tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51500217777240501342024-03-12T20:33:44.371-07:00Gazza's CornerTips on project management, leadership and technical stuff.Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-36902462200042440292015-09-05T20:13:00.000-07:002015-09-06T02:28:10.077-07:00Can't wait to finish your project? Don't skip these essential steps!<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I hate sanding. </b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No, I take that back. I really <i>dislike </i>sanding, but I hate the <i>thought </i>of sanding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have done a lot of woodworking projects over the years, from building a few simple things of my own design, to refinishing nice pieces of old furniture. They were all DIY projects, and I must say that I like the finished product, or at least the <i>anticipation </i>of it, which is why I ended up starting all of those projects in the first place.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZwkdQVh914/VeuQSBOoUpI/AAAAAAAACN0/JuJJ5eCsFDU/s1600/Fotolia_48222550_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZwkdQVh914/VeuQSBOoUpI/AAAAAAAACN0/JuJJ5eCsFDU/s400/Fotolia_48222550_XS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, I will first say that I <i>did </i>finish all of those projects, but I readily admit that there were times in each project where I felt like, oh, I don't know, maybe<i> taking a few shortcuts</i>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because I <i>really, really hate </i>sanding.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I enjoy stripping back old furniture as layer after layer of old paint or darkened varnish slowly peels back to show the fine grain lines of the wood beneath. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I even put up with the occasional chemical burn if a bit of the stripper got past my gloves or brushed my arm. Of course, work stopped and I washed it off pretty quickly, but I was always keen to return and finish stripping the piece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I take a lot of pride in my work - corners should be square, there should be no bumps, rough bits or holes in the wood, and the finished surface should feel perfectly smooth to the touch. You have to strip off <i>all </i>of the old finish, or it will become immediately obvious when you put new varnish on the old furniture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, where I struggle the most, and feel the most temptation to take a few shortcuts, or even do a half-ways job of it - is when it comes to <b><i>sanding</i></b>. You know, rubbing with those bits of paper with sand glued onto them, scraping off the rough bits of wood, removing the last bits of the previous finish, and making everything smooth and uniform, ready for the next stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sanding is <i>messy</i>, the dust goes everywhere - and it can take a long time to do as you go through finer and finer grades of sandpaper. 80 grit - then 120 - then 150 - then 220 and sometimes finer depending what you are doing. You have to clean the surface between sanding rounds as well - so each time you start with a better and better surface, and don't immediately gunk up the finer sandpaper with old dust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you are in the middle of it, it can seem like everything else before this stage went really quickly in comparison.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Especially if you hate sanding.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The problem is that </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">sanding is possibly the <i>most important</i> <i>part </i>of finishing the project, and is often neglected or done poorly.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The paint will cover it</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How many times have you heard someone say, "Oh don't worry too much, the paint will hide the flaws."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have heard that lie plenty in my life - and that is what it is - a straight-out <b><i>lie</i></b>. I think it was started by someone who, like me, really hated sanding, and just wanted to get on with finishing the job.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because, let's face facts - when you have been working hard and are most of the way there and there are only a couple (painful, annoying or difficult) things remaining between where you are now and the finished product, it is very, very tempting to try and finish up those bits in the middle really quickly, maybe skip some of them, or just ignore them completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because, as that infamous person said, "The paint will cover it."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Sure - that nail head will disappear when you paint."</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Nah, that chip will just blend in."</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Don't worry about removing all of the old finish." </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Nobody will notice those small holes."</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Lies</b></i>, all of them. Well, they might actually be true when the lights are all off and you are sitting in the dark on the other side of the room - but that may be the only exception. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The truth is that the paint or varnish hides <i>nothing </i>- it actually highlights every single flaw you left behind. At some point of the day, in the changing light, you will be able to find every one of those flaws. And if you are like me, they will bug you - and be a constant reminder of a job not done to your best standard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other truth is that old, tired paint on old, battered furniture kind of fits together - sure it looks terrible, but what do you expect of an old piece of furniture? However, as soon as you put fresh paint on it, your <i>expectations </i>increase - and your eyes catch even more flaws than you did before. So if you did nothing more than repaint the wood piece, it actually will look <i>worse </i>than before, because it looks like you didn't care about doing the job properly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which is why - as much as I hate sanding,<i> I know that I need to do it</i>. Not only that, I need to do a <i>really good job of it</i>, or it will show - <i>always </i>- in the finished product.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9uChG5oA56M/VeuQpZnjhVI/AAAAAAAACN8/xgLSrT6d6Go/s1600/Fotolia_48222562_XS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9uChG5oA56M/VeuQpZnjhVI/AAAAAAAACN8/xgLSrT6d6Go/s400/Fotolia_48222562_XS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Surface Preparation - The foundation for success</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On DIY projects, sanding is a key aspect of <i>surface preparation</i>. Proper preparation of the surface helps to ensure that your finishing coat, be it paint or varnish, will adhere properly and last a long time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, you also have to get the 'bones' right - if you are building something new, corners should be square, you should use quality materials, and use your best craftsmanship when you put it all together. If you are refinishing something old, you need to make any required repairs and prepare the surface before you apply any new sealant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But lest we get too focused on DIY, it is important to note that this same principle applies to your work projects as well, no matter your industry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">True Grit </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Every </b></i>project has its own elements of '<i>surface preparation' </i>that make the difference between a successful project and one you may be embarrassed about (i.e. a failure). These are the things that help make things 'stick', and allow you to successfully embed the changes delivered by your project into the organization so they last.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just like you need to work through the various grades of sandpaper from coarse to fine, you need to engage in key project activities in a certain order as well. If you don't, you can end up working too hard (starting with too fine a grit will take longer to get the job done, and use a lot more sandpaper), or destroying what work you have already done (using a coarse grit after a fine one will introduce deep scratches). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Note that this is not 'gold-plating', which involves extra, wasted effort on minor details - I am talking about <i>essential things</i> that make a material difference to project outcomes. There are three things that are commonly neglected to varying degees (particularly on failed projects).</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mKvqA0dyhCA/VeuPQ5SdMxI/AAAAAAAACNs/JmTXDXNUIZs/s1600/Sandpaper-message.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mKvqA0dyhCA/VeuPQ5SdMxI/AAAAAAAACNs/JmTXDXNUIZs/s400/Sandpaper-message.png" width="283" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stakeholder Engagement [Starting Grit: 80 / Finishing Grit 320]</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On every good project, your
stakeholders should be involved right from the start. The problem is, on
some projects that is also when the engagement stops. "Tell us what you
want, and we'll deliver it to you sometime in the next year or so." Then, at the appointed time (often several months late), you handover the completed project outcomes to the stakeholders. "Ta-da!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are significant problems with that approach, aside from the fact you probably delivered something that did not quite match their expectations, because you did not keep in touch. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stakeholder engagement starts out like coarse grit sandpaper - it is the foundation you need to build upon to set the project up for success. It is important to start this early - there is no point in trying to engage your stakeholders at the end of the project, if you have mostly neglected them up until now. If you maintain open communication with your stakeholders, you will be keeping them engaged, as well as having them there to support you in making decisions when conditions change. If you have consistent, positive engagement with your stakeholders, you will smoothly progress through the 'grit' stages, from coarse to finer and super-fine, so that by the end of your project, your project outcomes are well received and delivered with a silky-smooth finish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, should you fail to keep your stakeholders in the loop, you will revert straight back to 80-grit when things get tough. If you have not kept them close and up to speed, bringing them in for key decisions (or </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">during a crisis) can set you back to square one, with coarse <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">scratches all over your project (not to mention your reputation).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It won't necessarily take that much time out of your week to keep your stakeholders involved and aware of what is going on, but the cost of neglecting to do so can be high. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Change Management [Starting Grit: 120 / Finishing Grit 320]</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Change management is important to any project involving people - and the last time I checked, people request projects be done, and the outcomes are for people. Granted, some project deliverables may be mass-market products for the nameless masses, but even then there are aspects of change management that need to be considered. Are you retooling a production line? Who needs to be trained on how to manufacture the new product? Will you be getting questions from customers about the new product or its benefits?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Most projects have some level of impact on your organization, or that of your customers, particularly if you are improving processes or changing how things are done if you introduce a new system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This area can be a bit of a challenge - as we don't always how how things are going to change, exactly, when the project starts. However, you need to plan and prepare from an early stage of your project, developing and updating your communication plan and other tools as you learn more about the potential, specific impacts of your project, as well as continuing to learn more about your affected stakeholders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you start early and keep smoothing off the rough edges as you go, you will usually end up with satisfied stakeholders, happy customers, and site references for your next big job. (You may also end up with a nice polished wood desk to put your feet up on).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you try to introduce "change management" near the end of your project (if at all), it will be a lot rougher on the stakeholders and project team alike. Nobody likes surprises, or being advised of changes last minute - particularly when they affect people's jobs or how they work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It would be like pulling out a sheet of 120 grit and messing up the fine work you have done so far...but if you really botch it up, it could be far, far worse...think 80 grit, or perhaps even a metal rasp gouging chunks out of your fine piece of crafted wood.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc5wf5Wcp7w/VeugPkcNHOI/AAAAAAAACOM/dQSHv2Uigh4/s1600/Fotolia_79821645_XS-flat.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc5wf5Wcp7w/VeugPkcNHOI/AAAAAAAACOM/dQSHv2Uigh4/s400/Fotolia_79821645_XS-flat.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc5wf5Wcp7w/VeugPkcNHOI/AAAAAAAACOM/dQSHv2Uigh4/s1600/Fotolia_79821645_XS-flat.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Training [Starting Grit 220 / Finishing Grit 320]</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some people may say that training is part of change management, and that is true - there are many facets to managing change. However, I have separated it out here because some people may think that all you need to do when you deliver the project is train people at the end, hand things over, and you are finished.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While training of your average users will occur near the end of the project, preparation for that training needs to start well before then. You can't train people too early, or they will forget, and you will then need to retrain them. Train them at the right time - which will be close to the end of your project, generally - about when you would expect to be moving on from 150 grit to 220 grit, and then finishing up on a polished note with 320 grit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, if you neglect to prepare for and deliver appropriate training, or do half a job of it, it will be like someone stole your toolbox and you won't be able to finish off the job properly. You might get stuck with a 150 grit surface, with all of that shiny varnish showing up every fine scratch and flaw.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Go With The Grain</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you are working with wood, you soon learn how important it is to sand "with" the grain - moving parallel to the lines in the wood. When you do this, the scratches of the successive finer and finer grit papers finally blend into the features of the wood, resulting in a 'polished finish'. However, if you sand <i>across the grain </i>- even with a relatively fine sandpaper, the scratches become very noticeable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes, people would just like to get through the project as quickly as possible so they can just "get it done". This is even more likely to happen when you are running behind schedule.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If your project has been going on for a long time, or has had many high-intensity periods, people get tired. They may be worn-out and are less likely to focus on details, or may want to skimp on the work left to be done. They may see these <i>extra </i>tasks on the project plan as unimportant, because they cannot see how they will make a difference in the big picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But make a difference they do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It takes <b>true grit</b> - <i>persistence </i>and <i>commitment </i>-
to make sure that your team does not take shortcuts or omit any key steps
because of time or cost pressure - or simply because people are getting
tired. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If they side-step the process, it can be just like dragging a sheet of sandpaper sideways across the grain, leaving tell-tale scratches. And just like sanding wood, if you take shortcuts like that to get off the board, it can end up taking even more effort to correct the problem and get the desired finish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stay with the grain, do all of that "other" important work, like maintaining your stakeholder relationships, developing a good change management plan, and doing a decent job of training affected people. The results will be worth it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I still hate sanding - but I know that I have to do it properly as part of the final <i>surface preparation</i> - or it will show through and regularly remind me that I could have done a better job. Sometimes, the flaw is so visible or annoying that I need to repair it right away, and varnish is the most unforgiving substance on the planet. (Which is, frankly, a horrible job, as it requires stripping back to the bare wood and doing it all properly again...but some projects are like that).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On your projects, due care and attention to detail is important from start to finish - and make sure not to let the rough bits get through. Give the same level of committed effort to '<i>surface preparation' </i>as the rest of your project, and this will help ensure that things go smoothly so you can finish your project and hand it over with pride.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck on your projects, and remember to keep some sandpaper handy to deal with the rough patches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: <a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank">Gary Nelson, PMP </a></span> </span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-67716546164789319652014-11-07T23:47:00.001-08:002015-06-30T01:57:21.676-07:00Why we should choose to have less choice<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/11/049-why-should-we-choose-to-have-less.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everyone likes to have <b>choice</b>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No, that's not quite correct. These days people <i>demand </i>choice, especially in the arena of consumer goods and services. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <i>more </i>choice the better, it would seem - or at least the manufacturers would have you think so, as you try to pick out a new cell phone from the hundreds of similar models available on any given day. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pT0ljNU0ONA/VF3AUX9TQUI/AAAAAAAAB_k/nK2TYf1FFA4/s1600/Choice%2BFotolia_43362365_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pT0ljNU0ONA/VF3AUX9TQUI/AAAAAAAAB_k/nK2TYf1FFA4/s1600/Choice%2BFotolia_43362365_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fotolia_43362365_XS</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But the truth is we don't handle choice all that well. Choice means <i>change </i>and <i>uncertainty </i>- and offering too much choice can literally stop you in your tracks - or make you leave the shop dazed and confused, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">without buying anything</span>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's look at another example - a common product consumed by millions every day, to which many seem utterly addicted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, I am talking about <b>coffee</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up until the late 1970's / early 1980's in North America, there was just <i>coffee</i>. Plain old coffee with a few, limited choices - filtered, or percolated. You could add milk (homogenized, 2% or skim), full cream, or just black - and a few lumps of sweetener if you preferred (sugar, honey, or artificial sweetener).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Somehow, people managed to get by - for hundreds of years - with simple coffee choices. However, if you think about it, there was actually a lot of choice to work with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 brewing styles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5 liquid mix type options </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 sweetener type options</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">= (2 x 5 x 3) = 30 basic combinations to satisfy your caffeine cravings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, of course it was not really that simple. You also needed to consider <i>quantities </i>- large, medium or small coffee, how much milk, and don't forget whitener powders - and how many spoons or sachets of sweetener. Oh, and don't forget the different types of coffee beans, and a few flavored coffee beans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Suddenly, you could easily have 300-400 different combinations that somehow need to be filtered through before you finally get your cup of coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's enough to make you quite anxious - so you'd better have a coffee to settle those nerves. <i>Agh!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, we all managed pretty well with that level of caffeine choice. Because once you had tried a few variants, you generally found one you liked, and most people stuck with that. Suddenly, there was no more "choice" when you ordered coffee - you selected your preferred combination, and all would be well until they ran out of one of your ingredients, and you had to make do with 2% instead of full cream. For many, it was an unsettling event, because they had to make a <i>new </i>choice, and <i>choice </i>meant <i>change</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Getting that old cup of coffee was pretty quick too - someone usually had a pot on a warming plate, and a waitress would come and 'warm up your cup', then you carried on your conversation while sipping your plain, old fashioned cheap cup of coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because plain and cheap it was - and frankly, pretty horrible compared to much of today's coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thank goodness for the widespread adoption of expresso-based coffee - it definitely changed our lives. But aside from the huge increase in price and upward trend in quality, was it really for the better?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Better Cup</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today, the pace of change has us rushing around trying to do more things with less (and less time) than we have ever experienced before. We are expected to produce our outputs faster - and so in turn, we expect those who serve us to be faster too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That might be fine except for one big problem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the same time that more demands are being placed on everyone, everyone also wants to have more <b>choice </b>while they are at it. We want it all, in seventeen color options, twelve sizes to choose from - and we want it to be the best quality, the cheapest price and we want it delivered this afternoon, between 3:45 and 4:05pm (otherwise the delivery will be free, it says so on the sign).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or at least, we think we want that much choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Think back to your projects for a minute.</b></i> Are you more successful in getting a change request approved when you provide the project sponsor twenty-seven different options and costs - or when you offer them only two or three options to choose from?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It must be twenty-seven options, right? Because we all want as much choice as possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Wrong!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your sponsor does not want to work that hard - they simply don't have the time to review all of the combinations, because they have other priorities and projects to attend to. So they leave the meeting in disgust, confused about all of the options, and uncertain about your ability to lead the project. Not a great outcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So what do you do? You sift through those twenty seven options, rationalize them at the project team level, apply some stringent criteria, a dash of <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2014/11/a-practical-case-study-in-cost-benefit.html" target="_blank">cost-benefit analysis</a>, and you manage to whittle the list of potential options down to two or three (but no more than four). Better yet, as you reduced the set of options, you also spent more time discussing and documenting the various costs, benefits, risks and other factors that apply to each option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the next time you meet with the project sponsor (giving them ample reading time ahead of the meeting), you sit down with them, discuss the smaller set of options, and the pros and cons of each. The sponsor quickly makes a decision, and signs off the request. They leave the meeting ten minutes early with a smile, because that's just enough time to get a nice coffee from the cafe on the corner before their next meeting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More choices cause <i>anxiety</i>, <i>stress </i>and <i>uncertainty </i>- because most people simply can't handle a large number of options very well at all. We want it <i>simple</i>, and we want the decision to be <i>easy</i>.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drive-Thru</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not only does too much choice cause anxiety and stress, it also wastes a lot of <i>time</i>. Think of all the time you stood staring at the shelf when you were shopping for an item that had a lot of choices available. You would take one box off the shelf, stare at it, read the details, then pick a similar looking box off the shelf. You would study that one, hesitate, put one of them back, then pick an other. Thirty or forty minutes later, you have only managed to move a few steps along the aisle, and are no closer to making a decision. Twenty-three more options left to consider.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>"But wait</i>," you say -<i> "The more choice there is, the longer it takes to consider the options. That's just straight math. And you don't want to make a bad choice!"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well true, but how do you know if you will actually make the best choice anyway? Plus, standing there for so long just makes a person thirsty. Time for another coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Years ago I was in Houston, heading off to the customer office with three colleagues. It was a bit of a ritual to stop and get a good expresso coffee on the way to a customer site; especially as the coffee was covered under your daily meal expense limit. Otherwise it was too expensive to have every day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were running a few minutes behind, but the driver pulled into the drive-through lane of a popular expresso coffee chain anyway, driven to have that quality caffeine fix. The line of vehicles moved very slowly, which made us more and more anxious as we realized we were going to be late - the question now was by how much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"They are so sloooow," one colleague complained.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"It would have been faster to go in," commented another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"What's taking so long?" asked the driver, banging one hand on the steering wheel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, we got up to the window, and I realized the nature of the problem as my colleagues placed their orders.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Grande Trim Half-Caf Mochachino, two sugars and a twist of lemon."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Vente Caramel machiatto, triple shot, full foam, with the caramel swirl on the top."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Vente triple shot americano, whipped cream on top and three sugars on the side."</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then it was my turn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Vente. Hazelnut. Latte" I quickly rattled off, then turned to my colleagues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"You know, the reason the line takes so long is because coffee orders like yours are so complicated. It's your fault!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They were not impressed, but I had learned something important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes <i>too much choice</i> can be a <i>bad </i>thing. This is especially true when the customer is upset you are late, and even more so because you wasted that extra time getting your <i>fancy </i>coffee. As the meeting starts, they sit glaring at you, sipping the filtered office coffee they had made especially for you. Not the best way to start the first day of meetings with a new customer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Simple Choice</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A year later, I was in Memphis working for another end client. My colleagues who had been working there for a while took me out for dinner and to see the sights. We wandered into the famous <a href="http://www.peabodymemphis.com/" target="_blank">Peabody Hotel</a>, which is well known for its house ducks who live on the roof. Every day they are escorted down the elevator, then waddle out onto the red carpet and over to the fountain in the lobby. They spend a good portion of the day paddling about in the fountain, and then in the late afternoon, they hop out of the fountain, and follow the bellman back into the elevator, and back up to their other home on the roof. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I never managed to be there at the right time to see the ducks, but I loved hearing the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we exited the lobby, we crossed the street and began walking down a poorly lit alley. I had worked with these people for several years, so I was not overly concerned, but something did not feel right walking down an alley in Memphis in the evening. Memphis was known at the time to have some violent neighborhoods, and I didn't know enough to tell if we were going into one. So I held back, just a bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But my colleagues walked on, motioning me past the second dumpster, and down a brick stairwell. We entered a very crowded BBQ restaurant called the <a href="http://www.hogsfly.com/" target="_blank">Rendezvous</a>, and politely made our way through the crowd to the hostess desk. Within a few minutes, we were escorted on a winding trail through the restaurant, then seated at a large table. The place was packed full, with barely enough room to pull the chairs back from the table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As soon as we were seated, a brusque older waiter pushed between the tables and put a loaf of cut white bread on the plastic red-and-white checkered table cloth. He pulled out a pen and a pad of paper from his apron pocket, and sized up the table.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Sweet or unsweet?" he asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He was talking about iced tea. Each person quickly replied with their selection. Someone tried to order a Coke and he just glared at them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Um, sweet, I guess," they stammered. He nodded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then he pointed his pen at each person around the table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"You'll have one pound of ribs. You- big guy, pound and a half at least. You - one pound. You - two pounds. You - one pound," and so on as he worked around the table.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Wet or dry?" he asked, pointing his pen at me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"What?" I asked, not knowing what he meant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The colleague to my left whispered "BBQ Sauce on your ribs, or dry rubbed spices. Choose dry."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Um, Dry please," I said, then the others made their selection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He nodded, and tucked the pen back into his apron. "Be out with the corn bread shortly."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And that was it. A full meal ordered - and we only made two small choices each. The rest were made <i>for </i>us - and we were not even <i>allowed </i>to choose a different type of drink. At first, I was a bit annoyed - but as dinner arrived and I worked my way through the best rack of ribs I have ever had in my life, I decided it didn't matter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just like the scenario with the sponsor of your project, sometimes having <i>limited choice</i> is the best thing for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Choice is a double-edged sword. If you have too few options, you won't be confident that you are choosing the right thing - you may feel you are missing something important. But too many choices can quickly deadlock your thinking process, as you get bogged down in confusing and often conflicting details.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The key is to reduce the dizzying number of options down to a manageable few - as soon as it is practical to do so. A shop keeper who provides too many options risks losing sales, just as a shop with only one or two options for an item might lose out to a competitor with a couple more product choices. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In many situations, simplifying the options comes down to <b>trust</b>. When you research a larger group of potential options and reduce those down to a manageable number for your sponsor to review, they should be confident that you have done your research, and have discarded many of the less appealing or impractical options in a sensible fashion. As you present the clear pros and cons of the remaining options, it makes their decision-making that much easier, and their trust and respect for you will likely grow as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, if you did not do a good job of providing a reasonable (defensible) set of final options for your sponsor to consider, they may not trust your judgement the next time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In day to day life, we really don't need that many choices. What is the big difference between all those different cellphone models, anyway? Will you use all of those features? Probably not. Just pick the blue one and be done with it - you will save at least an hour you could be spending eating ribs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or maybe you just want to sit down, unwind and have your vente half-caf machiatto with a caramel swirl on top.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hey, not <i>all </i>choice is bad!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our waiter in the Rendezvous was actually quite famous - the "grumpy waiter" was well known in the city, and I was glad to have been served by him. He passed away a few years later - a loss to the city, but I am sure the ribs are still just as good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, and if you ever make it to Memphis, make sure to go to the Rendezvous restaurant.<i> </i>I recommend <i>sweet </i>and <i>dry </i>- and that may be the only choice you need to make!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Email: <a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank">Gary Nelson, PMP </a> </span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-76153389035031781032014-11-02T01:21:00.000-07:002014-11-15T01:33:45.271-08:00A Practical Case Study in Cost-Benefit Analysis - did you want Popcorn with that?
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/11/048-practical-case-study-in-cost.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cost-Benefit Analysis</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>A process by which you weigh expected costs against expected benefits to determine the best (or most profitable) course of action.<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/cost-benefit-analysis">http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/cost-benefit-analysis</a></span></i><br /><br />A few years ago I was at a customer site in Independence, Missouri. It is a classic American town, sitting on the eastern edge of Kansas City. One of the advantages of working for a company with a wide-spread customer base was that I had the opportunity to visit a lot of different places. <br /><br />When money has been spent to get you there, you had better make the most of it - so you maximize the hours you spend with the customer. However, when the working day is done there is an opportunity for personal benefit and exploration as well. So wherever I went, I made sure to learn about the local history and try to see a few attractions.<br /><br />It's all about maximizing the <i>value </i>for the <i>cost </i>- which is the primary basis for <i><b>cost-benefit analysis</b></i>. In this case, the personal cost was not financial, but in time away from family - so it was worth my while to see the sights that I could in the time that I had. Especially when somebody else had already paid to get me there.<br /><br />With a population of 119,000 Independence is more like a small city, but they have preserved their identity and character despite the closeness to their larger next door neighbor, Kansas City (pop 467,000). It's just what you might expect from a town called <i>Independence</i>.<br /><br />Although I was only there for a few days, I made the most of my visit and thoroughly enjoyed having a look around the place while I was there. Few attractions were open after working hours, but I did manage to fit in a tour of the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/hstr/index.htm" target="_blank">Harry S. Truman national historic site</a> before it closed for the day. It was a nice southern-style building - not huge, not opulent - but it was a good, solid building with nice architectural features.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ8DZWtvlvA/VEsSpG-sxPI/AAAAAAAAB-E/IiLTN2vZ4vc/s1600/HarrySTrumanSite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ8DZWtvlvA/VEsSpG-sxPI/AAAAAAAAB-E/IiLTN2vZ4vc/s1600/HarrySTrumanSite.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: Wikipedia (cc) Nationalparks</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In fact, it was his family home. We were only allowed to tour the downstairs, as Bess Truman wrote into her will that in order to protect her family's privacy, the second floor was to remain closed until the death of her daughter, Margaret. Though Margaret died in 2008, the second floor has remained closed in order to better preserve the home.<br /><br />For a President who took America from its traditional isolationism into the age of international involvement, it was a sign of his firm connection with his roots that he and his family lived in this same comfortable house since his marriage in 1919 until his wife Bess died in 1982. Having visited a number of other presidential national historic sites, this was the one that I liked the most. Unlike the imposing columns and the expansive property of Mount Vernon, this felt like somewhere a <i>real </i>person lived - not someone larger than life.<br /><br />The next evening, I finished work too late to see any other historic sites, so I decided to see a movie. At least, that was the plan.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd like a ticket, please</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Someone at the office had recommended a theatre that was a short drive away in Overland Park. There were closer theatres, and it was about a half hour drive, but they said it would be worth it.<br /><br />So off I went, picking up a sub sandwich on the way. I still had it in the bag when I arrived at the theatre - I wanted to make sure I would be there early enough to get a ticket and the movie was starting in an hour. The way the person at the office had talked it up, I was a bit concerned about a full house.<br /><br />I parked, locked the car and walked up toward the ticket window of the <a href="https://local.yahoo.com/info-17916338-rio-theater-overland-park-overland-park" target="_blank">Rio Theatre</a>. It was a building with an art-deco style facade, with plenty of neon lights wrapping around the sign board showing the name of the movie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUtD8mQkkwk/VEtTi6nNeII/AAAAAAAAB-U/TSr0WiDFWVA/s1600/Rio%2BFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUtD8mQkkwk/VEtTi6nNeII/AAAAAAAAB-U/TSr0WiDFWVA/s1600/Rio%2BFront.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image source: local.yahoo.com </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I reached the ticket window, a young man smiled at me through the glass.<br /><br />"Can I help you?"<br /><br />"I'd like to but a ticket for the 7:00 movie, please."<br /><br />"That'll be eight dollars."<br /><br />I opened my wallet and handed him a twenty. He passed back a ticket and twelve dollars in change.<br /><br />I was tucking the change into my wallet when he said "Um, we need three more."<br /><br />"What?" I asked, looking at first at my wallet, then back at him.<br /><br />"We need three more people before we can open the door."<br /><br />I looked to the side and saw eight people waiting in their cars. The parking lot was otherwise empty. "Why?"<br /><br />The young man sighed. "We need at least twelve people or it costs more in electricity to run the projector than we take in ticket sales."<br /><br />"Huh," I said.<br /><br />"If we don't get enough, we will refund you," he half-smiled. "Don't go far."<br /><br />"Okay..." I said, as I turned and walked back towards my car. I looked at the other people sitting in their cars. A couple glanced in my direction.<br /><br />I went back to my car and unwrapped my dinner. As I ate, I watched the ticket window. About fifteen minutes later I was finishing up my sub as four more people arrived. They seemed to study the playbills off to the side of the ticket window for a long time. <br /><br />Come on, come on, I thought, checking my watch.<br /><br />Finally, they walked up to the ticket window. Money was exchanged, tickets were handed over and five car doors opened.<br /><br />The art deco theme continued inside. I bought some refreshments and went inside the theatre itself and took a seat near the back. It was well appointed, with hidden lighting along the walls. There was open floor space along the sides, and I sat in a spacious dark brushed velvet seat as I took in the art-deco framed rich velvet curtains at the front. It wasn't over-done, and you could easily imagine people dressed to the nines coming in for an evening's entertainment of moving pictures. I looked all around the theatre while the lights were still on, taking it all in.<br /><br />I was almost disappointed when the lights dimmed for the movie.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VNz1Eb4_99o/VEtUdakwNrI/AAAAAAAAB-k/SXqmzQGmkMU/s1600/Rio%2BScreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VNz1Eb4_99o/VEtUdakwNrI/AAAAAAAAB-k/SXqmzQGmkMU/s1600/Rio%2BScreen.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image source: local.yahoo.com</span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />An hour and a half or so later the movie finished and the lights came back on. The movie itself was OK, but being able to experience the obvious care and attention to detail in this beautiful art-deco style fine arts cinema was, to me, more than worth the price of admission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is it worth it?</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On your projects, there will be many decisions to make that incorporate cost-benefit analysis. From the initial decision to start your project (or not), through scoping, requirements analysis, stage gates and all of the many change requests that may arise, opportunity assessments and risk response decisions, there will always be some level of cost-benefit analysis.<br /><br />You also apply it regularly in your own life - for example, when you walk by an <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/06/developing-exceptional-requirements.html" target="_blank">ice cream store</a>, you may pause to consider whether to go in. <br /><br /><i>Is a sweet, creamy cold dessert worth parting with a few dollars? </i><br /><br />Of course! So you go in and look at the board above the counter. <br /><br /><i>What flavor to choose? </i><br /><br />Well, there are so many good ones - why not have more than one? Suddenly you have two cost-benefit decisions to make, all at once. If you buy two or three scoops, you get more taste variety for your tongue, and sure the cost is a bit more - but are those extra calories really worth it? <br /><br /><i>Maybe I should just get two scoops, not three. </i><br /><br />So you wrestle with the options, and settle on two scoops. You can't have just one scoop, you reason - it would be lonely (or any other weak justification for having that second scoop). But you feel better (or less guilty) about not having the <i>third </i>scoop, even though you had enough change left over to get it.<br /><br />In your projects, just as in life, there will be trade-offs, compromises, and value judgments. Some may require formal business cases with explicit hard expected benefits and deliverables for the estimated cost. Many more decisions will be less formal, in the day to day decision making of the project manager. But it is rarely going to be black and white.<br /><br />In addition to any financial benefits from your project, you also need to consider other factors such as:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will this give you a lead in the market?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will this provide an enhanced customer experience?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will this improve safety?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will the benefits outweigh possible risks?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will it give us an ongoing return? What will it be?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will this save money on the project, or in operations?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will it keep the stakeholders happy? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do we even want to do it? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and so on.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Often, you will be considering the expertise and opinions of others when you do your cost-benefit analysis. This may be in the form of your best friend being a sounding board about that third scoop - or you may be presenting a case to your Project Board, who will make the final decision based on the best available information for significant decisions.<br /><br />But when it comes down to it, in your projects and in life, when you factor in the various considerations, diagnoses, opinions, research and the myriad options that can feed into a decision - the basic question is simply "<i><b>is it worth it?</b></i>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The truth is that we don't always know what the right decision will be, even when we make it with the best available knowledge. The theatre had their own baseline cost-benefit decision they had to make at every showing of a movie. On most nights it would not even come into play - but on a quiet Wednesday night, that is the scenario I came across.<br /><br />They had a hard-cost factor to consider. The electricity cost to run the projector for a movie was around $100, or so the young man at the ticket booth claimed. They needed 12 tickets to be sold to be close to covering that cost; it was their baseline threshold and without that many seats sold, there would be no movie. <br /><br />For me, the cost-benefit formula was a bit different. When I first arrived at the ticket booth, I had just been planning to see a current movie, at a reasonable price. My colleague had talked up the theatre, so I was willing to drive thirty minutes to go to the Rio, rather than the one five minutes away from my hotel. By the time I got there, it would not have been worth driving back to a different theatre. So I waited, uncertain if I would be able to see the movie and getting slightly annoyed. But it was still was worth waiting, rather than giving up and heading back to the hotel.<br /><br />It had never occurred to me that there also might be something special inside the theatre. The person at the office had said it was a nice theatre, but had not gone into specifics. Had I known what I would see inside (forget about the movie for a minute), I may have been prepared to make a different decision.<br /><br />Looking back at it, and considering how far I had come to see this one-screen theatre (half an hour plus several thousand miles from home), the likelihood that I may never come to this area again, and what I would experience inside the theatre, I would have been prepared to make a different cost-benefit decision up-front.<br /><br />I would have been happy to pay for <i>two </i>or even <i>three </i>tickets, just to make sure the movie ran - and so I could have that opportunity to experience the art deco interior.<br /><br />On the other hand, I am not sure it would have been worth buying up a <i>fourth </i>ticket. It was a very nice theatre - but $24 to see it would probably have been my limit. Also, as they only took cash, that was a limiting factor as well - I needed some money left over for popcorn and a drink.<br /><br />Decor is nice to look at, but a movie without popcorn is just not the same.<br /><br />Good luck with your projects, and if you ever get to Kansas City, make sure to go to the <a href="https://local.yahoo.com/info-17916338-rio-theater-overland-park-overland-park" target="_blank">Rio Theatre in Overland Park</a>. It will be well worth it - even if you need to buy an extra ticket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Email: <a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank">Gary Nelson, PMP </a> </span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-19635968159218238782014-10-24T01:37:00.000-07:002014-11-15T00:37:24.097-08:00Why we all need a little Project FIRST AID<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/11/047-why-we-all-need-little-project.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast]</a></i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently attended an Outdoor First Aid course at Camp Waingaro, which is an old scout hall nestled in 19 hectares of New Zealand bush. Quite a long way from anywhere - or at least it felt like it when I found that I could no longer get a cellphone signal. It was a beautiful site, surrounded on three sides by a creek that wound its way down the valley.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I initially thought it would be something of a refresher course, as I had attended first aid courses before, but in many respects this was an entirely new experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Granted, the last in-depth First Aid course I took was over 30 years ago - but as it turned out I had remembered most of the basic concepts I needed to know over all of that time. The first day of the course was a lot of theory - with some practical exercises using CPR dummies, various bandages, how to deal with choking and so on. Of course, some practices and techniques have changed over the years - in fact, some first aid practices seem to change every few years as they learn more and best practices change.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On occasion, I have had to use my first aid skills in the past - beyond the basics of blisters, small cuts, splinters and burns. One was a full-out mountain rescue involving a victim 200 feet (61m) down a steep slope, his near-vertical evacuation and the treatment for scrapes, lacerations and embedded gravel. Years after that, I had to deal with a victim who had become engulfed in flame. It was a long drive to hospital as we worked to cool and protect his burns. Fortunately, both victims fully recovered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As it had been a long time since my initial training, I was nervous when I first arrived at the course, but I grew progressively more confident throughout the day as we covered familiar topics. However, things changed when we got into the practical outdoor scenarios the next morning. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.projectkidsadventures.com/tuthp" target="_blank"><img alt="www.projectkidsadventures.com/tuthp" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-da9w8wBow0k/VEVbFBmVF4I/AAAAAAAAB9s/pVty_9dZYvs/s1600/Chapter%2B11_colour_web.png" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(c) 2012 Mathew Frauenstein</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it all hit the fan,</span> I felt like I knew almost nothing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not all practice is the same</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fairness, I had retained most of the basic first aid knowledge I had learned. How to splint, how to bandage, how to check for shock - and the dozens of other key things you need to be able to do when you come across an injured person. I am reasonably confident that if someone came up to me with a moderate injury, I would be able to do an acceptable first-aid treatment on it - hey, I had done it before, a number of times. All good, right? <i>Bring on the scenarios!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />It was not quite so easy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scenarios were setup for us on the fly - and even though the accident makeup was pretty basic, the situations themselves were common ones - and so by their nature, disturbingly believable. We all took turns playing the role of victim and rescuer/first aider. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If that had been all there was to it, it would have been relatively simple - in theory, anyway.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But - as we all learn sooner or later - theory falls down flat when you hit the practical stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Note</b>: It is very
hard to remain "unconscious" while you are getting numerous bug bites,
lying face down in the gravel. However, if I had moved, I would have
spoiled the scenario - and affected their treatment response. Ouch!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our scenarios did not involve <i>one </i>victim or even <i>two</i>. The first scenario involved <i>four</i> victims with various injuries, and two bystanders who caused more problems - with one quickly becoming another victim. Pretty messy - and the dozen would-be first aiders frankly botched the overall situation pretty badly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to regroup, and go back into class for a lessons learned session. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not just "First Aid" </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What we were beginning to learn was not just the first aid skills for helping a victim - but the <i>management</i> <i>and coordination of a team </i>while in an emergency situation. We were practicing trying to keep things together until higher-level medical help could arrive. That, or evacuate to a safe point; in the bush you could be a long way from help - hours or sometimes days depending on the conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What occurred to me as I was driving home from the course and scratching my bug bites was that many of the same skills we were required to exhibit under pressure were the same ones we use on projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, when you get right down to the bare bones of it, every one of those scenarios had the characteristics of a <i><b>project</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each scenario had:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Requirements (Scope) </b>- "Help the injured victims, and do what we can to keep them safe and alive." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Time </b>- There was not a lot of
it, as we had to stabilize the patients quickly. We needed to get them to help as
soon as possible- which in reality could also involve a lot of waiting.
Time will run fast - and slow - while you are waiting for help to come.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Uniqueness</b>- every scenario was unique, and outcomes were unpredictable. Victims had been advised to change their reactions throughout the 20-30 minute scenarios, depending what the first-aiders did to treat them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Planning </b>- We had
to constantly plan and re-plan on how we were going to deal with each
victim, how to manage the rest of the group, what to do if we had to
wait for hours or days for help, and so on. No gantt charts, but it was
planning just the same.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Scope Creep</b> - for
example, in the shape of a rapidly rising creek or river, where everyone
suddenly needed to be moved to higher ground. Conditions do change, so you need
to be able respond. <i>For once, no formal Change Requests needed to be signed off by the Project Board!</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Stakeholders </b>- The victims, the other members of the group and witnesses (who all may be distressed and either interfere, help or become another victim), and Emergency Services (who were hopefully on the way soon after being contacted).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Assessment of skills</b>/</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Task Assignments</b></span> - Who is the best person for the job? Don't use your best first-aider as a runner, and if someone vomits at the sight of blood, get them to help the one with the sprained ankle instead of the amputee.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Leadership </b>- A key element of handling any situation - and as we found out in our first couple scenarios - if you are missing this, the whole situation can fall apart fast.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Prioritization (triage) </b>- Who was injured the most badly? Who needed help the quickest - the one gushing blood, the one with a sprained ankle, the one who chopped off his arm, or the one with a head injury? At first glance it may seem obvious, but you also need to take a second look (a secondary survey) to make sure you didn't miss something serious. Re-prioritization may often be required.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Communication </b>- With the patient, with each other, with the leader, with emergency services. Regular updates were required throughout the scenario, between the first aiders and to all the stakeholders. <br /><br />Note<i>:</i> The <i>lack </i>of communication in the scenarios was just as important - today we live in such a connected world it it hard to imagine not being able to make a cell phone call. However, the geography of the camp and the lack of cell signal was a visible reminder that you need to be prepared to communicate in other ways - and that you will probably need to send the fastest runners to go for help.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cost </b>and <b>Resources </b>- We had limited supplies and people to help, and the the primary currency for cost was in saving lives - though you won't always be able to save them all.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Execution </b>of the plan (not the patient). </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition, we had to deal with: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Stakeholder engagement </b>- If there are people milling around not helping (or getting in the way), get them <i>involved </i>with something they can do to help - or <i>keep them out of the way</i>. Keep them occupied and in a safe area away from the emergency scene - so they don't become (or create) another victim.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Coaching/Positive encouragement</b>
- Everyone responds better with a clear head and a sense of optimism - both the patients and the first aiders. "Hey buddy, we saved your arm
and are keeping it cool so they can try to sew it back on later" or
"That splinter's not too big, we'll get that cleaned up." <br /><br />The situation
might also require you to <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2014/03/is-your-project-team-like-light-switch.html" target="_blank">bolster the spirits of your team</a> - First Aid is hard, draining work. If they wear out and get discouraged, the patients will be at risk - and so will your team.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So yes, in a very real sense, we were dealing with <i><b>projects</b></i>. Certainly not Waterfall (though you might have someone fall over one), and not exactly Agile - but high-urgency, unplanned, emergency projects where conditions can and do change from minute to minute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a thought-provoking weekend, and </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I took a way a few essential lessons that you can apply to any project. A</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ll it takes is a little FIRST AID.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">F.I.R.S.T. A.I.D.</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Every project needs a little First Aid - and you might argue that some projects need it more than others. So let's open up our kits and begin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[F]ind out what the problem is</b> - and if there is <i>more than one </i>problem. You may be able to clearly see the challenges in front of you, but what about the guy behind the tree with an axe in his leg? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On your projects, this is all about determining the scope / requirements - what it is we are trying to do, what are our goals, what are the pain points and problems the project is intended to solve. Do you have a clear handle on what you need to do? Better check the bushes to make sure you didn't miss something important. In other words, you need to <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/06/developing-exceptional-requirements.html" target="_blank">validate your requirements</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[I]dentify who is the best leader for the situation</b>, and who can take charge of each case or patient. This might not be pre-determined, as your regular "<a href="http://gazzaconsulting.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/leadership-ten-attributes-of-effective.html" target="_blank">leader</a>" may be incapacitated or unavailable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On your project, <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/08/leadership-on-developing-teams-are-you.html" target="_blank">leadership roles can and do change</a>. Sure - you are the Project Manager, but you need other people to take on different leadership roles as well - each of your team leads focused on different deliverables, for example. Besides, I am sure you will want to take a vacation some time, or might be down with the flu. In those situations you will need to have a second-in-command to keep things running while you are away.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[R]ecognize your limitations</b>. You can't solve every problem or fix every situation, at least not on your own. You need the skills of a <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2013/10/have-you-exploited-your-project-team.html" target="_blank">competent team</a> around you, and you need to share the load.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When administering CPR they recommend you take turns every 200 compressions - that is a change-over every <i>two minutes</i>! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>"Pah! That's not very long - I can do it longer!"</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Warning - </b>If you 'tough it out' and stick to it for 10 minutes, it will take you 20 minutes to recover. If you swap every two minutes, it will take you only two minutes to recover. If you only have two rescuers including yourself, two-minute stints can keep the patient alive for a long time. With only the two of you taking ten minute stints, in twenty minutes you will both be <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2013/07/too-high-too-fast-project-asphyxiation.html" target="_blank"><span id="goog_817498279"></span>exhausted</a> <span id="goog_817498280"></span>- and your patient will be at a greater risk of dying because you over-did it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/10/from-playground-to-olympics-what-not-to.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Don't be a 'hero'</i></b></a> - let others help, and you will collectively avoid burnout. You may even save a life - or your project.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[S]tabilize the situation</b>,any which way you can. If your project is running off the rails, it is essential that you regroup, assess the situation and <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/07/lather-rinse-repeat-why-we-need-to-re.html" target="_blank">re-plan</a>. When you identify what the current burning issues are, you have a better chance of dealing with them. Letting things run along un-checked is definitely not acceptable - and the best way to get back into some semblance of control is to gather your team together to tackle it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In an emergency situation, it is not only the patients you need to stabilize - it is the whole situation and all the people in it. If you have other [healthy] people you are responsible for (children or adults), it is important to make sure that they are care for - and most importantly, keep them out of trouble. Boredom can kill - sometimes literally.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[T]ake a deep breath</b>. One or two, or maybe count to ten. Taking a moment to pause and reflect will reduce stress in any situation. Smell the roses, take a short breather when things get overwhelming on your projects. You will find that things are not necessarily as bad as you think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Tip:</b> Those deep breaths are good, but not too many too close together. (In other words, don't hyperventilate - or you may need some First Aid yourself!)</i> </span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[A]ssign tasks to others</b>. Unless your project is very, very small, you will have a team of people to work on your project. It may be big or small, but it is essential that you delegate and assign responsibility for various project tasks to be completed. You can't do it all on your own, and it is a delusion to think that only you can do it the best.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In an emergency situation, it is critical to have an assigned 'patient leader' for each patient, even if more than on person is required to assist. The patient leader will be helping the patient but also keeping track of vitals and other information about the patient, ready to pass that on to the situation leader, so they can communicate with emergency services and get you any additional items or help you may need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have a complex scenario with multiple locations, you need to extend that a level further, and add a site leader who is keeping up to date on the status of all of the victims in a specific area. They then report back to the main situation leader on a regular basis. Sounds a lot like a project team, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The key is to be very specific in the assignments, so there is no uncertainty around what you have asked them to do - and by when.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[I]nspire confidence</b> in your team and stakeholders. If you are supposed to be in charge but look like you are falling apart (or don't know what you are doing), you won't be doing anyone any good. Fumbling with a bandage and dropping it in the dirt in front of a bleeding victim may not give them much confidence in your ability to keep them alive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Confidence </i>is good - but it requires careful balance. If you act over-confident a lot of the time, it can come across as arrogance. Conversely, a person who is a fumbling, quivering mess is not well-suited for the leadership requirements of that role.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Note:</b> We are all human - and in some non-emergency situations not being afraid to show your weaknesses can actually develop a stronger team. That is why you build up a team after all; each person has different skills and strengths, and the combination makes a stronger whole. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have the <i><a href="http://gazzaconsulting.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/leadership-ten-attributes-of-effective.html" target="_blank">strength</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://gazzaconsulting.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/leadership-ten-attributes-of-effective.html" target="_blank">confidence</a> </i>to share some of your weaknesses - and show you respect the corresponding strengths in your team members - you can go a long way together.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>[D]o your best.</b> If you can't remember what was on page 57 of the "what you should do" manual, use your common sense, best judgement and make some stuff up to get you through.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time, we were all so
busy trying to do the right things right that we didn't have time to
think about anything other than making it through each scenario with
(hopefully) "live" patients at the end. We made lots of mistakes - so I
am glad we were not actually dealing with real victims. But that is what
practice is for - to learn what to do before you need to use your new skills in earnest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The point is to be as <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2013/02/do-you-have-enough-rope-lesson-in-being.html" target="_blank">prepared</a> as you can, and keep on trying. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The outdoor first-aid scenarios that followed were increasingly complex, but we began to work a little better together as a team as the day went on. It was also obvious that we were a long way from being experts, and we could all use a whole lot more practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The 'textbook' over-confidence from the classroom was long gone, and the reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. You don't know what you know until you actually try to do it, and hopefully you will learn from your mistakes and move on with more confidence in your abilities as you practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Probably the most important lesson, however, was that of <i>recognizing your limitations</i> - none of us were as good at responding as we thought we would be, and we all had a lot more to learn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The same can be said of our projects - just as you have 'practicing Doctors', we should really consider ourselves 'practicing Project Managers'. We will never be perfect, but with practice we can all hope to improve and apply those lessons learned on the next project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, practice those skills, and keep your First Aid kit handy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span>
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-34335328750244193582014-08-15T03:28:00.001-07:002014-08-17T02:57:51.800-07:00Guest Post: How To Plan A Project - My Light-bulb Moment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By Bryan Barrow</i></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At some point in your life you will have had what people describe as a “light-bulb</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">” moment. That point where darkness is suddenly replaced with blinding illumination and where everything is revealed, removing doubt, providing insights and boosting belief.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is another way of thinking of the light-bulb moment that is familiar to anyone who has seen an ”A-List” celebrity walk down along a red carpet. It’s the popping of not one, but hundreds of flashes all going off within seconds of each other as the paparazzi lean in to take that perfect shot that they rely on to earn a living, and, if they are lucky, make a fortune for years to come. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The effect is so dazzling that it can cause a physical response even for those who were not there at the time. Watch the new coverage of a scene like this and you will often be warned beforehand that the video contains flashing lights. However, the true impact of the light-bulb moment comes when the scene illuminated by the flashbulb is frozen forever in that blinding light, every detail lit up and perfectly exposed so that future generations can see through the photographer’s eyes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can’t say that I have ever had been photographed by the paparazzi. At least not to my knowledge. But I can tell you that I have felt the physical sensation of dozens of light-bulbs going off all at once, leaving me feeling dizzy with delight and boosting my belief that, without a doubt I had found a solution to a long-term problem. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Picture the scene: A hotel conference room set out cabaret style, with 20 large round tables set some way away from the main stage. Around one of those tables there were ten people, drawn from different parts of the project management community. I was one of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were there for a workshop on facilitating project kickoff workshops. The company that I was working with had recognised that too many projects were starting off without a clear plan of action and wanted to ensure that all project in future had a kick-off meeting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phil, the workshop leader, had started to talk about a couple of approaches to planning as a team. I waited for the inevitable mention of planning using sticky notes. I wasn't wrong, but I was disappointed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d long since lost faith in planning using sticky notes. I knew that it had its fans, but it also came with several major drawbacks including lack of consistency, an over-reliance on subject matter experts and a tendency to overlook the planning for quality assurance and good governance. In my view it was good, but not good enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My own preference was for a product-based planning approach. At that time I had had some success in using a RACI matrix to drive the planning of new projects as this overcome some of the shortcomings of planning with sticky notes. However using the RACI matrix didn’t deal with one key problem; that of having to rely on subject matter experts. It also added a new problem; that of having to hold multiple workshops or reviews to get through the long list of possible products in order to agree those needed for a given project. In today’s fast-moving working environment the idea of having several workshops was a no-no, even though developing through iteration was the ideal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was only really half-listening when Phil moved on from the discussion about planning with sticky notes to talk about another method for collaborative planning, this time using Index Cards. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phil took us over to a table with about 30-40 index cards of different colours, folded in half and set out in neat rows, like tents in a field. Phil described the approach as an alternative to putting notes on the wall and left it at that. However it set off a whole series of thoughts, insights and ideas that were a physical shock. This was my light-bulb moment. Not the “single light going on” type. No, this was the full “riot of flashbulbs popping” variety:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> In one instant I saw how the cards could mirror the freedom and flexibility of sticky notes for capturing ideas directly;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> In the same instant I could see how those same cards could be pre-prepared to minimise the need for writing and to maximise the thinking time in the workshop, making the workshop faster and more productive;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> If we can print the name of the product on one side, we might as well print the product description on the other, making it easy to explain what the work products were, for those who were new to the organisation or to project management;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> I could see how we could make the workshops much more collaborative than RACI workshops in drawing on the different perspectives of the participants, so that we got a much more rounded picture;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> In the same instant I saw how to build in compliance with project and company standards by making some of the cards mandatory for all projects;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> If we can construct the timeline and we have historical effort estimates from previous projects then we can quickly come up with an initial estimate of the overall project duration;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> If we can construct the timeline then we can also start to look at dependencies between teams that might affect the timeline, so that we can manage dependencies between projects, including dependencies on resources;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> If we know which work products are required to achieve the milestones, we can determine straight away which resources are required, so we can create an initial resource list immediately;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash! </b> If we know the costs of the resources, then we can create an initial project budget which will be much more realistic, as it is based on real data. It should create a more accurate expenditure profile as it already incorporates timings, resources and dependencies;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Flash!</b> If we can build in mandatory activities to ensure good governance right at the start then we can reduce the risk of projects going wrong later on.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ideas just kept on coming and my mind lit up as I saw how powerful a process this could become. I scribbled down the formula for how to plan a project exactly as I saw it take shape in my mind: it was something simple, collaborative and easy to replicate time and time again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s the image that was burned into my brain, the formula for planning workshops that I still use to this day:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Step One:</b> Clarify the Goal. Spend the first hour of the workshop on defining the goal, clarifying the scope and understanding what success means, for the business and for the team. This clarity is essential. If you don’t have the right goal you will aim for the wrong target. If you don’t have the right reason for attaining the goal you won’t be motivated to pursue it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Step Two: </b>Introduce the planning exercise. Explain how the Index Card Planning exercise will work. Make it clear to the participants that they are responsible for planning the project and that your role is to facilitate. Set the expectation for the outcome of the workshop but leave it to the participants to drive the development of the schedule. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Step Three:</b> Construct the High Level Milestone Plan. Having clarified the goal and its importance to the business, divide the project into suitable workstreams and, for each workstream, define the milestones that could be used to signify success on the route to the goal. Let the participants describe the milestones in their own language because it will help them to take ownership of the plan. Once the team have identified the key milestones, walk through the results and get agreement. Take pictures of the result so that you can review them later.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Step Four: </b>Construct the Detailed Plan. With the high level milestones identified, select the Work Products that are needed to achieve each milestone. These Work Products can be pre-printed to eliminate the time ordinarily spent writing. The Work Products can be based on any methodology. Leave it to the participants to select the Work Products, so that they are responsible for planning; let them work as a team to agree on what is needed. Once the Work Products have all been identified, review any that have not been selected and gain agreement that they are not required. Go through the timeline and identify any key dates and dependencies. Again, take pictures so that you have a permanent record of what was produced.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Step Five:</b> Review the results of the workshop. Ensure that mandatory Work Products relating to quality assurance, project governance and risk management have been included; this will ensure that good governance is built in right from the start. Go through the risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, constraints and decisions and see if there are any more to add. Agree the follow up actions; in particular, confirm that you will send out the results of the workshop so that people can add in any final thoughts or comments. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two days later I held my first workshop using the new formula. The outcome was not just a success; it went exactly as I saw it in that first flash of inspiration. I still use that formula today and it still inspires me. It can inspire you too. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TfEMsKPtAk/U5jXnD8t5BI/AAAAAAAAB2s/7MZA5kAwWNA/s1600/Bryan+Barrow.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TfEMsKPtAk/U5jXnD8t5BI/AAAAAAAAB2s/7MZA5kAwWNA/s1600/Bryan+Barrow.png" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(C) Bryan Barrow, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryan Barrow is a widely recognized Project Risk Management consultant and Speaker, and the founder of Nova Consulting Ltd in the UK. Over the past twenty years has worked with Project Management Offices, Project Directors and both public and private sector organisations , helping them to improve project planning and rescue troubled projects. He also provides coaching and mentoring to help develop the skills of the next generation of project leaders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Barrow is the author of <a href="http://indexcardplanning.com/how-to-plan-your-project-using-index-cards.htm" target="_blank"><b>Index Card Planning</b></a> and <b><a href="http://bryanbarrow.com/products" target="_blank">The Project Planning Workshop Handbook</a></b>. He publishes his subscription-only newsletter <b>Project Leadership Tips</b> every month. Subscribe at <a href="http://bryanbarrow.com/">bryanbarrow.com</a></span><br />
<br />Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-77638398653767487272014-08-09T03:21:00.001-07:002014-08-13T03:22:18.663-07:00If only every Project ran like an old Honda Civic<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/08/045-if-only-every-project-ran-like-old.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was in my late teens, I bought my first car. My friends were all doing the same - we all had our licenses and we wanted to put them to good use. Of course, not having a lot of money, we each ended up buying older, cheaper cars. I bought a 1974 Mazda RX4 from a family member, one friend bought an old Chevy Nova, another had an old sports car, and one had bought a 1977 Honda Civic.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of these cars were made near the end of an era- close to the last generation of vehicles you could actually fix yourselves. All of them even had <i>carburetors </i>- no fancy fuel injection, and definitely no computer control systems. My car had only an AM radio, which I updated to AM/FM (but no cassette deck). When these cars were made, most computers filled a small room, and Personal Computers were not yet available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wheels = Freedom </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, we were all very happy to have our own set of wheels, so we took good care of our cars - washed them regularly, learned how to do our own repairs, change the oil and spark plugs, the whole bit. Besides, we couldn't afford to send them in to the shop for anything but the most significant of problems; the rest we did ourselves, brake pads, shocks and all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although we had our own cars, we helped each other and worked like a team. We learned from each other, and each became the "go-to" person for a particular specialty. Brian went into auto mechanics in a big way, eventually extending it into a career that included welding and being able to fix just about anything. He quickly became the expert in everything automotive, and for anything major we all went to him for help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />As you would expect, Brian was the one with the <b>best </b>car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, at the time, we didn't think so. My RX4 was sleek and fast, the Nova was solid and gutsy, and our other friends' cars were sporty. We all kind of felt sorry for our mechanic friend Brian who <i>only </i>had a little red Honda Civic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I mean, a 1977<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> Honda Civic wasn't really a <i>serious </i>car. Sure it was small, and good on fuel - but it wasn't much for show, not really. Not something you would want to take a girl on a date with, compared to any of the other cars we had. It wasn't gutsy, it wasn't fast, it wasn't much more than a tin can on wheels. Four or five people could pick it up and move it (and occasionally we did).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But over the years, Brian proved us just how wrong we were about his car.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We smiled when he put a tow-bar on his Civic.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And yet, Brian spent several summers in a row, tree planting in the mountainous interior of British Columbia. Everywhere he went, he drove his little Honda Civic - up and down steep logging roads, across creek beds - all while towing a home-built tent trailer nearly as big as his car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>When his car broke down every so often,</b> Brian was able to get it up and running again in a matter of minutes - he was never stranded anywhere for long. He kept a toolbox in his car that he refined over time - and he kept that little car humming along, no matter where he went. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>When he had trouble with the ignition key</b>, Brian just bypassed it and installed a push-button to start it, decades ahead of those hybrid cars. It may not have been very secure, but hey - who was going to steal an old Honda Civic?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>When he went to the beach</b>, Brian strapped his wind-surfer on the roof rack, and off he went - often with a car full of people. He could just squeeze in four passengers, all with their seat-belts on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>It even proved itself to be a stunt car</b> - when it end up driving on two wheels after hitting a snowbank on the way back from camp one winter. </span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The car became a legend to us</b> - it was practically invincible. It could go anywhere, pull anything, carry almost anything (including firewood and bags of manure). It was his pickup-truck, his 4X4, his go-anywhere-and-do-everything car, and he loved it to bits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brian finally admitted the car was perhaps close to its limits on one trip as he drove up the Coquihalla - the toll highway with a 20km long</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, continuous steep grade</span> that once disabled my RX4 and killed hundreds of other vehicles. He had his windsurfer strapped on top, the tent trailer fully loaded and hitched on behind - and five people stuffed into the car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The car crawled up the hill at little more than a jogging pace, but it finally made it - all the way up, over and beyond to the campground, then all the way home again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a marvel of engineering - and persistence, of both car and driver. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If only we all had an old Honda Civic on our Projects</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We learned a lot of lessons from that old Honda Civic and our patient friend, aside from the practical car maintenance skills. Practical lessons that we took with us into our lives and various careers - and of course into my projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The legend of that car was spread far and wide, wherever we went - it became our informal mascot, and a symbol for achieving what others might think impossible. We grew together as friends around our cars, and that little car became the most respected of them all. It taught is the value of persistence, and looking beyond the surface to what lay beneath - be it a hunk of metal with tires, or someone you just met.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We could all use something as tenacious, persistent and resilient as that old car on our projects. Whether you use some kind of a mascot as a rallying point, or develop a vibrant common spirit that is instilled throughout the team, every project needs that little something to keep you going when the times get tough. We all sometimes need encouragement to realize you can do it (whatever your goals are), despite the odds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, that old Honda Civic has probably been long recycled by now, and besides there was only the one that Brian had, so it would be hard to share it with all of you. However, I give you your own <b>Honda Civic</b> today, to help you survive your projects - in the form of some practical lessons we learned from it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>(H) ave faith.</b> Even small teams can deliver amazing results, as long as you support and believe in them. Conversely, a team that does not believe in themselves will accomplish little. If your team is lacking in self-confidence, help them build it up through a series of small successes. The Honda Civic tackled each new challenge with caution, but Brian had confidence that they would make it through - and they always did, together. Over the years, that little Honda Civic even went places that heavy 4X4s dared not go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>(O) verlook the small flaws.</b> No car or person is perfect, so don't expect them to be. If you look past the surface imperfections you will see a vast range of possibilities. I am pretty sure Brian looked at his little Civic every morning and saw the heart of a Monster Truck lurking within. You should do the same with your team - look past their quirks and odd habits and you will see their potential.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>(N) ever give up. </b>Brian never did - and as a result, his car never let him down. They had to work together to achieve it, just as your teams do. You can't do much on your own, but together in small groups you can accomplish amazing things - as long as you don't give up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>(D) o the impossible</b>. Everyone else is doing the ordinary, while most of our greatest inventions were simply impossible - until someone made it happen. Projects exist to create change, to make something new or to make things better. Nothing is impossible unless you let it be so. Brian took it as a personal challenge to see just how far he and his little Civic could go - and he regularly amazed us all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>(A) lways look ahead.</b> Sound advice when you are driving of course, but it applies equally to your projects. You won't make any progress rehashing past failures; you need to put the past behind you. Learn from it, certainly - but don't live in the past. You can't navigate while you are watching the rear view mirror. Whenever we got back from a group trip together, Brian was already looking forward to the next one.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>(C) hallenge yourself.</b> Without challenges, we don't grow in capabilities and confidence. Stretch your limits and get outside your comfort zone, and you will be surprised how far you can go. There is no doubt that Brian challenged his car to perform to the extreme limits - and beyond. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>(I) nvest your time. </b>Whether it is a hobby you enjoy, a new skill you are trying to develop, or trying to build up a team, there is no substitute for time spent. There are no true short-cuts in life; what you spend time practicing, you get better at. Brian invested countless hours in the maintenance and upkeep of that car, and from that he developed the skills and self-confidence to do almost anything mechanical. His skills expanded into a career working on all kinds of equipment - even building boats. If you want to build a better team - spend time with them. Spend time working to improve your own leadership skills, whether it is in the form of additional training, working with a coach or mentor, or simply applying what you have learned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>(V) ehicles need people</b> - and so do you<b>.</b> On its own, the Civic was just a lump of old metal on rubber tires, slowly rusting. What made it special was that <i>Brian </i>made it so - his care, attention and dogged expectations that it could do what he wanted it to do is what set that car apart from all the rest. On our own, we are each a lonely individual slowly growing old - it is in our relationships with other people that we truly live. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>(I) mprovise</b>.You won't always have all of the answers, or the right tools at hand. Don't be afraid to step out on a limb and try something new. At one camp, we had walked all the way down the mountain from the tent site to go for a drive into town for some more supplies. Brian found out he had left his keys back in the tent - all the way back up the hill. Not wanting to walk all the way back up and down, he borrowed the keys from another Honda Civic - these happened to open up Brian's hatch-back, but not the side doors or ignition. With the back open and access to his toolbox, he climbed over the seats and quickly bypassed the ignition key with a push-button switch, and we were on our way into town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>(C) ongratulate yourself</b> for finally making it there in the end. Whether it is for making it over the summit of the Coquihalla Highway, finishing your project or accomplishing a goal you set for yourself or your team - take a little time to celebrate. Life is short - enjoy it, and recognize a job well done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We learned many lessons from Brian and his old Civic. Of course, the car was just a car when he bought it - but under Brian's guiding hand, it grew into something much greater. It was a part of our shared experience, and it had more heart and character than all of our fancier vehicles put together. Brian finally let the Civic go, years after he had bought a newer vehicle and the Civic was turning to rust in the yard. But its memory - and legend - lives on in each of us.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vtNvgTxZbw/U-XuGemI96I/AAAAAAAAB6U/6xWkES5KP8A/s1600/1978+Honda+Civic2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vtNvgTxZbw/U-XuGemI96I/AAAAAAAAB6U/6xWkES5KP8A/s1600/1978+Honda+Civic2.png" height="147" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.oldparkedcars.com/2010/10/1978-honda-civic-1200-hatchback-first.html</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck, and may all your projects run as well as that old Honda Civic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span>
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-61996875630182409232014-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:002014-07-08T12:57:03.374-07:00Guest Post: What the World Cup Teaches Us About Project Management<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By Nick Sharpe (P3M)</i></span><br /><br />Whether you like it or not, there has been no escaping this year's World Cup. Despite the disappointment of England's untimely departure, the competition continues to dominate the front and back pages. Whilst he is nursing the pain of the USA's recent exit, P3M's resident Yank and marketing expert Dan ("Editor") has asked me to reflect upon the “lessons learned” from Brazil 2014.<br /><br />Here's a list of 10 shameless analogies to project management from this year's tournament:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMmVr5wudB8/U7xGedt5vRI/AAAAAAAAB44/ZltVw45h8ZM/s1600/Tickets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMmVr5wudB8/U7xGedt5vRI/AAAAAAAAB44/ZltVw45h8ZM/s1600/Tickets.png" height="233" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The ticket to understanding elements of your project management</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">potential may lie in this year's World Cup <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(image courtesy <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/viajor/" target="_blank">Jorge in Brazil</a></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>via @Flickr, re-used with permission. Changes were not made to the image.)</i></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The twelfth man</b> - Whether it's been the sun, the samba or the Selecao, there's no denying that the support for this year's cup has been fantastic. Amid the hype, the USA's coach Jurgen Klinsmann gave a master-class in stakeholder engagement with his <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/world-cup-2014-signed-jurgen-klinsmann-note-urges-american-bosses-to-give-employees-day-off-to-support-us-soccer-team-9564305.html" target="_blank">letter </a>to America's bosses ahead of their game against Germany. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The death of tiki-taka</b> - Methodologies come and go. As Spain's exit shows us, the trick is to have the <a href="http://p3mglobal.com/capability-development/#methodology-development" target="_blank">flexibility to choose an approach that fits the game and gets a result</a>. This serves as a word of warning to those always following the flavour of the month. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>"No tactics without technique"</b> - The English national team have once again failed to make it far on the biggest stage. Over-drilled and under-skilled, Hodgson's men proved that no matter how good the tactics, <a href="http://p3mglobal.com/competence-services/" target="_blank">a team needs a fundamental level of competency</a> before it has the capability to achieve its goals.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Beware! Underdog bites!</b> - In a group of three former world champions, Costa Rica were the lowest risk on the register at the start of the tournament. That hasn't stopped them becoming an issue.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Beware! Striker bites!</b> - What struck me about Suarez' misdemeanour was the public outrage incurred: not by the monster munch itself, but by his silence on the subject, before making an apology. Whether there's an appeal process or not on your project's evaluation, no communication is bad communication in times of crisis.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Home advantage</b> - Brazil may not have been at their scintillating best so far in the tournament, but it comes as no surprise that half of the teams to reach the quarter finals are South American. Familiar working conditions, lofty aims and high expectations have undoubtedly spurred the hosts - and their neighbours - to outperform the rest of the world.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>A game of two halves…and extra time and penalties</b> - The number of games that have gone into extra time this year has probably been more popular with the fans than with the players due to the heat. Overtime has seen the levels of performance drop and the number of mistakes increase as legs tire and concentration is lost.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>"Rome wasn't built in a day, but I wasn't on that particular job…" </b>- What do 'Big Phil' Scolari, Didier Deschamps and van Gaal have in common apart from a team in the quarters? Charisma. The value of strong leadership for team work, conflict resolution, communication and - ultimately - project success, is undoubted and immeasurable in value.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Calamity in Qatar</b> - Whilst Brazil seems to be getting over its teething problems, Sepp and his cronies continue to baffle with their handling of plans for the World Cup in Qatar. If you want an example of how not to do a risk assessment, how not to engage stakeholders, how not to monitor compliance, or how not to run a project: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/qatar-world-cup-mistake-2014-5" target="_blank">look no further!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>On scope, on time and on budget? </b>- Despite its successes, criticisms that will mar the legacy of the Brazilian World Cup have all come from three classic project management perspectives. First, delivering all that entails an international tournament in a country with more pressing socio-economic and political issues was the cause of the widespread riots that threatened to kill the fever of the cup. Second, spray painted turf at Fortaleza <i>(Editor's Note: <a href="http://youtu.be/ivDrMViAdjI?t=2m41s" target="_blank">not to mention rickety structures</a>)</i> was a symptom of widespread under delivery. From the pitches, to the stadiums, to the transport infrastructure, Brazil did not come close to meeting requirements on schedule. Finally, the cost of the World Cup will ultimately be judged against the benefits that the tournament brings to the nation over the next few years. <i>(Editor’s note: Against the backdrop of Rio de Janiero playing host to the next edition of the Summer Olympics, the impact could face even more scrutiny. Given what has transpired in Greece in recent years, the <a href="http://olympics.time.com/2012/07/09/amid-economic-turmoil-some-greeks-look-back-at-2004-olympics-as-losing-proposition/" target="_blank">legacy of hosting the 2004 Summer Olympics</a> is negligible and forgotten, especially in light of losing out on so much economically without the burden of the World Cup hosting gig to boot.)</i> Whether the impact of this World Cup demonstrated value for money in Brazil will be a question that overshadows the tournament's place in history.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ax1aJHBmijo/U7xGdhfdjxI/AAAAAAAAB4w/5KOZKAKlfDA/s1600/NickSharpe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ax1aJHBmijo/U7xGdhfdjxI/AAAAAAAAB4w/5KOZKAKlfDA/s1600/NickSharpe.png" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=101363686&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=tas%3Anick%20sha%2Cidx%3A2-1-2" target="_blank">Nick Sharpe</a> joined <a href="http://p3mglobal.com/" target="_blank">p3m</a> global as a University of Exeter graduate in 2013, working in a consulting capacity to drive improvements in the Project Management methodologies of their clients. Nick has worked with clients in the recruitment, telecoms and energy sectors, and with HR, Business Services and IT departments.<br /></span>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-30691709673774726582014-06-13T00:22:00.001-07:002014-09-30T10:52:31.204-07:00What's the big deal with Team Sports, anyway?<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/07/044-whats-big-deal-with-team-sports.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast</a>]</span></i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was a child, I didn't like sports. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, that's not exactly true - I loved swimming and spent almost every day during my young summers in the water at our local pool, and was part of the swim team. Wrinkly skin, and a persistent smell of chlorine - it was a wonderful way to spend a good part of your summer's day. Besides, when your town had an outdoor pool that was only open for 3-4 months out of the year, you made the most of it. The rest of the year it was either too cold, or just plain closed, as the pool was left drained for 6 months of the year while the temperatures plummeted from freezing down to -40 degrees Celsius in the coldest months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the winter, starting sometime in November, the outdoor ice rinks were getting into full swing. I spent a few winters trying to perfect long, graceful glides around the temporary oval of a Speed Skating rink on our Elementary school field, while my younger brothers were just starting getting into ice hockey at the PeeWee level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think I managed two or three years of Speed Skating before I stopped going, while my brothers went on to play hockey with a passion - and still do today, over thirty years later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My favourite sport fell back to swimming, which I pursued through to Bronze Medallion, and still enjoy today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The key thing about swimming is that it is very much a <b>solo </b>sport, even if you are on a swim team. Separate swim lanes, individual competitors - even when they held "team" races like a relay, you were still the only person in your lane at one time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>I did not enjoy team sports at all</b></i> - not even Hockey, which is close to sacrilege for anyone born in Canada.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One for All and All for ... Someone Else</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I say I didn't <b>enjoy </b>team sports, that is exactly what I meant. Of course, everyone had to try a range of sports in school during PE and I was no exception, but as a general rule, I did not enjoy it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wasn't trying to be difficult, but a combination of poor coordination and being smaller than the sporty kids left me on the sidelines or regularly ridiculed when I tried each sport. Even though I tried to improve my skills through practice, in a small town it was hard to get away from the sporty kids, who were also my ever-present horde of bullies. When there were only 30 kids in your grade level in the town, it was even harder - the kids you played with all tended to be from your class. The result was the sporty kids got better playing after school, while I continued to be sidelined, or ridiculed further at my attempts to improve. Eventually I just gave up trying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Needless to say, those experiences left a sour taste that lasted for years - long after my coordination and abilities caught up with my growing frame and I tried my hand at darts, golf and other skill-based solo sports, and some hoop practice with a basketball. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had come to see most team sports as a place for jocks and the sporty ones - but not for me. I didn't even bother to watch professional games on TV - except for the hockey playoffs when the level of excitement infected even me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The "I" in Team</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is no "I" in team, or so the saying goes. It is all about the <i><b>team</b></i>, not being an individual, blah blah blah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But for me,</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just couldn't see the <i>point </i>of team sports - as far as I could see, it had no value. People running or skating about, whacking balls or pucks around, bashing each other and trying to get an object through - or into - some type of net.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even though I was part of a hockey household with wildly varied dinner times as my younger brothers dashed about to hockey games here, there and everywhere, I just didn't "get it". I could see they had fun - and more than a few trips to the emergency room over the years. Dislocated joints, broken bones, concussions, but I just could not see why they continued to play, year after year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While recovering from a dislocated shoulder, my youngest brother <i>forgot his left hand </i>on the bathroom counter one evening. He had been brushing his teeth, and his left arm was so weak he could not even lift it. He had to step back into the bathroom and pick up his left hand with his right, smiling sheepishly as I passed him on my way in to brush my teeth. Even then, he couldn't wait to get back onto the ice rink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes I thought I must be the only sane person in the room. My brothers had to be nuts to get back out there after each major injury.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just last year (in his forties), the same brother lost the end off of one finger trying to catch a slap shot in his glove. I shook my head when I heard about it, half way around the world. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">hockey team will always be "short-handed" from now on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I came to believe, through observing my brothers and other people over the years, the <b>"I"</b> in Team must be "<b>Insane</b>", where sports was concerned. </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Change of Heart</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have read any of my other articles, you will find that I feel quite strongly about the positive value and virtues of teamwork. So how can I reconcile a dislike of team sports with being a strong supporter of teams today?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, a few things have happened over the years to give me a change of heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The first was in 2001 </b>(at the age of 34), when </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was managing a system implementation project outside a major eastern US city. I was sitting in a bar on a Friday evening with a work colleague, winding down from a long week's work. An American College Football game was playing on the TV behind the bar, which I was busy ignoring as I dipped deep-fried cheese sticks into sour cream and jalapeno jam. My colleague had ordered them to share, and they were fantastic - hot and spicy, but perfectly balanced with the sour cream and some celery. My colleague had also brought us to the bar to watch the football game, as she was a big fan of football, held parties during the SuperBowl, the whole bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She was busy yelling at the TV in between jalapeno cheese bites, encouraging the players or complaining about bad plays. She noticed my comparative dis-interest, and asked if I watched football much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Not really," I said, feeling awkward. She had brought me to watch the game, but aside from knowing the basic rules, I didn't go out of my way to watch it. I had only been to one live football game in my life, and someone else had bought the tickets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She took it as a challenge to help me enjoy the game, so she explained the rules in more detail and commented on each play as the game unfolded on the TV behind the bar. We finished the plate of jalapeno cheese sticks and ordered another. I soon found I was paying more attention to the game than I was to the fried cheese sticks, and they were starting to get cold. I was, for the first time in my life, <i>enjoying </i>watching a football game - but it wasn't the score or the throwing of the ball itself that interested me. It was the <i>interaction of the players</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Something had switched on inside my head - I was seeing organized sport in a whole new light. I could see the coordination within the team, the players working together, trusting someone to be in the right place to catch the ball just as they were tackled. I could see the results of a well-executed play that relied on the whole team working together - and the failed play where one player tried to do it all on his own.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In that one evening, I had suddenly gained the ability to appreciate watching football, albeit from an unexpected angle. I was now seeing the game with a <i>leader's eye</i>.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The second revelation </b>was not a particular event, but more of a gradual progression since that evening in 2001. Over the past 13 years, I have come to appreciate almost any other team sport - as long as I know the basic rules.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am now able to relate the teamwork I see every day on my projects to the teamwork I see on the sports field - whether it is basketball, rugby, baseball, soccer or any other team sport, even Cricket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although I still don't go out of my way to watch that much sport on TV, if I am watching it with someone else, I will enjoy watching it with them. Of course, live is often better than TV, so every now and then I will actually <i>buy </i>tickets for the family and we will go watch a live rugby game. I even went to a Cricket match with my teenager, and loved it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The best joy of all, however, is now watching my own children play team sports - soccer and hockey. Not much ice in New Zealand so it is Inline Hockey, but hey - Hockey runs in the Canadian blood, even if it skipped a generation.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was younger and did
not appreciate team sports, I saw them as unimportant and without value.
I literally could not understand why anyone would enjoy them - let
alone watch them on TV for hours on end every week. Yelling at a glass
screen where the players could obviously not hear you made even less sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, what I came to realize - and finally accept - was that even though sports was not important to me, it mattered to <i>others </i>that I cared about. And you know what? That was OK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So my final revelation is this: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>There is <u>only</u> value where you <u>place</u> value.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each of us determines the value system for our lives - those things that are important to us, such as family, friends, code of ethics, causes we believe in, and so on. We may inherit them from our families as we grow up, but over time we fine-tune our value systems to model what is the most important to us. This helps us shape how we fit into the world - at least, as we perceive it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our value system also strongly affects how we interact with others, and how we behave towards each other in a variety of situations. The foundation of a strong team is a core set of common values, and learning to appreciate that other people have different values than yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The most common source of misunderstanding and frustration is where values do not align, and you cannot seem to sort out the differences. However, the value of a <i><b>great </b><b>leader </b></i>is being able to take that group of people with different skills, beliefs, backgrounds and attitudes - and then craft them into a <b><i>Team</i></b> with a common vision and shared values<i>. </i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The principle is always the same, whether it is on a construction site, in the project office, or on a large patch of muddied grass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck on your projects, keep an eye on the ball - and no matter where you go or what you do, support your favourite <i><b>Team</b></i>.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-46741956557421042452014-05-26T01:22:00.000-07:002014-06-13T01:54:11.443-07:00Dis-Orientation: The importance of Project Vision<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/06/043-dis-orientation-importance-of.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast</a>] </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="text Prov-29-18" id="en-KJV-17243"><i>Where there is no vision, the people perish..." Proverbs 29:18</i></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the
most important things you will do as a leader or Project Manager is to
communicate a compelling <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2013/08/roadside-checkup-how-clear-is-your.html">vision </a>to your team or organization. It not only sets the
direction for the team and the project, it also begins to pull a group
of individuals into a cohesive unit - and eventually, if all goes well,
into a high-performing team.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Without vision, all is lost - or has the potential to be, unless you bring things back on track. This not only applies to your projects, it applies to "real life" too, as I learned first-hand many years ago... </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up to the Snow </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In
1992, I went skiing with a work colleague and his wife on Mt Ruapehu, a
large volcano in the center of the North Island of New Zealand. I had
been once before, but this was their first time on the mountain. It was a brilliant, sunny winter day - clear and crisp, and you could see all the way to the west coast from the Turoa ski lodge. The sky was a deep, intense blue you can only get with pollution-free air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you drive up to the ski lodge there is a sign for a pullout about half way. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No matter the apparent winter conditions, </span>you have to stop and put chains on your car tires before driving any further. The
altitude near the peak is high enough to support a permanent ice cap
all year round, and the winter roads are often slick with black ice when they
are not covered in snow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One
interesting fact about skiiing on a Volcano: When you line up to buy your lift tickets and rent
ski gear, there are signs all around telling you that they can give you a
30 minute warning in the event of a volcanic event. If an event does
happen, you are supposed to stay on the ridges, and not try to ski out down the gullies. Makes a lot of sense, really - water, mud or lava will flow down the low points in the
gullies first.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It
was not an idle warning - when I was there in 1992, there was a large hot water crater
lake, surrounded by ice. A small 'burp' from the volcano could make the
lake level rise, melt the ice and cause a mud flow called a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar">Lahar</a>. In 1953, the crater lake level rose in the middle of the night and caused a massive Lahar down the eastern side of the mountain, through the Whakapapa ski field. It wiped out a ski chalet and a railway bridge near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangiwai_disaster">Tangiwai</a>, minutes before a passenger train dove into the chasm, killing 151 people. It was the worst <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangiwai_disaster">railway disaster</a> in New Zealand history.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Note: The large hot water lake in the crater is smaller than it used to be; in 1995 and again in 1996 a series of eruptions reshaped the top of the mountain. The eruptions started September 25, 1995 - near the end of the ski season. People were still skiing while it vented ash. Things quietened down through the summer, and the ski fields were preparing to open for the season when another eruption cycle started on June 17, 1996. There have been other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ruapehu#1995-96_eruptions">minor eruptions (2006) and a lahar (2007)</a> since then.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duly warned, we put on our skis and made our way over to the ski lift. I took off my prescription glasses and put them away in my small backpack. I pulled out</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> a pair of regular polarized sunglasses with a sport strap and slipped them on. I could not see as clearly, but I had skied that way before - things were a bit fuzzy but I could see shapes well enough</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> to stay on the trail and avoid running into things at least. With the strong NZ sunlight, I needed to protect my eyes from the harsh UV rays and snow glare more than I needed sharp vision.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I quickly learned that skiing on Ruapehu was different than every other mountain I had skied on before. The first, obvious difference was the lack of trees - Ruapehu only had rocks poking out of the snow here and there, otherwise everything was white. It made it a lot harder to see where the runs were - a lot of the time, you had to rely on simply following the tracks made by other skiers. There were no clear edges to any of the runs - unless you counted the occasional cliffs and drop-offs, which were still white-on-white. Fortunately, it was fairly easy to follow the tracks of the other skiers. With my polarized sunglasses, I could clearly see the sharp edges of white and shadow in the snow, even with my blurred vision.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The three of us skied together the whole time - but as they were more experienced, they were often waiting for me at the bottom of each run. At around 3pm we paused near the top of one run to admire the clear, perfect view of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Taranaki">Mt Taranaki</a> - a classic volcanic cone, far away on the west coast. Looking to the left, we could see some cloud approaching from the south, getting close to the mountain. We were getting tired and hungry anyway, so we decided to call it a day and head back down to the ski lodge. The runs were already emptying out - and as slow as I was, no one had passed me in a while. For long stretches of time, the only people I could see were my friends up in front. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we descended, the cloud enveloped the mountain. It was not a thick cloud, more like a dense fog - there was still plenty of light coming through it from above. That, however, was the problem - everything was now a brilliant, diffuse white, and because of the fog you could not see anyone or anything beyond about 10 metres. We slowed down so that we would not suddenly come across any large rocks (or cliffs) at speed, but the visibility rapidly deteriorated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My colleague and his wife seemed to be OK up in front, but I was having increasing difficulty in seeing where I was going - I could only see where to go by following their dark shapes ahead of me. The faint outlines of the ski tracks in the snow had long since disappeared in the white glow, with no shadows remaining. Only the occasional black rock here and there reassured me the outer edge of the run was still on my right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At one point I took off my sunglasses because I thought I could see just a hint of shadow, or difference in the snow without them - with my astigmatism it was still a blur, but it was the best I could manage. I couldn't stop to get my prescription glasses out of my bag - my colleague and his wife were getting ahead of me. By now we were very worried about getting down to the lodge. The glasses probably wouldn't have helped much anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />We continued to ski like that down the hill with them leading, just ahead, but they got faster and faster as they got more nervous. I was struggling to keep up - and to see. At one point the pair completely disappeared into the fog, so I sped up even more to catch up. I suddenly felt very alone, vulnerable and disoriented.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A moment later, I was airborne - white all around, above and below me, with no sense of movement. I was not even sure I was still upright.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Project Vision</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are many books and countless articles about leadership, and nearly as many about the importance of setting a vision for your team. Vision is not only about having goals - although setting goals is an essential part about getting things done. Vision is much <i>more</i> than that - a well-communicated vision generates <i>emotion </i>and <i>passion </i>within the team. It creates a common identity, a strong sense of purpose and direction. With good leadership, a compelling vision and a skilled, engaged team working together, there are practically no limits to what you can accomplish together.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The most powerful thing a team can buy into is <b>Purpose </b>- <i>why </i>we are doing this project, <i>who </i>it will help, and <i>how </i>we can make a difference. When people understand, accept and embody these themes, they will commit themselves wholeheartedly to the common vision - be it a short-term project, or the long-term future of your company. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The opposite to this is also true - if you do not have a compelling vision driving you, pulling you, pushing you onwards, you are likely to have a team busy spinning their wheels and accomplishing nothing. Sure - they may look busy, they may even produce mountains of paperwork as proof-of-life, but if they are not pulling in the same direction, you will soon find out you are going nowhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ooof! </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a brief eternity, I landed skis-first on firm snow and promptly fell over. I was at the bottom of a curved gulley, used as a natural half-pipe for snowboarders. A few of them were doing their last runs of the day and whooshed on by me.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My colleague and his wife were standing at the side of the gully waiting for me, and came over to help me up. They had seen the lip of the gulley and had skied gently down the side. In my haste and blurred vision, I had not seen the edge at all, and flew nearly 3 metres out and 3 metres down to land on packed snow in the middle of the gully - shaken, embarrassed, but not hurt. We skied the rest of the way out without incident - we were now below the main cloud level, and we could see our way a more and more clearly with thicker cloud above and improved contrast.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having clear vision - both in the literal sense, and on your projects - is essential to success. Whether your goal is to simply get down off a mountain, or to deliver a complex multimillion dollar project on time and meet your stakeholder's needs, you simply can't do without it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And sometimes Vision, or the lack of it, can literally mean life-or-death.</span><br />
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<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wait a minute, you say - aren't you overdoing it, just a bit? I mean how hard can it be to find your way back down to the ski lodge?</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The dazzling white cloud that made it so hard for us to see was actually the leading edge of a storm that lasted for two days. We only had our clothes, skis and small packs with water and snacks - we were not prepared to bivouac in the snow. It would have been all too easy for us to get off the trail, and miss the ski lodge completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two years earlier, on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4024086/Survivor-returns-to-Ruapehu">August 13, 1990</a>, a group of 13 soldiers and Naval ratings on a winter survival course were not so lucky. They were caught in an intense blizzard with high winds and zero visibility, but were not prepared for it. They had become disoriented near the summit, and dug snow caves for shelter while two men went for help. Rescuers found them three days later, huddled in the snow and suffering from exposure. Six frozen bodies were found only 150 metres from the Dome Hut, where they could have taken shelter and survived - <i>if only they could have seen it</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U-VHisHeXRc/UCI_v3M8X0I/AAAAAAAABFs/FfDcUCkcPfc/s1600/Ruapehu1.JPG" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #c0a154; color: #993322; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.285999298095703px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U-VHisHeXRc/UCI_v3M8X0I/AAAAAAAABFs/FfDcUCkcPfc/s400/Ruapehu1.JPG" height="147" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; box-shadow: 1px 1px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498); padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, dress warm - and never forget the importance of a clear and compelling Vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-58714578720170847082014-05-13T02:49:00.000-07:002014-05-27T00:22:34.576-07:00Project Management Kids Camp 2014: Developing youth to become empowered, successful citizens of tomorrow<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The following is a great initiative that I learned about at a recent PMI Leadership Institute Meeting in Dubai. I met and talked with several board members from the <a href="http://pmi.org.pl/">PMI Poland Chapter</a>, and was greatly impressed with the passion and energy they have put into promoting Project Management Life Skills for children over the past 10 years. They are now expanding and adding a new camp in another region of Poland this year.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think you will find this inspiring - and I hope you can help in some way!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>- Gary </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Project Management Kids Camp 2014: Developing youth to become empowered, successful citizens of tomorrow </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summer Camp is something that many children and
families look forward to every year. Experiencing the great outdoors, camping
in tents or cabins, swimming in a lake, roasting marshmallows over an open
fire, and participating in a wide range of activities with dozens of other
children are some of the things that these lucky children have to look forward
to every year.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BFagQvhXA4s/U3EiCwbR4MI/AAAAAAAAB0g/JpqZQ-nsJPg/s1600/Kids-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BFagQvhXA4s/U3EiCwbR4MI/AAAAAAAAB0g/JpqZQ-nsJPg/s1600/Kids-0.png" height="216" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But what about the children who cannot afford to go
to camp, especially those who do not have a family?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Every year since 2004, the <a href="http://www.pmi.pl/">PMI Poland Chapter</a>
(Gdansk Branch) has run an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">English Camp </b>for
orphaned children ages 9 to 14 (<a href="http://english-camp.pl/?lang=en">http://english-camp.pl/?lang=en</a>). <i>The Summer English Camp started in 2004, and Winter English Camp was added in 2009. </i>At the camp, these under-privileged children enjoy many of the things that
other children do at a typical camp, but they also get to do much, much
more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The camps run by the <a href="http://pmi.org.pl/">PMI Poland Chapter</a> are
fun, but they also provide lasting value to the children who attend these events.
When most children head home after a typical summer camp is finished, they take
with them fond memories and new friendships. The children who attend the PMI
Poland Project Management Kids Camps will leave with fond memories and new
friendships, but they also take with them a range of life skills that will set
them up for success for years to come.</span></div>
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<a href="http://pmkidscamp.pl/">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The <a href="http://pmi.org.pl/index.php/component/content/article/83-frontpage-slideshow/894-zostan-sponsorem-project-management-kids-camp">Project Management Kids Camp</a></b> is designed to teach essential life skills to
children, using project management concepts as a solid foundation. Each year,
between 20 and 30 orphans will get the opportunity to go to camp, with the
numbers dependent on financial contributions from sponsors. The camp is
not-for-profit, and is organized and run entirely by approximately 40
volunteers who donate their time and passion each year to ensure that these
children have a fun time at camp, while also developing new skills. Not all of
the volunteers are from Poland; there are a number of volunteers who come from
other countries and even from overseas to donate their time and skills to the
camp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following 10 years of success in running the summer
camp program in Gdańsk, the PMI Poland Chapter is now expanding the summer camp
program. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Warsaw Branch</b> will be
running their first <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Project Management
Kids</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Camp</b> in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Serock</b>, which is being held from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">July 20 to August 3, 2014</b>. They are
looking for volunteers to help run the camp, and sponsors to help support the
orphaned children to attend the camp in Serock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The main theme of the camp in Serock this year is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Make a Movie</b>, as the children will work
together through the 14<span style="color: red;"> </span>days of camp to create a
film of their own design from the early concept stage through to the finished
production.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Volunteers and sponsors are welcome to support
either camp in Poland, but we are looking to make sure the first Project
Mangement Kids Camp in Serock is a resounding success - and in order to achieve
that goal, we need <u>you</u>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">About the camp</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Project management skills are not something that is
limited to a select few experts; the basic skills involved in working on and
managing projects can benefit many aspects of everyone's work and personal
life. Developing these skills at a young age not only enables these empowered
learners to be more successful in school today, it also sets them up to become
successful in any career they choose when they graduate and enter the
workforce.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Zcuse8KpFM/U3EiDSsOumI/AAAAAAAAB0w/Gm1mmaKxdhg/s1600/Kids-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Zcuse8KpFM/U3EiDSsOumI/AAAAAAAAB0w/Gm1mmaKxdhg/s1600/Kids-1.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the Project Management Kids Camp at
Serock, the children will engage in a wide range of fun activities as they work
together in project teams to produce their own movie. These will include:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Learning project management concepts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Learning and practising English</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Sports</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Dance</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Music</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Cooking</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Photography</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Robotics</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Workshops in graphics, arts and handicrafts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The children will gain self-confidence and
practical experience as they develop scenarios, create soundtracks, design and
select scenery, take photos, record video, create posters, invitations and
marketing tools to promote their movie. But above all, the greatest benefits
will come from developing collaboration skills by working as a team to achieve
a common goal - and to enjoy the shared sense of accomplishment as they
showcase their movie at the premiere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Through participating in these activities, these
children will learn essential project management and life skills such as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">team building</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">communication, critical and creative thinking, planning</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">management</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">budgeting</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">scheduling</b>.
As the children learn and practice these skills, both during and after the
camp, there is no telling how far they can go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How can I help?</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The PMI Poland Chapter is need of both <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">volunteers </b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sponsors</b>.
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Volunteers</b>:
If you are able to volunteer your time and skills to the camp, please contact <a href="mailto:agnieszka.krogulec@pmi.org.pl">Agnieszka </a>or <a href="mailto:pwieleba@gmail.com">Piotr </a>for more information about how you can contribute. They are
looking for a wide range of skills in order to deliver a successful camp, and you
do not need to be a project manager in order to volunteer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sponsors</b>:
The cost to send a child to camp is approximately <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2000 PLN</b> per child ($660 USD/ 390 GBP / 480 Euro). Any amount you are able to donate to support an
orphaned child going to camp is welcome, but if you are able to fully sponsor
one or more children, that will help ensure their place at the camp. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are also many benefits of being a sponsor, in addition to the key satisfaction of having helped to make an orphan's life better by providing them an opportunity to gain valuable life skills - <u>an opportunity they would not have without your support</u>. Thanks to partnerships with other PMI Chapters, the PMI Poland Chapter can offer sponsors such opportunities as participation in PMI conferences and seminars in Warsaw and <a href="https://www.pmi.org.uk/">London</a>, or publications of their articles in magazines and newspapers in Poland and the <a href="https://www.pmi.org.uk/">UK</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GyF1MCMM0KQ/U3EiDcEGZhI/AAAAAAAAB00/D05sVhk7dRQ/s1600/Kids-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GyF1MCMM0KQ/U3EiDcEGZhI/AAAAAAAAB00/D05sVhk7dRQ/s1600/Kids-2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photos: English camp in Gdansk | Used with permission of the PMI Poland Chapter - <a href="http://pmi.org.pl/">pmi.org.pl</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For more information on volunteering for the
camp or the benefits of becoming a sponsor, please contact the PMI Poland Chapter:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="PL" style="mso-ansi-language: PL;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="PL" style="mso-ansi-language: PL;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PMI Poland Chapter Project Sponsor - </span></span></span></i></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="PL" style="mso-ansi-language: PL;">Agnieszka Krogulec</span></b><span lang="PL" style="mso-ansi-language: PL;"> (<a href="mailto:agnieszka.krogulec@pmi.org.pl"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">agnieszka.krogulec@pmi.org.pl</span></a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Project Management Kids Camp Fundraising
Lead - </i></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Piotr
Wieleba</b> (<a href="mailto:pwieleba@gmail.com"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">pwieleba@gmail.com</span></a>) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The next
step belongs to you</u></b></i> - are you prepared to help make a positive
difference in an orphan's life?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Related links:</span></b><br />
<a href="http://pmi.org.pl/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PMI Poland Chapter</span></a><br />
<a href="http://pmief.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PMI Education Foundation</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.pmi.org.uk/">PMI UK Chapter</a> </span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-18517852356210996632014-05-09T03:09:00.000-07:002014-05-26T21:49:19.163-07:00May Your Projects Never Be Late Again: Secrets from a Road Trip<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/05/042-may-your-projects-never-be-late.html" target="_blank">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How do you make sure your projects complete on time? When you set a deadline, you are supposed communicate it to everyone, right? Then, presumably,the entire team will work towards that date, vendor and client alike, to make it happen.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That is usually what happens on most projects - you may be a little late on some target dates, a little early on others, but generally all of you are working towards the same dates, and hopefully the same priorities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But what about when it doesn't work out, and deadlines are missed repeatedly?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Certainly you can apply contract penalties to a vendor, but that does not always help to achieve the desired effect of getting finished on time.</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRhi9xtKhDk/U2yolOQngRI/AAAAAAAAB0M/q9uOInTz9Jk/s1600/Fotolia_44112672_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRhi9xtKhDk/U2yolOQngRI/AAAAAAAAB0M/q9uOInTz9Jk/s1600/Fotolia_44112672_XS.jpg" height="320" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(C) Fotolia_44112672</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do you do if it seems like part of your own team is disregarding your schedule? What if they seem to have a different sense of timing altogether, no matter how clearly you communicate the priorities and schedule?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This can be particularly problematic as you near the end of the project, when there is still a lot left to get wrapped up. People may be getting tired and losing focus - but you need to keep them delivering, right to the end. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tempers may flare,
relationships can suffer, and you can end up with an even bigger mess on
your hands if you are not careful, with little to show for your project as you near that all-important deadline. All the while, the
clock is still ticking.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A family friend was plagued with this problem for many years - <i>until he figured out the secret</i>. He not only found out a way to keep a very important chronologically-challenged team member/stakeholder happy, but he also managed to bring things back on schedule, time and time again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So how did he do it?</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?</span></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Time, they say - is relative. This is particularly true when you are on holiday, and especially so when you take a road trip to see family and friends. The clock seems to have its own independent pace, or at least you don't care much about it until it is time to leave. Then, the clock suddenly grabs your attention again and you have that familiar feeling of pressure - of time weighing down on you. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The problem is - this time pressure often only seems to be affecting <i>you</i>. The rest of the team are still in holiday mode, clocks switched off and hidden from sight. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Getting there</i> may have been half the fun - but the going home part may not seem that fun at all. So why should they think about it?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, you still need to get them moving; it's time to go, real life beckons - and you have no choice but to get them re-focused and prepare them for the last leg of the<b> Road Trip</b>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a lot to do and not much time, so we will spell it out as we go. Let's get started!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For our R.O.A.D.T.R.I.P, we need to consider the following: </span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>R</u>apport</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">noun - <i>a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> start out on your project or on your journey, you need to have a common vision and purpose. Simply put, you need to communicate and understand where you are all trying to go and what you are planning to achieve. If one of you heads out the back door instead of getting into the car, you have a problem before you even put the keys in the ignition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On a project, this is achieved by clearly articulating the vision and desired outcomes. Ideally the project sponsor or a key stakeholder communicates the message to the project team, but failing that, the Project Manager should take on the task. If logistics permit, try to have everyone together in the same room, at the same time - the <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/04/project-planning-10-importance-of.html">Project Kickoff</a> is an ideal opportunity for this. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you share the vision with the full team early into the project, it eliminates a lot of potential misunderstandings. The team also gets to meet each other (some for the first time), and they will begin to develop a sense of <u>rapport</u> that will carry them through the project, even if they work at a distance from each other.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This sense of rapport will also help you push through to the end, particularly if the core team is around for the full duration of the project. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--</span></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was twelve, friends of
our family and their two boys came to stay with us for a week-long
visit. We lived in a small town at the time, with not a lot generally
going on, so visits from family or friends were kind of a big deal. How
small was the town? Well, under a thousand, unless you added in the dogs
and cats. So really, not much going on compared to a big city.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Our friends</i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> had lived
in the town for several years, and we had become close; the two boys
were best friends with my younger brothers, being closer in age to each
other. They had moved down to Vancouver the year before, so we were all
looking forward to the visit.</span></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They arrived in their car late one summer afternoon, we helped them unload their car, and the visit began. Kids first played in the house, then in the yard, and then the noise carried on down the street, friends re-connecting and just having fun. The adults caught up on recent events, chatting for a while in the kitchen, then the conversation moved out to the back yard. The swatting of mosquitoes struck</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> a counterpoint to the sizzle of hamburgers and steaks grilling on the Barbeque. The conversations went on late into the evening, well after the younger kids were supposed to be in bed.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<h3>
<u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">O</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">rganize </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the Team</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once you know where you are going and what you need to do, you will need to organize the project team to get the job done. Depending on your project, this may be a small internal team, or a large, distributed team involving multiple vendors, business units and teams spread across the planet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You need to organize the project team and assign tasks from the outset, but this is only half the battle. Managing the return journey, or the final leg of the project, can require some special handling. Some people may not want it to end, and may drag their feet on producing those final deliverables. Incidentally, this common drag-your-feet mentality may have also spawned the "20/80" rule, i.e. "the last 20 percent of the project can seem to take 80 percent of the effort".</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-- </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Throughout the visit, the adults visited and kids
played, from sun-up to sun down. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the time they spent together. A week can seem like a long time, but it is far too short when you are having fun visiting. However, as with all visits, it was finally coming to an end.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The night before they were to leave,
the visiting father announced their schedule for
the morning. He stressed that he didn't want to leave late, as they had a long drive ahead
of them. </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"We need to get up early, have breakfast, and get packed up quickly so we can all be on the road by 10am," he said firmly. His wife nodded. The boys sighed. "We need everybody helping, so we can get out of here on time."</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>A</u>ct on the Plan </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you have the vision, the team and your plan, you need to put it into action. Otherwise it is all just a nice theory and a pretty Gantt chart on the wall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Plain and simple, you just need get to work - and follow the plan! Sounds, simple right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
--</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the morning, we all got
up early and had breakfast. Once the suitcases were packed, my younger brothers
and the other two boys shot out the back door for a last chance to play before they had to leave. They made
the most of it, tearing up and down the street, some riding on bicycles with the others running along behind. Inside the house, the adults were chatting -
well, at least the two mothers still were.</span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was outside with the men, helping them carry the suitcases and bags out to the car.
After nudging one suitcase a little tighter into the pile, the visiting father walked
back up to the front door, and called up into the house.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Hurry up Dear, we need to get going. We want to make it to the hotel before dinner."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Just another minute!" was the reply.</span></i><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>D</u>ecide what is Actually Important </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not everything on your project is important. Well, not of equal importance anyway. There will be different sets of priorities as you work through the project, and as a result, not all relationships will go smoothly. At times, some people will disagree with your priorities or simply rub you the wrong way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The key thing is to think about what is most important in each situation before you react - what is the most important thing - the schedule, the deliverable - or the relationship?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
--</div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He grunted as he </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">lifted the next pair of suitcases and then walked towards the car. I grabbed a smaller suitcase and followed behind. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He set down the suitcases and looked at his watch. Reading it up-side-down, I could see it was five minutes to 10. </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He seemed pretty relaxed though,
which surprised me. My father had told me that his friend hated to be
late, and got <b>really </b>grumpy about it. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>The odd thing was</i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, he did not look grumpy or annoyed at all. </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More curious than polite, I just straight out asked him. </span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Why aren't you grumpy?"</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be grumpy?"</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Because Dad said you don't like to be late," I replied.</span></i><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>T</u>actics</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></i></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dealing with people is hard, especially when they are not doing what you want them to be doing. It takes a lot of effort to communicate, manage expectations, re-share the vision and priorities, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">re-set expectations, </span>communicate some more, only to find they are still not complying, or simply "not getting it". It can be extremely frustrating - but you have to be smart about how you approach it, rather than just acting on your frustration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You may simply need to employ different tactics - if you can't solve the problem head on, try and approach it from a different angle.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He gave a little smile. "I
used to get grumpy when we would go on trips. The first few years we
were married, I got very frustrated whenever we were trying to leave. My wife would always want to have a little more time to visit or look around, no matter what I did or said."</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He lifted a suitcase into the
back of the car. "At first, I decided I would just start packing up
early and load the car myself, to give her more time to visit. That way,
she would hopefully feel she had visited enough, and would know it was time to go when I finished
packing the car."</span></i><i><br /></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>R</u>eflect</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Action is not everything. Sometimes, you just need to take a step back and look at the situation or the project from a distance. When you are in the thick of things, it can be hard to look at the big picture. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You need some time to reflect on a regular basis. Little inspiration actually happens when we are sitting at our desks, slogging away, focused on the small details. You may have already noticed that your best ideas happen when you are taking a short break, during a walk around the block, or simply on the way to the water cooler, or stepping out to get a coffee.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you find you are getting stuck on a problem, or getting all worked up about it, you need to get up, stretch, and take a short break away from your work area. This applies equally to project problems and people problems. Take a break and some time to reflect on the issue - it will be time well invested.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He
picked up the second suitcase and stuffed it into the back of the car.
"Unfortunately, it didn't work. I
would end up doing most of the work to pack up, and she still kept visiting long after I had
finished packing the car. We would always end up leaving late, and we
would often argue in the car once we got driving down the road." </span></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Let me tell you, you don't want to make your wife angry, even when you think you're right. It's not worth it," he warned.</span></i><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>I</u>nnovate</span></h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">."</span> - <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thomas H. Palmer</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One key to success is to not keep doing the same things over and over again. One definition of insanity is where you repeat the same thing over and over again, but expect different results.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If what you are doing is not working, try again, certainly - but try something <i>else</i>. You may just need to apply a small tweak, or you may need to come up with something truly different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One key difference between a project problem and a people problem is you can try variations on a theme with a project problem as much as you like. However, if you try that with people, it is seldom successful - they will soon see through your repeated, feeble attempts to get them to change, and more than likely get annoyed with you and become even more resistant to your efforts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You need to be truly innovative - and you may eventually realize that you can't change other people - but you can change <u>you</u>, and your approach to things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-- </span></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He took the suitcase from
my hand and put it on top of the other two."But now, it all works out.
She gets to visit, I still load the car, and we all leave happy."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"How do you do that?" I asked as he closed the back of the car.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I finally got smart. I
realized that she would never change - she would always want to have the
last few minutes of visiting. After all, it would be months or even a
year before we would see our friends again. I finally learned the </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">secret</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">," he
winked.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kids love secrets. "What was it? What?"</span></i><br />
<i></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>P</u>lan for Delays</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No project runs perfectly to all parts of the original schedule. You need to allow for some slippage, for under-estimation of task effort. When you build your plan, you will factor in all of the things you know, and probably a lot of assumptions. You will also likely include people factors into your estimates as well - i.e. if we are able to get Bob on that part of the project, we will be able to get that done in (X) weeks, but James would take a couple weeks longer, because he has less experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is bad practice to always try to design for the best-case schedule; you may not be able to get Bob or James, or even your third pick. If you need to bring in somebody new, it may even take (2X) to get the job done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Instead, design for a realistic schedule, taking into consideration the potential resources and the level of risk on your project. Don't make it too lean or too padded, but you need to plan for a few inevitable delays. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You may also want to introduce additional deadlines ahead of the important ones, in order to identify potential delays early.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-- </span></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He leaned down close to me
and whispered. "I gave her a different departure time than when we actually need
to leave. If we need to leave at Noon to get to the next stop in time, I
will tell her we need to leave no later than 10am."</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He stood up, still speaking
quietly. "That way, she gets to visit a little longer, and we still
leave a little early according to <b>my</b> schedule. When we finally get in the car, everybody is
happy, and she feels just a little bit guilty about being late. However, I am
smiling inside instead of being grumpy. There are no more arguments in the car about leaving late."</span></i><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If history has shown that a particular project resource or vendor is habitually late, you may need to take extraordinary measures to ensure they don't impact your project deadlines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The reasons behind the lateness can vary widely, from misinterpreting your final deadlines as their delivery deadlines, or a misaligned set of priorities. Proactive communication is always your best tool - but if they are late in delivery time after time, and they appear unlikely to change behavior, you need to take a step beyond the project norms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It might only be used as a last resort, but in cases like this, you may need to have two sets of deadlines.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the set you share openly for <u>them</u> to deliver to <u>you</u>, and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the real, final, "secret" (internal) deadlines that you are responsible to deliver to your sponsor.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end, <b>you </b>have to do what it takes to make sure you can deliver <b>your </b>project - on time.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
--</div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He winked. "Of course, I
still have to act a little grumpy to hurry them into the car, or we
really would be late. But you have to promise me you won't tell her the
secret, or it won't work anymore."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still haven't told her - although if she reads this, the cat is finally out of the bag. Of course, it has been well over thirty years since then, so she may have already figured it out by herself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, enjoy the Road Trip, and may all your projects complete on time - however you need to define your schedule.</span><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Books: <a href="http://www.gazzasguides.com/">www.gazzasguides.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Project resources for kids: <a href="http://www.projectkidsadventures.com/">www.projectkidsadventures.com</a></span></span><br />
<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-61706311919572221262014-04-04T02:12:00.000-07:002014-04-22T01:50:16.939-07:00All I want is a little change to the Project Scope...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/04/041-all-i-want-is-little-change-to.html">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i> <br />
<h3>
The Cost of Change</h3>
We have all heard about how the
cost of change increases exponentially the further you are along the
path of project delivery. If the unit of effort is, say, (1) at requirements stage to accommodate a feature change, in design it increases to (10x), in development
it increases to (100x) and once delivered it may increase again to
(1000x) or more. Or perhaps a different scale applies to your project, but you get the idea.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQvm6TXUnzE/Uz2tb6xFXiI/AAAAAAAAByM/nRp9tGSgqw0/s1600/Fotolia_44317697_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQvm6TXUnzE/Uz2tb6xFXiI/AAAAAAAAByM/nRp9tGSgqw0/s1600/Fotolia_44317697_XS.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The same rules apply when you are doing construction, when scope becomes set in stone - or at least in concrete. Changes are easiest when you are still talking with the architect and drawing up the first set of plans on a napkin, but after they have been formally submitted for review and approved by Council, it gets more complicated and costly. Any changes to the approved plans require rework by the architect, then a review by another dozen or so eyes, and when that is done, it needs to get re-approved by the city planning department. Oh, and to top it all off, yet another cheque written out to the builder to pay for the change in scope.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Can We Build It? Yes, We Can! </h3>
In 2005, we had the pleasure (and pain) to build a house, our very first one. Not the first house we ever bought, just the first one that was not "used" by previous iterations of owners. Nothing wrong with recycled houses, of course - they provide excellent opportunities for honing up handyman skills as you maintain the house, fix things that wear out, or replace some horrid feature a previous owner had just loved to bits. This was going to be <i>our </i>house, we would be the first to move in - and it was exciting, but also quite nerve-wracking. After all, we put down a lot of money for an idea and some dirt.<br />
<br />
We paid the deposit on the house before the build started. We had looked at a few different plans and lots with the builder, but
had decided on this particular combination as it looked great on paper,
and the layout looked ideal for our family. At this stage, the plan had already been approved, but the dirt was still in the normal location (in the to-be-hole they were going to be digging for the basement). <br />
<br />
It started out fairly smoothly, after catching the small detail that the real estate agent had attached the blueprints for lot 17 in the <i>other </i>subdivision they were building to the contract , instead of this particular lot. It would have been quite interesting, as the lot shapes were totally different and the other lot 17 house plan would have put our living room in our neighbour's front lawn... However, that was sorted out with only minor embarrassment from the developer. Hey, it happens; they had a lot of construction on the go - about a hundred houses at once.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
We sat down with the developer and made a number of "small" changes here and there, and the developer
was very proactive in working with us. He told us well in advance about the deadlines for when we had to make
particular design decisions.Prior to breaking ground, we requested a number of changes that the builder had no problems accommodating.<br />
<br />
You know, reasonable things like:</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<ul>
<li>Add Garage side door into the yard ($850) - <i>Impact: Small, build wall around hole</i></li>
<li>Add Garage window ($500) - <i>Impact: Small, build wall around hole </i></li>
<li>Widen garage by 10 inches/22cm ($1000) - <i>Impact: Medium, change of foundation and garage roof-line. Within maximum tolerance for building footprint percentage vs lot size.</i></li>
</ul>
"<i>Wait, a thousand dollars for only 10 inches? Why bother?</i>"</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
Well, you might laugh, but it made a big difference to storage. It allowed for a long set of shelves on one side.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<ul>
<li>Add Skylight ($4,400) - <i>Impact: Redesign roof truss configuration, limit to 4x4 foot unit.</i></li>
<li>And so on.</li>
</ul>
All in all, an extra $13,000 in scope changes before the first shovel was lifted by the builder, and a hefty increase in the deposit. <i>Ka-ching!</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Every day or so we would drive by the site to see what changes had transpired on the site. For a week or so, not very much at all happened - and then they started digging. A week later and they were pouring the foundations. We walked carefully around afterward, eager to get a look at everything as the concrete cured. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
I kept copies of the plans handy, as I was trying to visualize what the finished product would look like. Walking carefully around the site, I made quiet observations like "hmmm, isn't that hole quite close to the neighbour? Isn't the digging for the foundation going to collapse their sidewalk?" The properties were all <i>zero-lot-line</i>, or in other words, the minimum clearance from the house to the property line, which was 4 feet. Their sidewalk ended on the property line, and was currently attached to their house but not much else.<br />
<br />
I was assured all would be well, once they filled in the dirt around the foundation. Eying the large-ish section of the neighbour's concrete sidewalk suspended several feet in the air, I was not so sure - but you have to trust your builder, right?<br />
<br />
<h3>
Is there such a thing as a Dumb Question? </h3>
I was starting to felt pretty good about working with the builder, and I was beginning to have what I felt were reasonably technical conversations with him as I learned a whole range of new construction terminology. Hey, I was a Project Manager right? Sure it was in IT and not construction, but projects are projects, there has to be some common ground. He also seemed to be pretty open to changes too, as long as you were happy to pull out your cheque book while you talked.<br />
<br />
After the foundations had cured enough, they started framing in the basement and the joists for the ground floor. It was a big moment - to be able to stand in the middle of your new house, before the walls went up. It was one big, flat expanse of plywood, with just the one hole. The hole, of course, was the stairwell, which spiraled down into the dark basement.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
I walked around the floor, building plans in hand. I could finally start to see where things would go - the living room, dining area, kitchen and so on. I paced out the dimensions of each future room. Big living room, big kitchen - excellent! Decent sized family room and dining room - all right! Then I went over to where my future office would be - off the living room, behind the stairs.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Hmmm</b></i>, I thought. I re-measured the distance between the stairwell and the outer edge of the house. <i><b>Hmmm</b></i>. <i><b>Kind of small</b></i>, I thought.<br />
<br />
The next day when we came around to check the house, the builder was there. He smiled a lot as I walked with him around the site, discussing the construction progress and next steps. We were approaching the stairwell, preparing to go down into the basement when I asked <i>the<b> </b>question</i>.<br />
<br />
"Um, do you think you could move the stairwell?"<br />
<br />
He turned to look at me. "What?"<br />
<br />
"The room behind the stairwell looks pretty small, can you move the stairwell just a bit?"<br />
<br />
He stared at me like I had sprouted a horn and an extra set of eyes. His smile was long gone. "No, definitely not."<br />
<br />
"That room will be my office, are you sure you can't make it a little bigger by moving the stairs a little? You don't have the walls up yet, and just this bit of the stairs so far..." <br />
<br />
He turned to face me square on, hands on his hips. "No, no, it's far too late for that."<br />
<br />
He then went on to give me a lecture about architecture and the fact that THE most important design component of a multi-story building is not the walls or the roof, but the stairwell. You design that in <b>first </b>and everything else works around it. So <b>no</b>, there was no way they could move the stairwell. They would have to change everything. So no, definitely not. No.<br />
<br />
...<b>No</b>. <br />
<br />
In that crushing moment I realized two things:<br />
<ol>
<li>I had just lot a big chunk of credibility with the builder. (i.e. I am pretty sure he had just decided that I was an idiot), and </li>
<li>No matter what all those leadership and communication books say, yes, there ARE some stupid questions.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<h3>
Window of Opportunity</h3>
On your projects, there will be windows of opportunity where change will be easy. As time goes on, introducing the same change becomes harder and more costly, and you will soon reach a point where trying to introduce that change is no longer feasible at all. Not impossible, but just so impractically costly and disruptive, that you simply have to concede and let it go.<br />
<br />
Unless it is so important, perhaps, that you are prepared to dig up the foundations and start all over again - but those cases would be extremely rare.<br />
<br />
You should also balance the importance of the changes vs your <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/06/other-peoples-money-managing-project.html">project finances</a> - whether you are paying for it yourself, or you are managing the project for someone else. You need to ask yourself (and the stakeholders) - how important is that change, really? Does the stakeholder simply want it, or is there a strong, compelling reason that it should be made? Is it worth the cost?<br />
<br />
I have written previously on the importance of developing <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/06/developing-exceptional-requirements.html">exceptional requirements</a> - as early as possible, with the customer/vendor working together. This will go a long way towards getting things right the first time, but it is never perfect. You won't get all of the requirements identified completely up front - you will learn things you did not previously know as you go, you wil <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/07/lather-rinse-repeat-why-we-need-to-re.html">refine the plan</a>, and new opportunities may also present themselves unexpectedly. The key is to be vigilant and look out for those opportunities as they arise, and try to request changes before it is too late. You need the decision makers primed to be able to approve changes quickly.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the window of opportunity may be extremely small - days, or even hours. It might even literally be a window.<br />
<br />
You might, for example, be standing on the second floor while they are
beginning the framing of the walls and say, "You know, if we moved the
window half it's width to the left, we would get a really great view of the
mountain every morning, with the sun behind it." A change like that may
not be a big deal to the builder at all, if your timing is right. It may also make your stay in that house that much nicer for many
years to come - rather than have a permanent view half-obstructed by a chimney you did not know would be there when you started, but had recently sprouted up.<br />
<br />
If you are really lucky, a minor change like that may not even cost you at all, and it may deliver long-lasting value. Those opportunities do happen all the time, but you have to be prepared to notice them and act on them.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Summary</h3>
Whether you are building a house, or managing a project that is in no way related to construction, change is inevitable. Projects are vehicles for change, after all - why would we not expect to have changes to the scope during our project?<br />
<br />
They trick is to manage scope change carefully - keep track of all changes (no matter how minor), look for opportunities and try to make any changes as early as possible - or at least at the earliest opportunity.<br />
<br />
From a Project Control perspective, you also need to keep a close eye on the builder - or the vendor delivering your product/solution/outcome. "<b>You Get What You Inspect</b>," or so the saying goes - and that is particularly true with construction. <br />
<br />
We were at the house site almost every day - we tried not to be in the way, or to be annoying to the workers. Usually we dropped by around dinner time when they had left for the day. Through our regular visits, we were able to point out a number of things where the carpenter did not seem to be following the plan, or something did not look right. Sometimes we misinterpreted things, but we also found some real problems that would have been more difficult to resolve if they had been left unnoticed. The cracked plastic shower/bath unit, for example - an over-tight screw had damaged the tub, they tried to repair it, but in the end (as we had wanted) it had to be replaced with a new unit. A couple week delay in getting a new one, but far better than future leaks.<br />
<br />
I would like to think that I regained some respect from the builder after the "stairwell incident", but I can never be sure - he was respectful, but maybe just a little patronizing.<br />
<br />
When they put the plywood on the roof, we were quite excited to see the exterior coming to a close. They already had the vinyl siding on, and the wood fascia which they had started to paint in some sections. We were looking forward to seeing the completion of the colour scheme we had chosen from the builder's options - designed by his own wife, in fact. The asphalt shingles on the roof were to be a dark browny-black, with a hint of copper sparkle to catch the sun. <br />
<br />
The next day, I came by in the afternoon and saw the roof layers finishing off the last section. Rain was expected in a day or so, and they wanted to get it sealed up.<br />
<br />
The builder was there, and came out to greet me. We stood on the street, watching them work.<br />
<br />
"It looks kind of black," I said.<br />
<br />
"What?" he asked.<br />
<br />
"The colour scheme shows the shingles are browny with shiny copper flecks. Those are solid, and look more black than brown. No flecks."<br />
<br />
He turned to look at me. "I'm sure they are the right shingles."<br />
<br />
I paused and looked carefully up at the roof. The sun was shining, and there was a definite absence of glint or colour.<br />
<br />
"Um, they look <b>black</b>. They are not the shingles from the colour scheme," I turned back to face the builder. I firmed up my resolve, determined to put the stairwell incident behind me. Besides, this was different. I knew I was right.<br />
<br />
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<br />
"Can you please take those black ones off and put on the correct shingles from the colour scheme? They did not put on the right shingles."<br />
<br />
The builder stared at me for a long time, then took a slow, deep breath before replying. "<b>No</b>, definitely not. It's too late for that. Besides, it's almost the same colour anyway. You won't notice after a while."<br />
<br />
I sighed.<br />
<br />
Some changes just cannot - or will not - be made, even to correct a mistake by the builder.<br />
<br />
But you know, after a while the black looked OK - every other house on the block had colour and flecks, so ours was unique. We decided we could live with that "imperfection".<br />
<br />
As for my "small" office? Once it was all painted and carpeted, the furniture was in place and I was sitting in my new office for the first time - I found the room was bigger than I thought it would be. In fact, it was <b>perfect</b>.<br />
<br />
We didn't need to move the stairs after all.<br />
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<div>
Good luck with your projects, keep a close eye on your project scope, and look out for those ideal windows of opportunity for change.</div>
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</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzasguides.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Books: <a href="http://www.gazzasguides.com/">www.gazzasguides.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Project resources for kids: <a href="http://www.projectkidsadventures.com/">www.projectkidsadventures.com</a></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.gazzasguides.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b5fzDVgLfMk/UeEw7XwcfRI/AAAAAAAABgA/18kC-JNcnTQ/s1600/GG_Logo1+160x160.png" /></a></div>
Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-27125333149432140702014-03-15T02:35:00.001-07:002014-05-10T00:10:50.446-07:00Is your Project Team like a Light Switch...or a Candle?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/03/040-is-your-project-team-like-light.html">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A few years ago I went on a fly-fishing trip with a group of work colleagues. I was working on a project in New Zealand, and we were going to be staying in an old company-owned holiday "bach" just outside of Taupo. You could book these properties for a weekend and pay a small fee. A basic type of unit - furnished with several beds, kitchen, TV, tables, chairs and couple sofas - nothing too fancy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We unpacked our gear, loaded up the fridge and headed back outside for fly-fishing lessons. My first ever lesson - and apparently you need to learn how to do it while on dry land (without a hook) just to get used to the back-and-forth action before you try it standing hip-deep in a river. Perhaps to make sure you didn't fall over while casting - or hook anyone around you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After about an hour of practicing casting, it was getting dark and our arms were getting tired, so we headed back in to get dinner ready and settle in for the evening. One of the guys was frying up dinner while the rest of us chatted and watched the little black-and-white TV. I was just walking back into the living room with a fresh beer when the lights went out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Who turned off the lights?" I asked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"There's some coins on top of the fridge," one of the locals called out from the sofa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"What?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Coins on top of the fridge. Put some in the slot."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"What slot?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He sighed and got up. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"In the meter." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He walked over to the fridge and picked up three coins. He popped them into a box on the wall, one by one. The lights suddenly came back on. "That should do for an hour. W</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">e pay for power when we use the bach - it's one reason it is so cheap to stay here."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I studied the pile of coins on top of the fridge. It was perhaps my first experience of "user pays" - in this case, quite literally with a pocket full of change.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was experiencing a sudden and strange shift in expectation - electricity is just supposed to be "on", right?</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gY_QSBXubec/UmoVedOvzqI/AAAAAAAABoY/ivbmaJrph8s/s1600/IMG_2862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gY_QSBXubec/UmoVedOvzqI/AAAAAAAABoY/ivbmaJrph8s/s400/IMG_2862.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Taking it for Granted</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you stop to think about it, there are many things we take for granted in our every day lives. Turn on a switch, the lights come on, turn a tap and clean water comes pouring out. We get in our cars and turn the key - we expect it to start, and take us where we want to go without breaking down. (Assuming we do some basic maintenance, and fill the tank regularly).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The fact is, there is a lot of investment into the systems, products and infrastructure to support all of these "easy-on" things we use in our every day lives. We seldom appreciate the effort that has gone into those systems - and are rarely thankful that we have them. We have got used to them just being there and working - that is simply the way it is supposed to be, right? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We complain when things stop functioning - but w</span>hen is the last time you thanked a light switch for working? Well, probably <i>never </i>as that is a bit strange, perhaps - talking to inanimate objects. But have you ever called the electric company to say "thanks for keeping the power on yesterday, I had a big family dinner last night, and I was able to cook the roast until it was finished"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am guessing also - never.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You may think I am being ridiculous - but consider this: We have become quite accustomed to these comforts in our society. Not so many decades ago, the hours you were awake (let alone working) were limited by daylight - or how much candle wax you had left to spare. Back then, you would make a conscious decision to stay up and use an extra candle - or save it for another day and hit the hay when it got dark. Today, you just switch on the light and watch TV until late in the night, night after night, without a second thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"All right, all right, you've made your point," you say. "But do I <i>really </i>have to call the power company in the morning to thank them?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, that is up to you - but it's not a bad idea. The problem is, they will probably treat you like a crank caller. Why? The answer is simple - nobody expects that level of courtesy any more. Besides, they wouldn't call the plumber to thank them that the toilet didn't back up yesterday, would they? They, like you - simply expect things to work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is just another symptom of what you might call the "Light Switch" Society.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How do you switch this thing on?</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How do you treat your team members? I am guessing for many, that on any given day they are being treated exactly like a light switch. They show up for work in the morning, and -click- they are expected to be fully productive and on the job. Work a full day, then -click- at around 5pm or so, they pack up, and trudge off home through traffic to screaming kids and a nagging partner. And tomorrow, the same routine: -click- on, full work day, -click- off home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And although there are a lot of problems with that whole approach, which I will touch on next, a sometimes bigger problem is that the switch stays <i>on </i>- or is forced on - until much later in the day, past normal working hours. Email, laptop, smartphone, deadline pressures from work - all of these can easily steal our "home" time and deny us time to rest and recoup for the day ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are many books and discussions on that particular topic (work/life balance) - but what I would like to focus on here is the "Light Switch" perspective of working with your project team.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, we are professionals, and should be committed to doing our best, do a good job, work a full day and be able to leave work "at the office" if we are lucky. The "Light Switch" problem is more about <i>attitude </i>- how we approach each other, and set expectations on one another. In a very real sense, we are imposing a new technological symbolism onto the workplace, with all of its implied behaviors - and adverse side-effects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up through the 1800's, people had a physical appreciation of resource consumption and limitations - if you were up late, you "burned the midnight oil" (literally), and people who worked late and rose early needed light - so they "burned the candle at both ends" [of the day]. In fact, the phrase "burned out" likely grew from that time period and earlier - when physical and mental exhaustion had direct parallels in their environment - i.e. the simple candle. You could only burn it for so long until it ran out of wax. A similar thing happens with people - they run out of energy and need to rest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Light switches, however, behave quite differently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3TBR50dQCMY/UyPodbbH_sI/AAAAAAAABxA/tDhCm-ZuIEc/s1600/Fotolia_61684448_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3TBR50dQCMY/UyPodbbH_sI/AAAAAAAABxA/tDhCm-ZuIEc/s1600/Fotolia_61684448_XS.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Make the Switch</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: When is your Project Team like a Light Switch?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A: When you <i><b>treat them</b></i> like one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Ha ha," you say - "but what does this mean for my projects?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Answer: <b>Plenty!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's look at the characteristics of a <b>Light Switch</b>:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Settings: On/Off (or Dim, if you want to spend a bit more)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Power source<i>: invisible </i>- no input or energy required from you, after flipping the switch. The light switch does not change.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Controls local and/or <i>remote </i>lights, not very personal </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Light remains On or Off until changed, <i>without visible energy requirements to remain so</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Output is constant</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is resistant to other forces (you can't blow out an electric light) </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, the characteristics of a <b>Candle</b>:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Settings: On/Off (or Dim, depending how you trim the candle)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Power source<i>: visible </i>- and literally shrinks before your eyes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It <i>is </i>the source of light, very personal and in-your-face</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Goes out when the candle burns down</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Output depends on length of wick, type of wax, size of candle</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Depends on energy and skill from you to ignite the flame</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject to other forces (You can blow it out)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, think about <i>that </i>- and your team for a moment.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you treat your team like a light switch, this means you are taking them for granted. They should simply work hard, without thanks or praise, and do it consistently day-in and day-out. No encouragement required, no mentoring, no guidance - and certainly no development training. Switch them on, work - off, go home. No consideration of what drives or motivates them, just work.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In effect, they are viewed as just a <i>machine</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not very nice, is it? And yet there are many bosses out there (I would not call a person like that a <i>Manager</i>) who do behave like that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would not expect to see a top-performing team in this situation. More likely a group of people looking for the nearest exit, as soon as they can scramble to it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you want to have a top-performing team, you need to start with treating your team the old-fashioned way. Yes - OK, like a <b>CANDLE</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>C</u>are </b>about your team. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Great leaders actually care about their teams - as people.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>A</u>sk </b>their opinions about project matters - because they probably know more than you do. You have a skilled team precisely because you can't do it alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>N</u>urture</b> your team - get to know them personally.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Put some time and effort in and invest in those relationships.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Get to know them! Encourage them, praise in public - deliver constructive criticism in private.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b><u>D</u>evelop </b>their skills. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Projects are a great way to try something new that they may not get in a normal 9-to-5 job. Make the most of the opportunity.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> See what their needs are to help them grow and develop, and help them get any additional training they may need/want.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>L</u>ead</b>, Mentor and Coach them</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, not just direct or dictate task assignments to them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>E</u>ngage</b> with the team, one-on-one. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Pitch in and help when it is needed, rather than supervising from on high.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Remember, teams are made up of <b>people </b>- not switches, not numbers, and not role assignments. A company is nothing without its people - and the same applies to your projects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking back at that old pay meter in the holiday bach, I think it is a good symbol for bridging the old and the new; you get the advantages of steady, stable electric light - and no burned fingers working with candles. However, it also reminds us that<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> you need
to put some effort in on a regular basis - you need to engage in the process. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Translated to teams, we need to step back from the modern-day perspective of looking at everything as if it were a machine (or cog in a machine). What makes the difference between a good and a bad workplace, or a good and a bad project, is how people interact, or fail to interact - with each other. Light switches are convenient - but you also need the personal interaction you get with a candle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why not try it one weekend - while camping, or even at home? Tuck away and ignore those electric devices, and live up close and personal by candlelight. Heck, it might even make for a romantic evening.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--- </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But what about the rest of the fishing trip, you ask? Well, it was a fun weekend, but the water was muddy from recent rains and nobody caught any fish. Although I did see direct evidence that I was, in fact, on the far side of the world, far away from home. While I was standing hip-deep in the river, casting back and forth, I noticed some small, odd objects floating down past me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They didn't <i>look </i>like wood. When one came within arm's reach, I plucked it out of the water to have a closer look. I turned it over in my hand, inspecting it closely. I was holding a <b>rock </b>- a <b><i>floating rock</i></b>. It was then I knew that I was truly on the bottom of the world, and up-side down - because how else could rocks float?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pumice, anyone? ;-) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, and keep an eye on those candles.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-64777614791905778872014-02-01T15:08:00.000-08:002014-05-10T00:11:00.248-07:00Guest Post: Micromanaging is Destroying Your Team<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></h2>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Ken Myers</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Becoming a leader can be a scary process. In the early stages of a leader's career, they rely on their independence and entrepreneurship to cultivate a strong following and respect in their field. Once a leader is assigned a team, those qualities no longer work to their advantage. A leader that acts like a lone wolf jeopardizes the satisfaction of their team and their job. Learning to let go of all the responsibilities they once held to focus on the bigger picture of a project or business is difficult. Don't fall into the trap of becoming a micromanager, alienating team members and eschewing larger responsibilities. Instead, focus on cultivating a strong team through managed assignments and team unity.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Micromanagers Obliterate Job Satisfaction</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A good leader knows that employee satisfaction is key to a thriving business. A job where employees feel disconnected or lack ownership may seem great at first but after reading the final page of the Internet will seem pointless. As a leader, your responsibility is to enhance worker satisfaction to produce higher profits and better customer satisfaction. Understanding that micromanaging completely undermines the primary focus of your job is tantamount to resolving the micromanaging issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Explore Why You Micromanage</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are thousands of legitimate reasons a leader becomes a micromanager. No one hopes to spend their career carefully poring over other's work while neglecting their other duties. Getting to the bottom of why you micromanage is needed to resolve the issue. Have you been burned by previous employees? Do you trust your current team? Is micromanaging a way to distract yourself from other duties? Does your micromanaging occur daily, weekly, or before specific events?<br /><br />Understanding the underlying issues that cause the micromanaging can help you develop a plan to discontinue it. If you notice that you tend to take over a team's responsibilities right before a high-level executive visits the team or prior to budgeting, you can stave off that instinct or develop a reporting system that will allow you to continue focusing on the big picture while being assured team members are following through with their responsibilities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hire Right</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A great team starts during the hiring process. Everyone has a story about an employee who started day one disengaged. Don't let those employees through the front door. Many employers rush through the hiring process, hoping to get a seat filled rather than filling out a vital part of a cohesive team. <br /><br />Ensure that your interview process is intensive enough to find out whether the candidate is a good fit for your team. Don't relegate interviews to 30 minutes on the phone or a one-on-one between meetings. Let team members meet candidates. A lunch can be a great interview setting because the candidate can relax and your team members can interact with them unencumbered by formal questioning. Make a concerted effort to find new members that complement your current employees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Exploit Your Worker's Strengths</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Gallup Survey measuring the state of the workforce found that employees who stated that they did what they did best every day were six times more engaged than other employees. Rather than focusing on developing team member's weaknesses, assessing and assigning responsibility based on strengths leads to higher engagement and more productivity within a team. Assignments based on employee strength help employees feel empowered and vital to the everyday responsibilities of the team.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Create an Accountability System</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do you suffer from managerial anxiety? If you constantly worry about whether specific tasks are being accomplished or whether the day-to-day responsibilities carried out, creating a system that delivers you the information you're concerned about can ease your anxiety without causing undue stress to your team. Ask team members to send weekly or biweekly emails with their accomplishments. Or set up a meeting time to ask questions about upcoming deadlines. <br /><br />A good leader becomes a great leader by having a solid team. Entrusting your team to deliver the results you need is an essential part of growing your business and finding success in your field. Rather than succumbing to your instincts to micromanage, fill your team with motivated employees, exploit their strengths, and create accountability to ensure you never have a need to micromanage.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGt2zDNx5Jc/Uu12-wWDUjI/AAAAAAAABuw/Y8nP4mWK_34/s1600/KenMyers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGt2zDNx5Jc/Uu12-wWDUjI/AAAAAAAABuw/Y8nP4mWK_34/s1600/KenMyers.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Ken Myers is a father, husband, and entrepreneur. He has combined his passion for helping families find in-home care with his experience to build a business. Learn more about him by visiting <a href="http://www.twitter.com/KenneyMyers">@KenneyMyers</a> on Twitter.</i></span>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-20436556838564093392013-12-02T22:30:00.001-08:002014-03-16T11:06:30.772-07:00May I have your Attention, Please?<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2014/03/039-may-i-have-your-attention-please.html">Also available as a podcast</a>]</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know the drill - anyone who has ever flown on a commercial airline has heard this announcement from the flight attendant, usually followed by a safety briefing video and a demonstration by the crew. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of us briefly look up, see the flight attendant standing there, snug our seat-belt, glance up above our heads, and resume reading - or listening to music, whatever. Most of us ignore the actual briefing if we have flown more than a few times. Even the comment "<i>you may have flown before, but this aircraft may be different than what you are used to, so please follow along with this safety briefing</i>" is unlikely to gain more than a few curious glances. If the safety message is only a video, there may be even fewer people paying attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have become so used to distractions and the constant babble of noise around us in our daily lives, we learn to tune it out - and that can sometimes be a good thing. But how do you get - and hold - someone's attention, particularly if the message you have to share is really important?</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQbi41sy9Ak/UpxT2z3TtPI/AAAAAAAABsE/4fG8st6Zlvo/s1600/Fotolia_33201196_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQbi41sy9Ak/UpxT2z3TtPI/AAAAAAAABsE/4fG8st6Zlvo/s400/Fotolia_33201196_XS.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On aircraft, d</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ifferent techniques have been used over the years to try to gain - and hold - your attention when announcements are made, with varying degrees of success. Humorous flight attendants are popular, but what about the safety videos?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the most effective have been produced by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/airnewzealand" target="_blank">Air New Zealand</a>, who developed a series of safety videos that actually get you watching - and engaged. They also change the videos regularly, so you are also less likely to be "ho-hum" when you get settled in for your flight. Passengers now <i>look forward </i>to the safety videos - imagine that! <i><b>Nude flight attendants with paint-on uniforms, anyone?</b></i> You can be sure everybody paid attention to that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpeiTnTaZ_8" target="_blank">safety video</a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i>"That's nice for the airlines"</i>, you say. "<i>But</i></span><i>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how can <b>we </b>get - and keep - someone's attention?"</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />One tactic is to hook them with the <u><b>unexpected</b></u> - and then <u><b>engage</b></u> them in the message, and keep them <u><b>interested</b></u> until you are finished. </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Unexpected </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>****BANG!**** </b> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Well, perhaps it is not a great idea to literally start with a bang (especially on an airplane), but you need to do something to begin to hook their attention away from their smartphones at the beginning of your message or presentation. Something out of the ordinary can work quite well, if you don't overdo it.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many years ago,well before the clever Air NZ videos, I was on an aircraft that most definitely held my undivided - and disconcerted - attention. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was leaving New Delhi, en route to Singapore. My first time flying on Aeroflot - the Russian airline. I was on an Illyushian II-86, a large single-level wide-body aircraft with the same capacity as a Boeing 747-400. It held close to 350 people, but that day it had less than 100 passengers. Plenty of room for everyone to stretch out, which was nice for a long flight.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--uVvNG12sS0/UpzPUHiydfI/AAAAAAAABsU/Ry06N4hfMCU/s1600/Aeroflot+II-86.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--uVvNG12sS0/UpzPUHiydfI/AAAAAAAABsU/Ry06N4hfMCU/s400/Aeroflot+II-86.png" height="252" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Illyushian II-86. Attribution: Jean-Pierre Tabone Adami (2002)<br />http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aeroflot_Ilyushin_Il-86_RA-86054_JPTA.jpg</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They closed the cabin doors, and a flight attendant rattled off a long spiel in Russian. They then switched to English, and I casually began to half-listen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<i>We have now turned on the fasten seat belt signs. Please make sure to have your seat belt fastened at all times when you are in your seat. Your life vest is located in a pouch under your seat. In the event of an emergency...</i>" the attendant droned on with the rest of the standard safety briefing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was just one problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><u>
</u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>There was no seat belt sign</u>.</b> In fact, there were was a clear absence of "no smoking" signs as well as seat-belt signs. There were no signs at all - in any language - except the glowing "Exit" sign in the aisle beside me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get them Engaged </span></h3>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you have their attention, give them something to think about. If you lapse into the mundane and familiar, you will begin to lose your audience. Keep it interesting - and keep a few surprises up your sleeve in case you need to re-hook them. </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked all around the cabin, trying to see if there were any signs, any at all - aside from "Exit". I looked back to my left. Ahhh, there was one more "Exit" sign, at the bottom of the wide stairs. So, the first one wasn't a fluke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>...Hold on, <b>stairs</b>? You said this was a single level plane.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, stairs. Exit sign, wide carpeted steps, railings on both sides, the whole bit. They went down to a lower level, and I could see a few suitcases piled up against one wall. <i><b>...Wait a minute, suitcases visible from my seat? </b></i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I learned later this was part of the "Luggage at Hand" option offered by the aircraft - you could buy your ticket and check-in on-board, but not on the International flights.You could walk your own bags into the baggage deck.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The safety spiel was long since finished, but I was suddenly fully <b>engaged </b>and very interested in this peculiar aircraft, and in particular how it related to my own safety.<i> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Steps to the baggage compartment? Only Exit signs? What else was going to be different about this plane?</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keep them on the Edge of their Seat</span><i><br /></i></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>OK, now you have their attention. Your message is different, and fresh - OK, maybe just different, but they are listening to you, so don't complain. What do you do next? Right - weave in the important parts of your message into your story while they are interested. <b>Wait - is my message a story?</b> Why not? Stories and anecdotes can be a powerful medium for a message to be delivered in a fun and engaging way. So tell them what you want to tell them - but keep it interesting.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After takeoff, I continued to look around the aircraft. I noticed the person beside me had his feet up. <b>Yes </b>- he had his feet <b>up</b>, with the ultimate in legroom. He had flopped the seat-back in front of him down flat.<i><b> </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>...Wait </b></i>- <i>seats are only supposed to recline <u>backwards</u></i>, <i>right</i>? They are not supposed to flip forward and sandwich you...?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the flight was quite empty, I had three seats to myself, as did the person in front of me. And behind me. And beside me. So I sat by the aisle...and in the middle...and then at the window, getting my maximum value from the three seats. I casually flopped the seat-back forward in front of me, and enjoyed the ample legroom with my feet up. Thus relaxing and thinking about perhaps having a nap, I looked out the window at the engines and the right wing. There was only a slight lulling chop for turbulence, more like a rhythmic bouncing sensation. The plane was gently bouncing in time with the flapping of the wings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, No Sleeping in the Back Row! </span></h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep things moving, don't let the message get stale. It might just be time for another zinger or small surprise.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>...Flapping?</b></i> <b>Yes</b>, this was a jet - and <b>yes</b>, the ends of the long, slender wings were bouncing up and down, making them flap about 6 feet (2m) up and down at the wing tips. Suddenly, I began to feel nervous, and uncomfortably alert. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then glanced at the twin jet engines on the right side, positioned forward of the wing on long booms. </span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both engines were bouncing up and down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, <i><b>bouncing</b></i>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The engines were not bouncing the same way, though - they counter-bounced. One went up while the other went down, about once a second.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flap, flap, flap, bounce, bounce, bounce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly I was <u><b>very, very</b></u> nervous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Send the message home</span></h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Repetition in your message is fine, as long as you don't over do it. A common teaching practice is to "tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you have told them." Make sure to emphasize your key point - the stories and anecdotes are great, but make sure they remember the core of the message you are trying to deliver. </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shuddered, and turned my attention back inside the aircraft. I was just in time to see the passenger in front of me rub his back against the seat. He was twisting to rub an itchy bit of his back against the side of the seat cushion, but as he did so, the entire frame of all three seats in his row visibly twisted with his movement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At that point, I simply gave up worrying. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we ever crashed, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nobody would ever survive.</span> It was the longest 5 1/2 hour flight of my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing is for sure though - they had [accidentally] gained - and held - my complete and undivided attention for the entire trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everybody seems to want a slice of your attention. It is no wonder people are complaining that attention spans are constantly decreasing - there is no shortage of interruptions and distractions that are all wanting a piece of you - and your time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It used to be that the simple phrase "May I have your attention, please?" would have most of the people in the room politely turn and listen to the speaker for a decent period of time - to listen to an announcement, or perhaps a full hour-long presentation. Now, however, we seem to have grown immune to this polite request. Buzzing, chirping, ringing, tweeting, and just plain lack of social etiquette seems to be the order of the day. Even when we <b>say </b>we are paying attention, our fingers are itching to check email, Facebook, twitter or texts. For most of us it has become a habit - or even an addiction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Not me", you say - "I pay attention! Don't count me as one of those 'rude' people!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, perhaps you are an exception. However, not many can resist the constant distractions surrounding us and in the palm of our hand or our pockets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh, hey, but wait - I have one more interruption...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Did They Get the Message?</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hey, what about the airplane story above? How does it fit in with "getting your attention" and "communicating a message" - after all, the flight attendant spoke for barely a minute, reading off some card that apparently did not even relate to their aircraft. What 'message' were they trying to pass on? They didn't even care to get their facts straight, while *I* have an important presentation to give to a group of 500 people. I prepared for weeks - how could you even compare the two things?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ahhh...you want the <b><i>secret</i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>That's</i></b> gonna cost you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You gotta <b><i>pay</i></b>.....<i>attention</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The important thing to remember about your message is <b>not </b>the actual message delivery itself. It is <b><i>what the audience takes away</i></b> from the experience that matters. What will they take away from their journey with you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The anonymous flight attendant said little - but the experience spoke volumes. I learned to <i><b>pay attention</b></i> on aircraft - and not take my surroundings for granted. In doing so, I became very aware of how different things were - and how they could potentially affect my safety. It was, effectively, an interactive, 5 1/2 hour long self-directed "safety briefing" that started with the "hook" from the flight attendant. I learned a few more things too:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I learned that I may think twice about flying on that particular type of aircraft again. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I came to
appreciate the other aircraft I had become used to flying on, with their
short-legroom, no-flip-forward seats, their non-flapping wings and
engines firmly
affixed to the wings in a most satisfactorily non-bouncy way.</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also learned that "this aircraft may be different" is not an idle threat!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you prepare for and deliver your presentation, think as much about <b>how </b>you are presenting your message as <b>what </b>you are trying to say. You never know what the audience will actually take away from your presentation, but if you can <b>engage </b>them and keep up their <b>interest</b> in what you have to say, they may actually end up leaving with some of the message you were trying to convey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, take care in crafting and delivering your messages - and next time you are on an airplane, <u>pay attention</u> to the safety briefing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-25598005750918668122013-11-18T01:35:00.000-08:002013-11-18T01:35:22.714-08:00Guest Post: A Recipe for Teams<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">By Peter de Jager</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Groups of people are most effective at completing large complicated tasks, when they’re co-operating smoothly with very little interpersonal conflict. This is nothing more than an observation. When this happens we recognize it is a somewhat unique occurrence. So… we give it a name – we call it a ‘Team’. <br /><br />When we move onto our next large complicated task, and there’s no shortage of these – we remember our last success and try to replicate the it. We remember the Teamwork and set out to re- create that same sense of co-operative team spirit. The problem is that we really don’t have an accurate understanding of why/how a group of people gel into this thing we call a ‘team’. We know it’s desirable, we know it seems to generate positive results, but we don’t really know why it happens.<br /><br />Consider for a moment the inherent complexity of how people interact. If there are only six people in a group, there are 15 possible one-to-one interactions. Add one more person to the group, and the number of interactions jumps to 21 interactions. (Think of clinking wine glasses when you make a toast around the dinner table) For the sake of simplicity? I’m ignoring the many ways in which people can form cliques and how that adds to the number and types of interactions. <br />The simple truth is that a manager does not have the time to oversee each and every interaction within a group, anymore than a farmer can attend to each individual ear of corn in a cornfield. What a farmer does, and what we as managers must learn to do, is create an environment that is ‘friendly’ to teams and which supports their growth.<br /><br />The other thing a farmer knows, and managers must embrace - Is that the ears of corn, the team members in this analogy, are going to do what comes naturally. We cannot ‘force’ people to work well together… The moment we start to use force, we almost guarantee the group will never blossom into a team.<br /><br />So? Before we put on our boots and head to the fields, can we define what it is we’re going to try and re-create? What exactly is a team? A working definition is comprised of three parts. The first component is a well defined goal/objective. The second is group of people who believe that the goal is worthy of their efforts. And the third part is a shared understanding of the roles of each individual as they work towards that goal.<br /><br />That sounds simple enough – hopefully not so simple as to be useless – just simple enough to keep in mind as a starting point as we work towards our goal of creating a team.<br /><br />The first part is easy enough. Defining the goal, and then communicating that definition doesn’t require any special powers. Just some good analytical skills, and the ability to communicate. Surely these are abilities well within the reach of most managers. One down, two to go.<br /><br />The next piece is a little bit more difficult. Getting people to see that the goal is worthy of their efforts isn't achieved by snapping our fingers and expecting people to immediately accept our exhortations that the goal is worthy. It requires a touch of leadership ability, and an understanding of how people respond to Change. There’s nothing too difficult here, but this does require some effort on the part of the Team Leader, it doesn't just happen. Two down, one left.<br /><br />Lastly we have to have everyone on the team understand two distinct things. First? How their role will contribute to the success of the team. And just as important? How the roles of everyone else will contribute to that success. How do we do this? Simple. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. All done. Well… not quite – something’s missing.<br />All of this is all very fine. These three components provide a good structure on which to build a team, but to be perfectly honest? There’s something missing here, and it has to do with the complexity mentioned earlier. People interact with each other, and the ‘spirit’ of a ‘team’ is encapsulated in those interactions. Given that these interactions outnumber the Manager’s ability to monitor and/or affect on an individual basis… how can a Manager affect this aspect of Team formation?<br /><br />Part of the answer lies in the simple reality that people are social animals. Left to our own devices, we naturally choose to get to know each other. The more we know each other, the more we’re likely to trust each other – assuming of course that we’re trustworthy – and for the most part we are. Working together isn’t an unnatural act. We might not help a complete stranger – but most of us seem to choose to do so, but we will almost certainly help anyone with whom we have more than a passing relationship. <br /><br />So? How can we capitalize on the almost hardwired aspects of human nature to create the teams required by our organizations? Just as the Farmer lets ears of corn do what ears of corn do… we should create environments/opportunities where people can do what people tend to naturally do. <br /><br />If you want to see this happen… and reap some organizational benefit from human nature? Here’s a simple recipe for team building Invite people together for an informal evening. Don’t provide food. Sooner or later – someone’s going to get hungry – that’s what humans do. Don’t order in… instead suggest that they cook a meal. Don’t have supplies on hand. A team will form that will head out for supplies (this used to be called ‘hunting’)… when they return, a team will form to cook the meal, another will form to set the table. Before your eyes a team is forming. It’s what people do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />© 2013, Peter de Jager. Peter is convinced we make things more difficult than they need to be. The answers are in front of us. He’s a Keynote Speaker, Writer and Consultant. Visit <a href="http://vimeo.com/technobility">vimeo.com/technobility </a>to listen some live presentations.</span>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-24099441772672762722013-11-04T21:44:00.001-08:002013-11-04T22:09:01.956-08:00Guest Post: Five Essential Presentation Tips<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">By Peter Taylor, <i>The Lazy Project Manager</i></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are already an expert on Presentation Skills – I mean, how many presentations have you suffered in your time at work? Clearly you can recognise a ‘good’ presentation and a ‘bad’ presentation. You have so much experience!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Here are my top 5 tips to improve your own Presenting Skills.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. To Begin</b>: Open on a high and finish on an equal high– start and finish your presentation with a story or example or key point, something that will both relax you and get the audience engaged, and leave them wanting to find out more at the end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Getting the audience's attention right from the beginning is essential - remember the first 10 minutes window is the first point of opportunity to lose your audience, and having lost them they are very hard to get back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>2. The Content</b>: If you talk about something you know well then rehearse to control your time and avoid getting ‘carried away’. If you don’t know the subject well then still rehearse and possibly invite people who know more than you do on the subject to be there to support you if needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Don’t try and deliver 100% in the presentation – takeaways/hand-outs/follow-ups etc are all acceptable (after the event)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Time</b>: It’s not the volume but the message that counts. Don’t waste people’s time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The average presentation is 60 mins – say an average audience is 100 people so this may be just 1 hour of your time but it is 100 hours of your audiences’ time. Wasted if I you are not ‘good’ – and this is equal to 4.2 days!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Last year I presented to around 7,000 people which is a potential of 292 days of wasted time if I got it wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Better to prepare and deliver a great 30 minutes rather than a mediocre 60 minutes.<br />Hands up anyone who has ever complained about a presentation finishing early?<br />And be prepared to adapt to time constraints – time of day – organisers demands etc – be flexible</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>4. The Practicalities</b>: Or the three Ps: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare, a well-rehearsed presentation will keep your audiences’ attention</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Present, the smallest part time wise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Profit, Your audience should gain something from the experience</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>5. Break the Rules</b>: There are a number of ‘rules’ that you may have been taught over the years.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6:6:1 rule (6 bullets /6 words/1 idea on one slide) – not a bad rule but try and avoid it – use pictures instead of words, the slides (if you have slides) are for your audience and not for you!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agenda - tell what are you going to tell, then tell and then tell what you have told them … absolutely not, entertain them, educate them and leave them wanting more and open to talking after the presentation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank the audience – well yes but to close this way is a very flat ending to a presentation, better to close out with a call to action or simple ‘next step’.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Break the rules and have fun with your next presentation!<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can learn a whole lot more about Presentation Skills on my Webinar that runs on 28th November 2013 - <a href="http://www.thelazyprojectmanager.com/">CHECK IT OUT HERE</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABOUT PETER TAYLOR</span></h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DYW02FGfWh8/UniDaC5sffI/AAAAAAAABrI/VFdCxrTqxGQ/s1600/TheLazyPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DYW02FGfWh8/UniDaC5sffI/AAAAAAAABrI/VFdCxrTqxGQ/s320/TheLazyPM.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SPEAKER: AUTHOR: TRAINER: COACH: CONSULTANT<br />Peter Taylor is the author of two best-selling books on ‘Productive Laziness’ – ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lazy-Winner-Peter-Taylor/dp/1906821895"><i>The Lazy Winner</i></a>’ and ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lazy-Project-Manager-productive/dp/1906821674"><i>The Lazy Project Manager</i></a>’. <br /><br />In the last 3 years he has focused on writing and lecturing with over 200 presentations around the world in over 20 countries and with new books out including ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lazy-Project-Manager-Hell-ebook/dp/B007V3LGHU"><i>The Lazy Project Manager and the Project from Hell</i></a>’, ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Project-Sponsorship-Vicki-James/dp/1567264069"><i>Strategies for Project Sponsorship</i></a>’, ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Successful-PMOs-Peter-Taylor/dp/1409418375"><i>Leading Successful PMOs</i></a>’, and ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Six-Stratagems-Infinite-Success-ebook/dp/B00BFCQ2PO"><i>The Thirty-Six Stratagems: A Modern Interpretation of a Strategy Classic</i></a>’ - with a number of other book projects currently underway.<br /><br />He has been described as ‘perhaps the most entertaining and inspiring speaker in the project management world today’ and he also acts as an independent consultant working with some of the major organizations in the world coaching executive sponsors, PMO leaders and project managers. <br /><br />His mission is to teach as many people as possible that it is achievable to ‘work smarter and not harder’ and to still gain success in the battle of the work/life balance.<br /><br />More information can be found at <a href="http://www.thelazyprojectmanager.com/">www.thelazyprojectmanager.com</a> and <a href="http://www.thelazywinner.com/">www.thelazywinner.com</a> – and through his free podcasts in iTunes.<br /><br />• Keynote Presentations and Lectures<br />• Master of Ceremonies<br />• Inspirational Workshops<br />• Coaching<br />• Authoring</span>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-71608777204923913802013-10-31T22:48:00.000-07:002013-10-31T22:48:08.974-07:00Guest Post: Is Your Voice Being Heard?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our world is clogged with promiscuous noise offering everything from eternal youth to creating your own avatar on Facebook. We are bombarded relentlessly with information through more channels than we could ever have imagined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>At work. </b>How many emails come into your inbox each day? How many unnecessary meetings do you attend?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Walking to get your lunch. </b>Billboards, shopfronts, audio, people with flyers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>At play.</b> Advertising on every website, on social media, in every game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Well intentioned</b> information that’s shared by others to help you with your work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />The point is, we are all so submerged in information that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to be heard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Ever been presenting an idea in a meeting to see people texting or checking emails? It’s ok, go ahead, I’m listening. Ever been giving a presentation to see glazed looks in eyes or worse, people nodding off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>To cut through the clutter we need 3 things.</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To have a sense of purpose for each piece of communication.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To understand what information is relevant to your audience.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The ability to structure the information in a way that is easily followed.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You don’t set off on a holiday without a destination do you? Even our most carefree travellers who may say, I’m off to Europe, still have a destination in mind. Where do you want your audience to be at the end of your presentation? Having a clear purpose in your mind allows us to filter irrelevant information as well as keeping ourselves on track.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let me show you what I mean. Say I am the headmaster of a school and my purpose is to motivate my audience of Year 11 & 12 boys to eat healthier food. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So when I’m planning my presentation do I include:<br /><b>a)</b> information on how eating well can help you live longer<br /><b>b)</b> information on how eating well gives you guns<br /><b>c)</b> information on how eating well reduces pimples, makes you look better and helps you get girls <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Get it? Purpose acts as a filter when you plan your presentation or any other important conversation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />How do you know what is relevant to your audience? Do your research. And this can be as deep as you need. Who are they? Age? Gender? Salary? Interests? What do they know about your topic? What do they need to know? What motivates them? Where do they live? What do you imagine their lives are like? Walk in their shoes. Get in their heads. When you do, you will create content that nails your target every time. And that means you’re cutting through the clutter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />So thanks to your purpose you’ve got a whole heap of relevant information.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />But if you throw it out randomly you will lose your audience. The way you structure your information is critical. Your listeners need to be taken on a clear cut journey. There are several ways to create this structure but it will always need a logical flow. Let’s go back to our teenage boys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Not so Great Structure</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />Better Structure</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVJuZRg0u3Y/UnM9_CWw0SI/AAAAAAAABqs/M_7yx54rLKQ/s1600/Diag-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVJuZRg0u3Y/UnM9_CWw0SI/AAAAAAAABqs/M_7yx54rLKQ/s400/Diag-2.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simply by placing the benefit up front (in this case) you have the audience’s attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do not confuse being an extrovert and being able to wing it casually in front of 10 or 1000 as being a great communicator. The fact that you’re the one asked to speak at weddings and funerals may just mean you are less scared of public speaking than anyone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />To be a great communicator you need <b>purpose</b>, you need <b>relevance </b>and you need <b>structure </b>BEFORE anything else. But when you can rise above the noise and articulate well in a boardroom or a ballroom you are noticed and promoted. You are seen as confident and knowledgeable. You are heard and that means you can influence, getting more of what you want.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDdBlIEnolo/UnM_LX9F39I/AAAAAAAABq0/_enY7Pff8qs/s1600/Lynne+Schinella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDdBlIEnolo/UnM_LX9F39I/AAAAAAAABq0/_enY7Pff8qs/s1600/Lynne+Schinella.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Lynne Schinella is a professional business speaker, corporate trainer and CEO of Ripe Learning. She can be contacted on 612 9929 8989 or emailed at <a href="mailto:lynne@ripestuff.com">lynne@ripestuff.com</a></i></span>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-89132170045452461252013-10-25T02:00:00.000-07:002013-10-29T01:53:38.359-07:00Life Skills through Project Management - Projects for Kids<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>This article celebrates <a href="http://internationalpmday.org/">International Project Management Day</a> - November 7, 2013. </b>One key theme this year is <u>Life skills through project management</u> – Teaching project management skills such as planning, organizing and leading to young people in grammar schools and high school. <a href="http://internationalpmday.org/ipm-day-discounts/"></a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Managing Projects is <u>tough</u>, right?</b> You need a lot of <u>training</u>, <u>experience</u>, an <u>iron will</u> and a <u>cast-iron stomach</u> in order to be able to deal with all of the challenges and complexities that your sponsor, stakeholders, vendors and customers can throw at you. And yet somehow, you manage to survive the experience, and take those battle scars with you as you strive to improve on the next project. Sometimes it seems that if you are not some sort of Superman, you won't survive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hardly sounds like <b>fun </b>- who would want to ever manage a project with a bleak future like that ahead of you, with all of your projects viewed as uphill battles?</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Not all projects are like that</b> - and in fact, many activities that happen in our everyday lives are, in reality, projects. The problem is that most people don't realize that fact - and yes, I even include the experienced Project Managers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also submit to you that managing projects does not have to be tough. <b>It can be fun</b>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only can they be fun, but managing projects is so <b>simple </b>that a <b>child </b>could do it. They may not be quite ready to tackle your multi-million dollar project, but I assure you that children can - and do - manage projects every day. The big difference between their projects and yours is scale and language. But even at that, you may find yourself surprised at what 10-12 year old children (and even younger) can actually do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learning to manage projects successfully is an essential life skill - and you are never too young (or too old) to learn how to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even a Child can do it</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Project Management concepts are actually not that hard to understand, but you do need to consider the language you use when teaching children. Let's take a look at how one Project Manager tries to explain things to his 11 year old daughter, and ends up adapting his teaching so she can better understand and use some simple project management techniques to solve a big problem.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extract from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Tree-House-Project/dp/1482558130"><b>The Ultimate Tree House Project</b></a></span></h3>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Kristen ITC"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Kristen ITC";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="height: 158px; left: 0px; margin-left: 29px; margin-top: 21px; mso-ignore: vglayout; position: absolute; width: 198px; z-index: 251648512;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc352397492;">This
Means War!</span></span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Amanda got home, she went into the kitchen to talk to
her Mom. Instead, she found her father getting a drink of water from the tap. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Where’s Mom?” asked Amanda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“She just went to the store to pick up some spices for
dinner. We ran out.” Her father said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What’s up, kiddo? You look upset.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Boys are stupid.” she said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her father raised his eyebrows. “All boys? Including me?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda looked at her father. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oops!</i> “No, of course not YOU, Dad. You know, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BOYS</i>. Especially Ben.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Oooh, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boys</i>. What
seems to be the problem?” asked her father in a gentle tone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“They just, they just….ooooo! They are so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">annoying</i> sometimes!” she exclaimed. “I
know how to do what they need to do and they won’t let me help them because I’m
a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">GIRL</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And what do they need to do?” he inquired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Build a tree house. I mean, the rope ladder for it. I know
how to make one, I learned it in Girl Guides. But they won’t listen. They are
just dumb boys. They said that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Girls
were Allowed</i>, and that’s not fair!” she pouted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, what’s stopping you from building your own tree
house?” asked her father, looking at her closely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I….what?” she stopped and looked at her father. “What do
you mean?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, you seem to know how to do some of the things that these
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">silly boys</i> don’t know how to do, so
why don’t you build your own tree house?” He looked at her with a sly smile on
his face. “We have lots of wood left in the yard from the old fence, and you
are welcome to use it to build your own tree house too.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Realization of what her father was saying crept across her
face like a sunrise. “Really? Can I? I mean us Girls? Can we?” she blurted out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Of course. Girls are just as capable as boys. Plus you will
have a secret weapon!” he announced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“What secret weapon?” she asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Me!” said her Dad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Huh?” she looked at her father closely. “What do you mean?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Do you want to make a tree house like your brother?” asked
her father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yes! I mean no, the boys’ one looks silly. I want to build
a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">better</i> tree house than them.” She
crossed her arms and raised her head defiantly. “I want to build a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">much better</i> tree house than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ben</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and
his gang</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Oh really?” smiled her Dad. “Are you willing to pay the
price?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda suddenly looked uncertain. “What price? I don’t have
much of my allowance left. It’s not Saturday yet.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her Dad smiled. “Not your money, Amanda. You keep that. The
price I am talking about is taking the time to<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> learn how to build your tree house the right way</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And what is the right way?” asked Amanda, now puzzled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“As a <b>PROJECT</b>.” declared her Dad.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCoa72BaLd4/Umom9fkPibI/AAAAAAAABpc/BapSXnOZIRY/s1600/Spacer-Ruler.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="39" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCoa72BaLd4/Umom9fkPibI/AAAAAAAABpc/BapSXnOZIRY/s320/Spacer-Ruler.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vZg1No3_FSI/UmogZoNbRUI/AAAAAAAABo8/KMNeqoHeoG8/s1600/PKA+Logo1-1_463x172.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Awww Dad, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">work</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stuff</i>!” groaned Amanda. Her father
was a Project Manager for a local construction company. “Work stuff is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boring</i>!”</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Just wait and listen,” continued her father. “You need a
bit of this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">work stuff</i> in order to
make your tree house better than Ben’s.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He paused, noting his daughter’s scowl. “Not only am I going
to tell you how to make a better tree house than Ben, I am going to show you
that you can do it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">easier</i> than him.
Are you interested?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better? Easier?</i>
she thought. She liked the idea of that. “Okay Dad, tell me how to do it!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well first, Mandy, I need to draw you some pictures.” her
father replied. “Please go into my office and grab some blank pieces of paper
and a ruler and meet me at the kitchen table.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda went down the hallway and entered her father’s “home
office”. She opened the printer tray and pulled out five pieces of blank paper.
She closed the printer tray and walked back to the kitchen where her father was
waiting at the table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Have a seat, Amanda.” said her father. “No, not in your
normal seat. Sit beside me so you can see what I am drawing.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda moved around the table to sit beside her father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He pulled a mechanical pencil
from his shirt pocket and drew some lines using the ruler and wrote some notes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“There are four steps to every project,” her father spoke in
a formal voice. “<i><b>Initiation</b></i>, <i><b>Planning</b></i>, <i><b>Execution </b></i>and <i><b>Closeout</b></i>. Well, five if
you count <i><b>Control</b></i>, which kind of happens for the whole project.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda looked at the words. “<i><b>Initiation</b></i>? What’s that? And
<i><b>Execution </b></i>– people don’t get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">killed</i>
on your projects, do they Dad?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He father looked at the paper thoughtfully for a moment.
“Initiation is getting things started. And no, honey, we don’t kill people. I
think I might need to use some better words for you. Let’s try something else.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He flipped the paper over,
lined up the ruler and drew another diagram.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Okay, how about this. <b>Idea</b>, <b>Plan</b>, <b>Do </b>and <b>Finish Up</b>. Sound
better?” he asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Much better, thanks Dad.” smiled Amanda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And then instead of ‘Control’ we have ‘<b>Lead, Check and
Correct</b>’.” Her father suggested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok, I guess…” Amanda wiggled in her seat. “You explain it
first and I’ll tell you if we need different words.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok honey, that’s fine. So you know what an Idea is, right?”
asked her father, with a wink.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda sat up straight and stuck out her tongue. “Of course
I know what an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Idea</i> is. C’mon, Dad!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Okay, just checking.” He smiled. “And you understand what
Plan is, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Like when you want to do something but you are not sure
how, so you have to think about how you are going to do it?” Amanda suggested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Right, that’s pretty close. Though at work, even when we
pretty much know what we are going to do, we still take time to discuss it and
see if we want to do it the same way, or if we want to try to do it a different
way.” Her father replied.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“And ‘Do’?” her father asked, “That’s an easy one too. Not
too hard yet, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Not too hard, Dad. I am<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
Eleven</i> you know…” she squinted up at him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Right, of course, you’re <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eleven</i>.” Her father drew out the last word.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“So ‘Finish Up’ is pretty obvious too, huh?” asked her
father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yeah Dad, our teacher keeps telling us to hurry and finish
up our work.” She yawned. “Sorry, Dad, it’s kind of boring so far. I’m not a
little kid. So where is the secret weapon part?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Almost there, I will speed it up a little. The bottom part
is important. Well, all parts are, but that part is kind of a big part of my
job at work, so at least I think it is important, anyway.” Her father paused
and rubbed his eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok Dad, tell me…” she started.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok, well the ‘Control’ part, or ‘Lead, Check and Correct’
as I wrote it for you, is important because it is how you make sure you are
still doing what you are supposed to do – and will end up with what you wanted
in the first place.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Like when we do a quiz at school and the teacher tells us
to check over our answers before we hand it in?” asked Amanda.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Kind of like that, yes.” said her father.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok Dad, that’s great.
Thanks!” Amanda started to get up from the table.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Hold on honey, there is a little bit more for tonight. I
need to explain some more before we have dinner.” Her father motioned for
Amanda to sit.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Amanda sat down. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Now what did you see when you were watching your brother
and his friends today at the tree?” asked her father.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“They were arguing and fighting over things. They didn’t
seem to know what they were doing,” she said. “Each one of them had ideas they
were saying but the others did not seem to be listening.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Hmmmmm,” said her father. “I think this might be what is
going on then.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He pulled out a fresh piece
of paper and drew another picture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DV4K4C1LHzI/Umons8EDwPI/AAAAAAAABp0/CAjI8yeR_jk/s1600/DadStages6_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DV4K4C1LHzI/Umons8EDwPI/AAAAAAAABp0/CAjI8yeR_jk/s400/DadStages6_web.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“I think they went straight from ‘Idea’ to ‘Do’” mused her
father. “That’s usually a recipe for disaster.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“They weren’t cooking, Dad. They were trying to build a tree
house.” corrected Amanda.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yes, dear, you are right. What I mean is, it sounds like
they skipped Planning and jumped right into Doing. I see people try to do that
a lot, and it rarely works out well. They usually fail.” Her father rubbed his
temples.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Fail? Like on a test at school?” asked Amanda, with a
curious look.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Different. Fail in a way that if a person does not do their
job right, people can get hurt,” sighed her father. “Either that, or they waste
a lot of time and money trying to do something that does not work like it is
supposed to, and they have to redo things to make it work right.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ok Dad, you said we were almost to the ‘secret weapon’
part…” urged Amanda, fidgeting in her seat.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well if you look at the drawing of what your brother and
his friends seem to be doing, there is a part we said was missing, right?” he
asked. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“The Planning part, right Dad?” said Amanda.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Right. The Planning part is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">secret weapon</i>. All of the parts are important, but by far that is
the most important of all.” Her father coughed, took a sip of water and then
continued. “I am going to draw you one more picture, and that will be it for
tonight. You have been studying hard.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Studying?</i> thought
Amanda, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She wasn’t studying – was she?</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her father pulled out his ruler
and flipped over the paper. He set the ruler and drew another drawing:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JpFIaEBrLs0/Umon4IdfosI/AAAAAAAABp8/rJGK1wZO9kE/s1600/DadStages5_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JpFIaEBrLs0/Umon4IdfosI/AAAAAAAABp8/rJGK1wZO9kE/s400/DadStages5_web.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="GirlHandwriting">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“See the curve? That shows how much time and effort you
should spend in each phase of your project. The curve can be a bit different
depending on your project, but notice how there is a big part of it in the
Planning section?” asked her father.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Ummm...yeah?” yawned Amanda.</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Well, that is where you need to spend a lot of your effort,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">before</i> you start really doing things
on your project.” Her father watched her eyes closely. They were beginning to
wander. He heard the front door open and then close. His wife was home; dinner
would be ready soon.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“That’s enough for today, honey. You take these drawings
with you, and go work on your homework for a few minutes. Then please wash up
and help your Mom, okay?” Her father smiled at her. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Yes Dad.” said Amanda. She stood up and then stretched as
she walked down the hallway to her bedroom.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She has a lot to learn, he thought. This is going to be an interesting challenge. Boys against the Girls (…and Dad!) </span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>
</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read more of the story in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Tree-House-Project/dp/1482558130">The Ultimate Tree House Project</a>, including additional lessons taught to the young PM by her father - and of course, what happens to the children and the Tree House!</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>*International Project Management Day 2013 Special*</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a limited time (through November 8, 2013) you can download the eBook version for <b>FREE</b>. Click here to get <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301092">The Ultimate Tree House Project eBook</a> now! </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter code: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>AG89C</b> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See the International Project Management Day website discounts page for other offers: <i><a href="http://internationalpmday.org/ipm-day-discounts/">http://internationalpmday.org/ipm-day-discounts/</a></i></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Tree-House-Project/dp/1482558130"><b>The Ultimate Tree House Project</b></a> -<i> Project Kids Adventures #1</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ISBN </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">978-1482558135<i> (220 pages) </i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lrfOYFy1ij4/UmoglQTEiCI/AAAAAAAABpA/KCW_5ithMCM/s1600/TUTHP_Cover_1.4-FRONT_200x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lrfOYFy1ij4/UmoglQTEiCI/AAAAAAAABpA/KCW_5ithMCM/s320/TUTHP_Cover_1.4-FRONT_200x300.png" width="192" /></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Synopsis:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10 year old best friends Ben, James, Tim & Tom find the perfect tree
in a forest near their school and begin to build the Ultimate Tree
House. Things start with a bang, and get even worse when Ben's sister
Amanda discovers them working on their secret tree house. Next thing
they know, the girls are building their own - in the same tree - and it
looks even better than the boy's! How are they doing it? What is their
secret weapon? After the accident, everything changes and the boys are
forced to team up with the girls - as if that would ever work! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This book
introduces basic Project Management concepts to children through an
entertaining, funny story and simple lessons taught to one of the
children by her father who is (of course) a Project Manager. She applies
what she has learned and suddenly the girls are leaping ahead of the
boys who had just "started building" - without a plan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Come join this
unlikely band of tree house builders - four girls, four boys - as they
end up working together to try and complete the Ultimate Tree House Project! This book is targeted at children ages 8-12.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can also visit the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://projectkidsadventures.com/">Project Kids Adventures</a> </span>series companion website for <b>free</b> resources and fun activities for children, parents and teachers.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://projectkidsadventures.com/"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vZg1No3_FSI/UmogZoNbRUI/AAAAAAAABo4/8QUZdNuFH4A/s400/PKA+Logo1-1_463x172.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This series has been designed to support <a href="http://projectkidsadventures.com/resources?q=lessons">classroom programs</a>, but is also suitable for independent reading and as fun bedtime stories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://projectkidsadventures.com/resources?q=lessons">Click here for Parent/Teacher Notes and School Curriculum Applicability</a></i></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Note</b>: Discounts are available for bulk orders and classroom programs. If you would like to run a pilot program in your school, please contact us at <a href="mailto:school-programs@gazzasguides.com">school-programs@gazzasguides.com</a>.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coming soon: <b>The Scariest Haunted House Project - <i>Ever</i>!</b> <i>Project Kids Adventures #2 (<a href="http://www.gazzasguides.com/?q=tshhpe_Contents">Read the free preview here</a>) </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy the book.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects (no matter how old or young you are), and remember to have fun doing it!<i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.gazzasguides.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b5fzDVgLfMk/UeEw7XwcfRI/AAAAAAAABgA/18kC-JNcnTQ/s1600/GG_Logo1+160x160.png" /></a></div>
<br />Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-92156027435819842982013-10-13T01:32:00.001-07:002013-10-13T01:38:04.783-07:00Have YOU Exploited your Project Team Today?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Let me ask you an important question:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Have you <u>Exploited</u> your Project Team Today? </i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wait a minute, <u>Exploit</u> your Project Team? You are probably thinking - <i>He can't be serious</i>. <i>That's a horrible, evil thing to do, right?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">You probably also have visions of unfair wages, an evil boss, overworked and under-appreciated staff, things like that. Unfortunately, that does happen - but it is not what I am talking about.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">You really <i><b>should </b></i>exploit your team - and a trip to the toy store made me come to view this as a viable management approach. </span><br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wisdom from the Toy Store </span></span></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">While
shopping for a birthday present for one of my children, I came across
the following toy that you first assemble, and then play with:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QpAfXds9irE/UlpXbzMMPHI/AAAAAAAABnc/IKK2Asa1pBw/s1600/IMG_2942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QpAfXds9irE/UlpXbzMMPHI/AAAAAAAABnc/IKK2Asa1pBw/s400/IMG_2942.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"<b>Exploiter</b>"? My initial reaction was to take offense at the words on the
box. My second reaction was to take a photo. Translated instructions from
a foreign country are often quite humorous, but it is less common to
have the label or name of a product be so obviously "wrong". It was one
of those you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I paced around the store, agitated, thinking about
what a poor message this was giving to our children - nobody wants to be
exploited, and if you exploit someone, you are obviously a bad
person - right? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I came back around to that shelf, I saw that there was more wording on the box, so I pulled out my phone and took another photo:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7HpyZDGraA/UlpYJzpTmdI/AAAAAAAABns/Uu7lp7I3Zog/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7HpyZDGraA/UlpYJzpTmdI/AAAAAAAABns/Uu7lp7I3Zog/s400/IMG_2943.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QrqSEwO9FV0/UlpXjCfHA3I/AAAAAAAABnk/_H7yXlkdVfY/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Well, now wait a minute - "<i>As a Team, We Can Accomplish Anything</i>"? That does not sound particularly evil. In fact, it sounds like a good Leadership message. Maybe I wouldn't complain to the store manager just yet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I left the store empty-handed but with my head full of questions. How could there be such a disconnect on the product packaging? </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">What was going on? How could we reconcile the negative and positive messages?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I looked up the definition for this troublesome word, one that is most often used in a particularly negative light.</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>exploit</b></span> <b><br /></b></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>verb</b><br />Pronunciation: /ɪkˈsplɔɪt, ɛk-/<br />[with object]<br /><br /> 1 <b>make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource)</b>:<i>500 companies sprang up to exploit this new technology</i><br /><br /> 2 <b>make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand</b>:<i>the company was exploiting a legal loophole</i><br /> <b>benefit unfairly from the work of (someone), typically by overworking or underpaying them</b>:<i>women are exploited in the workplace</i><br /><br /><i></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was not a problem of <i><b>definition </b></i>or even <i><b>interpretation </b></i>- the manufacturer most likely looked up the word in the dictionary, saw the <i>positive </i>English definition (<i>Make full use of and derive benefit from a resource</i>), and decided it was a great name to use for their product. <i><b>Maximize benefits</b></i>? <i><b>Make full use of resources</b></i>? Great lessons to teach our children, without a doubt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Did they miss the mark on appreciating the common (negative) usage of the word in English-speaking countries? <b>Absolutely</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some words just get a bad rap - they are neither good, nor bad, and they can sometimes be both. What is important is how they are used. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So - <u>not</u> really an evil toy, then.</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But how does this apply to projects and managing teams? Should we <i><b>exploit </b></i>our teams?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The answer is <b>yes </b>- not only <b>should we</b>, but we <b>must</b>, in order to have successful project outcomes. We just need to stick to the <i>positive </i>definitions. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On your projects, you should definitely <i>make full use of and derive benefit from your resources</i>, starting with your Project Team. Your project team is critical to your project success; they have the skills and expertise to get the job done. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, you should steer well clear of the negative definitions - <i><b>make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand, or benefit unfairly from the work of (someone), typically by overworking or underpaying them</b>.</i> You should, instead, always treat people fairly and respectfully, and show them they are valued.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Remember also that your project team actually extends out beyond the dedicated core group you have assigned to your project; your extended project team includes your stakeholders, customers, and other subject matter experts - essentially, anyone that has some involvement with</span> your project can be considered part of the project team, and someone you can look to for help, decisions or advice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you are scratching your head on a problem that you and your immediate project team do not know the answer to, make sure to <i><b>exploit </b></i>the extended project team to get your questions answered so that you can move on to the next challenge. <i>Make effective use of your available resources to help you reach the goals of the project.</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>"Big deal", </i>you say - <i>"I am already using my project team to get the work done</i>".
</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">True, you are certainly using your team to deliver your project deliverables, and work with vendors or customers. But you may not actually be <b>exploiting </b>them fully, in order to achieve the maximum benefit from their efforts and abilities.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is nothing draconian about this; in the end it comes down to good leadership, and getting to know your team - their behaviours, strengths, skills - and desires.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How to EXPLOIT Your Team</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How will you know if you are properly <b>exploiting </b>your team (and yourself)? Here are some key tips to make sure you are doing it properly - i.e. with the <i>positive </i>usage of the word EXPLOIT:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>(E)nergy: </b>Do your team members have <i>passion </i>for what they are doing? It is a good idea to understand what tasks they are </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">really </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">interested in and care about. They may not yet have the full set of skills, but if they have the drive they can learn those fairly quickly. In addition, they will often produce a better outcome than a dis-interested person who has the required skills out-of-the-box. <br /><br />Tip> Assign people to tasks that they have <i>energy </i>and <i>passion </i>for, and they will usually exceed your expectations.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>E(X)perience: </b> Do your team members have the necessary experience to understand all the ins-and-outs of that particular area? </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If no-one has much experience in that particular area, does their other experience or skills make them the best fit for their particular role on the project? Can you bring someone (even on a short term basis) to help fill in that experience gap as your team ramps up? Remember that projects generally introduce new ideas to an organization, so you can't expect to start your project with a full set of experts in all areas. <br /><br />Tip> Try to ensure you have the necessary experience within your team in order to competently approach the project tasks; if there are gaps, work to fill them as best you can.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>(P)lanning: </b>Are you scheduling and coordinating their assignments effectively - i.e. are you, as the Project Manager, doing your best to optimize the planning of the project, including maintaining full awareness of dependencies as you sequence activities for the short and long term? Are your team members following the plan?<br /><br />Tip> While you are planning, <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/04/project-planning-10-importance-of.html">engage all available members of the team</a> for their input. You need their expertise and wisdom to create a realistic, effective plan - and you also need their buy-in to the plan. Building it together with them helps accomplish that.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>(L)everaging Resources: </b>Are you and your team appropriately utilizing the other "experts" on the project (i.e. the extended project team)? This includes involving your Stakeholders and other key groups as needed in order to support the project. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><br />Tip> Look to the wider team to help you solve some of the bigger problems. You may not be able to get much of their time, but they can often help you by providing guidance, sharing wisdom and helping you make decisions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>(O)pen to Change: </b>Are you adapting to changing conditions, or are you "sticking to the original plan, no matter what?" At the beginning of your project, your planning would have been primarily high-level, and based on a number of assumptions. Along the way, additional details and complexity emerge that will need to be dealt with - either by adapting the plan, or figuring out how to work around them. Some changes may end up altering your project significantly, while others may take you on a different path to the same destination. However, if your map is no longer current, you may no longer know how to get "there" from where you are now.<br /><br />Tip> Check your plan on a regular basis, and <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/07/lather-rinse-repeat-why-we-need-to-re.html">update the details</a> for the next stage (or the next several months) as you go along. Detail day-to-day and week-to-week planning will of course be more tactically focused, but always keep the strategic goals of the overall plan in mind.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>(I)nform:</b> Keep your team up to date and in the loop of what is happening on in the wider project and when things come up that will affect their area. Of course, you need to keep your stakeholders and Sponsor regularly informed as well. One of the most important aspects of every successful project is open, honest <i>communication</i>. A well-informed team is more confident, has higher levels of trust, and produces better results.<br /><br />Tip> Communicate widely, and communicate often. You will need to tailor communication to be appropriate for your audience, of course - but communicate you must, for the full duration of your project. Failure to communicate can attract unwanted <a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2012/07/once-upon-time-your-project-is-story.html"><b>dragons</b></a> to your project.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>(T)rust:</b> Do you trust your team members to do their best, with the interests of the project at heart? Do you have the trust of your team? Do your stakeholders and the sponsor trust your ability to get the job done, and complete the project successfully? If the answer to any of the above is "no", you have a long, steep road ahead of you. Trust is an essential element of working together effectively. Without it, your team may feel you are <i>exploiting </i>them - with all of the full negative implications of the word.<br /><br />Tip> Do everything you can to build trust within your team, as early as possible within the project. Of course, you will need to earn (and continue to earn) their trust, which starts by being authentic (do as you say you will do), and communicating openly and honestly. You also need to show that you trust <u>them</u> by letting them do the tasks you assign them - without second-guessing or micro-managing them. They will make mistakes, yes - but provide guidance and support instead of judgement, and you will earn their respect and begin to develop a good team with healthy levels of trust.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Summary </span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Exploiting</b> the project team and other resources in a positive way is what most successful Project Managers already do. We usually call it by other names - good leadership, good planning, and good project management. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Don't be afraid to use the word, and educate the masses about its other use. Exploitation is neither good, nor bad - it is the <i>intention </i>behind it that makes the difference. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One final definition: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>exploit</b></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">noun<br />Pronunciation: /ˈɛksplɔɪt/<br /><br /> 1<b> a striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act: </b><i>Against all odds, the project team delivered the project successfully, on time and within budget. The Project Sponsor shared stories of the team's exploits, and they became famous throughout the land.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, we can all dream, right?</span> :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Good luck with your projects, and remember to fully <b>exploit </b>your project teams (to everyone's benefit) each and every day. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a></span><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-55241434921777082462013-10-11T02:50:00.001-07:002013-10-12T01:06:47.056-07:00Guest Post: A Brief, Yet Concise Explanation of all those Project Management Standards, Frameworks and Methodologies<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe you are a little confused by all these project management documents and credentials you keep stumbling across in your quest to understand the profession and further develop yourself as a project manager. Well I’m going to try and explain the situation to you so you understand exactly what a standard, framework and methodology is and how they are different from each other. This will be a brief explanation and if you want more detail just do a search on the internet.<br /><br />Let’s start the explanation with a diagram. The diagram shows standards, frameworks and methodologies in descending order of influence and importance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />At the top you have ISO21500 which is the newly introduced international standard for project management. It took 7 years to develop and involved all the project management organizations around the globe and as such represents a truly comprehensive, standardising and unifying approach to project management. It is still early days for this standard as it was only released in 2012 and as such it is a guiding standard only and not a normative one. We expect it to become a normative standard sometime in the next 5 years and when it does you can start certifying your organisation as ISO21500 compliant. Until then it represents a fantastic guide for professional project management and you should probably make yourself very familiar with it as it will probably become standard you need to comply with sooner or later.<br /><br />The next layer down is made up of framework documents and their associated credentials. Here you have project management body of knowledge’s’ which capture what is considered good professional project management practice across the entire project management profession. The largest example of this is the PMBOK® Guide from the Project Management Institute (PMI) which is a global organization. Frameworks contain much more detailed information about project management processes, tools and techniques than standards such as ISO21500. The Association for Project Management (APM), which is largely based in Europe, also has its own Body of Knowledge as well. Despite this extra information they do not present specifics ways of completing projects - that’s a job for methodologies which we cover soon. There are many similarities between the PMBOK® Guide, APM BoK, and ISO21500, but also a few differences mainly around slight naming and content differences of some processes and process groups. We would expect these differences to be ironed out over the next few years. PMI offers the Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) credential, and APM offers its own 4 stage certification for project managers. All of these credentials are framework credentials and are at a much more senior and detailed level than methodology credentials which we cover next. I recommend all project managers plan on gaining a framework credential at some point in their career - the sooner the better.<br /><br />At the bottom of the hierarchy are specific project management methodologies developed from frameworks which in turn align with standards. Each methodology can be traced back to a particular framework document, and its ancillary documents such as extensions to the PMI PMBOK® Guide. Each methodology is particularly suitable for different projects based on industry, size, value, complexity and risk. For example Scrum is great for fast moving iterative IT projects, Prince2 for low complexity IT projects, and Method123 for defined complex projects from a range of industries. There are usually no, or very little, prerequisites needed to gain a methodology certification so they are generally not any guide to a project managers experience, ability or seniority. My opinion is that you should only look at becoming a certified in a particular project management methodology if your organization is actually going to use that methodology appropriately. Otherwise I strongly suggest getting a framework credential such as PMP® and gain the skills needed to develop your own project management methodology.<br /><br />Anyway, that’s the explanation over. I hope you found it useful and you now feel more informed about standards, frameworks and methodologies.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xlh5hnHqw-4/UjQ7frWq6FI/AAAAAAAABls/vsyqOjV1Re0/s1600/Headshot-2103-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xlh5hnHqw-4/UjQ7frWq6FI/AAAAAAAABls/vsyqOjV1Re0/s1600/Headshot-2103-198x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sean Whitaker, PMP, PMINZ Fellow </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reprinted with permission - <a href="http://seanwhitaker.com/welcome/a-brief-yet-concise-explanation-of-all-those-project-management-standards-frameworks-and-methodologies/">original article at seanwhitaker.com</a></span></span>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-64763656340142514532013-09-22T04:09:00.002-07:002013-10-24T19:24:33.144-07:00Your Fifteen Minutes of ... Productivity?<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2013/10/037-your-fifteen-minutes-of-productivity.html">Also available as a Podcast</a>]</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Fifteen minutes of Fame</b> - we all seem to want it, and according to some we are all due our fifteen minutes in the limelight. Well, maybe, or maybe not. I am sure that the law of averages has something to say about that, and more likely some celebrity out there is using up a whole lot of other people's 15 minutes. I am sure mine has already been used up somewhere, maybe yours too. Who knows? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We all day-dream about what might be. However, instead of making the dreams a reality, we often squander countless minutes musing about a possible future - while instead we could have been doing something more productive towards that (or any other) goal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other times, we are either delaying work on an unpleasant task, trying to put off the inevitable, or simply waiting until we "have enough time" to get the task done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The truth is that it is far more
rewarding (and practical) to apply those extra minutes towards the things
that you need to get done. Even better, apply the time towards the
things you <b>need </b>to get done, and you will find you have more time to do the
things you <b>want </b>to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For some, this seems hard to do, particularly if the task is difficult or unpleasant, or you are simply procrastinating. We all procrastinate - some more than others, and I will admit I have had my fair share over the years. Usually, it just takes some butt-in-seat glue to stay and get focused on the task, and it gradually starts to take shape - and soon enough you find the task completed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Focus</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perhaps the problem is focus. There is so much to do at any one time, how can we get anything done, or know which thing to get done? We can easily become deadlocked trying to figure out what we should do - and the clock keeps ticking. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tick...tick...tick</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What to do....what to do...which task to work on...? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tick...tick</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then suddenly, your problem is solved for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>...tick</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You have now run out of time - because you now have to go to the 2pm meeting. Saved by the bell! You won't have to worry about which thing to do first until after this 2-hour meeting, and then, well, it's getting close enough to 5pm, so after the 5 minutes getting back to your desk, why bother starting on that task if you have less than an hour left in your day...and there's always tomorrow, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>...yeah, right</b>! Another day lost with tasks incomplete. You may not even enjoy your evening at home or time out with friends, because in the back of your mind you are still worrying about the many little things you have left unfinished at work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not a pleasant place to be...but perhaps some <b>numbers</b> will bring some perspective that will help us better focus on the tasks at hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">44,676,000</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you live to the ripe old age of 85, this is the number of minutes you </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">will have on this earth. No matter how many long weekends you take, how many "extra" hours you work at the office, the amount of time is the same. If you over-work yourself, however, the actual number may be lower - so take care of yourself, OK? We don't want to see a premature exit. It's not like you can transfer your "unused minutes" to another person's plan. Those minutes are yours and yours alone, non-transferable and no refunds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10,512,000</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By the age of 20, having spent a carefree childhood followed by school, University/College and the first year or so of your new career, you suddenly wake up to find you only have about 3/4 of your minutes left. Here you are, just getting warmed up with your first real job, and you are already behind the eight-ball.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">34,164,000</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you retire at age 65, you have roughly <b>10,512,000</b> minutes left, assuming you live to age 85. This is the same amount of time you took to get all grown up and start out in the workforce. Enjoy these remaining minutes - you have definitely earned them. Make sure to do something fun with them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(34,164,000 - 10,512,000) = 23,652,000</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These are all the minutes you have to "get stuff done" during your working career.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, not quite. We need to deduct sleep, roughly 8hr/day...so you have, say, <b>15,768,000 </b>minutes while wide awake to focus on activities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oops, sorry, we forgot weekends; we need to deduct those too. (And you had better, if you work yourself like a dog, your upper limit on minutes may be suddenly shortened, so use weekends for other things like relaxing, mowing the lawn, golfing and cleaning out the garage).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, if we take off the weekends, that makes it...<b>11,262,857</b> minutes left.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ah, best take off the non-working holiday days each year, roughly <b>12</b> or so of those depending on the country you live in, and say, <b>4</b> weeks of vacation a year if you can stay working in one place for a while...so <b>46,080</b> minutes of "holiday" per year, or <b>2,073,600</b> minutes in your working years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We'll leave out sick days for now, as they are more variable, and some do try to work when they are sick anyway. That leaves us...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">9,189,257</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These are the minutes left, Monday-Friday to get stuff done. Work, sports, school, dinner, kids, friends, social activities, all that stuff between waking up and collapsing back into bed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Better just focus on work, I suppose...and optimistically say only<b> 8</b> hours of work per day, though many of you will do more...that leaves us:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4,594,629 </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These are all the minutes we have left to be in the office, Monday-Friday, 8-5, allowing an hour for lunch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Where did all the time go? This is only <b>10.3%</b> of your average total time on the planet to get your "work" stuff done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Feeling any pressure yet?</b> Well, hopefully you are still reading this and not lying down with a blood pressure cuff on your arm. If you are taking a short break, rest up - we will still be here when you get back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But do come back, because we have a lot of work to do, and there is some exciting news coming up next...!</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Meeting Hour Myth</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A long time ago, there was no accurate division of time. Days were longer or shorter depending on the season, and many people worked by the sun, getting up when the sun rose and going to bed when it got dark. People started work, stopped when they were hungry or thirsty (or when a neighbor dropped by), and then they would start working again while they had daylight. Eventually, however, some clever folk came along and decided to invent light bulbs and divide up the day into 24 hours (why not 10 or 20, we may never know). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The problem with all this division of time is that once you actually start to measure something, people will start to use that system for everything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other problem is that people usually use the system of time measurement <i><b>badly</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How long are your average meetings? What is the default meeting duration in your calendar program? I am willing to guess that the answer is almost universally the same - <b>one hour</b>. Sometimes multiples, like 2, 3 or 4 hours. 60 whole minutes eaten up, or 120, 180 - even 240 minutes at a stretch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Less commonly will you see 30 minute meetings in people's calendars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But why one hour for a meeting? Why does a 30 minute meeting seem "incomplete", like it is not really worthwhile, and not a "whole" thing? What about a nice, short 15 minute meeting?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think the problem here is <b>granularity </b>- people are looking at the "big" picture, but losing sight of the trees for the forest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An hour is actually a very long time - just try talking in front of a group for that long on one topic and you will see what I mean. (I don't mean training, where you may spend the whole day or weeks on end in front of a class teaching on a topic. That's different.) Imagine yourself having to engage hundreds of your peers on a technical topic, or explain why a project is delayed in front of the senior executive and CEO of your organization - for 60 (or 120) whole minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Suddenly that little old hour seems a lot bigger, doesn't it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It really comes down to a matter of perspective and mental conditioning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fifteen Minutes of Productivity</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can get a <i><b>lot </b></i>done in fifteen minutes (900 seconds). 900 heart-beats, 450 breaths... </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fULSRux1Zdc/UixGeSVHiqI/AAAAAAAABlE/8ESad39Hbzs/s1600/Fotolia_52937366_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fULSRux1Zdc/UixGeSVHiqI/AAAAAAAABlE/8ESad39Hbzs/s320/Fotolia_52937366_XS.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not kidding- you really <i><b>can </b></i>get a lot done when you get into the practice of using up those small chunks of "leftover" time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Agile methodology, the daily morning stand-up <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-up_meeting">Scrum</a> meeting is typically 15 minutes long, and a lot can (and does) get done in that time. Plenty of quick discussion, key decisions made - and then off the teams go to get the work done during the remaining 7 hours 45 minutes of the work day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If we wait for a big enough chunk of time to concentrate on getting a particular task done, most of us will be waiting a very long time. Sure, you can schedule your week so your calendar shows nice blocks of time for you to sit down for 2-3 hours at a time to concentrate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, this is the real world, and phone calls, drop-ins from colleagues and urgent tasks from your boss can shoot holes all through your schedule. Suddenly all those carefully planned blocks of time are gone. All you have left is 20 minutes here, 15 minutes there...45 minutes at a stretch if you are lucky. <i><Sigh> What's the point</i>? Might as well get started on it next week because you don't have enough time left today or later this week...right?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>...Not so fast. </b>You have a mountain of work still to get done this week - and it simply has to get done - but how?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The same way you eat an Elephant: <i>a bite at a time</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When you start to sit down and focus on your tasks in the time you have left before your next meeting, maybe only 10 or 15 minutes, you can get quite a lot done. Three or maybe even five short phone calls. A page or two of the report for your boss.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Review part of a document. Check the numbers on a spreadsheet. Write a page and a half of code. The list goes on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With practice, you will find that you will be better able to focus in small bursts of time, and get more done. Need a couple hours to work on a report? With 15 minutes after coffee, 30 minutes gained after a shorter-than-planned meeting, 45 minutes after lunch and another 15 minutes at the end of the day, you may find it is all done and dusted before you head home on time. If you had waited for that precious block of 2 hours, you would still be waiting...and waiting... as your schedule filled up with interruptions and shards of "leftover" time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sure, there are definitely times where you must block out larger blocks of time to really dig into complex tasks - but for many things, you will find that you can easily work on them in small chunks. You will often find that the results will be just as good, or sometimes even better than if you had a single larger block of time. Allowing time to reflect between bursts of activity can let your subconscious work away on those "in progress" tasks while you are focused on your current meeting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Food for thought!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, let's check the numbers to see what we gained. </span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In your 40 hour week, you may be lucky to allocate 20 hours of "non-meeting" desk time to get your work done. For some this may be only 10 hours. However, let's go with 20 nicely carved out hours in big long chunks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then you get started on your tasks, but you get phone calls, emails to respond to...and your 2 hour block of time is nearly used up. 30 minutes left before a meeting. Your manager assigns you an urgent task during another block - 15 minutes left. Say this is a common pattern, and out of your nice hour or multi-hour blocks of time, you only have 15 minutes left from each reserved hour. The rest was all "work stuff" (of course) - on your tasks or helping others. On the plus side, a meeting may finish early, so you may gain some extra time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Say on average you have 4-5 small chunks of time left per day between meetings, or from completing one task a few minutes early. Even if it adds up to 60 minutes a day, it makes a big difference what you do with those minutes. Maybe you won't have nice long 15 minute chunks, but 5 minutes is enough to catch up on some emails or make that important call.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">574,329</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you manage to productively use the leftover chunks and slivers of time, even an hour a day, this is how many minutes you will add to your productivity during your working life, vs doing nothing in particular with those small bits of leftover time (12.5% of your work day)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1,196</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Days of productivity can be "recovered" by using those bits of "leftover" time effectively, or <b>239 </b>weeks of productivity gained instead of lost - nearly<b> 6</b> years regained out of your average 45 working years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With that much increased productivity, you must be in line for a raise - or at least some bonus time off! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you are not feeling that you </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">you have to "finish up" some bits of work at home after the kids go to bed</span> because you managed to complete it at the office, you will find you have more relaxed time to spend with family. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You may also find you have some "extra" time to start a new hobby, spend more time on one you enjoy, or volunteer for a worthy cause. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Six years is a lot of time!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One thing you can be sure of is those 6 years of "non-work" time slivers will be somewhat less than restful if you are spending them at the office worrying about getting your To-Do list done - and not doing it.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OK, OK, maybe you aren't so excited about being more productive. Everyone needs a break, right? Yes - that is true, we do need our regular, small breaks.However, this is about better using those small chunks of time - 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes - when we <i><b>could </b></i>get something done, and we already had our coffee break. Often, people choose not to use those minutes to get started on a task or make it progress - and that's a waste.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unconvinced? well, how about this number:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">16,425</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the number of nights you could have better sleep, knowing you had used your working time more effectively to get the small tasks done - and made forward progress on larger tasks - with those small bits of "leftover" time. In the grand scheme of things, this means that you may have less work following you home, or nagging you during your "off-work" hours. Barring babies, sick kids and the occasional (major) project worry, that is nearly every night of your working life that you could be resting better, knowing you did the best you could with your available time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, that's time well spent.</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As for my own</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "15 minutes of fame"</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - it may still be out there waiting. But when I really think hard about it, Fame is fleeting, and I would rather use that "extra" time for <b>fun </b>stuff - like writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, and use your time wisely (and effectively) in whatever you do.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-56667612438463805982013-09-17T23:47:00.002-07:002013-09-17T23:47:56.827-07:00Guest Post: Moving from Crunch to Control – A Novel PM Canon<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Every experienced project
manager knows that seldom a project goes as per your plan. Crisis always
strikes when it is least expected. Such a crunch provides you with an
opportunity to prove yourself as a competent project manager and excel
in your services. Crisis offers you that much-awaited break, which
assists you in demonstrating your leadership qualities. Managing and
leading high-risk projects towards success boosts your career. A project
manager can never sharpen and build his skills if a project runs
according to the plan. Right from technical problems to bankruptcies and
from in-house corporate issues to natural calamities, crisis can occur
in several forms, degrees and sizes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />A
significant factor that is generally unheeded by the managers is
appropriate alignment of the project goals with the goal of the
organization. This mismatch can be risky and land the project in
trouble. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AqTB-cVRQUw/UirXfqr5S_I/AAAAAAAABkU/as4UB69m4qo/s1600/Avyakta+Picture-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AqTB-cVRQUw/UirXfqr5S_I/AAAAAAAABkU/as4UB69m4qo/s400/Avyakta+Picture-1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><br />Often
a huge percentage of the projects fail due to over budget, late
delivery, standard-less delivery, termination of the project before
completion and other factors. Due to this, only a handful of the
initiated projects become successful. We have also seen that many
organizations set up a Project Management Office (PMO), which rarely
succeeds. These PMOs shut down within a span of few months or maximum
within a year. Although PMOs require huge investments, they do not show
positive return on investment. Hence, it is important for the
organizations to develop management strategies that make room for
successful project management practices.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Let us now discuss few fruitful strategies that can move a project in crunch towards control.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Strategic Project Alignment </span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ensuring
project alignment with the core strategies of your organization can
save project failures. This can be done by taking lessons from the
projects that have been successfully completed in your organization, as
it gives you an opportunity to determine the viability of your project.
The next step is to develop criteria for prioritizing the projects. The
criteria should entail its impact on the organizational departments,
customers as well as the corporate strategy. Such quantitative ranking
of the projects can help you in prioritizing them. Now eliminate
low-priority projects, which do not align with the organizational goal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Creating a Promising Project Management Environment</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This
is as good as setting up your own PMO without that extra expense. The
key reasons behind having a PMO is to ensure successful project
implementation, reusable project management techniques, processes and
tools, corporate upgrading and enhanced professionalism. Thereby,
establish a culture that facilitates well-managed projects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />All
these and more can be achieved by developing a Project Culture
Initiative (PCI). This involves identifying unique approaches to execute
the project, which actually benefit the organization. Plan your project
in advance and manage it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.simplilearn.com/resources/project-management-articles/what-is-critical-chain-project-management-rar68">Critical Chain Project Management</a> </span>
is one of the best approaches in defying crisis. Once the planning is
complete, follow it up and ensure that these methodologies are
implemented right from project commencement.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Design a Project Evaluation System</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evaluate
whether your project is being accomplished appropriately during every
single step. This can be done by keeping a check on the following:<br />• has the project met the quality standards<br />• have the regulatory requirements been met<br />• whether the number of resources hired is exceeding the number of estimated resources<br />• will the project meet the deliverables and the target<br />• effective risk management<br />• slip-free launch<br />• huge returns on investment<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There
are several other factors that contribute to successful risk
management. Some of the paramount elements include the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Analyzing a Looming Problem</span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Be
proactive and read the early warnings that come as small complaints and
issues. Address that right in the beginning and minimize the impact it
can have on your project. </span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Planning Ahead of Time</span></h3>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do
not wait for the crisis to hit. Instead, design a step-by-step plan and
keep it ready to be followed when the crisis breaks. Crisis contingency
strategies and plans are of great use. Design and document them.
Explain the roles and responsibilities of each of the team members so
that they can function accordingly when the crisis hits.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evading Speculation</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One
of the most terrible mistakes committed during a crisis is getting too
curious to know the root cause of the crunch. In an attempt to discover
the root cause rapidly one might overlook the actual source that lead to
the crisis. It is always sensible to consult everyone in responsible
positions while making a</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_cause_analysis">Root Cause Analysis</a> </span>
(RCA) in order to determine the source. This is because, often, it is
not just one event but a series of events that lead to crisis.
Concluding too early can put the project in danger. </span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Visualize the Big Picture</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
zillion trivial details, which you happen to come across during a
crisis, can actually prevent you from visualizing the big picture. As a
project manager, maintaining focus during the crisis is essential. This
is the time for you to utilize your skill sets and implement all the
right strategies to solve the complications and reduce the damage.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Showcasing Communication Skills & Leadership Abilities</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Communicating
the right project status to your stakeholders is another important
aspect and should never be ignored. Articulate and update the
stakeholders with the necessary details regarding the progress and plans
made in the project. At the same time it is your duty to get everyone
in the project back on track without affecting the work. Set the goals
for the team members and provide detailed directions. Staying optimistic
and being positive is also very important. Never let your project
team members feel defeated or lost. As this can have a negative impact
on the growth of the project. Ensure that there is no blame game across
the team and completely avoid negative conversations.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have an Instant Backup Ready</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Being
a project manager, you should have a stable reserve to access help in
case of emergency. Although you are not expected to have a steady
solution for every issue, it is advisable to know where to look for help
during crisis. Being resourceful and knowing when to seek help is
essential.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />It is better to be prepared and get the team onboard with an effective communication and have a contingency plan in place.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Responding to Media</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZQDFZQrPnk/UirXh1ydSEI/AAAAAAAABkg/xyfMMAMjEWY/s1600/Avyakta+Picture-3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JZQDFZQrPnk/UirXh1ydSEI/AAAAAAAABkg/xyfMMAMjEWY/s320/Avyakta+Picture-3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Handling
the media is also important. When carelessly handled, this can ruin the
organizational image in the market causing irreparable loss of the
brand name. The situation should be explained in detail to the PR
specialists. Refraining from responding to groundless stories is also
crucial.</span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Failed
projects are synonymous with wasted dollars. This denotes the decline
in the profit of the investor and a negative impact on the bottom line
of the company. Business performance is directly proportional to
pertinently managed projects. Hence, projects aligned with corporate
goals of the organization will always turn out to be lucrative.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVihUwvDGqo/UjlLPzQuvdI/AAAAAAAABmI/FCeVdZxl-V0/s1600/Business+Photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVihUwvDGqo/UjlLPzQuvdI/AAAAAAAABmI/FCeVdZxl-V0/s200/Business+Photo.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="mailto:avyakta.r@simplilearn.com"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Avyakta Rao</span></a>Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-62962134711842270622013-08-08T13:00:00.000-07:002013-10-14T11:29:34.248-07:00Roadside Checkup: How Clear is your Project Vision?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>[<a href="http://podcast.gazzascorner.com/2013/10/036-roadside-checkup-how-clear-is-your.html">Also available as a podcast</a>]</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was fifteen, I spent the summer visiting my relatives in Alberta. Nothing unusual about that, as we did that most summers. We would usually drive the nearly 14 hours to Calgary and then spend a few very enjoyable weeks visiting the grandparents, exploring the farmyard and visiting our many aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives in the area. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What was different about that summer is that our family divided up the visits, allowing us kids to each spend more time with our relatives, one-on-one. I spent a few days with my grandparents, and then one of my Aunts came to pick me up and drive me up to their farm an hour and a half to the north. My parents were going to pick me up later in the week to take me to the next relative.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a hot, dry summer, which was not uncommon in the prairies. Her car was brown. Actually, it might not have been brown, it was just coated in so much dust you couldn't see the colour underneath. My grandparents waved from the front steps of the farmhouse as we rumbled away down the gravel driveway, dust rising high behind the car. It was a little hard to see, but I didn't think too much of it. Everything was dusty that summer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we drove down the main gravel road and onto the stretch of pavement before we reached the main highway, my Aunt said she needed to stop and get some gas. We pulled into a little gas station and the attendant started to pump the fuel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Just need to clean the windshield," she said as she hopped out of the car and grabbed a squeegee from the bucket beside the gas pump. I remained seated in the car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She dragged the wet spongy side across the top of the window, and rivulets of mud tracked down the glass. She re-wet the squeegee several times as she progressively sponged and cleared the dust and mud off the outside of the window. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She looked at the window, frowned, and then leaned into the car to have a look out of the windshield. "You might want to get out," she said as she walked back around the car towards the squeegee bucket. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I unbuckled myself and got out of the car just as she stepped forward and proceeded to drag the wet squeegee across the <i>inside </i>of the windshield. It, too was covered in dust, and trickles of mud ran down the glass and dripped onto the dashboard. Slightly flustered, she quickly cleaned the inside of the window, paid the attendant and then we got back into the car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As we drove down the dust-free highway, windows still down but now able to see ahead of us more clearly, I asked her why the car was so dusty on the inside. She replied that the car did not have air conditioning, so naturally driving with the windows down was a good substitute. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, living on a farm (with no air conditioning), you had to keep the windows down to cool off, but of course that let the dust in. With the manual window winders and only one person in the car, it was hard to put the windows up and down as you regularly went from asphalt to dirt or gravel - so she mostly left them down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thus the coating of dust throughout the car, inside and out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Driving with clear visibility in front of you is obviously important - that is why my Aunt cleaned the window once we were off the dusty road. But ask yourself this - how many of us truck on ahead with our projects, "just getting the work done", but with no clear vision of where we are going or what is up ahead?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It might just be time to pull off the road and check those windows.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Project Vision</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everybody loves vision statements, right? Of course we do! Countless hours are spent on corporate vision statements, coming up with either something short and catchy, or something long and hard to understand. Too pithy - or too boring - and the value of the Vision statement is lost. It may be relegated to a poster on the back wall, a sheet in your filing cabinet, and only dusted off every now an then. Not a productive result.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not mocking vision statements (OK, maybe a few of them that I have seen), but the value of a strong collective vision cannot be overstated. The difficulty with some corporate vision statements is that they try to cover too much - or use vague, meaningless gobbledygook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You need to have a clear vision for your team - for your project, in order to get things done effectively. Fortunately, the smaller scope of your project (vs the company's overarching objectives) makes it much more likely that you can create a clear, compelling vision without trying to take on the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And practically speaking, you don't have to be pithy, or overly clever. You just need to paint a clear picture of where you are going and why, and you will start to develop team buy-in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paint the Landscape</span></h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even though I could not initially see clearly out of the front window, I already was picturing the fun I would be having on the farm, visiting my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin, playing with the dog and exploring the farmyard, and seeing the deer and the cows in the fields. Then - playing Canasta in the afternoon - and hopefully Cribbage. I loved playing crib - my grandfather taught us kids and I played it with all of my relatives. It was a quintessential part of summer holidays and every visit I have had with them since.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>I had a clear vision of what would happen during my visit, and it excited me. I couldn't wait, and now that I could see out of the window, I watched for familiar landmarks along the way that marked us getting closer and closer. When we passed "Loch Nessy" in a slough, and the gum-booted scarecrow on the ladder, I knew we were but minutes away from my destination.</i></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As your project begins, you need to paint a clear vision of where you are going and what you are trying to achieve. They need to understand the purpose for what they are doing - how they are going to make a difference - and what will be better because of our project. Make it compelling, but be truthful about challenges you may face - as there are always challenges and you will need to face them together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is it about your project that makes it worthwhile? Why should people be excited about it? If you can't think of any answers, you will have trouble communicating the vision to your team - so be clear in your own vision and make sure to communicate that passion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just be mindful that there are many things that can arise that will obscure the Vision for the project team. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clear the Outside</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just like the layers of dust and grime on the outside of your windscreen, there are many external factors that can serve to blur the project Vision. The external factors may be truly from outside sources, or they may take the form of constant stakeholder requests for changes to the project scope. You may have a change in regulations that impacts what you have to deliver, and you may have to backtrack and re-factor those changes into your project plan and requirements. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whether these are controlled changes (with a change request) or scope creep, sometimes the result can still be the same - the repeated change of focus can divert you onto the side roads until you suddenly look up, and find you are heading in a different direction and you have lost track of the highway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other times, you may be overly focused on making all of your stakeholders "happy", forgetting the big picture while trivial details accumulate on the windscreen until you can't see forward. You may give the wipers a flick, but it may be too late - that dark shape ahead may not be the next vehicle in front of you - it may be a tree.</span>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cleaning the outside of the windscreen on a regular car is needed often enough that they built specific systems into your car to handle it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Press a button, and you get a squirt of cleaner from a hidden reservoir, along with a few flicks of the wipers. As long as you check your wiper fluid levels and change the blades regularly, the risks of poor external visibility are easily avoided.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While you may not be able to solve your external project vision issues at the press of a button, there are many systems, tools and approaches that are designed to help you reduce external blurring of your vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clearing the inside, however, is a different matter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clear the Inside</span></h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your typical car is designed to handle only one type of visual obscurity on the inside of your windscreen - fog. Specifically, condensed moisture on the cold glass. A special setting on your heater system defogs the front window by blowing air directly on it so you can soon see to drive safely.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unfortunately, this does not help much if the inside of your window is actually dirty. From accumulated films to actual dust and dirt, these all have to be removed by hand. None of the vehicle systems will do this for you automatically.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And just like your car - the hardest thing to notice is often the blurring caused from within the project team itself. It can also be the most challenging to fix, and sometimes requires more effort from the project manager than dealing with the external threats to clear project vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of the problems that can afflict your team are:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Distraction</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Confusion </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poor attitudes </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">High occurrences of rework </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poor quality</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gazzascorner.com/2013/07/protect-your-project-from-zombie.html">Zombies*</a></span></i></span> </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These issues may not all be immediately visible to the project manager, but they can be caused by lack of focus on the big picture. It is easy to lose track of the project Vision in the day to day tasks and scramble to solve this problem, review that document and get that urgent report done before the next project team meeting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't just communicate the Vision once at the start of the project - the Project Vision is something you need to keep
repeating and promoting throughout the project, especially when times are tough. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It
may seem silly, obvious or repetitive to you, but re-affirming the
vision and having the team keep one eye on the big picture will help
them get past their current difficulties and re-energize their efforts. It will also help them keep on track.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Check the Rear View Mirror</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While we are talking about windows and vision, don't forget that back window and the rear view mirror. You may not look through those as often, but keep them clear anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes, you just need to see where you came from to know how far you've come. Your destination may be closer than you think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This may take the form of reviewing project deliverable completion status, major milestones achieved, tough challenges you survived, and many other elements of the project that can all too easily become a blur of "what came before". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People
are strange creatures - everything is relative. Most of today's problems are perceived as "big". As you work through the
major problems, yesterday's minor ones become today's "major" problems. We seem
to need to have problems to solve, some challenge to keep us busy and worked up.
However, this can seem like an endless cycle for those working through
problem after problem, challenge after challenge, and it can wear you down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So let's adjust the rear view mirror for everyone in the car to see what is reflected in it. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let
everyone take a long, long look in the rear view mirror as you turn
eastward onto the final leg of your journey. Those Rocky Mountains you see
in the mirror are all of the major challenges you have already faced
together - as a team. The foothills in front of them are the smaller challenges
you tackled after that, shrinking progressively to the hills and bumps
of the recent, smaller challenges closer behind you. They may have all felt like mountains, but looking back it becomes apparent that not all of them were as big as the Rockies. The
remaining road of your project may not be perfectly flat -
but the smaller hills and valleys in front of you should hopefully be put back into a better perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although we cannot run our projects by looking backward all of the time, it is good to have the small rear view mirror as part of our overall perspective. It can help to balance our vision, keeping us mindful of how far we have progressed, while allowing most of our attention to remain focused on the road ahead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not being a driver at
the time, the lack of clear vision from inside the car when we left my
grandparents did not concern me - I trusted my Aunt, and she was a good
driver. Cleaning the front window made a striking difference in our
ability to see; I had not realized just how dirty the window was until
she cleaned it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On
our projects, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture - the Vision -
when we are working away inside the vehicle on the detail of the
project delivery. While we are trudging on, day by day, dust may be
slowly collecting on our windscreen, unnoticed. Looking regularly
through the window, we may not notice the gradual loss of vision - until
we are suddenly in the ditch and calling for a tow truck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You need to periodically pull over and do a visibility check. You might even need an "external" person to help point out the smears on the window, or simply step out of the car yourself (safely on the side of the road) to look at it from a different perspective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, we are reminded that it is not just the <i>outside </i>of
the window you need to keep clear. You also need to clear the dust and
clutter that keep you from seeing the glass in the first place - from
the <i>inside</i>. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Good luck with your projects, have a good squeegee handy, and keep your eyes on the road ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<a href="mailto:gary.nelson@gazzaconsulting.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Nelson, PMP</span></a><br />
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Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5150021777724050134.post-54114455511684023862013-07-29T12:38:00.001-07:002013-10-13T01:56:14.929-07:00Guest Post: Lack of Coordination is a Risk Hazard<!--[if !mso]>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the most critical challenges faced by any project manager during a major solution delivery is to mitigate risk. Risk is of two kinds. One is called “known risk”. Known risk is a risk that can be caused by something that you can plan and even mitigate. For example, lack of electricity. You can purchase a generator as a backup. The other kind of risk is the “unknown risk”. Unknown risk is defined as risk that was not factored in and did not have a plan in place to minimize it.<br /><br />Even with the most successful team of executives and leaders, risk can only be calculated with the knowledge within the team. Hence, many times, risks do pop up since they were not discussed or even fathomed during the discussions. A good example is of a viral flu that swept in and majority of the main key players are all sick. Interestingly, another very critical risk that surfaces is poor communication between key stakeholders.<br /><br />Let me share with you a very recent experience of “unknown risk” that was caused by lack of coordination. Our organization was working in England as a consultant for a major telecom company. The project comprised of 26 specialists from all over the world. While doing the risk management plan, the entire team spent weeks understanding and comprehending the type of risks that could surface into the project. The entire team was able to garner an exhaustive list of risks that could be caused by a variety of different factors. In fact, the risk management plan was wonderful. It had all the risks reported and tagged as per best practices.<br /><br />Ample time was given to the respective teams to list the risks and develop the action plan for the project. If the risk ever took place, there was an action plan that was to kick in. Interestingly, the main objective was to proactively mitigate the risk from occurring. The entire team came up with 50 risk environmental factors. Out of the 50 risk environmental factors, 31 were high risk factors.<br /><br />The risk management plan encompassed the risk cost, risk event, risk impact and even the risk plan. One aspect that was missed was that the team coordination among the international community of partners could also delay the project and could be counted as a major risk factor. Lack of team coordination is also risk to any project and was also to be proven true in this case as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Root Cause of Risk</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />We were brought into the equation when the project was already late and above the cost threshold. When we held meetings with the various stakeholders, all of them believed that the main reason of the delay was external environmental factors. Some of the examples they gave were time difference between the countries and even the language barrier.<br /><br />After going through extensive meetings with the teams, we realized that the main problem was the team itself. When we dug into the anomalies, we realized that though the team comprised of talented individuals, all the team members wanted to be the leaders of the group. No one was ready to be a follower. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Solution</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Team building and team coordination is critical. In fact, in many organizations, the teams going to be working on a project go through an extensive orientation program. During the project management orientation, risk affects and stakeholders communication are all discussed. For remote teams, <a href="http://www.thinkfaculty.com/project-management-online/">a project management online course</a> is aired through the internet. Objective of the team orientation meetings is to have a clearly amalgamated team in terms of vision, purpose, and deliverables.<br /><br />Our recommendation to any project manager that goes through project delivery is to sustain and maintain quality communication. Quality communication is one of the fundamental flaws and root causes of risks coming into the project. Here are three project management risk aversion tips:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Be consistent in the communication. Keep the message in emails, sms and other tools.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Be prepared to have a fire drill of activities and project schemes before going into execution. Similar to a rehearsal.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have people that can build teams. Assign team leaders. People need to know who is the leader.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />The <a href="http://www.thinkfaculty.com/project-management-steps/">project management steps</a> outlined above will go a long way in building and diverting risks. Proven solution. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Director Media, ThinkFaculty
Company</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thinkfaculty.com/"><span style="background: #F6F6F6; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">http://www.thinkfaculty.com</span></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThinkfacultyCompany"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67f0XCydjC4/UfbBrUDXKaI/AAAAAAAABhg/7VjwvBbd1fQ/s1600/Facebook-Button.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://pk.linkedin.com/pub/zyma-arsalan/"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUTpKhRLyWA/UfbBuLIRF8I/AAAAAAAABho/RM5K0c3UR08/s1600/LinkedIn-Button.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/zymaarsalan"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MlaFbRgJgwQ/UfbBwporF5I/AAAAAAAABhw/253izzNTITo/s1600/Twitter-Button.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https:// gplus/to/zymaarsalan"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TP59-Isalpg/UfbB-yEknWI/AAAAAAAABh4/HJ0a1OVqYH4/s1600/gplus-25.png" /></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Zyma Arsalan is currently the Director
Media for ThinkFaculty Company – a leader in </span><a href="http://www.thinkfaculty.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">project
management training, customer service training and leadership and development.</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> She has a versatile experience in working for
the top leading companies in USA and now focuses on building the intellectual
network in Asia. She can be reached at <a href="http://www.thinkfaculty.com/">www.thinkfaculty.com</a> </span></span></span></div>
Gary Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08730013754496401222noreply@blogger.com0