Posts Tagged ‘Management’
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
By Mac M. Martirossian, CPA
At the risk of committing heresy, especially with my own core values, the reality is that the customer is not always right. I am a firm believer of the business pyramid for world class organizations, which puts the customer at the top, the associates on the bottom left and the company on the bottom right. World class companies do not rotate the pyramid, to move the interests of customers or the company to the top. But sometimes this hierarchy gets abused.
For example, a discount retailer mandates that attendants at their self service gas station leave their booths whenever a customer is pumping gas. On a recent visit at 6:00 am, with the temperature at 18 degrees, the attendant followed the company rule to the letter. No words exchanged; no value added by this “out of the booth” experience. Just pain and suffering for the associate.
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Tags: Management, PDU, PDUs, PDUs2Go, PMI, PMP, Project Management
Posted in Mac M. Martirossian, CPA, Making a Difference, PDUs2Go Author Article, SPECIAL EDITION | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
By Lakecia Carter, PMP
Have you ever managed an ‘elephant project”? An elephant project is the largest, most complex project in your world. Do you recall how long it took for you to get your brains around it? How long before you felt you were adding value as a PM? If you’re like me, you may have experienced some discouragement in the beginning. Although I’d been managing projects for years, I felt overwhelmed and grew somewhat impatient with myself. Nevertheless, I knew that in order to be successful, I had to overcome my feelings and get on with the program! Eventually, I learned to change my perspective and “hug” the elephant. Here are the lessons I learned that I still apply every day:
Face it and embrace it! (more…)
Tags: Leadership, Management, PDU, PDUs, PDUs2Go, PMI, PMP, Project Management
Posted in Lakecia Carter, PMP, PDUs2Go Author Article, PMPepTalk!, SPECIAL EDITION | 2 Comments »
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
By Rick Forbus, Ph.D.
People evaluate things one of two ways: through the lens of value or through the lens of cost. Value has several connotations when regarding ethics, economics and quantity. The same is true with cost. It can refer to the price of something, an unpleasant action or an estimation of the price of something such as “costing out a job”.
In decisions, people usually look at things from the vantage point of what they cost or how valuable they are. It is interesting to me as our company negotiates life-changing coaching services and professional training how certain companies and organizations want to over analyze cost.
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
Warren Buffet
One of the examples of value vs. cost is a piano lesson. My parents thought it valuable that my little sister and I take piano lessons. I am sure it was a financial sacrifice because we were a typical middle class family. One of the sacrifices for me was the practice time. The music itself was challenging but the separation from my friends and the outdoors was much more difficult. One of the prices my parents paid for these lessons was my smart mouth, whining and resistance to practicing the piano. (more…)
Tags: Leadership, Management, PDU, PDUs, PDUs2Go, PMI, PMP, Project Management
Posted in PDUs2Go Author Article, Richard Forbus, PhD., SPECIAL EDITION, Trove | No Comments »
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
By Lakecia Carter, PMP
If you’ve ever left a job or moved on from a project, someone may have told you that you would be a “tough act to follow”. This usually means you had outstanding performance and it will be difficult to fill your shoes. When it comes to leadership, there could be a negative meaning to this common phrase. Being a tough act to follow could mean that you are making it difficult for others to follow your lead. This can eventually contribute to low team morale and even stifle creativity. Here are 4 things you can do to make sure you are NOT a tough act to follow: (more…)
Tags: Leadership, Management, PDU, PDUs, PDUs2Go, PMI, PMP, Project Management
Posted in Lakecia Carter, PMP, PDUs2Go Author Article, PMPepTalk!, SPECIAL EDITION | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
By Linda Henman, Ph.D.
Not everyone evidences the desire or skills to move up the management ladder. A few of these key people will choose to stay in solo contributing roles, but most of your high potentials will need a way to move up the pipeline, through the various turns, to the upper echelons of the organization. In many case, the first step in the process, helping the solo contributor take on direct report responsibility, won’t involve the senior leaders directly. However, as with all important initiatives, it will need your oversight and direction. As the senior leader, you’ll want to address the following to ensure your organization does what it takes to attract and retain the future leaders: (more…)
Tags: Leadership, Management, Success
Posted in Linda Henman, PhD., Magnetic Boss, PDUs2Go Author Article, SPECIAL EDITION | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
By Lakecia Carter, PMP
As PMs, there are common responses that we’ve either encountered or will encounter when we present new ideas to a team. Do any of the following sound familiar to you? “Thanks, but we’ve always done it this way”, “This is what we’ve done in the past” or “After all, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel, right?” These are valid responses because we all leverage existing approaches or processes for the most part. However, what about when the “wheel” is not working? The wheel could be people, processes, or tools. When projects are not moving forward, PMs must create momentum. This may require that you reinvent the wheel. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when doing so: (more…)
Tags: Innovation, Management, Project Management
Posted in AUTHORS, Lakecia Carter, PMP, PDUs2Go Author Article, PMPepTalk!, SPECIAL EDITION | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
By Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Ph.D.
Emily, an introverted customer service manager, expressed dismay to me that since her promotion to manager she rarely left her office. She said, “The temptation is to get your reports written and handle communication electronically.” Emily is losing out on building relationships with her team. She is also not hearing about their creative ideas to solve problems. (more…)
Tags: Communication, Leadership, Management
Posted in Introverted Leader, Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, PhD., PDUs2Go Author Article, SPECIAL EDITION | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
By Tricia Molloy
There are certain times of the year, like Thanksgiving, when thoughts turn to gratitude. For some, it’s the once-a-year holiday ritual around the dinner table as each person proclaims what they’re most thankful for. Family. Health. My job. This meal.
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude throughout the year, however, is nothing short of transformative. That’s because of the universal law that states: What you focus on expands. In other words, what you appreciate appreciates. And, where attention goes, energy flows.
Here are three ways to demonstrate the power of gratitude for more successful projects. (more…)
Tags: Leadership, Management, Project Management
Posted in PDUs2Go Author Article, SPECIAL EDITION, Tricia Molloy, Working With Wisdom | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
By Pamela A. Scott
Let’s explore a 24-year-old Millennial who has to manage a 55-year-old Boomer.
GUIDELINES FOR THE MILLENNIALS MANAGING BOOMERS
Respect Boomers’ experience and use it. Ask them about the history of projects and relationships. Rely on their expertise.
Don’t worry about being talked down to. It’s hard for me to type that, but I’m sure that Boomers probably come across as patronizing when addressing a Millennial boss. The Boomer’s generation valued experience and time on the job. That won’t change overnight. (more…)
Tags: Communication, Management
Posted in PDUs2Go Author Article, Pamela A. Scott, SPECIAL EDITION, We Know PMPs | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
By Drew Stevens, Ph.D.
Recently a friend of mine was conducting performance reviews for her staff. She has 16 direct reports and when finished all received a superlative review. With the completion of her paperwork and interviews she provided the reviews to her manager for sign off. Trouble began. Her manager indicated to her that she would need to revise all 16 reviews because no one could receive a superlative- it would hinder the firm’s bell curve. I am not making this up!
Performance is based on individual observed behavior as it correlates to both goals and organizational standards. Employees are then reviewed based on prior performance to these issues. Therefore individuals are honored for their efforts to conform to these standards. Bell curves kill morale and performance because they not only compare but reward non-performers with performers.
Two issues here: (more…)
Tags: Management
Posted in Drew Stevens, PhD., PDUs2Go Author Article, SPECIAL EDITION, Split Second | 2 Comments »
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