If you are just starting your project or a role in leadership, then the number one thing you can do to improve your chances of success is to commit to a good communication strategy. You will need to find out how your team would like to communicate and you'll need to set up regular meetings to keep them informed of everything that is going on in the business that could impact them. Having weekly one on one catch-ups with each of your team members will help you build a solid relationship with them.
In your weekly one on one meetings always let the team member go first, and let them talk to you about anything that is on their mind. After they have finished talking, then you can take a turn and talk about anything you need to, and then if you have time left over you should focus on the future in at least one meeting per month. Thirty minute meetings work well with a loose agenda of 10 minutes for your team member to talk, 10 minutes for you to talk and finally 10 minutes to talk about the future when you need to. The reason you let your team member go first is they may need the entire 30 minutes, and when they do need the whole time just set back and listen. It is also important to catch-up with your whole team at least one time per month on long term projects, and in those meetings you can cover off any items that will impact the entire team. The team meetings are also a good platform to share lessons learned and to build team morale. On short term projects you will need to meet teammore frequently and you can use a scrum meeting to keep everyone aware of how the project is tracking. Daily scrums are important for projects that will only last a few months as any slippage on an activity could impact the entire project team. 15 minute daily scrum team meetings typically suffice and you need to ensure you get an update from each of your team leads within your project, and you should keep track of key milestones and how they are tracking. When you are working with geographically dispersed teams you can use mobile phones, messengers, video conferences or any other type of technology that will give you the chance to communicate with every one of your key team leaders in your project. You should follow up the meeting with an email summarising the meeting minutes to ensure everyone is on the same page. The better your team communicates, the better your chances of delivering on your project objectives.
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If you are trying to set up your company for project management, then you may be wondering what systems you will need. I will walk you through some great systems that I have used and how they could help your company. In the utilities industry it is very important to have a good asset management system which holds key information on all of your major assets.
The Asset Management system needs to be linked to your finance system and your project management systems to get maximum effectiveness out of each of your systems. System integration can be expensive, but it's definitely a must if you want to get the best out of each of your stystems. I have used Ellipse which offers an asset management database, a finance database, and it is a system that integrates well with a lot of other systems. Ellipse even keeps key information on your projects and it can be used in multiple ways to help your business better manage your assets. My company has integrated Ellipse with P6 Primavera and a portfolio management system to help make key decisions on how we invest our funds. P6 Primavera is a very good scheduling software system that offer all of the features of Microsoft Project and other features as well. P6 Primavera offers you the ability to manage your resources, spend profile, schedule and volumes as well as your risk and issues on each project. It has some very good reporting facilities as well which can help you combine different project information for different reporting requirements. P6 Primavera also integrates well with other systems that may have better reporting capabilities. Another key system you will need is a good reporting system that provides easy to read reports that can be tailored as required. Having a system that can break complex data down into simple reports and provide good visuals is important for any business in any industry. There are several systems which can give you what you need and I have only touched on a few in this blog. The key to selecting the right systems is to select systems that offer integration options with multiple systems or choose systems that offer the bulk of what you need all rolled in to one system. A question a lot ofP people interested in becoming a Project Manager may ask is how important is a Project Management Professional (PMP) credential. A lot of businesses may be wondering the same thing when they are looking to recruit a Project Manager. The PMP credential is the gold standard for a Project Manager throughout the world, and the Project Management Institute (PMI) does a great job of governing the credential. You must apply to take the PMP exam through PMI and you must meet very strict criteria to be eligible to take the PMP exam. There is a chance that your application will be audited as well, and if you are audited you work with PMI to detail your qualifications and experience and then after you pass the audit you can register for the exam. There are a lot of companies that offer PMP preparation books, software and courses and you need to do your research to see what will suit you the best. After you have approval to take the PMP exam, you book in the exam and once you pass the exam you will have the PMP credential. Now to the important question, how important is this credential. The PMP credential is very important to Project Managers and to businesses recruiting Project Managers as well. The PMP credential shows you that the person you are recruiting has good experience and Project Management knowledge, and it shows you that they are committed to improving themselves. Hiring someone with a PMP that is also an active member of the PMI can help you significantly improve the chances of the person adding a lot of value to your organization. For aspiring Project Managers, the PMP shows your experience and knowledge and it will help you get a job anywhere in the world. Being an active member of the PMI also help you interact with other Project Managers throughout the world, and it provides a lot of free material to help you improve as a Project Manager. You can even attend local chapter meetings to network which will help you if you are looking for a job. The PMP credential is very important and it can help you in numerous ways. Thanks for reading my blog, leave a comment and let me know what you would like me to blog about next. Do you want to enhance your businesses project documentation? First things first, you need to build some templates for your business, but don't worry you don't need to start from scratch. You can google project management documentation templates and you will get a ton of results that could get you started. You could also visit the Project Management Institute website (www.pmi.org) for some solid templates and advice.
Once you have good templates in place, you need to commit to reviewing them one time per year to keep them up to date and to adjust them to suit your business. You need to ensure the templates are readily available, and you need to instruct your Project Managers that they need to use the company approved templates for all of their documentation. You can create how to guides and send out samples of the best documentation to the whole team to help people improve as well. Living documents such as Project Management Plans (often referred to as PMPs) need to be updated regularly to reflect any changes in the project. You should update living documents one time per month as you are re-forecasting your projects. You could also hold regular Project Management forums where you could roll out any changes in documentation, and you could provide a platform to share good examples of documentation. If you commit to these few small things, then your businesses project documentation will definitely improve. Do you ever get frustrated or bored with your current job? Do you think you could achieve more than you are currently? Do you think that you could be more efficient? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then this article will help you look at your career through a different lens.
The first thing you need to do is look at what frustrates you with your current job, and then devise a plan to overcome your frustrations. It could be that you are ready for a promotion or that you are ready to take on more responsibilities in your current role. It could even be that you are ready for a change in your career, but where do you start? Start by looking at what training and tools you need to help you overcome your frustration. You can start getting more out of your career today by overcoming your frustration and focusing on what you like about your job. If you think that you could achieve more than you current are, then have a chat with your leader and let them know that you are willing to take on more responsibility. If you are willing to learn new things and you are ready to start working on any qualification necessary then you'll go a long way towards advancing your career and your pay. As an employer myself I am always looking for someone that takes initiative, and most employers want their people to step up and look at the bigger picture. Having a conversation today with your leader could start you on a journey that leads to a more satisfying role. If you think that you or your company could be more efficient, then share the knowledge of how to increase efficiency with your leader and your colleagues. People tend to want to be more efficient and give more back to the company, but sometimes they struggle to find ways to be more efficient. Sharing your knowledge of efficiencies that you see will help you gain respect and understanding in the workplace. You can make a difference to your company, and you can give them an edge in the ever increasing competitive environment that almost every company faces today. You can be the change for yourself and for your company, and your company and your career itself gets stronger when you start opening yourself up to learning new things and sharing knowledge. Are you finding it difficult to find success in your new business, you new project, or your new job? The key to success in any industry is effective engagement of your stakeholders. You need to find what drives all of your stakeholders and then you need to capitalize on that.
There is something that drives every person in life, and once you find out your stakeholders passions and their idea of success, you will have more success yourself. Throughout my career I have always made it a point to meet everyone that I am working with, and I've made it a point to learn at least one thing about everyone. If you get to know your stakeholders and you truly care about them, then you will enjoy your job more and you're sure to have more success. Communication is one of the keys to success, and a lack of communication can lead to failure. Find out how often your stakeholders want to hear from you, what format they want information in, and what they want to know about. If you follow these few simple tips, then you'll find more success. Never neglect your stakeholders. Do you live paycheck-to-paycheck? Do you find it hard to save up for anything? Do you always find that your money disappears? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then continue reading this blog.
You can gain control of your money by following these steps: Set a monthly budget using technology such as word or excel, or even just using a pen and paper. You start by writing down your income, and then writing down all of your bills and necessities (such as rent/mortgage payments). You should subtract your expenses from your income and see if you have any money remaining. If you do have money remaining, then you should start building up your savings account to help you climb out of your current situation. You should also try to pay extra payments on any credit cards, loans and/or car payments you have so that you can clear that ongoing expense a lot sooner. If you find that you don't have any money left, then you'll need to review your expenses and try to cut some things away. It can be challenging, but there are probably things that you buy or spend money on that you don't need, and in the long run once you get savings built up you can buy some of these things. You can also call all of your service providers and ask for discounts, and shop around for better deals to lower your monthly expenses. Once you build up a little bit of money in your savings account, then you'll feel very good about yourself and your money situation. If you get a pay rise at work or find an extra stream of income, then you should try to build up your savings before you increase your expenses. I recommend reading The Richest Man in Babylon for some interesting stories and tips on how to manage your money. When your role becomes redundant it doesn't feel very good, and if you weren't prepared for that to happen then you could be a bit lost. You can recover from that sinking feeling, and I'm here to provide some tips to help you along on your recovery.
First, you should know that the position became redundant and not yourself, because once you acknowledge that it can help you recover some of your confidence. Second, you should reach out to the contacts that you have made over the years and ask them if they know of any jobs for you. Third, update your resume and your skills and/or qualifications. If it is taking a while for you to find a job, then you may want to consider setting up your own company or taking a lesser role than your previous role. Starting your own company can be challenging but rewarding, and you will have more flexibility than you did in the past when it comes to work hours and work conditions. If you are going to apply for a role that is more junior than your previous role then you may need to revise your resume. It's the time that you could consider getting into a new industry as well, and you should explore all possibilities. Leave no rock unturned and don't be afraid to try something new. You will recover and you will find some new and exciting opportunities that you wouldn't have explored before the redundancy. Thank you for reading the post and let me know if you have any questions or feedback. Do you have a small business that is struggling? Are you finding it hard to create repeat customers? If the answer is yes to either one of those questions, then you should take the time to read this blog.
Small businesses are hard to manage, but they can be very rewarding. You pour your heart and soul into your business, and you deserve to get the results you are after. You can improve your small business by committing to some very simple changes. You need to find a way to engage with your customers, and you need to create brand ambassadors. Social media is a great tool that can help get your business to the next level of customer service. Sign up for a free Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn account as a starter, and then start handing out cards to your customers which has your social media accounts on them. You should update your accounts frequently, and you should actively engage with your customers online. You have to put yourself in your customer's shoes, and if you would be happy with the service then chances are they will be as well. Make this small change and it should help you create repeat customers and brand ambassadors. Let me know if you are interested in any other topics, or if you would like more information on this blog. Have you found it hard to achieve your goals in life? Is there something within your grasp that you can't quite reach? If you want to increase your chances of achieving your goals, then follow these five simple steps and start a better path today.
1. Set goals that are relevant to you - if you waste time finishing goals that won't help you get to where you want to be, then you need to refocus your goals. 2. Set timeframes on your goals - you should have long and short term goals, and you should have a timeline on each of your goals. 3. Set smaller goals first - You can set a goal to eat less junk food which ties into your long term goal of losing weight. It's hard to set long term goals without short term goals tied to them, because you can get demotivated easier. 4. Celebrate your accomplishments - Each time your achieve a goal find a way to celebrate that is relevant to you. Go out to dinner, go to a movie, or do something that you love to do to celebrate. 5. Write down your goals and track progress frequently - In order to ensure success you need to write down your goals, and you need to check in on a frequent basis to ensure you are on track. If you aren't on track, then you need to refocus on the goal you are falling behind on, and you should expect better progress the next check in period. Good luck on accomplishing your goals and on improving yourself. |
AuthorI have managed over $1 Billion worth of projects successfully, and I have learned a lot along the way. We can make managing projects easier if we share knowledge with each other and invest in one another. Archives
March 2017
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