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

This month’s download is the Meeting Agenda Template. A key to successful meetings is planning them appropriately and keeping them on track. This template can help you start off on the right foot, provide you with a framework to organize your project meetings and assist you with staying on topic. It is a Word format, so it can be modified to suit your specific project and meeting needs.

Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products by Jim Highsmith

Agile methods - accepted in some environments for a few years - are gaining in popularity throughout the project management world. The reason for this increase in acceptance is because the methods have proven successful when applied in a suitable environment. Project managers who have only availed themselves of managing projects in a traditional manner would be well served in reading this well written and nicely organized work. Highsmith, one of the original authors of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development has extensive experience in agile projects, which he incorporates nicely into this book. Consistently reinforcing the premise of "start quick, do something, get feedback, adapt," Highsmith outlines 18 practices that make up the core of Agile Project Management.

Many of our readers have participated in class discussions regarding "enoughness" in the level of project management tools and techniques one should use on a project. This book embraces that concept, discussing the use of project management tools in a "barely sufficient" manner. Another valuable element of this book are the discussions around the environment that must exist for agile methods to be successful. This isn't an appropriate approach for all projects in all worlds; this book gives poignant direction for assessing your project and the business environment for applicability.

Like our team members, project managers need to "sharpen the saw" and keep up to date on new techniques that are being applied in our chosen field. This is a must read, and great reference for members of the project management community.

April 12-13, 2007 Denver, Colorado "Intelligent Disobedience"

May 9-11, 2007 Colorado Springs, Colorado "Complex Project Management"

July 19-20 Denver, Colorado "Critical Judgment"

Looking for a class to attend? Would you like to meet us face to face? If we are in your area, feel free to contact us to schedule a meeting.

By Jayne Gnadt, PMP

Tired of those project meetings that seem to turn into disasters, even with the best laid plans? Think about some of those disasters...Did you ever wonder why you were invited to the meeting in the first place? How about those times when you wait for 5, 10, even 15 minutes to start the meeting while participants stroll in? What about those chaotic meetings that continuously stray off track where nothing seems to go according to plan (if there is one!)? It’s time to turn those disasters into meetings that add value to the project work, save time and serve as motivation to your project team!

Mindavation offers 30 customizable 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): $100