Each month Mindavation will offer a template from our Project Templates CD free of charge. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

The Communication Plan template is HUGE - but don't let the size overwhelm you. It's a compilation of several communications plans from large programs and complex projects. Take the pieces of the template that are most useful to you considering your project scope and stakeholder mix.

The 12 Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter, PhD

Based on Gallup research, "The 12 Elements" takes us nicely along the path started by the book "First, Break all the Rules." The chapters address elements of good people management, including actual organisational turnaround stories demonstrating the power of each of the 12 techniques commonly used by great managers.

If you are looking for management tips that are revolutionary or new, this book isn't the place to look. What the work does highlight for us is how powerful some basic items can be, including the power of saying "thank you," posting organisational results and trends in quality, and serving as a mentor for our team members.

We all run the risk of getting swept up in the everyday tasks of managing projects and forgetting that, as project managers and business analysts, we have a role to play in people management. This book provides us with a reminder of those things we should be doing and how significant these people focused actions can be in driving our projects to a successful conclusion.

By Mike Norman, PMP, Bob McGannon, PMP, and Jayne Gnadt, PMP

You have received a fairly comprehensive project charter, have sponsorship that will dedicate time and effort to the project, and you even have the technical expertise in house and available to get the job done. So all that is left to consider is the project schedule, the risk plan, communication plan, quality initiatives, and a myriad of other tools at the disposal of the experienced project manager. How does the experienced project manager decide which - and to what degree - each of these tools are to be used on the project? To accomplish this, the project manager needs a "Leadership Lens."

When a project is in the initiation or planning stage, The Leadership Lens approach analyses four main factors to assist the project manager in understanding what may lie ahead. These four approaches are the Rational, Organisational, Political, and Shared Values of the project environment and the people within it. Let's take a look at each of these "Lenses" and see how they may shed light on the project manager's pathway to success.

Mindavation offers more than 30 customisable project templates and tools to make your life easier! The CD includes full project lifecycle templates and tools.

Documents are in MS Word, MS Excel, MS Project 2003 (and Adobe). Modify each template to suit YOUR business and project needs.

Price (including shipping & handling): AUS$125. To order call (02) 6273-8749 or email info@mindavation.com.

Jayne Gnadt, our Operations Manager for Mindavation North America, recently received her SDI (Strength Development Inventory) qualification. This distinction certifies Jayne to administer the inventory and facilitate courses that incorporate the use of the instrument.

The SDI is a fabulous tool used to understand our motivations, relationships with others and a component that examines how we change behaviors when in conflict. The SDI tool is very valuable for use with project teams as well as understanding our leadership styles.

Mindavation will be incorporating the SDI inventory assessment into our project manager's soft skill course, The Hard Truth About Soft Skills. An announcement will be made in our newsletter when the revised course is ready.

For more information about how Mindavation can assist you with SDI, contact us via the web or at (02) 6273-8749.