrella ready for any unexpected rain storm.
Risk management
Risk management is a method to bring the uncertainties that the project may endure under control on regular basis. In addition Risk management allows the project manager to create an approach to eradicate the negative effects that the project may suffer because of that. Risk management has several advantages when implemented by the project team systematically. One of these advantages is that it reduces the frequency of unexpected problem where the team is caught unprepared.
Risk profile
As the uncertainties that may hinder the success of a project are several so are the possible solutions to them. However, a shroud project manager can learn some good lessons from prior experiences. A practical way of organizing this in a systematical way is to have a Risk profile. A Risk profile is a list of questions that address traditional areas of uncertainty on projects (The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, Verzuh, Eric). A number of questions refined and collected from previous similar situations that the project manager found himself and the project in. These items should be relevant to the industry as well as the specific organization. They should address the final product and the management risk, and also, it should predict the scale of the risks to a certain point.
Reducing Risk
The most practical approach to risk reducing is by deciding first of all to whether I as a project manager have control over that situation or not. If I do, then I need to find a solution to it or contacting the right authority to make a rolling. However, if that risk is something I have no control over it, and then I will try my best to be ready to minimize its negative effects on the project. For example, if my project was an outdoor construction, then preparing a waterproof secured shelter for my building materials will be a step to minimize me loses from an unexpected rainy weather.
Risk Strategies
The Risk profile created for prior project should be well kept and updated as a good risk strategy and to be one step ahead of what might go wrong. There are few things to keep in mind, such as; the nature of the event, when it happened, its complexity, who was responsible, and how it was eradicated.
End Point
Appling the knowledge about risk management that I found in this chapter to my project, I find it a good risk reducing method to be working in an environment perfect for applying my finding and final product. In addition, and because of the nature of my work, I can put together a reasonable risk profile learning from my colleagues that had walked this path before and learn from their mistakes.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Risk management
Risk management is a method to bring the uncertainties that the project may endure under control on regular basis. In addition Risk management allows the project manager to create an approach to eradicate the negative effects that the project may suffer because of that. Risk management has several advantages when implemented by the project team systematically. One of these advantages is that it reduces the frequency of unexpected problem where the team is caught unprepared.
Risk profile
As the uncertainties that may hinder the success of a project are several so are the possible solutions to them. However, a shroud project manager can learn some good lessons from prior experiences. A practical way of organizing this in a systematical way is to have a Risk profile. A Risk profile is a list of questions that address traditional areas of uncertainty on projects (The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, Verzuh, Eric). A number of questions refined and collected from previous similar situations that the project manager found himself and the project in. These items should be relevant to the industry as well as the specific organization. They should address the final product and the management risk, and also, it should predict the scale of the risks to a certain point.
Reducing Risk
The most practical approach to risk reducing is by deciding first of all to whether I as a project manager have control over that situation or not. If I do, then I need to find a solution to it or contacting the right authority to make a rolling. However, if that risk is something I have no control over it, and then I will try my best to be ready to minimize its negative effects on the project. For example, if my project was an outdoor construction, then preparing a waterproof secured shelter for my building materials will be a step to minimize me loses from an unexpected rainy weather.
Risk Strategies
The Risk profile created for prior project should be well kept and updated as a good risk strategy and to be one step ahead of what might go wrong. There are few things to keep in mind, such as; the nature of the event, when it happened, its complexity, who was responsible, and how it was eradicated.
End Point
Appling the knowledge about risk management that I found in this chapter to my project, I find it a good risk reducing method to be working in an environment perfect for applying my finding and final product. In addition, and because of the nature of my work, I can put together a reasonable risk profile learning from my colleagues that had walked this path before and learn from their mistakes.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Defining the Project / Making the Rules
Defining the Project / Making the Rules
Chapter four
Introduction:
Responsibilities of a project manager are several, however the most important one is to make sure that the stakeholders as well as the team members understand exactly what the project is all about, what the final product will look like and what will the success of that specific project mean. As different as each project is from the next one, so are the stakeholders, the team members, the expectations, and the final product. Even though the same people might be involved in a number of projects, yet the work plan and the final product will be different. This understanding by the project manager guarantees success to the project.
Project rules are the foundation: The foundation of any project is the five rules for the success of any project. Understanding these rules can make the difference between success and failure of any project. These rules are: agreement on goals, a clear work plan, dependable communications, scope control, and upper management support. Every step the team takes, regardless of size, depends on these rules. As a matter of fact the success of any project is measured by whether the expectations of the stakeholders were met or not.
Statement of work (SOW):
Statement of work (SOW) is basically an instrument that documents the responsibilities, actions, and expectations of a relationship. Whether it is called statement of work or charter or something else that the organization prefers to use, is not as important as its content. It is the content of it that will establish mutual understanding and clear expectations among the stakeholders.
Responsibility matrix:
Responsibility matrix is a document that explains the responsibility of each team member in any given project clearly and in details. It is similar to the statement of work (SOW) mentioned earlier. Its significance comes from being the matrix that holds otherwise different groups of professionals together for the purpose of completing a mutually beneficial project to all organizations involved.
End point:
The successful project manager should start the project with a strong foundation. A foundation built upon the five rules for the success mentioned earlier. It also is an excellent opportunity for him to establish authority as the director of the project team.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter four
Introduction:
Responsibilities of a project manager are several, however the most important one is to make sure that the stakeholders as well as the team members understand exactly what the project is all about, what the final product will look like and what will the success of that specific project mean. As different as each project is from the next one, so are the stakeholders, the team members, the expectations, and the final product. Even though the same people might be involved in a number of projects, yet the work plan and the final product will be different. This understanding by the project manager guarantees success to the project.
Project rules are the foundation: The foundation of any project is the five rules for the success of any project. Understanding these rules can make the difference between success and failure of any project. These rules are: agreement on goals, a clear work plan, dependable communications, scope control, and upper management support. Every step the team takes, regardless of size, depends on these rules. As a matter of fact the success of any project is measured by whether the expectations of the stakeholders were met or not.
Statement of work (SOW):
Statement of work (SOW) is basically an instrument that documents the responsibilities, actions, and expectations of a relationship. Whether it is called statement of work or charter or something else that the organization prefers to use, is not as important as its content. It is the content of it that will establish mutual understanding and clear expectations among the stakeholders.
Responsibility matrix:
Responsibility matrix is a document that explains the responsibility of each team member in any given project clearly and in details. It is similar to the statement of work (SOW) mentioned earlier. Its significance comes from being the matrix that holds otherwise different groups of professionals together for the purpose of completing a mutually beneficial project to all organizations involved.
End point:
The successful project manager should start the project with a strong foundation. A foundation built upon the five rules for the success mentioned earlier. It also is an excellent opportunity for him to establish authority as the director of the project team.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Defining the Project / Project Stakeholders
Defining the Project
2B Project Stakeholders
Chapter three
Many concerns should be taken into consideration when planning a project. First of all the right questions should be asked. Questions like who is in charge of the whole? Are the responsibilities defined and assigned? What is the best way of communication among the project team members? On answering these questions the team will be on its way to generate the rules of the working plan. These rules will define the project and set the foundation for the planning and control stages of the project. When viewing any project from far, it will seem to us that the technology is doing all the work, however, the real shakers and movers are the team members behind the initial planning. These are called the stakeholders. The Dictionary.com website defines a stakeholder as a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry. The first step a project manager should do is to identify these people.
Stakeholder roles: Project team
Every single team member in the project has an assigned responsibility to perform specific to their role in the work plan. In my project for example, there are the team member that will shoot the pictures, the team member that will design a PowerPoint presentation for the project, and the member who will be doing the research. Every task is broken down to the basic skills. Every member is clear on his or her role and what to be expected from them.
Stakeholder roles: Management
The working relation between the project team members and the management should be on to of the priority list of the project manager. The management being the functional management that has a say in the outcome of the project, such as the executive and the first level managers. In my case, it will be the DLI administration.
Stakeholder roles: Sponsor
The sponsor’s position is significant to the communication between the project manger and the decision makers that are interested in the outcome of the project. The sponsor might provide advice, or influence the priorities of the project or delivery. A good sponsor realizes that he or she is sponsoring a project manager and his team and not the project. His job is to help the project manager to be successful. In addition, the sponsor may review and approve the statement of work (SOW), assist in developing a responsibility matrix, issuing a project charter, and approve the project plan among other things.
Stakeholder roles: customer
The reason for any project to exist is the existence of a beneficiary that is willing to pay for it and use it. The final say in the work plan for any project is the customer’s. Identifying the customer for certain project is no always that easy. For instant in my project, it is hard to clearly define the customer. The end user that will be using my program is not the party that will dictate the rules for the program. Although the program is designed to benefit the Arabic language learner, yet the party that set the standards is DLI. That’s why it is hard sometimes to differentiate between the authority on the project and the beneficiary.
End point:
To guarantee the success of any project, it is important to all the stakeholders have to reach an understanding and agree on the working plan and the goals of the project even before the work in the project starts. Then comes the crucial role of the project manager to coordinate all the team members and see the project from the beginning to the end.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2B Project Stakeholders
Chapter three
Many concerns should be taken into consideration when planning a project. First of all the right questions should be asked. Questions like who is in charge of the whole? Are the responsibilities defined and assigned? What is the best way of communication among the project team members? On answering these questions the team will be on its way to generate the rules of the working plan. These rules will define the project and set the foundation for the planning and control stages of the project. When viewing any project from far, it will seem to us that the technology is doing all the work, however, the real shakers and movers are the team members behind the initial planning. These are called the stakeholders. The Dictionary.com website defines a stakeholder as a person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry. The first step a project manager should do is to identify these people.
Stakeholder roles: Project team
Every single team member in the project has an assigned responsibility to perform specific to their role in the work plan. In my project for example, there are the team member that will shoot the pictures, the team member that will design a PowerPoint presentation for the project, and the member who will be doing the research. Every task is broken down to the basic skills. Every member is clear on his or her role and what to be expected from them.
Stakeholder roles: Management
The working relation between the project team members and the management should be on to of the priority list of the project manager. The management being the functional management that has a say in the outcome of the project, such as the executive and the first level managers. In my case, it will be the DLI administration.
Stakeholder roles: Sponsor
The sponsor’s position is significant to the communication between the project manger and the decision makers that are interested in the outcome of the project. The sponsor might provide advice, or influence the priorities of the project or delivery. A good sponsor realizes that he or she is sponsoring a project manager and his team and not the project. His job is to help the project manager to be successful. In addition, the sponsor may review and approve the statement of work (SOW), assist in developing a responsibility matrix, issuing a project charter, and approve the project plan among other things.
Stakeholder roles: customer
The reason for any project to exist is the existence of a beneficiary that is willing to pay for it and use it. The final say in the work plan for any project is the customer’s. Identifying the customer for certain project is no always that easy. For instant in my project, it is hard to clearly define the customer. The end user that will be using my program is not the party that will dictate the rules for the program. Although the program is designed to benefit the Arabic language learner, yet the party that set the standards is DLI. That’s why it is hard sometimes to differentiate between the authority on the project and the beneficiary.
End point:
To guarantee the success of any project, it is important to all the stakeholders have to reach an understanding and agree on the working plan and the goals of the project even before the work in the project starts. Then comes the crucial role of the project manager to coordinate all the team members and see the project from the beginning to the end.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Project Environment
The Project Environment
Chapter Two
In chapter one we learned about the rapid change that our world in going through. This change is lead by the new products and services introduced to consumers. What facilitate this change are the numerous projects that are lead by competent project managers. However, every project is but a one time process that ends with the achievement of objectives set forth by consumers. Once the mission is accomplished and the product is completed and the service is taking shape, there is another process that needs to take place to put the newly produced item into the hands of the user to meet the need that it was created for. This process is an ongoing series of steps that is called ongoing operations. By examining these two individual processes, we realize that although they are so related and both eventually produce the same item, yet they are completely different and require different managerial skills and posses different challenges.
Some of guidelines that caught my eye and do apply to my MIST project could be summarized in the followings:
Definition of Ongoing Operations:
Ongoing operations have some characteristics that are different from projects like it is a repeated process and has no end. A good example will be In-N-Out restaurants. Once the hamburgers are designed and the prototype produced the project is over, but the daily service of millions of hamburger lovers to provide them with their favored meals is a repeated and never ending process.
The ongoing operation will apply to my project directly. Once my project/module is designed and the material provided, it will be a repeated process of offering Arabic language learners the same information and evaluating their comprehension at the end of the class. The project/module by design is flexible enough to accommodate upgrades from time to time.
The definition of success:
For every production there has to be some factors that will bring success to the project. These factors could be the components that the final recipe is in need for to achieve its objectives and allow the process to end exactly where the client had it envisioned first. Some of these factors are in the followings:
Timely completion:
It is usual to have some projects finishing later than anticipated or delivery dates changed from time to time, but that luxury could not be afforded in some projects. There are those projects that if not delivered on certain date, it would be useless. A good example for that would be building shelters for natural disasters victims. Or rescue operation projects that are designed to be implemented over certain period of time while the victims are still alive.
Budget and quality:
Finally, completing a project within proposed budget with high quality product are significant factors that contribute to the success of any project. Although my project has no budget to take into consideration, nevertheless, the high quality end product is essential to the success of the program. Where the main objective is to raise the proficiency level for Arabic language learners, one level higher on the ILR standards.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter Two
In chapter one we learned about the rapid change that our world in going through. This change is lead by the new products and services introduced to consumers. What facilitate this change are the numerous projects that are lead by competent project managers. However, every project is but a one time process that ends with the achievement of objectives set forth by consumers. Once the mission is accomplished and the product is completed and the service is taking shape, there is another process that needs to take place to put the newly produced item into the hands of the user to meet the need that it was created for. This process is an ongoing series of steps that is called ongoing operations. By examining these two individual processes, we realize that although they are so related and both eventually produce the same item, yet they are completely different and require different managerial skills and posses different challenges.
Some of guidelines that caught my eye and do apply to my MIST project could be summarized in the followings:
Definition of Ongoing Operations:
Ongoing operations have some characteristics that are different from projects like it is a repeated process and has no end. A good example will be In-N-Out restaurants. Once the hamburgers are designed and the prototype produced the project is over, but the daily service of millions of hamburger lovers to provide them with their favored meals is a repeated and never ending process.
The ongoing operation will apply to my project directly. Once my project/module is designed and the material provided, it will be a repeated process of offering Arabic language learners the same information and evaluating their comprehension at the end of the class. The project/module by design is flexible enough to accommodate upgrades from time to time.
The definition of success:
For every production there has to be some factors that will bring success to the project. These factors could be the components that the final recipe is in need for to achieve its objectives and allow the process to end exactly where the client had it envisioned first. Some of these factors are in the followings:
Timely completion:
It is usual to have some projects finishing later than anticipated or delivery dates changed from time to time, but that luxury could not be afforded in some projects. There are those projects that if not delivered on certain date, it would be useless. A good example for that would be building shelters for natural disasters victims. Or rescue operation projects that are designed to be implemented over certain period of time while the victims are still alive.
Budget and quality:
Finally, completing a project within proposed budget with high quality product are significant factors that contribute to the success of any project. Although my project has no budget to take into consideration, nevertheless, the high quality end product is essential to the success of the program. Where the main objective is to raise the proficiency level for Arabic language learners, one level higher on the ILR standards.
Reference:
- Verzuh, Erick (2005). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management. 2nd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Project Management in a Changing World
Project management in a changing world
Chapter one
It is intriguing that we are living in an ever-changing world today. Yet it is the increasing pace of this change that cannot be denied is changing everything we do and the way we do it. Starting from the smallest tasks to the largest projects.
Project managers are creating the new global change in everything around us today although project management is not a new concept to our world. When Michael Angelo took on the challenge of completing his Pieta, he went through all the difficulties that a project manager experiences today whether it is miscommunication among the members of the project team or between the suppliers and the builders or even in the availability of funds. Nonetheless, he was contracted by some of the most influential men of that era. Still, it was not until the last century that project management emerged as a discipline. According to the Project Managers Association, its membership rose from about 8,000 in 1990 to over 100,000 members in 2004. It was in the late 1990s when project management as a discipline broke into the corporate world after branching out of government and defense industries. It is now another valuable skill that knows no boundaries nationally and globally.
- New critical career skill
Project managers are everywhere. Everyone who is performing a task of designing and producing an item or an idea is a project manager. It is like when Crispy Cream designed its famous glazed donut. That was a project that the CC team took upon themselves to see to the end and meet the already set objectives although the production line that became a familiar sight in their stores is defined as ongoing operations.
- Understanding project management
Every team member who is involved in a project is important and plays a vital role in achieving the established goals. Their role becomes more significant when they understand the basics of project management and realize the importance of the part they perform in the team.
- Magnifying other strengths
Project management is essential to the success of any project. However, it becomes more valuable when combined with efficiency improving discipline.
- Success factors
Certain elements should be present in any planning to make it successful. Factors such as; mutual understanding between team members, clear path, defined responsibilities, and, most important of them all is having an open line of communication.
All this combined is renewing our world everyday and making our lives easier and easier with every new piece of technology added to our arsenal of inventions. Now, technology age is measured in days and months and not in years anymore.
Implementing what I’ve learned from reviewing all the information included in the above reflection is most certainly going to shape up my objectives even better. I will be using the time frame for my project more efficiently. Communicating with my development and evaluation teams will take a different trend now that I have learned the significance of open communication channels. Also, the importance of a clear and well defined schedule of responsibilities, and the role of every team member.
Chapter one
It is intriguing that we are living in an ever-changing world today. Yet it is the increasing pace of this change that cannot be denied is changing everything we do and the way we do it. Starting from the smallest tasks to the largest projects.
Project managers are creating the new global change in everything around us today although project management is not a new concept to our world. When Michael Angelo took on the challenge of completing his Pieta, he went through all the difficulties that a project manager experiences today whether it is miscommunication among the members of the project team or between the suppliers and the builders or even in the availability of funds. Nonetheless, he was contracted by some of the most influential men of that era. Still, it was not until the last century that project management emerged as a discipline. According to the Project Managers Association, its membership rose from about 8,000 in 1990 to over 100,000 members in 2004. It was in the late 1990s when project management as a discipline broke into the corporate world after branching out of government and defense industries. It is now another valuable skill that knows no boundaries nationally and globally.
- New critical career skill
Project managers are everywhere. Everyone who is performing a task of designing and producing an item or an idea is a project manager. It is like when Crispy Cream designed its famous glazed donut. That was a project that the CC team took upon themselves to see to the end and meet the already set objectives although the production line that became a familiar sight in their stores is defined as ongoing operations.
- Understanding project management
Every team member who is involved in a project is important and plays a vital role in achieving the established goals. Their role becomes more significant when they understand the basics of project management and realize the importance of the part they perform in the team.
- Magnifying other strengths
Project management is essential to the success of any project. However, it becomes more valuable when combined with efficiency improving discipline.
- Success factors
Certain elements should be present in any planning to make it successful. Factors such as; mutual understanding between team members, clear path, defined responsibilities, and, most important of them all is having an open line of communication.
All this combined is renewing our world everyday and making our lives easier and easier with every new piece of technology added to our arsenal of inventions. Now, technology age is measured in days and months and not in years anymore.
Implementing what I’ve learned from reviewing all the information included in the above reflection is most certainly going to shape up my objectives even better. I will be using the time frame for my project more efficiently. Communicating with my development and evaluation teams will take a different trend now that I have learned the significance of open communication channels. Also, the importance of a clear and well defined schedule of responsibilities, and the role of every team member.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Why I chose Introduction to Project Management
As I was reading through the “15 Immutable Laws of Project Management Laws” article, I couldn’t help but wondering about the reason to why it is almost true that no project is ever completed on time, within budget and to do what is suppose to do?
I've been doing several managerial tasks through my last 12 years as a teacher, yet I never had formal training in the subject. Now it is my opportunity to explore the subject and learn from the experts. I’m looking forward to working with Dr Tao whom I got familiar with his teaching philosophy during the last three semesters of MIST program.
I've been doing several managerial tasks through my last 12 years as a teacher, yet I never had formal training in the subject. Now it is my opportunity to explore the subject and learn from the experts. I’m looking forward to working with Dr Tao whom I got familiar with his teaching philosophy during the last three semesters of MIST program.
This is me ...
I'm a teacher with over 12 years of public schools teaching experience in several subjects with my three California State Teaching Credentials. The two permanent credentials and one life time credentials gave me a unique opportunity to teach almost all levels from K-12 all the way to college in addition to several occupational schools and institutes. It was quite an experience to be able to work with students in all learning levels and intellect. This certainly enriched my teaching experience.
I’m also working on my masters in Science Technology through the MIST program from California State University at Monterey Bay. I will be graduating in July yet my commencement is tomorrow.
I’m also working on my masters in Science Technology through the MIST program from California State University at Monterey Bay. I will be graduating in July yet my commencement is tomorrow.
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