tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49488689261942851202024-03-06T02:46:39.439-05:00Management HouseDescribe. Debate. Decide.Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-61353259510864984422011-01-10T15:09:00.004-05:002011-01-10T15:21:46.605-05:00How Will Your Leadership Be Remembered?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMBPD4r7BGs2Q0XsCsJvj0NIvecRg_x_J7JHbVpvrX1Wa_1djm9UTU1y6i4LV0Mr2lFDWq-EIhlg36qubff2euWtjgODt3mkjX4NYvTpRWd-mBUd8RyUa-mSocXNNPl-MxoXbot7t7WI/s1600/MAJ+Winters.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMBPD4r7BGs2Q0XsCsJvj0NIvecRg_x_J7JHbVpvrX1Wa_1djm9UTU1y6i4LV0Mr2lFDWq-EIhlg36qubff2euWtjgODt3mkjX4NYvTpRWd-mBUd8RyUa-mSocXNNPl-MxoXbot7t7WI/s200/MAJ+Winters.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560653432968824290" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Richard Winters died last week.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This quiet, humble man was made famous by Stephen Ambrose’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074322454X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0743216458&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1456RWSYJYPEGAGKC7GH">book</a>, <i>Band of Brothers</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Dick Winters can be thought of as the leader of<i> the band</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Tom Hanks produced an <a href="http://www.hbo.com/band-of-brothers/index.html">HBO miniseries</a> based on Ambrose’s book.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes I wonder what people will say of my work after I have moved onto the next client.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Will my work even be remembered?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Will it be held up as a good example for those who come after me?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Will people remember that my work was delivered on schedule?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Nearly all of my projects have been completed within budget.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Does anyone remember?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Perhaps they will remember <i>how </i>I worked.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One of my professors once told our class, before group presentations, “The audience will soon forget your topic, findings, and conclusions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They will long remember how you presented yourself.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I wonder if the same applies to managing people.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I would encourage readers to take a moment and review what Mr. Winters’ men said <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/01/10/2011-01-10_richard_dick_winters_whose_wwii_heroics_were_immortalized_in_band_of_brothers_is.html">here </a>about his leadership in the most difficult of times.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Can you name anyone who is willing to follow you to “hell and back?”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While this may just be a saying, it speaks of profound trust.<o:p></o:p></p>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-64152334888841647372010-12-22T20:13:00.007-05:002010-12-22T20:29:39.473-05:00For the Manager Who has Everything.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNnPpQ5h0j4cmWgzjT8R3eQ2KTjoT-LzB_jMpWk2JHhZIHObssipxChjhPysjrtRocfSsLUqLZnod21eIsCh4bEbx8fYpGuKI54c4SQnaXP3KhVw_b7mLkL07e7p6fmc9HZLovZrJAvk/s1600/Candy+cane.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNnPpQ5h0j4cmWgzjT8R3eQ2KTjoT-LzB_jMpWk2JHhZIHObssipxChjhPysjrtRocfSsLUqLZnod21eIsCh4bEbx8fYpGuKI54c4SQnaXP3KhVw_b7mLkL07e7p6fmc9HZLovZrJAvk/s200/Candy+cane.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553683509982944978" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span">Sure, you want to give your favorite manager a gift this holiday season. The guy/gal s</span>eems to have everything going for him or her. What can you give to add some joy to this person’s life?</p><span class="Apple-style-span"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span">Hours of seemingly endless struggle are now over.</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black">Might I suggest a book from</span> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;color:black"><a href="http://www.inc.com/">Inc. Magazine</a>’s</span> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black">list of <a href="http://www.inc.com/ss/best-books-for-business-owners-2010?partner=newsletter_Success">The Best Business Books of 2010</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;color:black">? </span> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;color:black">A quick review will show 25 books from various management disciplines.</span></span></span></p><p></p>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-78481742349202299412010-06-17T19:27:00.005-04:002010-12-22T20:36:09.386-05:00Trust in the Gulf -- Boot on the Neck<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2_RRGYeOmDWI9BbS87bqlphYRmn4fW-H5uky9So0EQKNVPpRZWQX0PZnF0MxLDiLET7YPEcjYk40ZAfRQKIFGzx0GmrzpA0AtgRIWWGLysvms1kkBVazt94G15vphMUA1oWsueLj8wE/s1600/DOI+SEAL.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 76px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 72px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483891059368314930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2_RRGYeOmDWI9BbS87bqlphYRmn4fW-H5uky9So0EQKNVPpRZWQX0PZnF0MxLDiLET7YPEcjYk40ZAfRQKIFGzx0GmrzpA0AtgRIWWGLysvms1kkBVazt94G15vphMUA1oWsueLj8wE/s200/DOI+SEAL.jpg" /></a>Department of the Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, made the following statement on CNN: "Our job basically is to <a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/27/obama-addresses-gulf-oil-spill-disaster/?iref=allsearch">keep the boot on the neck of British Petroleum </a>to carry out the responsibilities they have..." <div><div></div><br /><div>Salazar's remark has now been widely circulated. How do you think the Secretary's statement affects the level of trust between the administration and BP?</div><div></div><br /><div>How would you react if your client or a user group spoke to you like that? What if your manager told you that he was going to put his boot on your neck until you fulfill your responsibilities? I wonder whether the administration considered what effect its violent tone would have on the trust of those involved in the solution. Perhaps the administration doesn't believe <em>trust</em> has a part to play in the success of this unfortunate project.</div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-6987877062093435972010-06-09T23:16:00.006-04:002010-06-09T23:58:39.630-04:00Project: Stop the Oil Leak<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2FABlXMWMnyTnBxKIkp_ypcN7s6fCzkO2kJpRL4WfBHa5usj59oImBCAl0NU6_gb9BlAm4zBStDKckA_kxxCak0jyJ4XcHfaVTmhbQNeSJ4jME35aYtC068ZvWGAxYk8Sja7DJzbn5o/s1600/bp.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 65px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 72px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480987364197656530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2FABlXMWMnyTnBxKIkp_ypcN7s6fCzkO2kJpRL4WfBHa5usj59oImBCAl0NU6_gb9BlAm4zBStDKckA_kxxCak0jyJ4XcHfaVTmhbQNeSJ4jME35aYtC068ZvWGAxYk8Sja7DJzbn5o/s200/bp.bmp" /></a> <em>Leadership, Ownership</em>, and <em>Trust</em> are extremely important in successful large IT projects. I concluded this after conducting some research a few years ago (see <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/jdedwards/sacred-pm-practices">Sacred PM Practices</a>). In the years since, I have looked around to see how these attributes play out on my own projects, and in the world.<br /><div><div><br /><div></div><div>America's eyes are focused on the Gulf of Mexico and the oil spill. The stopping of the leak and cleanup could be considered a project -- it is a temporary effort, there is a beginning, some objectives, and an end. Just for fun, let's call this project, <strong>Stop the Oil Leak</strong>. During the next few posts, I'd like to share some of my observations of this project, and hope that you will share your own.</div><div></div><br /><div>On May 27th, President Obama declared, "<a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/politics/2010/05/27/sot.obama.fully.responsible.cnn.html">I am responsible</a>." This would seem to address the attibute, <em>ownership</em>. Once he admitted that, it was clear who is responsible for the success or failure of this project. As an aside, I think BP is the owner of this project, but that probably speaks more of my personal views of accountability, and less of project ownership.</div><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">Was this declaration a good move by the White House? Do you believe it relieved the executives and employees of BP? Who do you think owns this project?</span></div></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-84218624015047670412010-01-21T22:22:00.007-05:002010-12-22T20:36:42.810-05:00A Loss to the Consulting Industry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6DRq7SMUI8Fnty8MWlaG_JwtoXx64h4m1L1CYx_DFqS0LK4tk3ywDCLvcFUhPZ17HwZrgfh4TobxTUk4D5qarz1O1L5-dNSiHN26C5pg6fFJzNhPq5vEeijl5SsdjvqYKQnrFfY5tdU/s1600-h/David+Maister.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429403092454610098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6DRq7SMUI8Fnty8MWlaG_JwtoXx64h4m1L1CYx_DFqS0LK4tk3ywDCLvcFUhPZ17HwZrgfh4TobxTUk4D5qarz1O1L5-dNSiHN26C5pg6fFJzNhPq5vEeijl5SsdjvqYKQnrFfY5tdU/s200/David+Maister.JPG" /></a>There is sad news out of the consulting world. <a href="http://about.davidmaister.com/bio/">David Maister</a>, consultant to the consultant, has reached the momentous decision to <a href="http://davidmaister.com/blog">retire</a>. Dr. Maister has spent the last three decades studying and counseling consulting firms. While I never did get a chance to see him speak in person, I have read his <a href="http://davidmaister.com/books/">books</a>. <a href="http://davidmaister.com/books.mtpsf/">Managing the Professional Service Firm</a> was always near at hand while I established my small consulting practice a few years ago. I am confident that his advice kept me from turning down many wrong paths. <div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>For those interested, you can catch a glimpse of him in a few <a href="http://davidmaister.com/video.videocast/">videocasts</a>.</div><div></div><br /><div>I wish him great success in his well-deserved retirement.</div></div></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-7962532072652716632010-01-15T21:42:00.009-05:002010-01-15T22:13:27.437-05:00Murder by Numbers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyehyphenhyphenKFm_0kRNOV1gOvl1S3mbQLohljCZpCw4lHCXeemL20Rmj7QzOpZZeDEm_ICY0ebsDQ9qVh_us06WQyydnaAKlLIzHwWTdnzmThNZBVDqI6oFoRlbq8abt1sjr7tG6PSoBmUrmLWA/s1600-h/Ship.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 86px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427169688833569410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyehyphenhyphenKFm_0kRNOV1gOvl1S3mbQLohljCZpCw4lHCXeemL20Rmj7QzOpZZeDEm_ICY0ebsDQ9qVh_us06WQyydnaAKlLIzHwWTdnzmThNZBVDqI6oFoRlbq8abt1sjr7tG6PSoBmUrmLWA/s320/Ship.JPG" /></a>The day before we disembarked from our ship, the cruise director emphasized just how important it is to complete our passenger questionnaires. Apparently, the cruise line's management places a great deal of weight on passengers' responses. Bonuses are decided. Promotions are offered. Staff is terminated. This cruise director even directed us to rate a feature as <em>Exceeded Expectations</em> when it didn't necessarily. After all, "the numeric rating for <em>Exceeded Expectations</em> is the range 100-75. A score of 75 translates to a grade of C in school. That doesn't seem right." The cruise director's ten-minute monologue was followed up by the same message supplied by the maitre d' after dinner. <div><div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>I once worked for a company that placed a lot of emphasis on project scorecard ratings. Our San Francisco office always received 100% ratings. When our General Manager investigated this apparent success, clients revealed that the San Francisco Practice Manager was strong-arming the results. If ratings were anything below 100%, the Practice Manager would visit the client and <em>talk</em> the client into 100% scores. Unfortunately, metrics-based performance measures revealed little about the San Francisco office's performance and tended to sour business relationships with its clients.</div><div></div><br /><div>I am all about performance measures. I believe in the ideal, <em>that which is measured, improves</em>. Gleb Reys' <a href="http://www.personaldevelopment.ie/2007/04/that-which-is-measured-improves/">Personal Development blog </a>provides some examples for those who would like to see this in action. However, basing performance solely on customer reviews can negate the customer experience. There must be a balance in the organization among customer/client feedback and other performance attributes. <span style="color:#3366ff;">Have you ever seen the proper balance? If so, what does it look like?</span></div></div></div></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-50905535578215511082009-10-30T22:38:00.007-04:002010-01-15T22:14:09.986-05:00Greatest Importance for Success<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFluKtbgTIog1glz9UUDn0j95kiMt-8V8KKIuXLClQTACqk3WlYOZg27y14k69ZLmI7k38YxyVkInhoDcD8z8brppegRScEHek6QcVMos5n4i-y8srePBX_z2vfvOGWAApzxZX40eiRk/s1600-h/Lewis+and+Clark.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 277px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398589449481251346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFluKtbgTIog1glz9UUDn0j95kiMt-8V8KKIuXLClQTACqk3WlYOZg27y14k69ZLmI7k38YxyVkInhoDcD8z8brppegRScEHek6QcVMos5n4i-y8srePBX_z2vfvOGWAApzxZX40eiRk/s320/Lewis+and+Clark.bmp" /></a>Lewis and Clark knew management. One important management principle shows up in the correspondence between Lewis and Clark as far back as 1803. American readers will remember that Lewis and Clark, with a group of frontiersmen, set out to find a water passage from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. The timing of the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) seems as though President Jefferson was telling the men, “We just bought a huge chunk of land. Now go see what we just purchased.” In reality, Thomas Jefferson had pursued several ideas for western exploration years before the purchase was made.<br /><div><div><br />In preparation for the trip, Lewis and Clark exchanged a series of letters regarding expedition objectives, needs, and timeframes. In one such letter, Clark shares "<span style="color:#000099;">a judicious choice of our party is of the greatest importance to the success of this vast enterprise</span>." Lewis responded in agreement.<br /><br />Selection of staff is of “greatest importance?” Do you hold such beliefs? If you do agree with Clark, do you act on those beliefs? I have oftentimes been encouraged to make a job offer to a candidate after a single interview. Ideally, I would like to meet the candidate on two or three occasions. If I must spend the next few years working with a person, I want to make sure I know that person before he or she is invited in the door.<br /><br />If your experience has been like mine, your most frustrating problems are related to people? When I think of my best projects, it is always the projects where I was able to work with good people.<br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">How important is selecting the right people? Were Lewis and Clark off course on this one?</span></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-28839894001702994572009-08-25T21:39:00.003-04:002009-08-25T21:49:57.302-04:00Towers Perrin's Top-10 List for Employee Engagement<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLMNA03UChZDE_1yWPdL_eVi4Y88A91phwAk_3_y5OSx5wPgpDA1tZYzq922Znaz-RtX1NW7KIbnz2IPsuvK56jnsykA3MYMhtoq5vbu7S1PvKgpGyewfFxT-sYS7iqDbYUT4ox2yENY/s1600-h/TowersPerrin.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374083300294178418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 199px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 58px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLMNA03UChZDE_1yWPdL_eVi4Y88A91phwAk_3_y5OSx5wPgpDA1tZYzq922Znaz-RtX1NW7KIbnz2IPsuvK56jnsykA3MYMhtoq5vbu7S1PvKgpGyewfFxT-sYS7iqDbYUT4ox2yENY/s400/TowersPerrin.bmp" border="0" /></a>Another firm that chimes in about <em>employee engagement</em> is <a href="http://www.towersperrin.com/tp/lobby.jsp?country=global">Towers Perrin</a>. Like Accenture, Towers Perrin also has a top-10 list for employee engagement.<br /><div><ol><li>Senior management sincerely interested in employee well-being</li><li>Ability to improve skills and capabilities </li><li>Organization’s reputation for social responsibility </li><li>Employees' input into decision making </li><li>Quick resolution of customer concerns </li><li>Setting of high personal standards </li><li>Excellent career advancement opportunities </li><li>Challenging work assignments that broaden skills </li><li>Good relationships with supervisors </li><li>Organization encourages innovative thinking </li></ol>Most of these ten drivers directly impact the employee (e.g., 1, 2, 7). A couple of the top-10 drivers speak to the environment of the employer (e.g., 10). The odd one here, the one I didn’t expect to see, is driver #5. Resolution of customer concerns has not appeared on any of the other employee engagement lists that I have reviewed. I suppose it is difficult to be engaged to an employer that has difficulty resolving the problems of its customers.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">What is on your top-10 list for employee engagement? Has Towers Perrin captured everything on your own list?</span></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-62510027319493343642009-08-19T12:54:00.008-04:002009-08-19T20:52:55.805-04:00Accenture's Top-10 List for Employee Engagement<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGwTY6HZGpd1RLfphzNxwBCFeb7t1R3Uxd6PoBtyFE_RbPHoGNOHVvpweQyi94-1DkHfgcOALt-jklxQzHg0kP12zLAOoJMRZZjnkjXEqZZhPTThDVx3kwXuZv6UomQhnUFyuJFTLCZw/s1600-h/accent+little.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371724272857096162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 81px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGwTY6HZGpd1RLfphzNxwBCFeb7t1R3Uxd6PoBtyFE_RbPHoGNOHVvpweQyi94-1DkHfgcOALt-jklxQzHg0kP12zLAOoJMRZZjnkjXEqZZhPTThDVx3kwXuZv6UomQhnUFyuJFTLCZw/s400/accent+little.JPG" border="0" /></a>I found that Accenture’s Human Performance service line has considered how employee engagement affects profit, productivity, and innovation. They have found a direct relationship between employee engagement and profit, productivity, and innovation. Accenture’s analyses have shown that the higher an organization scores on the ten areas below, the higher the employee engagement rating.<br /><div><div><div><ul><li>Recognition and rewards must be linked to job and business performance</li><li>Hr systems must provide managers with the information they need</li><li>Learning opportunities for current and future positions must be available</li><li>Provide tools for staff to find the information they need to perform their jobs</li><li>Frequent and effective performance appraisals must be provided</li><li>High-performance physical workplace must be created</li><li>Significant changes in the organization must be communicated to reduce their impact on morale and performance</li><li>Pay attention to each employee’s career planning and development</li><li>HR policies must be fair for all staff members</li><li>Recruit individuals with the same goals as the organization</li></ul><p><span style="color:#3366ff;">Does this look like a complete list to you? What about trusting one’s manager? What about having a good working relationship with one’s boss? <span style="color:#330033;">I once read that an employee always joins a company, but always leaves a boss. I think a person’s relationship with his manager carries a lot of weight. </span>Where is that topic in the Accenture’s list?</span></p><span style="color:#3366ff;"><div>What do you think?</span></div></div></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-50551770889697500632009-08-04T00:08:00.007-04:002009-08-06T12:36:44.721-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Bottom Line<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP4xAB1HTO3CrGstErdNK_K6C60AuVJGkgN9p4mEtGeUoMV8M9j8loqlIY2NSMHRFbBpa2gbeJ_NtiqhyphenhyphenCJBqgMfV07X-HBWlhzk0KTFW7Wz_qq6-F0F1xlQrZTbRFvTAKW76cwzCGbo/s1600-h/bottomline.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366158487354060962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuP4xAB1HTO3CrGstErdNK_K6C60AuVJGkgN9p4mEtGeUoMV8M9j8loqlIY2NSMHRFbBpa2gbeJ_NtiqhyphenhyphenCJBqgMfV07X-HBWlhzk0KTFW7Wz_qq6-F0F1xlQrZTbRFvTAKW76cwzCGbo/s400/bottomline.JPG" border="0" /></a>Most project managers, project management instructors, and publishers of project management material are spending much effort on management topics that are of little importance to the success of large IT projects, and little energy on those topics which are present in many of these successful large IT projects – leadership, ownership, trust.<br /><br /><div>I am not suggesting that knowing how to create a project plan, or managing project risks are not important. I have come to believe that topics like leadership, ownership, and trust are little understood. <span style="color:#3366ff;">How much time do you, or your project manager, spend on creating a sense of ownership among team members? Do you spend any energy cultivating trust?<br /></span></div><br /><div>We started the discussion of the research project, <em>Sacred Management Practices</em>, in a <a href="http://managementhouse.blogspot.com/2009/01/sacred-pm-practices-project-sample.html">posting on January 25, 2009</a>. This summary posting represents that last planned post about the the project. We have enjoyed some great discussion around the topics presented. You can find the full presentation at SlideShare.net under <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/jdedwards/sacred-pm-practices">Sacred PM Practices</a>.</div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-36392949360429444402009-07-22T22:11:00.005-04:002009-08-06T12:46:10.901-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Topics for Consideration<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3s6mrFaVLyqLhMyRriJ4fUmTA-cTbdvC9xgCP5ncR9sqIAoq5Bz764IUrS0RFYr6zBjVe0K_ZO7bh5STNg-o_d1nP4A5_W6a926X4UST8m4SnI6XXeLwz2N_B0Jueoefm3AHePsJxmm8/s1600-h/Clouds2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361476434219734546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3s6mrFaVLyqLhMyRriJ4fUmTA-cTbdvC9xgCP5ncR9sqIAoq5Bz764IUrS0RFYr6zBjVe0K_ZO7bh5STNg-o_d1nP4A5_W6a926X4UST8m4SnI6XXeLwz2N_B0Jueoefm3AHePsJxmm8/s400/Clouds2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Traditional project management resources seem to address topics that do not necessarily support the successful execution of large IT projects. <ul><li><a href="http://www.pmi.org/">Project Management Institute</a> claims to be the world’s leading publisher of project management information. Its books, newsletters, training courses, and seminars focus on traditional concerns such as resource estimation, risk management, and scope management.</li><li><a href="http://www.amanet.org/">American Management Association</a>’s books, seminars, and self-study materials focus on traditional project management activities – setting measurable project objectives, estimating project costs, and the use of a Work Breakdown Structure.</li><li><a href="http://www.sei.cmu.edu/">Software Engineering Institute</a> strongly promotes the establishment of repeatable (i.e., standard, documented) processes for such areas as project planning, project tracking, and change management.</li></ul><p>Project management resources do not adequately address the qualitative findings of this study.</p><ul><li>There are many resources written about leadership. The resources however, tend to address military leadership and the leading of whole corporations. </li><li>There are few resources that address ownership. Some of the leadership books do include a sentence or a paragraph about why ownership is important to an organization. </li><li>There are extremely few project management resources that address trust among project stakeholders. </li></ul><p><span style="color:#3366ff;">Do you also find this to be the situation? If so, why? Is it simply easier to describe how to create a work breakdown structure than it is to describe how to create an environment of engaged team members?</span></p>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-12010572804287703332009-07-21T00:01:00.006-04:002009-08-06T12:39:46.583-04:00Managers Only do 4 ThingsSometimes my head spins with the many and varied duties of a manager. How can anyone be a competent manager in the face of so many skills needed? Must we be good at everything, or just the important things? How can we be confident that we know what the important things are? Do the important things change with time? It is like a nightmare. <div><div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg4x8kzpe7VULoOnyRNbfrDY5I-7vNCMuFMPidB2vydIeXITP7xPeLmT2Yi6d7rZuiwazBeauu7TrVE52MO3snx6bV-SSik93f8wu55O_EA_YgwjhyphenhyphenuakYwIXog6_Qz5t6IzN5uGYxww/s1600-h/first+break+all+the+rules+cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360760654896029090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg4x8kzpe7VULoOnyRNbfrDY5I-7vNCMuFMPidB2vydIeXITP7xPeLmT2Yi6d7rZuiwazBeauu7TrVE52MO3snx6bV-SSik93f8wu55O_EA_YgwjhyphenhyphenuakYwIXog6_Qz5t6IzN5uGYxww/s200/first+break+all+the+rules+cover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://tmbc.com/site/about_us/aboutUs.php">Marc</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNJJeWyAE7FNkH3L70uO2jyJrW24MnuKBPJnxy1J4yfiGsh5yptPDYLQKTSjH6KELVe_9M7sbi2vHoDW3cdVT2aYH4hyXxxceM3qy_mNuQSOH-GFaqwWS88YUdZmR1vzkk5uZlSnbwBc/s1600-h/first+break+all+the+rules+cover.jpg"></a><a href="http://tmbc.com/site/about_us/aboutUs.php">us Buckingham </a>and <a href="http://www.coffmanorganization.com/index.php?id=43">Curt Coffman </a>write, in the book <em><a href="http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0684852861">First, Break All the Rules</a></em>, that a manager only performs the following four tasks: </div><div><br />· Select the right people<br />· Set expectations<br />· Motivate the people<br />· Develop people<br /></div></div><br /><div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">What are Buckingham and Coffman missing? Can everything a manager does fit into one of the four categories above? Where does conflict resolution fall? How does encourage/build teamwork fit?</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span></div></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-31194886894087154772009-07-17T22:46:00.004-04:002009-08-06T12:46:40.559-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Possible Explanation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWhrRhZHtk2mlGx2GtBfaxVCjxQmlOmycAXo03Lo7H2VudNZJqye15ySGWhIM9Zx10aKEYbRIo8dV4Cn0U2NQoRSY7rNgCJ1e8CALEH5cz6BmEWA6lfcEk65NYEQuWff3me9mT568eyY/s1600-h/pictures+#1+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359643356860506594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWhrRhZHtk2mlGx2GtBfaxVCjxQmlOmycAXo03Lo7H2VudNZJqye15ySGWhIM9Zx10aKEYbRIo8dV4Cn0U2NQoRSY7rNgCJ1e8CALEH5cz6BmEWA6lfcEk65NYEQuWff3me9mT568eyY/s400/pictures+%231+008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It may seem reasonable that with strong leadership, ownership, and trust in place, there is less of a need for the standardization of project management procedures/activities (e.g., resource estimation, risk assessment, change management).<br /></div><br /><div>In contrast, there is a need for standard project management procedures in the absence of leadership, ownership, and trust.<br /></div><br /><div>This possible explanation implies that standard project management procedures serve as a substitute for project leadership, ownership, and trust.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">Am I reaching here? Have I oversimplified the observations?</span></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-38126141095772324222009-07-10T21:30:00.003-04:002009-08-06T12:42:43.033-04:00Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a band scorned?One customer service statistic that I came across during school really sticks out in my mind -- only one in six dissatisfied customers will complain. What is the ratio of customers who devote their energy to publishing a music video to right a customer service wrong? One in ten thousand?<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.sonsofmaxwell.com/">Sons of Maxwell </a>band members witnessed careless, or negligent, handling of their equipment by United Airlines baggage handlers. Unfortunately, after a year of requests, United could not compensate its customer for his destroyed guitar.<br /><br />Enjoy the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo">video</a>. For those who have picked up damaged luggage after a flight, have empathy for the band. Reconsider your choice of airlines the next time you fly. This video on Youtube is about to hit 2 million views. I wonder if <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-10533-Seattle-Travel-Industry-Examiner~y2009m7d10-United-Airlinespublic-relations-crisis-or-profitability-at-the-expense-of-consumer-experience">United executives </a>are reconsidering how they handled this complaint.<br /><br />The band promises to publish three videos about its experience on United Airlines. Two more videos are to follow.Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-40401142227452469152009-07-09T22:54:00.004-04:002009-08-06T12:45:13.869-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Unexpected Findings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDpl-azVqLsAkIm5-VDzJiwR-2u9GR35ZcRiMvdaXMDOndY8GtTbt1fRjPMRYQ-vGRMteQXay2R1ZyYFGAtID7PtNZbmkKMgBuXZD1nmJRAdxgBYgKTUu-zeiDKtSCKjJtjAG-xjEpXk/s1600-h/My+Pictures0134.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356660071142645794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDpl-azVqLsAkIm5-VDzJiwR-2u9GR35ZcRiMvdaXMDOndY8GtTbt1fRjPMRYQ-vGRMteQXay2R1ZyYFGAtID7PtNZbmkKMgBuXZD1nmJRAdxgBYgKTUu-zeiDKtSCKjJtjAG-xjEpXk/s400/My+Pictures0134.jpg" border="0" /></a>Project Managers of successful large IT projects spend relatively little effort on activities declared important in project management literature, methodologies, and training seminars. Only two of the nine initial assumptions, dedicated project team and frequent interaction with stakeholders, passed the 80% bar (see posting on June 15, 2009).<br /><div><br />These same project managers do focus on project leadership, build a sense of ownership, and cultivate trust among project stakeholders. </div><div><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Why do you think that leadership, ownership, and trust are not prominent in literature, methodologies, and training seminars?</span> I have been looking for these topics to be addressed for four years now. Only recently have I seen a couple of <a href="http://davidmaister.com/books.ta/">books</a> and a <a href="http://www.amanet.org/seminars/seminar.cfm?basesemno=2593">seminar</a> on Trust.</div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-29982963570013095262009-07-01T20:40:00.003-04:002009-08-06T12:47:20.520-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Trust<em>Trust</em> is the confidence one has that another will fulfill his obligation.<br /><br />Many of the respondents shared their conviction that trust among individuals was crucial to the success of their projects. These respondents reported that there was trust among senior management, the project manager, the project team members, the business community, and users. Others, like Dr. Keith Mathis, have found the importance of creating an environment of trust. His posting can be found <a href="http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/six-ways-to-give-proper-project-leadership.html">here </a>on <a href="http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/">Project Smart</a>.<br /><br />One particularly interesting observation was that when there was trust in a project relationship, the relationship could sustain multiple mistakes (e.g., missed deadlines, budget overruns). These mistakes, of course, could batter the level of trust.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Has trust ever played into the success of any of your projects? Have you found the there is less documentation when there is a lot of trust?</span>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-81079397231147984502009-06-29T22:37:00.011-04:002009-08-06T12:48:22.450-04:00Sacred PM Practices – OwnershipOwnership is a psychological bond between a project team member and the outcome of a project. <div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP32Xpt_sMOAZN2uWgRleDH2W7qJI2tw2GiVlgfwiDjxsSVtD2ttdpW2NNH2HP5LjSC9MPld2sNgRVd3XOiYO2NGozvxaRCguDZ34vF9596wjt875IiAZf-FX-9fHO7CsQtpPf41uI2LM/s1600-h/My+Pictures0025.jpg"></a>The majority of respondents in the study volunteered their belief that a <em>sense of ownership</em> was critical to the success of their projects. Many discussed several perspectives on ownership. Respondents shared examples of project managers, project team members, the clients (both <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ_fKKR8pPIK8ZmdN0p7_Dp1hJJ78yesRc2A6viy8Z7Ed_ba8Ozp_V3HUxoemRAegzexBpUYPlrLufzDOephIkkQWYtOhvdzdO9AI54WVL1wKSwXsa_yQUYhbOpA1x4Cgw2b7KrcVqBI/s1600-h/My+Pictures0025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352946481774057810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ_fKKR8pPIK8ZmdN0p7_Dp1hJJ78yesRc2A6viy8Z7Ed_ba8Ozp_V3HUxoemRAegzexBpUYPlrLufzDOephIkkQWYtOhvdzdO9AI54WVL1wKSwXsa_yQUYhbOpA1x4Cgw2b7KrcVqBI/s200/My+Pictures0025.jpg" border="0" /></a>internal and external), and users exhibiting ownership of project outcomes. There was the consultant who volunteered to cancel his contract if a software release was not successfully executed at a critical time. I also remember the CEO who found a project team in the office hours after a blizzard ended. No one from the rest of his company could make it into the office because of the snow-drifted streets. </div><div><br />The respondents did not know how to measure the level of ownership, but believed that they could state whether project team members exhibited ownership. </div><div><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">When have you seen a project team show ownership of its success? Have you witnessed an especially engaged project team? If so, what made the team engaged?</span></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-21959718427385398142009-06-25T23:01:00.005-04:002009-08-06T12:48:49.181-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Project Leadership<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEenPUP_YtaA40kbgQJDMraU9qExRDy6EWuUsnUkV2MPyNEZHyuP3tOpnawabY9hvztN4TvSdfCIDhAYFIlwYBev0uPsLb90RGY2lbMv4b23vf4C6Pe8yEAz68UWIQnaTs4H2eXx1O3k/s1600-h/pictures+#1+208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351468830685360386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEenPUP_YtaA40kbgQJDMraU9qExRDy6EWuUsnUkV2MPyNEZHyuP3tOpnawabY9hvztN4TvSdfCIDhAYFIlwYBev0uPsLb90RGY2lbMv4b23vf4C6Pe8yEAz68UWIQnaTs4H2eXx1O3k/s400/pictures+%231+208.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>Project Leadership</em> is the ability to use interpersonal relationships to stimulate and guide people toward the accomplishment of a project.</div><div><br />Many of the respondents made a strong distinction between project <em>management</em> and project <em>leadership</em>. While there are various definitions offered, a leader seems to be the one who achieves goals by influencing others, has a respect for expectations and perceptions, and directs others with a shared vision. A project manager, on the other hand, simply manages a project schedule, checks on progress, and tries to contain scope. Other comments from respondents included the following sentiments:</div><ul><li>While a leader may not like office politics, he knows politics is part of the work environment. He does his best to use politics to his project’s advantage.</li><li>A leader makes an effort to understand all the personal agendas and expectations of the key stakeholders. He tries to understand why each does, or does not, want the project to succeed.</li><li>A leader is successful in establishing and managing relationships</li></ul><p><span style="color:#3366ff;">Have you also had difficulty describing how leadership contrasts with management?</span> Pawel Brodzinski tackled this question <a href="http://blog.brodzinski.com/2008/12/difference-between-managers-and-leaders.html">here</a>. <span style="color:#3366ff;">Do you simply know leadership when you see it?</span></p>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-47494171099681757312009-06-22T21:50:00.008-04:002009-08-06T12:49:18.911-04:00Sacred PM Practices – Qualitative Factors Uncovered<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeFYh7TjmO-WoViTs9DlKayVQXOF_JUAUwpwtXmEUKJyTDTtLSvQo7t_Xl4dSa4VHJllIEk0fB2fYXjWFsc4ht4ofzQa_EdrtCsWIExt48xSFkmd3-_ShbcX1enOGBVhvoA3mnluI8bw/s1600-h/McD+cropped.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350353460249082098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 199px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeFYh7TjmO-WoViTs9DlKayVQXOF_JUAUwpwtXmEUKJyTDTtLSvQo7t_Xl4dSa4VHJllIEk0fB2fYXjWFsc4ht4ofzQa_EdrtCsWIExt48xSFkmd3-_ShbcX1enOGBVhvoA3mnluI8bw/s200/McD+cropped.JPG" border="0" /></a>My prepared questions were asked. Hundreds of pieces of information were organized. Trends were identified. <div><div><div><div><br />When I asked the successful project managers what I was missing, most project managers shared a few ideas that had helped their projects to succeed. The following characteristics were discovered to be present, to a large extent, on most of the sample projects:</div><ul><li>Project <em>leadership</em>, as opposed to project <em>management</em></li><li>Ownership of the project outcome</li><li>Trust among project members, stakeholders, and senior management</li></ul><p>I was dumbstruck. In all of my project management courses and seminars, studying of PM textbooks, and discussions with senior management, I had never come across the importance of leadership, instilling a sense of ownership, and cultivating an environment of trust. After all, most of our status reports address schedule, budget, and risks. </p><p><span style="color:#3366ff;">When was the last time your boss asked you about your project team members’ sense of ownership? When has your status report commented on your client/customer’s trust in the project team?</span></p></div></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-31865103100606342322009-06-15T23:45:00.007-04:002009-08-06T12:50:53.330-04:00Sacred PM Practices -- Findings RevealedI thought the best way to share the findings and trends of the research project would be in podcast form. Please <em>click</em> the podcast listed on the right panel of this page to listen. The podcast, along with the graph below, provide a concise summary of what was found.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347773089426034034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgjKZrOdGPsfw04saTKmQG5rvZA9MLDi2dxYh9cMOmiFEgBQ1QTczQC3lnRJwFPfmByQ9EcCoFKgMsDEnk03fbYvrIEGETh79a-rUJJ-AivjbPpyJIc8XH8Uc0D6wacI8Z4JRK1YcWpM/s400/TrendsRevealed2.jpg" border="0" /> Thank you for visiting <span style="color:#000099;">Management House</span>. I look forward to reading your comments.Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-9328421902935930222009-03-19T22:06:00.005-04:002009-08-06T12:51:34.440-04:00Management’s Biggest Problem Today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5BeBOrnpmW7vLTp775CeV0ePPU5j_6hoFwKHPV5_GvIKVIbimJa30G8URiSgLGc7yDPLCpLpixnd5VOrFgqvJ40IafreL-25Mfp1WvoGKuCXLntFaFdkbPEMgIj_lCUpnNZnzCxn3_s/s1600-h/pictures+#1+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315086257569707234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 179px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5BeBOrnpmW7vLTp775CeV0ePPU5j_6hoFwKHPV5_GvIKVIbimJa30G8URiSgLGc7yDPLCpLpixnd5VOrFgqvJ40IafreL-25Mfp1WvoGKuCXLntFaFdkbPEMgIj_lCUpnNZnzCxn3_s/s200/pictures+%231+010.JPG" border="0" /></a>What is the most common way to bring ruin to a project, a business (<a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/enron/6058858.html">Enron</a>, Bernie Madoff’s <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/12/madoff-ponzi-hedge-pf-ii-in_rl_1212croesus_inl.html">Ascot Partners</a>), a nation? What, since the beginning of human history, has brought on self-destruction?<br /><br />Lack of personal integrity.<br /><br />Every major religion and many historical figures comment on maintaining personal integrity.<br /><ul><li>Christianity - The Lord abhors dishonest scales</li><li>Judaism – Thou shalt not bear false witness </li><li>Islam - Thou shalt not raise a false report </li><li>Buddhism -I will honor honesty and truth, I will not deceive</li><li>William Shakespeare -- No legacy is so rich as honesty </li><li>Ben Franklin – Honesty is the best policy </li><li>Thomas Jefferson -- Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom </li><li>Your mother – _______ (<em>fill in the blank</em>)<br /></li></ul>No matter where I go in the business world, I am a witness to lying, deceit or both. How often have you seen some one lie to buy time? How often has a lie only deferred the pain? How many unnecessary lies have you witnessed?<br /><br /><br />I have never found a lying leadership to be inspiring. Personally, it is difficult for me to work with those who lie so easily. Timothy Barry, in <a href="http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/top-10-qualities-project-manager.html">Project Smart</a>, lists <em>integrity</em> as one of the top qualities of being a project manager.<br /><br />And what is the rationale given for a lie in the business world? It is the way businesses work. Everybody does it. How about the comment, “If we don’t lie, another company is just going to lie and win the work?”<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Are we to just accept it? How are we to protect ourselves, our projects, and our business?<br /></span><br />Management’s biggest problem today is that of all times -- To deceive others, or oneself.Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-54745636272668567352009-03-14T14:09:00.003-04:002009-08-06T12:52:20.803-04:00Sacred PM Practices -- Lessons Learned<p>The final assumption that I tested in my project management research project (introduced in a Jan 25, 2009 posting), was a project’s collection and use of lessons learned. I wondered whether a difference between project success and project failure might be that a successful organization might learn from its own successes and failures.<br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313109638361573170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEdYAaBHvoaOXFOW48B1sasKc19QpKoLU4hlDMB5NZATSIUG24heSXWczxrKAAuZCI4Sggb5M85SVjexbRFW-Tu7oIz0YGfLrlDqYa_y-dIikHi7PllGFeo9Dl3tYWHykkhWmZw4zWcw/s400/Lessons+learned+cropped.jpg" border="0" /><br /><graph><strong>Observations</strong> </p><ul><li>The majority of the projects were successful without conducting such meetings. </li><li>Of the 56% of the projects that did not conduct such a meeting, nearly all of the respondents reported that such an activity should have been performed.<br /></li></ul><p>My experience with lessons learned is limited to a one-time meeting at the end of the project, where what is discussed (i.e., lessons) is <a href="http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/03/12/235244/known-mistakes-repeated-on-234m-it-system-for-prisons.htm">largely or entirely ignored </a>the next time around. <span style="color:#3333ff;">When have you send lessons learned used? Has it made a difference?</span></p>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-14685285351242381232009-03-12T21:37:00.005-04:002009-08-06T12:53:30.028-04:00Sacred PM Practices - Change Management<p>Projects, large and small, must respond to a constant bombardment of proposed changes from customers, upper management, the business, the market, and perhaps even the federal government (e.g., regulatory changes). For a project to be successful, it must formally manage these changes. Or so I thought.<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312481663791971762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuRA7j43eUtYgO0prhX4z_yQ637QurQjs7Rx_xyGkbm5QfD-mwCPyIxBTY9yqmfIzW1a4hDl4ydvqASKe9wMNGs1B2EMXikZ7x9iach4efr4GGt0cM2CiwHTNLgtnTdLSGnicWljncvQ/s400/ChangeMgmt2.jpg" border="0" /> <p><graph><strong>Observations</strong> </p><ul><li>The majority of projects (56%) were successful without formal change management procedures (e.g., documented procedures, forms to be completed, consensus approval). </li><li>Of the 44% that reported formal change management activities, many project managers reported that the formality was absolutely critical to the success of the project. </li></ul><p>I have rarely witnessed formal change management. I have often seen formal change management implemented, but rarely executed. There are forms, <a href="http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/28761.aspx">procedures</a>, a change control board for those organizations very serious about change. From my viewpoint most of the time, the forms are not completed, the procedure description collects dust, and the change control board meets infrequently. Yet, some projects are successful.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Have you seen/lived formal change? Has it meant the difference between project success and project failure?<br /></span><br />Introduced in a Jan 25, 2009 posting, this research project studied the project characteristics of large, successful IT projects. </p>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-91817866156656006582009-02-26T20:27:00.003-05:002009-02-27T19:54:38.245-05:00Alltop Now Features Management House<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-9WSnGRVjeQ15vr7JI3TWtlnlPtUDCN8hJm8V3JDC00sl9Y6CrYaYJFWSXkko_jeiBh16pvEDqa1hSgrC5z_8gOg3fzlYL9CFJg4S5Xlo6ZTTXR0UQMBZtGWBMsz4oUjZ5q8GhIeoCs/s1600-h/alltop+cropped.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307645236878165538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-9WSnGRVjeQ15vr7JI3TWtlnlPtUDCN8hJm8V3JDC00sl9Y6CrYaYJFWSXkko_jeiBh16pvEDqa1hSgrC5z_8gOg3fzlYL9CFJg4S5Xlo6ZTTXR0UQMBZtGWBMsz4oUjZ5q8GhIeoCs/s400/alltop+cropped.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#3333ff;">Management House</span> is now featured at Alltop.com.<br /><br />Alltop enhances your online reading by displaying articles from online sources that you’re already visiting. It also helps you to discover sources that you didn’t know existed. For more information about <a href="http://alltop.com/">Alltop</a>, check out the review in <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/mainstream_web_watch_why_alltop_rocks.php">ReadWriteWeb</a>.<br /><br />You will find <span style="color:#3333ff;">Management House</span> under Alltop’s <a href="http://project-management.alltop.com/">Project Management topic</a>.</div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948868926194285120.post-74163036354977496402009-02-25T22:32:00.006-05:002009-08-06T12:54:16.586-04:00How to Manage in a World Turned Upside Down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGPEuOeOXKkD8X12qSjpom8eguBHbxxF5WuZFYK_gYlaNTq6_NdG80Mg2xrh2RVmpaLzYD8uRLeprRwhZvdzR4R6lT3O9ngjrbaSZcJ6bkr-aAuV-xpmg2pzw4ex_mk-TCngUU50Zf0E/s1600-h/Potomac+River+Upside+Down.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306945532916707938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGPEuOeOXKkD8X12qSjpom8eguBHbxxF5WuZFYK_gYlaNTq6_NdG80Mg2xrh2RVmpaLzYD8uRLeprRwhZvdzR4R6lT3O9ngjrbaSZcJ6bkr-aAuV-xpmg2pzw4ex_mk-TCngUU50Zf0E/s400/Potomac+River+Upside+Down.JPG" border="0" /></a>Working is stressful enough in times without a global recession, <a href="http://layofftracker.blogspot.com/">huge layoffs </a>, and ongoing corporate bankruptcies. Managers can do a great deal to relieve an employee’s fears, ease a restructuring, or help prepare for a layoff. Managers are in a position to:<br /><div><div><ul><li>Deal honestly with employees </li><li>Be proactive with employees’ needs for information</li><li>Encourage participation in change where possible</li><li>Implement change gradually</li></ul><p>Most people do not resist change. They resist the uncertainty associated with change. Honest and constant communication can help to reduce uncertainty. Each employee, like you, needs to make informed decisions about their (family’s) future. A friend of mine found a new job because he <em>heard</em> his team might be downsized in a few months. It wasn’t. </p><p>These observations may seem trite, but how often have you seen change go well? How many times have you been part of a reorganization and commented, “Excellent reorg. Smooth.” Do most people who are laid off conclude that they were treated with respect?</p></div></div>Jeff Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17064765953077110377noreply@blogger.com2