Beyond Execution

I recently signed up for a new PM service, and as part of that service, they are sending me (translation:blitzing me) with emails about blog posts and webinars and free (!) PDUs.  Can't say I blame them, they are starting a new business, and you need to build an audience to gain a predicable revenue stream for the future.  The only trouble is, for me, I'm not overly interested in the content, at least at this point in time.

However, they did send off on a topic abo...

I had an interesting question posed to me a few weeks ago in one of my classes. One of the younger participants asked me for my opinion on the younger generation - how productive they would be in projects and what kind of methods a PM could use for motivation (we were in the HR section of the course We are talking about what's called Generation Y - those born roughly from 1980s-2000 (the last group born wholly in the 20th century). Those born around 1985-1991 should be entering into the...

In one of my recent classes, a participant was clearly very frustrated at having to "baby-sit" team members in order to have it done. She was tired of having to chase people down to remind them of deadlines and finding out issues that probably should have bee identified and actioned earlier. Her question to me what way is there (or PMI way) to avoid this situation, and let her get on with more important duties? I did not have an answer that she really liked, which was there isn't really a ...

Have you every worked with people who can't see the forest for the trees? That is, folks who tend to deal with the details and not think about the higher level principles or strategies that drive the lower level tasks? If you think in the opposite way, or if you need to determine the high level first, then this can be become frustrating if you are not able to overcome the difference.

Fortunately, I've found a way around it, which seems to work fairly effectiv...

Yesterday I presented a one day course on Conflict Resolution at the PMI Saskatchewan Professional Development Conference (PDC). As I was being introduced at the start of the day, the room assistant said as part of his opening: "and this young gentleman will be presenting..."

I cringed internally. Even though I have over 15 years of experience in project management across multiple industries, I don't look it. Part of this is due to me being of Asian descent - we are noto...

If this phrase is familiar, it's because it's one of the seven habits of highly successful people, which is a best-selling book by Stephen Covey. In the context of one of the habits, it's about self-discovery and establishing your overall values and goals. It's a very powerful technique, which is to envision the person and the success you want, then consistently moving towards that vision.

I apply this technique when I practice project management, at both a higher level a...

The title comes from a line in Adam Sandler's movie "The Waterboy". The main character's mother, in attempts to keep him on (her view) of the straight and narrow, tells him "<Fill in the blank> is the DEVIL!" The ones used in the movie were: school, football and girls.

I finished up a stint with the government (lessons learned to come in an upcoming blog post). During my time, there was a Director who wanted to avoid any shape or form...

In Toronto, we had a recent trade involving our baseball team, the Blue Jays.  A player by the name of Vernon Wells had been traded to the Anaheim Angels for 2 players. Trades are a normal part of the business but what made this a top-flight transaction was the contract that Vernon Wells had. He had been signed 3 years ago to a 7-year $126 million contract, with $86 million still owed to him for the next 4 years. In baseball, his contract was thought untradeable due to the sheer amount. ...

As an instructor, I'm very aware that what is taught is on paper only (these days, I guess the analogy is a Word document only) and what is done in real life varies depending on the situation. This is especially true when managing project risk. There is a ton of project management activities that "should" be done, but aren't due to time constraints and overhead burdens.

Since taking a delivery position, I am again faced with these situations and challenges again. Right now...

Last month I was proven wrong. On the highway to work, I normally take a detour path, because the main highway route is normally very heavy. The detour is a little longer, but saves me probably 10 minutes. I take this detour all the time, because it's always true.

Now, riding on the GO Bus, which I have started doing more and more, the driver also takes this detour as well, pretty much every day. Today it didn't, and I was thinking "No! What are you doing?!" As we drov...