FireHorse Thoughts

The Sandpiper

2011-07-14T06:25:00.000-04:00

I found this story in my inbox this morning and simply wanted to share it.

The Sandpiper

by Robert Peterson

She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles, whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.

"Hello," she said.
I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
"I'm building," she said.
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.

A sandpiper glided by. "That's a joy," the child said.
"It's a what?"
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."

The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed, my life seemed completely out of balance.

"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."
"Mine's Wendy... I'm six."
"Hi, Wendy."
She giggled. "You're funny," she said.
In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on.

Her musical giggle followed me.
"Come again, Mr.. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."

The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, and an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. I need a sandpiper, I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me.. The breeze was chilly but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.

"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.
"I don't know. You say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.
The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk."

Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
"Where do you live?" I asked.
"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.
Strange, I thought, in winter.
"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation"

She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had been a happy day. Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.

Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.

"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with me, "I'd rather be alone today." She seemed unusually pale and out of breath.
"Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought, My God, why was I saying this to a little child?
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and -- oh, go away!"
"Did it hurt?" she inquired.
"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died?"
"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.

A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed, and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.

"Hello," I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."
"Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please, accept my apologies."
"Not at all! she's a delightful child." I said, suddenly realizing that I meant what I had just said.

"Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. She had leukemia, maybe she didn't tell you."
Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.

"She loved this beach, so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." Her voice faltered, "She left something for you, if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?"

I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "MR. P" printed in bold childish letters.. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues -- a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed:

A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I uttered over and over, and we wept together. The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words -- one for each year of her life -- that speak to me of harmony, courage, and undemanding love.

A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand -- who taught me the gift of love.

NOTE: This is a true story sent out by Robert Peterson. It happened over 20 years ago and the incident changed his life forever. It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy living and life and each other. The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less.

Life is so complicated, the hustle and bustle of everyday traumas can make us lose focus about what is truly important or what is only a momentary setback or crisis.

This week, be sure to give your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment... even if it is only ten seconds, to stop and smell the roses.
This comes from someone's heart, and is read by many and now I share it with you.

There are NO coincidences! Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. Never brush aside anyone as insignificant. Who knows what they can teach us?

I wish for you, a sandpiper.

The Whistles and Bangs of Fireworks.

2011-05-22T23:31:00.002-04:00

It's Victoria Day weekend here in Canada. There are celebrations and fireworks going off all around my neighbourhood. I bet you're wondering what that's got to do with graditude or giggles - or anything really. Here's the thing...I just caught myself in a profound sense of graditude. I'm extremely blessed and grateful that the whistles and blasts outside my window are from fireworks and celebration and not from guns, bombs and missiles.

How lucky am I to find myself able to go to bed and wake up without fear where millions on this planet, this day, cannot do the same?
How lucky am I that I can walk down my street without fear of assault or of coming home to find I no longer have a home because it has been torn apart by war?

I am extremely lucky, blessed and most of all profoundly grateful. I'm even happy that I caught myself in this moment of gratitude because it has made me truly appreciate all I have. My life is not elaborate but it is fortunate.

Collaboration Really Does Exist

2011-01-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I wrote a blog about collaboration vs. competition. This afternoon I was at a networking lunch hosted by my local POWE Chapter and witnessed the true spirit of collaboration.

One of the fun parts of the POWE meetings is the draw for door prizes. Today the door prize was a consultation with one of the experts in the group (I'll call her Veronica for now). The winner of the door prize was a lovely lady who provides a complimentary service (I'll call her Betty for now - yes an Archie comic popped into my head for some crazy reason). Instead of taking advantage of two free hours with Veronica and potentially learning enough to provide her clients with expanded benefits, Betty did something that took me by surprize. Betty promised to give one of her clients the gift of the consultation with Veronica.

For me, this is the true meaning of collaboration. It's truly not a dog-eat-dog out there anymore. This small action proves that helping eachother, recognizing the strengths of one another and working together is without a doubt the better way to go. Just think for a moment about that client down the road, who receives the gift. What do you think they'll think? By pointing her customer to an expert like Veronica, Betty becomes a hero. The value of Betty's service skyrockets and just guess how many people that client will tell about the collaboration of these two wonderful women, working together to make that client successful. I hope that gesture is the start of a strong business partnership too; Betty and Veronica could be a very strong collaborative team.

I really don't know what else to say about the situation; yes, I'm a little speechless. This is why I network. This is why I chose POWE. Betty and Veronica, thank-you for proving to me that collaboration is really out there and not just a wishful concept. This was a POWErful day!

NEW BLOGSITE

2011-01-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

With the launch of my new product "My Efficiency Coach" business guides for busy people, I've started a new blog. Please visit me at http://myefficiencycoach.blogspot.com/ .

I may still post here but probably not as often as on my new blog.

Out of the Comfort Zone

2010-10-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

Try It You’ll Like It – Lesson Learned

This has been an interesting week for me and the stand-out lesson for me has been “try it, you’ll like it”.

Lately I’ve really been stretching myself by getting out into live learning and networking opportunities. What do I mean by stretching myself? Well, it’s a little known fact that I’m shy. That’s right – I’m out of the closet now! I’m shy! Or…I was shy, now I’m just sorta shy. Social media has been wonderful for me because it has allowed me to expand my network far more than I ever would have if I had to count on live events. Then you realize that, in the end, nothing beats shaking someone’s hand and saying Hello.

Let me tell you why this week was such a lesson for me.

I volunteer with my local PMI Chapter (Project Management Institute – Canada’s Tech Triangle Chapter) as the Communications Coordinator. In this role, I’ve been sending out Communications blasts to the membership for almost a year. I decided to step it up a notch by working on the annual Symposium planning committee. The best thing about being a communications coordinator is that no one really needs to see me to get the work done. Most of my work has been online or in very small groups; all behind the scenes.

Then the big day came, the Symposium. I’ll admit that the thought of 200 project managers in one place made me a little queezy. Doesn’t it do the same for you? Hmmm . Anyway, it was a fantastic experience. Not only did I learn about trends in project management and using PM systems and working with lessons learned; I learned that this is a great group of people.

I think I didn’t really consider the fact that all these people were gathered for a single purpose; to advance their knowledge of their chosen profession. Automatically, that’s one thing in common. After realizing that, I was more at ease with speaking to others. Sure, I wasn’t the life of the room but instead of seeing 50 judgemental PM experts staring at me while I was introducing a speaker, I saw 50 peers wanting to learn the same thing I did. Can you imagine how much easier it is to speak to the group (if only for 1 minute) when my perception changed?

I stepped out of my comfort zone and thoroughly enjoyed it. Try it, you’ll like it!

The second installment of the same lesson came this morning. As I mentioned earlier, I’m trying to get to more live networking events; today was one of the events. I finally got up the nerve to attend a meeting of POWE (Power of Women Exchange). It is a group of professional women who gather once a month for networking, learning and it seems a little fun. What I found was a group of very warm, welcoming women who immediately put me to ease. I may not have been fabulous at the networking because I still have a little trouble approaching people but I think once the initial contact is made, I’m okay. The point is, I got out there and tried. One thing that did help was getting in touch with the group online first. At least I had a picture of someone I would meet and get to know a little about them.

I’m getting more comfortable with networking and am no longer so hesitant to give it a try. I’ll admit that before I walk into an event I still have to give myself pep talks in my head so I’m a little less nervous. But I’ll keep practicing and I know with each new experience my confidence builds just as much as my network does.

Today, I stepped out of my comfort zone and throughouly enjoyed it. Try it, you’ll like it!

Maybe not all my experiences will be as good as they have been lately but as long as I keep trying and learning, I’m happy.

If you have an experience or tips to share, please do. I’m still learning and any hints are good hints. What works for you?

P.S. Special thanks to Judith at POWE for creating such a fun, friendly environment.

Practical Time Management

2010-10-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I was speaking with a friend who owns her own business and is very active in the community. During the conversation we got on the topic of being so busy because it is very difficult to surrender tasks to someone else. That seems to be a general theme for entrepreneurs or smaller business owners; I’m not sure if it is a control issue or a matter of ego. Allow me to demonstrate the difference between the two: it is a control issue when you don’t want to surrender the task because you want to be sure it gets done on time or in a certain way; it is a matter of ego when you truly believe that no one can do it as well as you.

I probably don’t need to tell you about the risks associated with not letting go so to summarize: stress and its’ related health issues, being unable to grow your business because you don’t have the infrastructure to handle it, personal conflict, etc. There are ways to overcome both contol and ego based challenges. Don’t panic, I won’t ask you to delegate everything to someone else all at once or to trash everything and start building processes from scratch. Here are some basic ideas to help you let go:

1. Look at how you spend your day. Do you spend most of your time caught up in repetitive administrative tasks? Or, do you spend your day focusing on the big stuff and let the details pile up to the point where you don’t know how to start getting a grip on them? Are there any tasks that are so basic that you could do them blindfolded – if you only had the time? Do you believe you must do them because no one else will do it right?

2. Make a list of the repetitive and administrative tasks that take up most of your time. How many of them directly affect your bottom line, such as invoicing and collections. If you were to document a process, could someone else do it? If yes, delegate it; if no, keep it. Be honest with yourself! Is it possible that this task could be done differently, have a slightly different outcome and still be okay? Ask yourself - How hard would I kick myself if I found someone else who would have more time for this task to actually get it done and maybe even do it better?

3. Can anything be discarded without affecting your bottom line or regulatory requirements? If any of the tasks you’ve listed in steps 1 and 2 do not directly affect your bottom line…do you need them? I like to use the analogy of my wedding cake to illustrate this point. When we were making all the arrangements for our wedding, we got completely stuck on the cake: it was taking up way more of our time and energy than we wanted it to, but everyone gets one, never mind that guests rarely remember anything about it. We took a good hard look at the actual value of the cake to the overall quality of the day. It didn’t add up so we elimintated it. At the end of the day no one even noticed that we didn’t have the whole cake-cutting spectacle. Is the task that seems so critical because it is habit really so valuable? If not, break the mold – ditch it!

Be honest with yourself. If you were to spend a bit of time to give someone good direction and support to learn any task, isn’t it worth the investment to free up your time and energy? Just because you are the only one who can do something now, that doesn’t mean you will always need to be the only one.

If you don’t have staff that you can delegate things to, look at the possibility of hiring a Virtual Assistant or more than one depending on their specialties. For example: hire one VA to do a few administrative duties and another VA to help you with scheduling and preparing for recurring events.

If you need more help with this exercise please contact me through my website, I’d be happy to give you a few more tools and a little coaching.

Collaboration Leverages Strengths

2010-09-21T10:59:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading the blog of Brendan Waller whom I recently met at the SBCN monthly networking event. This blog really struck a cord with me so I had to share.

The article described his experience of trying to build a network of professionals within an industry, to capitalize on eachothers strengths to serve clients. Needless to say, he met with much resistance. I know the feeling exactly! I think the same story can be told for almost any industry.

The good news is that the concept of collaboration seems to be gaining momentum. Or is it the birds of a feather thing and I’m just noticing it more?

Here’s my theory: there ARE enough clients out there for everyone. Every potential client has specific needs and it is highly unlikely that one person can fulfill all of them. In addition, while several people can provide the same service and say the same thing, the delivery method may not appeal to every potential client. That client will keep looking until they find the provider who “speaks to them”. Why not be the one who points them in the right direction, to someone you know and trust instead of spinning the client back out into the world to try again?

In my vision, collaboration is much more than a close referral network. With collaboration, you don’t need to let the client go entirely. You bring other experts in for support throughout the client experience. With collaboration you get the added benefit of: moral support, strength in numbers without hiring staff specialists and a knowledge base that you would otherwise miss out on if you were on your own.

SO… Is it possible that referring a client to someone who can better serve a particular need and getting referrals from those that used to be your competitors is a very good thing? To me this concept helps build trust among your clients and your peers. It also has the added benefit of creating a support network of professionals in a similar field.

The world has grown exponentially over the last few years, your competitors are no longer local, your potential clients and supporters are also widespread. Every one of us has a unique skill set, so why not capitalize on our strengths to build a community of professionals for our clients?

Check out this blog http://bit.ly/bbkTmm, for the full story.

A Question of Direction

2010-09-17T09:48:00.001-04:00

As you may have guessed from my less than stellar attempt at maintaining this blog, I’ve been busy. In fact, I’ve been trying to figure out WHAT my business really is and what I really want to do with it. I know what you’re thinking: she is supposed to be helping me with my business!?! How can she help others when she’s floundering about herself?

My only answer to that is: now I know why therapists need to go to therapy. It is definitely easier to help others than it is to help ourselves and I’m learning that this is okay. Everyone needs help when trying to take an objective look at things and make them better. I had to start my journey looking within and figuring out who I am and what matters the most to me. At times, I even needed help with this! Alright … so I have myself figured out (as much as I can anyway – I’m very complex haha)!

Next, I needed help with my business direction but I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a “Business Coach”. I happened across a business coaching program from Crystal Andrus . Well, I didn’t happen upon it so much as I’m already a fan of hers and the universe alligned at the right moment for her to offer the course just when I needed it. With help from the course, and an extremely supportive group of friends, family and clients … this is what I’m about:

People describe me as: efficient, diligent, honest, approachable, insightful and my personal favorite – AWESOME! Can you believe it was hard for me to believe this feedback? After reflection, it’s all true. I could even bore you with examples of each of these traits but I like to keep my blogs on the short side.

My personal priorities are: take care of myself, take care of my family, do work that I love (make a difference) and continuously learn.

My golden rule is to eliminate stress; there is almost never a good reason to overcomplicate things. You can see that in my home and in the way I work. I know stress will always be around; it sneaks in when you least expect it. My trick is to create ways of coping with it in advance of needing the coping tools. For example, I’ve recently found my way back to taking care of myself by eating smart and exercising regularly. Since then, even when pressure crops up, I know I have it in me to deal with it because I am stronger and more confident than ever before. Pressure? Me? Don’t think that reassessing my business direction was easy but I’ve faced it “head up and heart in”.

My key capability is finding the most direct path to any goal. Stick with me in a crowd; I’ll get you to your destination in the fewest steps possible. That’s no small feat for someone who’s 5’ tall and usually the shortest in the crowd (unless it’s a crowd of 10year olds). I have a knack for finding the tasks that really need to be done, making sure they are done well and in an uncomplicated manner.

How did I never see before that EFFICIENCY was my thing? That really doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’ve found My Thing and since then things seem to be falling in place. I AM efficiency!

The best part of this journey is that now I know exactly what a business owner can go through as they grow and I understand that it's not just about process improvement. Now I’m creating products and tools to help! I’m doing work that I love and making a difference. AHHHHHH THIS IS IT!

7 Wonders - They're not what you think

2010-09-09T11:17:00.000-04:00

Hi, I can't take any credit for this; I recevied it in an email from my sister this morning but it touched me.

So often we forget what really matters.

Think about it.

The Small Business Owner's Dilemma

2010-08-13T13:28:00.000-04:00

I’ve been observing small business owners for some time now and I have a growing respect for the common “I can do it all” attitude. That attitude means control! Control over the books, customer service, marketing and growth. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that this philosophy can also be very limiting. What happens if you’re not so great at keeping the books, or marketing? Sure, you’ll save money on marketing but you may never reach that target market effectively; you may never even know who your target market really is. You may never know that you can claim an expense or change a category of expenses and save loads of money at tax time. Yes, I’m guessing on that last item, but I’m not strong on bookeeping – point made? So, how is that “I can do it all” mentality serving you now?

I think “I can do it all” serves a business owner for some time; until they start to grow or fail or simply give up. How do you know when to surrender portions of control and where to surrender it? That is a real dilemma. I can think of a few clues:

- You spend more time on administration than you do on “real work”
- You have more potential clients than you can handle because you are the only one handling them.
- You see that you have become your own bottleneck – everything flows through you and you can’t keep up.

If you can see yourself in any of these clues, you need to consider surrendering something. I can guess that potential clients are not the “something” you want to give up. This can be the scariest thing you’ve done since starting the business. Where do you start? Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Are there obvious things I can change quickly?

This may mean getting organized; implement a filing or scheduling system that is clear and intuitive for you. This could also mean hiring. I’ll get into hiring in a minute – hold on!

2. Can I see the areas I need the most help in?

You could be so deep in the weeds that you can’t even see the areas that need help. Yes, this can happen because you are so close to the work that you’ve lost the view of your strategy. With any luck you’ve had a chance to build a network of business people and have nurtured your relationships to a point where they will be willing to give you some honest input if you are completely lost. (Oh! I’ve just thought of another blog topic!). If you have, good for you! If you haven’t, don’t worry I have some thoughts on this coming up in another blog.

3. Are you spending more time being busy than you spend being productive and working toward your long term goals?

A friend of mine calls this “sweeping the ditch”; concentrating on being busy and not noticing that the house is a wreck. I know we all have days when we feel like we’ve been so busy and accomplished nothing but if too many of your days are like this, you need help.

Now what do you do? GET HELP! If it’s obvious that you need help with bookeeping, hire someone to do that job or any other job you can obviously surrender without losing sleep at night. Don’t forget that you have options when hiring. You can outsource or hire permanent (full time or part time) employees.

Outsourcing:

This is a great option when you can’t support a full time resource but you want professional commitment or if you don’t want the regulatory burdens of hiring a direct employee. This option helps ensure that you’re securing a specialist in a specific knowledge area rather than hiring one person who can do several functions as is usually required in an independent business scenario. Outsourcing is also great when you need a boost of specialized help to get you over a hump.

Permanent Employee:

This is pretty obvious to me; you are taking on a real fiscal and regulatory burden in exchange for manpower (or womanpower). In many cases, you’ll need this person to wear several hats just like you do. It is not likely that you’ll be hiring several employees at once but you may need one person who can do the books and administration for example.

What if you don’t know what you need? This is where your network of people can help. If you don’t have a network of people, someone like me can help. An advisor, like me, will sit down and discuss your business with you, help identify your weak spots and gaps and after a bit of cold hard analysis they’ll help you bridge the gaps and shore up the weak points. It could just be a matter of organizing the way you do business, simplifying some of your processes or identifying where you can give up a little more control to an employee.

With a little help, you’ll soon find yourself out of the weeds and looking forward to taking your business to the next level: affording yourself even more of the freedom you were aiming for when you opened your doors.

How Process Can Help Gather Momentum

2010-07-15T07:08:00.001-04:00

You’re stuck in a rut. Your team just can’t seem to get productive. You have a general idea of where you’re going but just can’t get it down on paper and start doing. Or worse, you have so much to do you don’t know where to start – so you don’t start. Be honest, it happens to the best of us.

Let’s get back to basics: Process. I’ve got a handy process to get you moving again. I’ll use an example along the way. I’m going to create a website.

1. You must have at least an idea as to what you need to accomplish. Write it down in as few words as possible.

          a. Create Website

2. Start brainstorming all the things you need to do to accomplish your goal.

          a. Decide structure (how many pages, name each page)
          b. Define content (what goes on each page)
          c. Create text
          d. Find or create graphics
          e. Secure the domain
          f. Find a host
          g. Set up pages
          h. Test pages – links, flow, different browsers and devices.
          i. Publish website
          j. SEO setup
          k. Other – I’ll probably find more things to do along the way.
          l. Oh! Who will do the work?

3. Put the tasks in a logical order – using the information you have right now. Accept that this may change later on but you want to get started now.

          a. Who will do which part of the work
          b. Secure the domain
          c. Find a host
          d. Decide structure (how many pages, name each page)
          e. Define content (what goes on each page)
          f. Create text
          g. Find or create graphics
          h. Set up pages
          i. SEO setup
          j. Test – links, flow, different browsers and devices, SEO
          k. Publish website
          l. Other

4. Think of all the things you have to do to accomplish each task. For example:

          a. Define Content
                    i. What message do I want to get across
                   ii. Choose a layout (will each page be the same?)
                  iii. How many pages / sections do I need?
                  iv. Write out text
                    v. Find graphics
Did you notice that I’ve just merged some of my brainstorming points.

5. Now you can make a plan. Don’t forget to ask the experts along the way. Normally, one person doesn’t have all the knowledge to accomplish the goal; otherwise we wouldn’t have teams! It is a far shorter run if you ask experts which roads to take. This isn’t just a schedule. Your plan should include who will do what, what tools they will need, how they should report progress or problems, how changes will be handled, etc. (the process).

Are you ready? Here comes the most important tip. Are you sure you’re ready?

6. Communicate your plan! If at all possible, get the team together either in person, by conference call or web conference. Getting everyone in one place at the same time ensures everyone gets the same message, in the same way and can openly discuss any questions or ideas immediately. By the end of the meeting, everyone should know their tasks, what they need to report back to you and the tools to use along the way. You will give them a sense of direction and security in knowing that you have carefully considered your plan and your processes.

So there you have it; a process to get yourself back on track and get your team moving again. It’s a process to define processes and get you moving again. Remember though that even though you’ve consulted experts; made the plan and communicated it; it can – and likely will - change. That’s okay. New information comes to light and hurdles are put in the way. Don’t let speed bumps sabotage your whole plan. You’ve already thought of how to deal with changes (step 5), so when they show up, just execute that process.

Even the most creative teams need structure and direction to accomplish their goals. It works for me – every time.

Before embarking on software tests....

2010-05-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

For the past few weeks I’ve been getting back in the swing of planning software testing – the reason for silence here on the blog. As a bit of background I should tell you that the projects I have worked on in the past include “off the shelf” implementations as well as new product development. I have been involved in testing from determining the strategy to execution and everything in between.

One thing I have learned and tried to impress on my clients is the absolute need to understand how the business works before embarking on testing. More importantly, understand how the business will operate. It is important to understand how things work today but the majority of time should be spent on working through how the business will function using their new tool. You cannot imagine how you will test the product until you understand clearly how it will work for you. You should know from the start that this is no small feat; you will face challenges to achieving this vision.

Believe it or not your greatest challenge will be to get the business owners and user groups to accept that their work will change. Why bother getting a new tool if you want to continue working as you always have? The organization is investing in the new technology with a view to improving their situation: saving time or money. The team assessing business processes and software usage must understand this. The only way to reach this understanding is to encourage the group to keep their minds open; this new technology allows them the opportunity to fix processes that were once unfixable. If you cannot get over this challenge save your money; the business is not ready for new tools.

The second most challenging aspect in understanding how the business will operate with your new tools is the lack of knowledge about the new tool. Only time and effort can overcome this challenge. I suggest that you first identify a few key users and ensure they get trained to a high degree directly by the vendor. Your vendor should also be engaged heavily at the start of the business engagement process. This will accomplish two things: system expertise is used to quickly clarify if the tool can respond as the business thinks it should; it will also greatly increase the business confidence in the vendor and the tool.

I realize that the executive is driven to implement quickly to start seeing the return on investment as soon as possible. My goodness! They chose the product; shouldn’t they already know that the functional impact is naturally minimal? With this logic they often discount the need for such deep assessment and want to get right into the meat of the testing. I can make one promise: if you skip an exercise to validate the match between the operation of the business and the software functionality, you will spend far more time in testing than you ever imagined. Your tests will repeatedly stall for discussions and analysis to determine if a test outcome is a bug or a misunderstanding. Where would you prefer to spend your time (and money)?

Social? Networking

2010-03-29T10:53:00.000-04:00

These past few weeks have been eye opening for me in the world of Networking. In all the research I’ve done lately the latest networking buzz was about offering your knowledge to assist others. Networking productively means putting yourself in give to get situations. This most recent definition of networking runs closely with my approach. In reality, it appears to me that there are actually two common schools of thought on Networking.

The first school of thought is that networking is a sales tool. People go out into the networking world, either online or in person, with a view to have their connections buy a product or service from them right away. If a sale is not immediately made, there is no further contact. This approach implies that your contact is of no value to you unless you get immediate pay-off.

The second school of thought is that networking is about relationship building. It is about putting yourself in give to get situations but does not expect immediate gratification. You and your contact learn about each other: interests, needs and aspirations. Over time you find ways to help each other reach goals. This assistance could be in the form of direct help or it could take place through referrals.

My networking focuses on the second school of thought. To me, networking is about relationship building and over time finding ways to help each other. I am not a person who will make a referral lightly because my reputation is on the line when I do it. This means that I need to have a pretty good idea of who you are, what you do, how you work etc. before I will tell someone that you are the person they need to see. For many services I prefer to know a bit more about you before I will use your services unless you are recommended to me by someone I trust. Why would I recommend you to a friend or colleague using different criteria than that?

I mentioned earlier that the past few weeks have been eye opening. This is because I have had a few encounters with people who seem at first to be interested in the second school of thought but soon after the niceties have been skimmed over, it becomes a full out sales call. I won’t say I’m discouraged by this because at least it shows the person’s ethic to me early in the relationship. I don’t need to invest much time to find out that this is not a person I wish to work with.

I call this style a veiled sales call and it can be a little disheartening. The sales call approach to networking seems to me to be very short sighted. It appears to discount my value and that of my entire network simply because I don’t jump and buy whatever it is you’re selling on the spot. The relationship usually ends quickly when the person realizes that I’m not buying at this time. This person will never know that I’ll be ready for the product or service in one month or two. They will also never know that I know 5 people who could use the product or service right away but I need more information before making the introduction.

I’m not saying that one way to network is right and the other is wrong. I will suggest that you choose an approach and stick with it in your dealings with a contact. Not only does it save time, it increases your integrity factor. I will stick to the relationship building approach unless I am sure that I can satisfy your needs immediately and can show you how in a sales call.

Is it possible that I am simply a naïve networker and everything is a sales call?

A Bit of My Garden Wisdom

2010-03-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

January:

Rest up and wait for spring.

February, March:

Begin planning for spring!
If you have gardens already, evaluate last years’ success and think of what you might change. Do you want to increase the size of the garden? Will some plants need to be divided or moved for better health? Do you want to change the style of your gardens?
If you don’t have gardens already start to think about what you want and what you need. Will you use your landscape for entertaining, child’s play, sanctuary? Are you willing to maintain your landscape on your own or will you need help? How much time are you planning on spending on maintenance?

April:

Be careful, wait for the ground to recover from the melting snow before tramping around or digging in.
Take stock of what has survived winter’s chill and what needs replacing.
Clean up winter debris. Tidy up any plant material you missed in the fall. Prune shrubs and trees if necessary (depending on species).
Check the health of your lawn. Fertilize only if necessary.
Clean tools, sharpen any blades.
Begin planning for new beds or plantings.
Keep an eye out for pests and disease.

May:

Your ground should be ready to work.
Take pictures.
If your spring bulbs are finished, tidy them up. Trim spring flowering perennials if the flowers are finished.
Amend soil and add new mulch.
Keep an eye out for pests and disease.
Begin planting according to the plans you have made.
ENJOY THE COLOUR OF SPRING!

June:

Weed, trim late spring perennials after flowering is finished.
Take pictures.
Check for pests and disease.
ENJOY!!

July:

Weed.
Watch water levels.
Check for pests and disease.
Deadhead when necessary.
Take pictures.
Relax and ENJOY!!

August:

Watch for weeds, pests and disease
Your lawn should be going dormant now so it won’t need so much water or trimming.
When watering gardens, do so at the base of the plant where it can use water best.
Keep the planting beds tidy.
Take pictures
Relax and ENJOY!

September:

Move, add or divide perennials now (depending on species).
Weed and watch water levels.
Deadhead summer flowering plants when finished.
Take pictures.
Relax and ENJOY!!

October / November:

Weed, water if necessary. Now is the best time to fertilize your lawn.
Clean up beds, plant bulbs and prepare for winter.

December:

Recuperate.
Take pictures (the garden can still put on a display).
Wait for spring!

Random Garden Wisdom

Yes, I know all about the colour wheel and colour/form combinations but honestly, nature is the best teacher. Have you ever seen flowers on the roadside not look good? Rules are good but have some fun too - if it doesn't work - move it.
Plants can surprise you. Sometimes they can thrive where you least expect them to (the label says full sun but your daisy likes shade - go figure!).
If you like it - try it! Most plants are not grand investments so if it doesn't work and you have to pull it out, or move it to a friend's house, you won't be too heart broken. This rule does not apply to your trees and major foundation plants.
HAVE FUN! Gardening shouldn't be such serious business that you can't laugh at it, or at yourself in it.

Plan the Plan (and the Gardening Itch)

2010-03-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

My plan this week was to continue on the theme of project planning. You didn’t think I’d leave it with “Easy as 1-2-3” did you? The beautiful weather has diverted my attention a little as I’m starting to get the gardening itch, so I’m switching things up to make the point.

For a little background let me tell you that I have a Certificate in Horticulture and even though I mainly work on IT projects, I continue to consult with homeowners for curb appeal and DIY landscape solutions.

How does this relate to project planning? Do you remember my very first blog about everything in my life is a project? Please allow me to show you!

This year I hope to have two landscape projects to complete. The first is a slight enhancement of my back yard landscape and the second is a more complex job at the cottage. Now is a perfect time to start these projects because I simply cannot run out and start digging. Every gardener knows that the landscape is an evolution, more importantly you need to know that the bones of the landscape must be carefully planned. This sounds similar to a software project doesn’t it?

Now is a perfect time of year to start the planning. First, I need to know what I need to plan such as the design and the supplies I need to create the new gardens. Next, I can break these two items out a little further. Remember, I’m still thinking of planning.

What do I need to plan for in the Design process?

1. size of the new gardens
2. shape of the new gardens
3. how they will be blended into the existing landscape
4. structure (hardscape and foundation plant material)
5. plant selection

What do I need to plan for to actually get the work done?

1. hardscape (stone, soil, mulch, materials for physical structures)
2. timing (when do I need materials during construction)
3. plants, also known as softscape (which plants, when can I plant them)
4. can I do all the work or will I need to hire someone
5. alternates – what happens if the materials I have planned are not available when I need them, what happens if the weather doesn’t cooperate on the days I’m hoping to work? Risk planning – yes it has to be done for landscaping.

Now you can see how Step 1 of my planning process can be used for more than complex “business” projects. Planning the plan does not have to be a drawn out process, you simply need to think about the things you need to consider when creating your plan.

Project Planning 1-2-3

2010-03-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

I’ve been spending some time reading the work of the Lazy PM and something of what he says really rings true to me; it’s not about sitting back and watching chaos unfold, it’s about thinking things through up front to make sure you don’t spend your career spinning your wheels.

Many sponsors and Project Managers want to jump into the thick of things and start seeing production asap. This desire leads to glossing over the start up processes and getting the team working immediately. Do you see the problem yet? No?

Glossing over the orderly start up of a project will ensure that nothing about the project will be orderly. The start up and planning process helps you define some VERY important things such as: why the project exists, objectives, requirements, specifications, who are you doing the work for, who will it affect etc. Now do you see the problem? Aha! Without proper planning you won’t be very clear on what you are supposed to be doing or who you are doing it for. Without proper planning, you can end up with too many demands coming from too many sources with no clear authority. Most importantly, without proper planning how will you ever know when you are done and if your project was successful?

Now that you have an impression of the importance of planning, I hope you can see the value of taking a little extra time up front to lay the groundwork. Of course the type and complexity of the project will be a major factor in the amount of time you take in this process. It is your responsibility as the PM to temper the customer’s enthusiasm to progress with some good old fashioned planning. Slow down, resist the temptation to run ahead because you will only end up running in circles.

Here are my ever-so-simple steps to planning a project:

1. Plan to Plan

2. Plan the Plan

3. Plan how to manage the Plan

You already know it won’t be as easy as 1, 2, 3 but at least now you know that you have three things to accomplish before the real work begins. It doesn't have to be extremely complex either. If you remember one of my previous blogs, you know that I’m a fan of the template. The planning process is a perfect place for one (or a few). There are loads of templates on the internet already but if you need help creating a personalized one, give me a shout.

There is no end to the proof that taking time to plan will save time throughout the project. Planning increases your chances of achieving your objectives within your unique constraints. This can be the hardest sale of your life but the statistics prove that it is worth the effort. Your reputation will thank you for it.

Feeling Overwhelmed

2010-02-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness! Is it Thursday already? My head has been buried in the books for the past week or so. I’m studying for my exam next week. I thought I should come up for air, take a break and write a little.

Quite often we can focus on where we aren’t rather than how far we have come. We have the end goal in sight and forget that there are many milestones along the way. We get stuck in the muck of the big job instead of seeing the ocean of work we have crossed. I’m saying “we” here because I know I am not the only one that can fall into this trap.

It could be easy to get overwhelmed by all my daily responsibilities in addition to studying. I’ve recently learned a method of keeping perspective through it all. The idea is to keep a journal of success and appreciation. In it I write down the things I’ve achieved throughout the week and things I am particularly appreciative of this week. Sounds simple doesn’t it?

I know what you’re thinking; oh no, another journal advocate. I’m not sure I’d call myself an advocate but I know that this one is working for me. I have tried journaling before but I was much younger and it ended up focusing on negative things. It allowed me to obsess and get my frustrations down on paper. I only wrote in it when things weren’t going my way. I was allowing myself to be miserable. Once I realized what that journal was doing to me, I burnt it. It’s an extreme solution isn’t it? I am not a negative person so why on earth would I put negativity on paper?

When this new journal was presented to me I wasn’t sure I would use it but decided to give it a try. I’ve only been using my success/appreciation journal for a few weeks but I’m thrilled by what it has taught me.

This journal forces me to acknowledge what I have accomplished and to appreciate the things that have gotten me this far. I have chosen not to limit my success to only business related items because I feel that personal achievements are important too. I’ll count almost anything in my journal. For example, I’ve entered the installation of a hardwood floor as a success and my related appreciation was for the skill and the physical ability to accomplish the job. I also added appreciation for a husband who is handy and makes the hard work fun and collaborative.

Not only does this journal make me pause and see what I have done, it helps me gain perspective on what is left to do. I have relaxed significantly since seeing that I am making progress; I know things will get done. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still put pressure on myself to accomplish things by a certain date. This practice makes it easier for me to feel good about what is complete and get a better perspective on the work that remains. Removing stress and judgment from my life is a good thing.

Rather than lament on not being where you want to be, take time to celebrate how far you have come. If it takes a journal, or meditation or a long walk to do this, go for it!

Plan Ahead for Managing Success

2010-02-08T10:22:00.000-05:00

Over the last several months I’ve had the chance to look at small to midsize companies that are challenged by growth. Imagine! They are finally seeing the progress they have always wanted but somehow they are caught by surprise and unprepared.

I know what it’s like; you create your business plan when you first start out and then you put all your energy into making it work. Picture this: suddenly, one magical day, you land the big contract or order you need to really take off. WOOHOO! But wait! Now you’re in a bind because you aren’t prepared to service the order or contract effectively. Now you have to hire high priced resources to make it work or suffer through in chaos.

I’d like to propose that this scene can be changed before you need the new resources or live your life in chaos. All you need is your business plan and your imagination. If you have a business plan (and you must have a business plan), it is likely that you have forecasted when your business will start to pick up and take on a life of its own. Make sure you have a plan in place before that milestone is reached.

Go back to your business plan to remind yourself of what you expect your business to look like. What will you be doing? Use that as a jumping off point for envisioning what you will need to do to make it work. What kind of people will you need? Will you need more or different technologies to assist you? There is an element of freedom or flexibility that goes along with entrepreneurship. What will you need to do to maintain the lifestyle you intended to have? Walk through how you will complete that first major project or production phase. What will you need?

Document your answers to these questions and you are on your way to growth without chaos. You likely won’t know every detail of every process you will use; in fact I don’t expect you to. This exercise will provide you with your basic framework. Naturally this outline will probably be at a high level and that’s okay. Sometimes your business will not grow exactly as expected; the high level concept will allow for customization and flexibility.

This exercise will serve another purpose. It will boost your confidence. You will reaffirm that you are following your vision. You will be able to sell your product or service more confidently because you are prepared. You will be mentally prepared for growth. This exercise will chase away those shadows of doubt and uncertainty; there is no room for chaos when you are prepared.

One last note: be prepared, your business plan may be revised in this process. You might learn that things have not gone according to plan. That’s fine, now is the opportunity to revise. As you think through processes or requirements for growth, you may find ways to enhance your plan. Take advantage of the opportunity to perfect your plan.

Two Wolves

2010-02-01T20:47:00.002-05:00

Last week I received the following story from a friend by email.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

I simply had to share this with you because it perfectly describes my philosophy on life in general. I’m not saying that you should ignore your evil side (we all have a dark side). I simply believe that if you dwell on negativity then negativity dwells with you. On the days when I feel my dark side showing, I have to make a conscious effort to turn my thought train in another direction. I make sure that there is no room in my life for negativity – if you don’t feed it …

Road Blocks to Eureka

2010-01-26T08:07:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt stuck, like you just can’t get to where you need to go? Sure! Everyone does. It’s an awful feeling, like you’re wading in mud. Sometimes you don’t even know you’re at the road block; you just know that something isn’t right.

I’ve been going through that recently. I’ve been in transition with my work for about 6 months. I’ve never been in this spot before because I’ve either gotten every job applied for or I’ve created my own opportunity. I knew the day would come that I would have to look for a new position; that is the nature of contract work. I was not expecting it to come so soon or abruptly but the major project I was working on was cancelled without notice.

I immediately started searching for my next position, read books and blogs on the new age of job searching. As suggested, I chose my top three methods and worked them hard (or so I thought I did). According to the books I was doing everything right but still THE opportunity didn’t surface. Are the books wrong or am I one of the many stuck in the bad economy?

Well, little opportunities came up. I met with one employer who was up front when stating that she didn’t have an opportunity right now but didn’t want to miss the chance to meet me – for future consideration. I’m now working with her on an occasional basis. She introduced me to another small business owner. After meeting him, he too was honest and stated that he couldn’t use me right away but really wants to work with me.

Then, just before Christmas, I had an interview with a major financial firm. I thought it was my big break – they finally noticed me! The interview felt great: good chemistry, I was prepared and I was qualified for the job. The hiring Manager advised me that there would be no decisions until the new year. BUT THEN… panic!

Over the holidays I started to picture myself doing the job I had interviewed for. Permanent employee … 9-5(ish)… Monday to Friday in the office … an industry I find interesting but not riveting … etc. etc. That’s right! I got a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

You see, I’ve had the luxury of flexibility for the last 7 years or so. I’ve either worked for myself doing the landscaping or worked on projects where remote work was possible. I was either doing something I loved or something I had solid knowledge of and experience with. In fact, I loved both scenarios. Even during the most stressful, miserable times on project, I still loved it. Please don’t tell the people on those projects – they’ll think I’m nuts!

I had been toying with the idea of taking matters into my own hands and starting my own business. Many of the groups I had joined were either small business oriented or entrepreneurial. I’m not sure if I’d call it a eureka moment but at some point I decided that this was the road for me. The feelings of dread and panic melted away. THAT’s when you know you’re doing the right thing.

I know the road ahead will still be long and hard; there’s so much to do if I’m going to do this right. I will do this right! Check out my new website for more info on this venture.

Managing Project Risk

2010-01-19T08:30:00.000-05:00

Risk Management must be one of the most intimidating aspects to project management. What if you miss seeing one? What if you choose the wrong course of action? What if you ignore one that was brought to your attention when you were preoccupied? One false move can be hazardous to your project. It’s no wonder many people would rather gloss over risk management than face it.

Here are some simple suggestions for facing and managing your risks.

I’ve identified three main types of risk:

External – not directly related to the project but can affect it. These risks will most likely be related to the corporate environment / culture or politics.
Internal – have a direct affect on the project but are under your control.
Technical – impact the tools you use during the project cycle e.g. software, manufactured parts etc.

I’m sure there are more types of risk and they can be called whatever you want. The main point here is to recognize the source of the risk so you can determine the amount of control you may have over it.

Step 1: Identify/Analyze Risk

The first pass is usually best done as a group brainstorming event. Keep the group small to maintain focus.
In the first session, you will also communicate the process for reviewing and adding risks.
For each risk identified, assign probability and impact values from 1-3 (high, med, low)
Identify the top 1/3 of your risks (high probability, high impact for example). These will be your focus items.

Step 2: Respond to the Risks

For all risks identified in Step 1, document your analysis (type, probability, impact)
Determine your response strategy. Will you mitigate, plan for contingency or defer?
Document the triggers for activating your plan and set dates if possible.
Assign an owner! Find the person who will be the first to recognize if the risk event is about to occur. This person will be responsible for monitoring the situation and advising the project team of the status.

Step 3: Monitor all Risks

Follow the communication and review process set in Step 1.
Assess probability / impact for all identified risks regularly as some may increase or decrease in importance as the project progresses.
As new risks are identified, follow the steps above to bring them into the process.
Your tracking process does not need to be complicated, just be sure to keep your risks visible and up to date.

In short, don’t hide from risks, face them and work with them. Just think, any of the risks you face could present you with your defining moment as a Project Manager – will you be a hero?

Project Lessons Learned

2010-01-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

I have been watching a discussion about Lessons Learned on LinkedIn for the last few weeks. It has been fascinating to learn that it seems everyone accepts that it is a valuable exercise to conduct but many are challenged on how to do it and how to make use of them.

Many people seem to believe that Lessons Learned cannot be effective unless the company has a PMO. I understand the theory that the PMO is the central source for project methodology. As such it would be the ideal place to store the lessons learned and incorporate them into project practices. Surely this can’t mean that an organization without a PMO has no use for lessons learned and is doomed to repeating mistakes or at least stays stuck in their existing project maturity.

Most companies – large and small - without a PMO will at least have an executive or steering committee responsible for approving and monitoring projects. They may also have the same resources that have become specialized in project work. If you don’t have this – Create it! Between these two groups, the lessons learned exercise can still be a valuable tool to becoming better at the projects undertaken.

Here’s how you can make it work:

Throughout the project process, conduct brief but regular lessons learned sessions. The objective is to use your lessons learned immediately to improve performance in the current project(s).
At the end of the project, before disbursing all critical resources, conduct a more in depth lessons learned analysis. Be sure to document your findings and pass them on to the steering committee and others in the organization who may be involved in project work in the near future. Most companies, large and small, have central document repositories such as shared drives or libraries. File the findings here too for future reference. It may sound simple, but leave a copy with Admin staff – they will likely be the ones asked to find it later. In short, the key is to distribute the information to a few points of contact. This is unlike the PMO scenario.
At the start of any new project, make it a regular step in the process to look up lessons learned and find what you can apply to your current work. I’m not suggesting you don’t do anything else until this task is complete, I am merely suggesting that time spent in preparation and planning can pay huge dividends later in the project.

You don’t have to create elaborate processes or e-libraries or hire special consultants to make lessons learned effective with or without a PMO. Keep it simple, commit to it and people will be more likely to follow the process. (Actually, that’s my motto in most things.) You will be well on your way to improving project performance once you start to honor the things that could have been done better and apply the lesson effectively.

Social Media and Community Concept

2010-01-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

I’ve been struggling for a few days now, trying to write this blog. The concept came easily to me – does social media drive us further from our local community? The more I thought about positioning, the more I struggled with the content. At first, it was difficult to not sound negative toward social media even though I find it an exciting venture. The thing I find most exciting about social media is that it opens our knowledge base and market area exponentially.

The other night I was helping my sister prepare dinner and chatting merrily along the way. I’m not sure how we started the discussion but we got on the topic of social media and how quickly it has expanded our world. Social media has enabled us to reach people and markets around the globe with limited effort. That’s good right? How could it not be a good thing?

Most of my family is local-oriented. By this I mean that we buy local when possible and try to support local efforts before global ones. With this in mind, I started to ask the following questions: Does global access increase the risk that we lose a sense of local community? Is it possible that we will tend to look far afield for products or services that are available next door? Our generation is already moving away from the neighborhood feeling. How many of your neighbors do you know the way our parents knew theirs? How can/does social media help preserve community?

In reality social media has actually helped me connect with my community. I have come in contact with some fascinating people in my area that I otherwise may not have connected with. Some of these contacts are experts in their field and have helped me wade through the abundance of information available these days. It has introduced me to products and services available locally that I was previously not aware of.

Surprise, surprise, social media has drawn me closer to my community in addition to expanding my horizons. I think if you are conscious of the concept of local community, social media can be a powerful, effective tool while still expanding your knowledge base and market area.

End of the year ... Already!?!

2009-12-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

Every year, at this time of year, I find myself shocked that the year is almost over. Honestly, it shouldn’t be a surprise – I know December is the last month; November is the warning etc. etc. Well you get the picture.

This has been an amazing year of growth and change for me both personally and professionally. I don’t want to turn this into Aunt Millie’s annual “how I spent my year” novelette but I do want to mention a few of the most remarkable changes:

1. I finally saw the successful conclusion of an incredibly complex and challenging project. By finally, I mean that when I took the contract it was expected to last no more than one year – it took 4 years! As we tested the new software and the hundreds of interfaces, we found ourselves reassessing processes and relying on distant memories where documentation was lacking. I learned the value of nurturing a cooperative work environment and that I am capable of far more than I imagined as far as managing complex and competing tasks. Even with the many challenges, this project made me realize how much I like project work. Oh! And it proved the saying “never say never”; I never thought I’d find myself working with my previous employer, but I loved it! I actually had other projects asking me for advice on test management.

2. When my next project assignment, with the same company, was unexpectedly cancelled, I found myself in the job market for the first time in…um…20ish years. I never had to question what I want to do before – opportunities always presented themselves or I created them myself. In the process I have met some fascinating people, started learning about Social Media and how it can be used for marketing and I have questioned my value. Don’t worry; I’ve resolved the value question. My entrepreneurial spirit is starting to nudge me again – stay tuned!

3. I saw one step-son start his college career and the other get his G1 driver’s license. They’re growing up and becoming more independent – I was just getting to know them and they’re almost ready to fly the coop already. I must admit, it is fascinating to watch them get used to new limits and more responsibility.

In a nutshell, it has been an interesting year of ups and downs but I think I’m coming out much stronger and more confident.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my friends, colleagues and family for their support and to thank you – my readers – for reading my blog. I will be taking a brief holiday from posting but I am already thinking of my next topics. Stay tuned!

I wish all of you a holiday season filled with whatever makes you happy. I also wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous 2010.

Peace,
Carol.

Have you heard of Geocaching?

2009-12-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Geocaching? The easiest way for me to describe it is to give you the description from http://www.geocaching.com/ “Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.” There are almost 1 million geocaches around the world – I can play this anywhere!

On of my favorite pastimes is hiking and when I learned of geocaching it added a dimension to it that I didn’t imagine possible. Every time I spoke with my Brother-in-law about where our next hike was going to be, he’d say “oh there’s a cache there”. I really didn’t pay too much attention to him for a long time. Finally I spoke up and asked what he was going on about and he explained it to me.

I ran out to buy a GPS and my husband went online to research more. A whole new world opened up to us. I honestly feel like an 8 year old again! Imagine going on a treasure hunt. Its one thing to go for a hike and simply look at the pretty scenery or appreciate a landform that is rarely if ever found anywhere else on earth but to add a treasure hunt is so much fun. You don’t have to be an avid hiker either; on rainy (or exceptionally buggy) days we pick a few that are close to the road and go on a road trip.

One of our favorite places, not just for hiking but in general, is on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. While this wasn’t a stellar year for hiking due to rain and bugs and more rain, we still managed to get out and find almost 20 caches. I remember one day when my Sister and Brother-In-Law came with us. We didn’t find the cache because we were chased out of the forest by the bugs, but we did come across some beautiful ruins that probably would have taken us years to find. We’ll go back for that one on a drier, less buggy day. Another cache was simply a location; an alvar where we were to take a picture and post it on the geocaching website but we saw a landform that we didn’t know was there, was incredibly rare globally and was so ruggedly beautiful. You can find out more about alvars at Nature Conservancy Canada.

Geocaching has not only added a ~~little~~ lot of extra fun to my life but it has helped nurture my appreciation for nature and all the diversity it provides. I can certainly imagine this being a great adventure for young children but hey – don’t we all need to feel like kids again sometimes? I can’t wait to put on my Christmas Snowshoes and go caching in the snow!

I’ve Been Grounded!

2009-12-15T06:58:00.000-05:00

I don’t consider myself religious, sentimental or traditional but I must say the past two days have completely calmed my spirit.

I have been doing my Christmas baking. It’s a multi-week process for me; choosing the recipes, trying to come up with a schedule, planning my ingredients list and of course the inevitable change of mind that comes from choosing too much in the first place. Oh GEESH! I approach baking like a project! Is it really that ingrained in me?

I remember helping my Mom and sisters make gingerbread men and shaped sugar cookies. YUM! Now I can’t image Christmas without baking. I don’t think Christmas would be the same without it even though I now give almost all of the goodies away.

Sometimes I find myself feeling scattered – without focus; there seems to be so much to do and not enough time. Doesn’t this sound like everyone’s life at times? The last two days seem to have completely brought me back to earth. Working with the dough, listening to happy music and seeing the lines of cookies cooling on the table soothes my spirit. Gardening does this for me too but I certainly can’t do that this time of year.

Perhaps it is the motion that allows me to release my thoughts, to not think beyond this moment, to focus. I feel energized, focused and ready to get back to that list hanging over me.

It’s strange, when I was working full time (often over-time) I always had time for exercise, imagination for cooking, and for all the other chores on my list. I think the first thing on my to-do list will have to become “get back on track”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not obsessive about my day being structured but you have to admit, it’s easier to get things done if you have it.

So, now, I feel grounded and it looks like I’ve given myself a good swift kick in the rear. I’m ready to face the world and my obligations clearly once again. What a relief!

I am a Template Junkie

2009-12-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

No, this doesn’t mean that I’m a junkie who fits a template personality type or behavior pattern. I mean that I am hooked on using templates.

For me, the beauty of the template lies in what it enables me to do. A template helps me organize my thoughts, and increases the likelihood that I will not miss important details. Some of my templates evolve over time, mainly when I am working with a new process. Fields will be added and removed as I work with the document and discover what information I use and what is ignored as soon as I fill it in. I will also tailor my templates for the situation I am in but I rarely start from scratch.

Knowing my templates also prompts me to ask the right questions in meetings. For example, I know that my Test Plan Template contains a section outlining special considerations. This prompts me to ask the client “is there anything that needs to be prepared in advance or any condition that will inhibit the execution of this test”. Many conversations with clients can end up with attention being diverted or insufficient time being spent on specific topics. Familiarity with my template ensures that I don’t skip important and sometimes unpleasant discussions. Believe me, your client will thank you for having these conversations up front.

Another benefit of templates is that they promote effective communication. As you work with your client they become familiar with the types of questions you ask. You will notice that your clients start preparing their responses in advance, or at least they no longer look shocked when you bring a subject up. Communication is easier when you know what to expect and what is expected of you. Templates help me facilitate this.

I also live for checklists – but that’s a topic for another day.

Guest Blogger - Heal Your Pet Natually!

2009-12-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

By Kathy Bilous, Owner of Paws for Wellness & Reiki Master

Pet parents are being drawn to natural and holistic ways to help heal their furry little friends. There are times when the usual conventional methods to help our pets just don’t seem to give us the results we need. Reiki Energy Healing has been around for hundreds of years and many people use this natural therapy to reduce stress, balance their energy, and increase their overall health. Reiki can also help your pet.

What is Reiki Energy Healing and how can it help my pet? The name Reiki, pronounced ''Ray-key'', comes from the Japanese words ''rei'' meaning “universal”, and ''ki'' meaning “life force energy”. If this energy is blocked, it will result in physical, mental/emotional upset, injury or illness. Reiki is gentle, natural, non-invasive and brings powerful results. Reiki is ideal for pets because they are very receptive to and accepting of reiki energy healing. The pet controls the amount of healing energy they wish to receive and then reiki flows to where it is needed most. Animal Reiki improves the health and happiness of our pets and helps to heal physical illness, pain, injuries, and emotional or behavioural problems.

Reiki is effective for pets because it is not dependent upon physical contact. The animal controls the treatment. Reiki can be done either with hands-on, hands slightly above, from a distance, or a combination of these methods so that the pet is comfortable with the treatment.

Our pets are so very special and dear to us, and when they are sick, it causes us stress and worry. It’s like an unending cycle because their illness can cause us to worry, which can then also affect the pet. Animals are highly intuitive and when we are worried our pets can sense our worried energy. Our furry friends can easily absorb the energies of their owners including stress, emotional balance, and tension and easily become unbalanced and unsettled from these negative energies. Reiki energy healing can remove these blocks and release the animals from this energy to regain optimal health and happiness. Most animals need approx 3-4 sessions, but depending on the issues and situation, the animal may need fewer or more sessions.

Here is what Lori B. of Mississauga says about Paws for Wellness:

"My dog, Cali, was not eating or acting herself. I knew there was something seriously wrong as she would not eat any food for a few days and was very lethargic. This is very unusual for a bulldog, because they ingest everything, and it`s not like them to stop eating EVER! Thanks to Paws for Wellness and Kathy's energy healing, her treatment helped clear out the blockage and Cali began to eat again, regained her energy and was back to her normal hyper, happy self! I would definitely recommend Kathy's energy healing session to everyone and anyone looking for an alternative (natural therapy) for their pet. It saved me over $250.00 in a visit to the vet! I would like to personally thank Kathy for her compassion and awesome Reiki talent I initially had no idea what Reiki was, and just happened to find a perfect cure to eliminate one of my worst fears, losing my puppy and or paying her vet money, that I couldn`t afford!"

Please feel free to contact me at kathy@pawsforwellness.ca if you have any questions about how reiki can help your pet.

Kathy is the ultimate animal lover and a Reiki Master. Your pet is our passion! www.pawsforwellness.ca

Holiday special ~ 10% off gift certificates until Dec. 15th! Give someone special the gift of health for their furry friends this season!

A Question on Baselines

2009-12-03T10:56:00.000-05:00

How do you determine when to reset the baseline on your plan? Theoretically I understand that the baseline should be adjusted when approved changes occur.

Here’s my dilemma, if you reset the baseline every time a change is approved, the baseline can become so fluid that it is useless for measuring performance. Hopefully your requirements are well defined and changes are kept to a minimum on your project … but what do you do when things don’t go the way you want?

As an example, let’s say your project has many unknown variables. Just by nature of the environment you end up with more than 50 approved changes within a 2 year project. Clearly this project is plagued with several problems but you are still asked to provide statistics on plan vs. actual progress. Of course these stats will look ridiculous!

In this case, do you only adjust your baseline after x# of changes or do you abandon plan vs. actual? Or do you stick with the practice of constantly adjusting your baseline and constantly reinforce the volume of changes when presenting your statistical analysis?

I’m having trouble wrapping my head around this. How can you provide meaningful baseline comparisons when it is a moving target? Are there other tools or methods of providing meaningful progress statistics in this case?

PMP Designation = Project Roadblock?

2009-12-02T07:37:00.000-05:00

My first encounter with people with PMP designation left me a little cold and frustrated. It appeared that they were mired in process, more focused on the Gantt chart than on what was actually happening. The impression was that their processes held up productivity more than it enabled it. One size fits all is their motto; all projects must follow one set structure. Surely not all PMP’s could be like this …could they?

I have definitely gained an appreciation for the processes that structured project management provides. It is absolutely necessary that events occur in logical and structured order. Without an orderly progression, you may complete the project but it will always sacrifice at least one of the triple constraints (scope, time, and cost) or at the very least, quality suffers. Is a project really a success when it is delivered over budget, over time and with a budget blown to bits? Statistics prove that structured project management is a key factor in consistently successful project delivery.

So, what about those PM processes? There is a very fine line to be walked between following processes and creating roadblocks. All Project Managers, not just PMP’s, must be sure to tailor the processes to the needs of each project. Some projects need heavy documentation and strict control while others can be more streamlined. As the PM, you need to balance the needs of the project with corporate requirements (PMO policy or ISO standards) and the project atmosphere. This is no small feat.

Most important of all, and I mean THE most important factor is communication. If you do not communicate why certain processes or templates are being used, they will be seen as roadblocks. You become the roadblock. You will be perceived to be so rigid that you have lost your grip on reality. I think this is what I experienced when I was first introduced to the world of the PMP.

Clearly I have been able to overcome this first impression and gain the appreciation for what these people were trying to do because I am working towards my own PMP designation. I have been fortunate to meet PMP designated individuals who have exceptional talents for gauging the environment, tailoring processes and communicating their tactics to create a cooperative, effective project environment. These are the Project Managers that inspire me to pursue the designation. My goal is to promote rational project management strategies that are customized for each situation without compromising successful project delivery or established project methodology.

Update on Exam Jitters!

2009-12-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

Its funny, once I actually sat down and really looked at the material I needed to cover, it didn't seem so bad. I wrote out the formulas I need to know and they didn't even take up a full page.

Alright - I admit it - its not so hard! I think I just psyched myself out. At least I was able to sit down and methodically tackle the situation. Next stop - network diagrams! I don't have jitters anymore.

Sorry for the short blog - I've got studying to do!

Exam Jitters

2009-11-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

I should be studying for my PM Foundations test on Wednesday but I think I’ve forgotten how. Oh sure, I can read my notes, read my text and retain the concepts – no problem there. It’s the formulas and network diagram that are freaking me out right now.

I’ve read the words; I know what the formula is supposed to find for me. In many cases I even understand why I would use the formula. I can’t remember how to simply memorize the formula. I suppose it doesn’t help that math isn’t my strong point. I’ve always struggled with it. I’m probably just freaking myself out now.

As for the network diagram – UGH! Another weak link in my study plan. I didn’t do so well on the test that included this so I want to try extra hard to improve here. The worst part on the network diagram is that I don’t know which part I’m not connecting with. Should I simply review that section and hope for the best? That’s not like me! I need to understand; I thought I did. So how do you study to correct what you thought you knew?

All suggestions are welcome. In the meantime I guess I need to just get to it. Wish me luck!

All about Project Management Offices: Building Your PMO – People, Process, Tools – Part II – PM Processes

2009-11-30T06:43:00.000-05:00

I just found this blog, looks pretty interesting so far.
All about Project Management Offices: Building Your PMO – People, Process, Tools – Part II – PM Processes

Manager...or...Artist?

2009-11-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

Doesn’t the title Manager sound boring? It certainly doesn’t seem as thrilling as entrepreneur, leader, executive, quality inspector or, well, just about any other title on the planet.

Manager conjures up images of a person with a big stick standing over you, poised to enforce whatever rule you’ve broken. The person with the checklist on a clipboard wandering around shaking their head in disappointment or nodding in modest approval – that’s the Manager. It’s funny that the world has progressed so far in so many aspects but the images of management have evolved little over time. Creative is never a term associated with Manager.

Every now and then, you find a Manager who completely eclipses these images. This is the Manager who is personable, fair, creative and a consistent role model for the team. This Manager makes you feel like you are the only one who can do your job as well as you do and that they wouldn’t trade you for anything. You know that this person stands with you and behind you every step of the way. They inspire you to learn, grow and perform better than you thought you could. These Managers are artists!

Sculptor – molds the team into a cohesive structure
Painter – you not only see the vision, you understand it
Story-teller – has the ability to grab your attention, hold it and get the point across
Magician – capable of finding the one way out of seemingly impossible situations
Designer – creating an environment that people want to work in

I have worked with Managers like this. I even hope that I am a Manager like this. They create an environment of nurturing and ease. I’m not saying that this type of Manager is a pushover; they are some of the strongest people I have met. The team may be under pressure but they are not nearly as stressed as most others because their leader remains calm and focused; this takes strength.

If more Managers exercised their creative muscles, work environments would change dramatically. Office culture would be liberated from the sweat shop mentality. Sure, I know that people still won’t always be waking up in the morning in eager anticipation of getting to the office but maybe it won’t be drudgery. We spend so much time at work, wouldn’t it be nice to be working for someone who trusts and supports you? Does work really have to be so stressful that it affects your entire life? If more people were able to work with creative, energetic Managers, eventually the images of taskmaster, judge and executioner would slip into distant memory. Wouldn’t that be best?

Reality Checks

2009-11-24T13:42:00.001-05:00

I am a very lucky person. I have people all around me who care so much about me that they try to protect me and don’t want to hurt my feelings. As a result, sometimes I don’t get the cold hard truth that I need. Don’t worry, there’s always someone who comes along and gives me the shake-up I need.

I’m not saying that I change direction when someone speaks up but it does make me pause for a minute and evaluate my strategy. It’s good that I have the ability to recognize the challenge, evaluate the situation and move on. I will either adjust my course based on the new information, try to get more proof or clarification or continue forward with more conviction that it is the right thing to do. If I move forward with conviction it is because I have taken a second look and checked my options again.

I know many people who refuse (or don’t appreciate) the input and continue full steam ahead. Those people usually fall victim to the “I told you so” follow up. Incidentally these are also the people who speak more and listen less and are least willing to hear arguments to their cause.

The funny thing is that sometimes the splash of cold water comes from someone or something that has virtually no relation to me. Last week it came to me by way of an article I read on a website. I’m sorry I can’t find the trail to it at the moment. The article was about being a leader vs. being a good manager. I have been calling myself a leader for some time now based on the following:

Set a consistent example of the environment I want to be in. I take Ghandi’s words to heart “be the change you want to see in the world”.
Set strategic directions and guide the execution of them.
My ability to garner support from all levels of the organization.
I’ve worked my way steadily through the ranks and always seem to lead the pack.

I thought, perhaps mistakenly that being a leader was better than just being a good manager. The article I was reading extolled the virtues of good management such as:

Managers make the strategy work. They come up with the roadmap.
Managers do the dirty work – discipline, process creation, monitoring, reporting.
Managers must motivate the team – be personable but tough – to make sure the job gets done.

I do all of this and more!

So, knowing my skills and personal attributes I am left questioning what I really am. So far I’m thinking “kick butt manager with the ability to lead”. That’s not feeling so inferior anymore.

Is There a Disconnect Between IT and Operations?

2009-11-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or does there seem to be a growing disconnect between IT and business operations? IT departments say they have the operation in mind and they certainly talk a good game when trying to sell new technologies but I sense something deeper is happening.

Is it possible that IT has a separate agenda? Is it simply a matter of wanting a bigger piece of the budget pie that makes them lean toward bigger and better projects? Yes, of course I am speaking in general terms. Yes, I am using my research and personal experience as a measuring stick but I see a trend that leaves me uncomfortable.

IT is not the only culprit. I would like to introduce Head Office as an accomplice. Both groups are guilty of forgetting the people who actually need to do the work. Technology can only take a company so far; the people are the real force behind success. Remember, the main goals of technology are: to provide value to business, to provide economies of time within processes and to automate tasks to allow staff to take care of the tasks that really matter. The guiding principle for IT should be to support corporate goals and objectives by supporting the operation.

Where does it go wrong?

When projects take so long to implement that the business has changed. The project finishes but no longer adds the value it was meant to.
Products are implemented so quickly that many people are left completely out of the loop.
Having head office support but not front line support. The end users must be involved from the start. Without front line buy in, the product reputation is doomed, no matter how good the product is.
Positioning the product as“resource efficiency” isn’t always enough. In the eyes of the front line, this often translates to job loss. You guarantee yourself road blocks every step of the way.

How to overcome the disconnect.

Have head office and front line teams take a cold hard look at the technology starting at the evaluation stage and throughout the implementation process. This ensures value for investment is protected.
Get operations people involved in the project/implementation to instill a sense of investment and to gain grass roots support.
Communicate to all levels of the organization throughout the process. This promotes a sense of community and ownership by all groups.
Find new ways of positioning. For example, instead of resource efficiency, the product could be positioned as a tool to make tech time more efficient therefore allowing staff to support the operation, to do what matters most.

By getting Head Office, IT and Operations back on the same page, you create an environment of communication, collaboration and cohesion. This new environment implies that Head Office and IT need to listen more to the Operations teams; to hear their concerns and act upon them methodically. This cooperative setting better ensures that the right product or solution is chosen and supported throughout its lifetime.

Too Much Information or Not Enough Focus?

2009-11-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

While trying to decide what to write today, I was surfing the net for good articles to spark my imagination. It didn’t happen. What did happen was information overload. There is currently a commercial running where someone mentions a topic to someone else, that person starts answering with a trail of seemingly unrelated thoughts. That’s what I feel like today.

Enter: Project Management (because that’s what I wanted to write about).
Output: Project management – methods, tools, tactics, pitfalls, skills, attributes

And then … chaos. This train is out of control!

Leadership, communications, time management, diplomacy, resource management. Each of these topics can lead to a myriad of discussions. How can I possibly narrow it down to write a sensible blog?

AHA!!! I just learned the lesson … focus.

Project Managers must be able to focus and stay calm in the face of chaos. Chaos will happen, it’s almost guaranteed. Too much information, or not enough information, they must be able to sift through all the muck and get to what is important. They must be able to remove themselves from the chaos even for a moment to get a grip again on what is necessary. Focus. This simple word makes me pause and regain my breath.

The challenge for a PM, well - one of the challenges, is that there is much to focus on.

You must focus on the business strategy to ensure your project supports corporate objectives. This is not a one-time exercise. Depending on the length of the project, this should be continuously reviewed to make sure that there have not been changes (to the project or to the business) that make the project redundant.

You must focus on where you are vs. where you need to go. Tasks, processes and resources must be in line and ready to perform when their turn comes up. The PM should be capable of leading, organizing and managing the team yet avoid getting stuck in the weeds. In order to do this you need to have a team you trust so you can delegate the little things. Delegation allows you to focus on keeping the key objectives on course.

Maybe my next entry should be about HOW to Focus.
Enter: How to Focus
Output: concentration, discipline, photography – and there goes the train again!

I was Born for Project Management!

2009-11-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

Sure, it sounds crazy but bear with me – it’s completely true! Watch…

I am the youngest of 8 children in a single income home. How does this make me destined for Project Management? I learned most of my skills from the pros (Mom and Dad) and some for basic survival. Here’s how…

EVERYTHING was a project!

Getting to school in the morning was a project:
- I had to be ON TIME to the one washroom for my turn or else!
- I had to be ON TIME to the table or the oatmeal would be solid as a rock.
- I had to MANAGE RELATIONSHIPS (so that my sister would let me wear her shirt)
- I had to NEGOTIATE wit h my brother to let me walk with him to school.

Family day trips were projects:
- Everyone had a TASK to complete – whether it was simply being ready on time or as complex as packing the van with everything needed and still have room for all the kids.
- My mother was a master PLANNER. From her I learned that as much as you plan, something will always put a wrench in it. From her I learned the fine art of FLEXIBILITY. Does it really matter that the pants and shirt don’t match if they are just going to end up filthy at the end of the day? What matters is to FOCUS on what does matter: everyone gets there safely and has a great time.

Camping trips were projects:
- First I have to wonder if there must be some level of insanity in my family that made my parents think that this was a good idea. Rest easy, I’m pretty sure I’m no more insane than the next guy.
- RISK MANAGEMENT is my point here. Where are the hospitals? Need I say more?
- EMPATHY and RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT also come in handy in this type of project. You have to consider the needs of the individual family members but keep the big picture (family experience) in mind. You cannot cater to the one needing the most attention (that was usually the youngest – me!) or there will be mutiny. You simply don’t want mutiny in a campground in the middle of nowhere.

Other skills and attributes I have acquired that make me destined for Project Management:
- Budget control. My allowance was $5.00/week for 5 years - no cost of living increases.
- Accountability and Responsibility – keeping agreements I have made and owning my work. Consequences ranged from being tied to a tree (yes it happened) to a good grounding.
- Level Headed. I don’t let the job turn to chaos; stay calm and focused, remain the voice of reason. You learn this with 7 siblings bearing down on you.
- Target the message for the customer. Know how to communicate your point effectively for the audience. This is ingrained in me now – I speak differently to my parents than I do to my siblings just as I do when speaking with executives versus programmers. My message is the same, the delivery adapts.

I could probably come up with hundreds of examples of how my life has been one huge Project Management Lesson but if I start now I won’t have material for more blogs! Stay posted!

The Value of a Project Management Office

2009-11-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

The more I learn about Project Management the more I see the strategic value in establishing a Project Management Office (PMO). I'm always looking at ways to economize - effort and cash. I believe the PMO concept is a clear winner in strategic economizing. This morning I read a blog that further strengthened my resolve.

The PMO can take on many forms but generally there are 3 basic models:

1. Warehouse for historical documentation, best practices and corporate project methodologies.
2. Enterprise PMO which deploys highly trained project teams within the organization in addition to the warehousing mentioned above.
3. The Facilitation Model provides standards, project setup, reporting and guidance/oversight throughout the project lifecycle.

Depending on the size and complexity of the organization, the PMO can be virtual in nature. In this model, all 3 elements mentioned above are hybridized and managed externally but in close connection to corporate leadership. This model is best used in small to medium sized companies where project volume does not warrant full time resources but projects are complex enough to require specialized knowledge.

All of the models mentioned above provide the following basic benefits:

1. High level project monitoring and executive communications. Executives have one stream of communication instead of each project reporting to them.
2. Early detection of issues and risks. The PMO has an overview of all projects and can better detect contention or redundancy.
3. Provide a central repository for historical data and metrics for analysis and reuse in similar projects. This improves the accuracy of future project estimates.
4. The PMO stores reusable components such as templates and methodologies. This prevents cycle time during project startup.
5. Provides training and support for project teams. This is a definite advantage when signs of project weakness come to light.
6. Ensures corporate strategy is always the first priority in managing projects. The PMO removes much of the risk of personal agendas becoming the focus.

Strategically, the PMO proves its value as soon as it starts tracking delivery statistics and earned value from all projects. The PMO provides a vehicle for not only storing reusable components but reviewing and revising them consistently. This ensures that practices are not simply repeated because they have always been used; they are reused because they still work. Processes and templates that no longer work due to changes in market, change in business strategy or ineffectiveness are reviewed, enhanced and enforced consistently. Since the PMO has visibility on all projects and potential projects (best case), it is able to identify redundant projects or project elements across the enterprise. This can save all kinds of resource waste by consolidating or eliminating efforts.

The blog that sparked this entry can be found at ProjectSteps: The Value of a PMO

Networking - Virtual and Personal

2009-11-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

I have been dragged into the Facebook age! I won’t say I was kicking and screaming but I’m not convinced it was a graceful entry either. I was happy and secure in my little world. Working in the same industry for close to 20 years, my little world was very little.

One of the first things I did to expand my world was to join Linkedin. It was amazing to see, in a very short time how vast a network can expand. The thought that through my mere 66 connections I am potentially connected to more than one million professionals is mind boggling. Check out my profile at http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/carol-glover/11/23b/847 and see for yourself!

The second thing I did, still on Linkedin was to start joining groups. I now belong to 18 groups. Most of these groups are profession-based. This means that I use them to keep up with discussions on what is happening in the airline industry and in the Project Management profession. Other groups focus on small business and entrepreneurship in my local area. I recently volunteered to help one of the groups build up an external site. Some groups are more active than others. I will likely drop some of the quiet groups and try to find more dynamic ones.

I am also on Twitter http://twitter.com/armglo and am starting to get familiar with it. So far I have 6 followers!

In my (humble) opinion, nothing, NOTHING beats face to face networking. This week I joined Happen in Mississauga. This is my first official networking group but I love it. The people are friendly, encouraging and we’re all in the same boat (looking for opportunity). The guest speaker was Donna Messer. She is an energetic yet practical networking specialist. She inspired me to commit further to the networking process. I think I’m hooked on the old school concept of personal networking.

Now my dilemma is that I am overwhelmed with networking opportunities. I have to concentrate on which groups will be the most productive for me. Productive not only means finding the right connections to move my career forward but finding opportunities for personal growth. I can’t join everything or I’ll never be home. I like home too much to be away that much. I’ll keep you posted on what I choose! If you have suggestions, please drop me a line (or tweet or chat or…).

LEAVING THE COMFORT ZONE

2009-11-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

I was trying to decide what to write in my first BLOG so I started to think about the process. It’s something I haven’t done before. It is certainly not comfortable trying to exercise the writer in me. This is completely out of my comfort zone. That led me to thinking about the other things I’ve done that haven’t been comfortable and I realized that my life has been full of stepping outside of what is comfortable. Why on earth does a person do that?

Some of the things I’ve done that were not comfortable include:

1. Joining Army Cadets. You have to understand that I was the shyest person on the planet! I quickly found out that shyness was not an option. In stepping out of my comfort zone I made some of the best friends I’ve ever had, learned that I was actually a leader, and firearms training was a blast!

2. Working for Canadian Airlines/Air Canada was my next big step. I was introduced to the world of travel which naturally leads you out of what you are familiar with (not to mention standby travel can be terrifying). I also had the opportunity to live far away from home when I moved to Halifax. It was the scariest thing so far, not being within a couple hours of family and being in completely unfamiliar territory. Had I not traveled or moved away from home I never would have seen some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world or seen homes people have been living in since before the time of Christ.

3. Did I ever imagine I would own my own business? Not on your life! But I did. Do you know how scary it is knowing that you are the only person responsible for your future? There was no corporate structure to make the big decisions, no team to pick up the slack. Without it, I may never have learned how creative I can be or how miraculous nature can be.

4. Unemployment is certainly outside of my comfort zone. Unlike all the steps I have taken along the way this was not a choice I made. I was placed outside of my comfort zone. I believe this to be the most uncomfortable challenge yet. So far I have met some fascinating people; I was able to spend an amazing summer with family and friends without being interrupted by conference calls or email obsessions. This experience has made me more humble. I have learned that I am not immune to adversity; I have just been lucky to avoid it for so long. I have learned that how I react to the tough times makes the difference. I’m not saying I don’t have little melt-downs behind closed doors but I quickly pick myself back up and get the heck back out there – tears and frustration get me nowhere.

The moral of the story is that leaving your comfort zone can reward you with experiences beyond your imagination. Did I think I’d ever ride a zip line through a rainforest, raft through rapids of glacial water, stand at the Acropolis or be a Step-Mom? NO! Without these experiences I would not have the confidence to put myself actively into the world as I believe I do. Remembering the feeling of increased strength and confidence gives me the ability to try new things without fear. Without my successes along the way I would not have the knowledge, confidence or faith that I can weather the adversity and go into the next challenge even stronger.

New Blog

2009-11-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog! I am in the process of setting this up and hope to have relevant information here soon. Please come back often!