Welcome to the Mindavation online project management newsletter.
Our commitment is to share news about events in the world of projects, tips & tricks of the trade, recommendations for reference and inspirational materials, and Mindavation course offerings.
To help keep your project management and business analysis skills up to date, we bring you Mindavation's June newsletter.
| In this issue: |
 |
|
Winter is here - Enjoy an indoor Conference!
Free Template of the Month - Post Implementation Survey Template
Book Recommendation of the Month - Linchpin
Coming Soon to a City Near You
Article of the Month - To Agile or Not to Agile
The Intelligent Disobedience Blog - Latest Entry
Mindavation Project Templates CD Available |
| Free Template of the Month - Post Implementation Survey Template |
|
This versatile template gives the project manager a great vehicle to determine the effectiveness of the projects they have managed, providing information on both the product of the project, as well as the management of the project. The wise project manager will see much greater value with this tool however, as it can also serve as a catalyst for lessons learnt collection, a tool for proactively engaging in stakeholder expectation management, and for conducting interim project reviews. Providing questions that address the project management and delivery, the product itself, risk management, business process change and other topics, this tool gives the project professional things to think about.
|
| Book Recommendation of the Month - Linchpin |
|
Linchpin by Seth Godin
In Linchpin, Seth Godin states those people who don't strive to do things differently - he calls it being "an artist" - actually are those at risk for being made redundant. In this quick read, Godin promotes bucking the norm and refusing to "trade our genius and artistry for apparent stability." In our Intelligent Disobedience workshop, we talk about doing things differently, challenging "the rules" and using a number of other different techniques to move our projects and businesses forward. It is those who are simply doing what they are told by their manager who are the most at risk of being shipped out of their jobs as part of cost cutting, or having their job moved overseas to take advantage of cheap labour. An interesting point, especially when it applies to project managers, analysts and project team members. Those that do not challenge and engage senior stakeholders with business acumen could be in a similar risk situation.
Godin discusses ways in which we should all rethink our jobs and the approaches we take to accomplish them. These include employing creativity and expanding our perceived responsibilities. Optimism is key, as Godin states "Optimism is for artists, change agents, linchpins (his word for indispensible employees) and winners. Whining and fear, on the other hand, are largely self-fulfilling prophecies in organisations under stress." Godin goes on to say that employees should think outside the box, as the old saying goes, but think along the "edges of the box" as that is where things get done, as they aren't too far afield, yet are different from the norm.
This book is interesting, challenging and may indeed make you rethink your job!
|
| Article of the Month - To Agile or Not to Agile |
|
By Bob McGannon, PMP
It's hot, it's valid and its promise is without question. Agile project approaches are becoming more popular because of the ability to reduce risk (in some cases), and produce business value more quickly. Far from a magic elixir however, only certain projects and project environments are suitable for Agile methodologies. In fact, the first and primary means of success is to have an appropriate "filter" through which projects are evaluated for their "Agile suitability." Here is a guide to creating an appropriate filter for determining which projects would benefit from the use of Agile processes.
|
| The Intelligent Disobedience Blog - Latest Entry |
|
Some of the best conversations we have had with influential stakeholders involved suggested actions that were ultimately rejected. In most cases, these were proposed acts of "intelligent disobedience." Why were they still great conversations? Because they helped us as individuals stand out. As an employee, they reflected a desire and willingness to step away from being an every-day, replaceable "part in a process" and demonstrated initiative.
Often, these "failed suggestion" conversations bring new information to light, and other actions are proposed that improve a given project, or smooth the operation of a business process. Some of the very best ideas we have thought of for acts of intelligent disobedience were never executed at all, rather they served as catalysts for improvement by enlightening a senior leader, or causing a group to frame a problem in a different manner.
In an economy where the "manufactured piece" is continually being moved to markets where labour is less expensive, the products we can bring to work that are of greatest value are our ideas, innovations and perspectives. Intelligent disobedience involves removing all but the legally binding boundaries from our thinking. This helps us come up with different means of serving our businesses and our clients. Frequently, all this takes is the courage to surface an idea and make a suggestion. This could put your career in a whole new light.
|
| Mindavation Project Templates CD Available |
|
|
Mindavation offers more than 32 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): AUD$125
|
|
Winter is here - Enjoy an indoor Conference! |
|
Expanding Your Foresight: Avoiding Problems as a BA Workshop Presented by Bob McGannon
Bob McGannon will be presenting at the Business Analysis World conferences in Melbourne on 21 July and Sydney on 19 August.
Anticipating problems via a more thorough examination of projects and the organisations in which they are delivered is a key skill for business analysts looking to enhance their careers. This workshop examines techniques for expanding the foresight of the business analyst to avoid problems before they occur on their projects, as well as help enhance how they are perceived by their project managers, key senior stakeholders and project sponsors. The workshop capitalises on the "Leadership Lens" technique which views a project and the sponsoring business from four different "lenses" to get a more complete picture of what will, and what may happen as your projects unfold.
Receive a discount as a Mindavation newsletter recipient by entering code SD1 when you register for the workshop and/or the entire BA World Programme.
Register for the Melbourne conference at http://www.businessanalystworld.com/melbourne/welcome-to-melbourne.html
Register for the Sydney conference at http://www.businessanalystworld.com/sydney/welcome-to-sydney.html
|
|
