Startup Rewards

Imagine you no longer have access to your vast array of team members and skills. You walk into work and are now individually responsible for marketing, selling, managing, testing, delivering and supporting your projects. While this may seem like a bit of a nightmare, this is a reality I believe everyone should experience first hand. I’m not talking about surviving a downsizing, but that would also be an opportunity for this type of growth. I am mostly referring to working for a start up organization. In a startup, you wear many hats and are required to be passionate, focused and... Read More»

Determining Cultural Fit

The time has come. You have started to pursue new endeavors and want to make the right choice. It can seem daunting and change can be tough. While the devil you know can sometimes be better than the devil you don’t, that’s not always the case. Don’t become paralyzed in a situation that doesn’t offer the promise and culture you desire. Culture is the largest component to long-term satisfaction and success. 1. Company & Team Size: A larger organization often will have more mandates, more elaborate structure, processes and layers. This isn’t always the case, but should be something to... Read More»

Project Chronicles

Documenting the good and bad within your project, with your stakeholders and teams is very beneficial. Through the process you will gain a strong historical account of events which can be used as a personal, team and ultimately organizational learning and management tool. The act of documenting creates introspection and perspective. It doesn't matter your position with your company; varying perspectives and insight is critical to enterprise and personal improvement. It also doesn't matter if you have a background in writing. It is the process of identifying and articulating your thoughts and observations that matters. Being a highly analytical and... Read More»

Managing the Manager

Your organization has decided to outsource a project to an external firm. In some cases, the organization may allow your team to manage the project, but more often than not, the organization may want full reign and to manage the engagement themselves. What does this mean to the project manager from the client organization? Depending on your company’s project management philosophy (i.e. do they see project management as a scheduling function, or someone that truly manages the project and risk), this type of agreement may be more challenging than you first think. Read More»

The Opportunity & Challenge of Being First

The start-up of a formal project management function requires initiative and perseverance. If you or an organization you work for is looking to hire a project management professional, there are several areas that must be considered from both the employee and organizational perspective. The project manager in this type of environment must understand surrounding processes will likely be fairly immature and there will be many areas of groundwork and the establishment of a framework that must be completed before you can begin doing day-to-day or tactical project management. Read More»

Human Quality Considerations

In our personal lives, we review reports and conduct research to determine product quality, durability and other measures. For professional services, such as medical care, we ensure our providers have the necessary credentials and experience. We also know that quality is important in our professional lives, but seem to be more willing to make substitutions when it comes to acquiring human resources to fulfill our projects. Would you want someone without the necessary credentials and experience performing a high-risk medical procedure? The same thoroughness and requirements should be applied to our projects and organizations. Read More»

Project Baggage

Have you ever closed a project, yet you feel like the team or other stakeholders have not fully let go? For highly interactive, stellar projects this type of post project “high” can be very positive and infectious. However, even when a project is deemed a success, there are often people or issues that surface during the project or even post project that should be addressed. Read More»

Bureaucratic Barriers to Agile

We have all heard of the Agile Manifesto, which lists agile principles. But what does this mean for your business? How can you move from thinking agile sounds like a good idea to actually reaping the benefits? Read More»

A Blessing and a Curse

Is being an expert in a field or practice a blessing and a curse? Possibly. If someone is deemed an expert and the most qualified in a certain area, that person may be more burdened and utilized than their counterparts. Businesses often look at the fastest approach and the short term direction that will involve less risk and cost. Read More»

Passion vs. Emotion

Passion versus emotion, do you know the difference? The Merriam Webster online dictionary lists emotion as "a disturbance, excitement, feeling, a conscious mental reaction subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body." Passion is closely defined as: "the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces, an emotion, intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction, a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept, and an object of desire or deep interest." The biggest difference in these... Read More»