PM Rolling Milestones

Here’s the Commercial: I’m pleased to announce the final version of our Advanced Project Management certificate. Check it out. The first class is Quality Tools for Project Managers on January 17-18, although classes can be taken in any order. All the classes are hands on, experiential learning and fun. If you take the entire certificate, you not only save money but have all 60 PDUs needed to maintain your PMP certification. You have three years to complete all the classes.

Bad New Year’s Resolutions

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? I often do but not this year. This year my watchword is “maintain.” I’m not trying to juggle new balls, just keep the old ones aloft.

When I’m thinking through something, I often take an opposite stance and then try to defend it. In that spirit, here are some resolutions that you probably don’t want to make in 2012.

Spend more time at work
What happens when you get to your job and realize that you’re going to work 10-12 hours that day? If you’re like me, you slow down. (“I’ve got all day to do that. I’ll start later.”) I would rather concentrate totally on my work and go home after eight hours. I know it’s not always possible but I believe it should be the norm. Think quality at work and quantity at home and in relationships.

Learn nothing new
Einstein said, “The significant problems we face cannot be resolved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”  Try something new once in a while. Last summer I changed how I did a recurring project. There were bugs, but everyone was more engaged and energized because we were doing things differently. They brought their best game. It doesn’t have to be a big change – try using a new tool. Mind map part of your next project plan. Try getting the project plan to one page for your sponsor (see the book The One Page Project Manager). One of my college professors used to say that there are only two things that change you: the books you read and the people you interact with. Read a good book. Make a new friend.

Always postpone unpleasant tasks
My favorite author is Jane Austen. In Mansfield Park there is a true-ism, “Nothing ever fatigues me but doing what I do not like.” Contrast that with Mark Twain, “Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Translation: Do your least favorite task first. Every day. If you have to eat a frog, eat it first and get it over with.

In a recent study, a group of Microsoft workers took 15 minutes on average to return to serious mental tasks, like writing reports or computer code, after responding to incoming e-mail or instant messages. They strayed off to reply to other messages or browse news, sports or entertainment Web sites.  “I was surprised by how easily people were distracted and how long it took them to get back to the task,” said Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft researcher.

Another study showed that interruptions were self-initiated 40% of the time. Hmm.  Are you waiting to eat the frog?

Keep sawing with that dull blade
Abe Lincoln said, “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four sharpening the ax.” The point is that we all need rest and true re-creation to sharpen our brains. Each week, plan some time to do whatever will rejuvenate you. Put it on your calendar. Block out the time.

Bite off more than you can chew
When we take on too many things (even good resolutions) it limits our effectiveness with the rest of our tasks.
Watch those resolutions and Happy 2012,
Beth G.

Congratulations!
Congratulations go out this month to Matthew McBee of Paypal for completing his UNO/NBDC Business Analyst certificate. Matt works in a global setting, as capacity planner for all of Paypal's international operations locations; he’s especially busy when Paypal opens new centers. Matt finished his Project Management certificate in August but came back to finish the other four classes he needed for his BA certificate. Now he’s started working on his Advanced PM certificate. Congratulations and well done, Matt!

About Us
NBDC is a self-supporting entity of the University of Nebraska Omaha's College of Business. We work alongside businesses: instructing and mentoring in project management, leadership, and technology to help make each business more productive.

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Project Management Rolling Milestones e-newsletter is written by Beth Giesbrecht , project management expert and presenter at NBDC, a part of the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business. Beth welcomes your comments and suggestions. Email her or call the NBDC Business office at 402.554.2900.

Archive

2011

1 Bad Resolutions

2011

12 Santa Claus
11 Fun PDUs
10 Educated Intuition
9 Define Quality
8 Communicate
7 Advice
6 Reality TV
5 Change
4 Successful Project
3 Appreciation
2 Feel the Love
1 Project 2010

2010

12 Santa's PM List
11 Passing the Test
10 Meetings or Movies?
9 It's About Time!
8 What's Your Brand?
7 Peripheral Visionaries
6 Controlling the Finish
5 Visualize Your Project Requirements
4 4-Dimensional Teams
3 Planning for 60%
2 Internal Customers
1 First Things First

2009
12 South Pole
11 Project Baseline
10 Neologisms
9 Conversations
8 Proverbs
7 What's first?
6 Taking Care of Business
5 Whatever Works
4 Using Task Types
3 Requirements
2 Lean PM
1 Bad Apples

2008
12 In the Movies
11 Peer Conversations
10 How Do You Treat People?
9 Olympic Thoughts
8 Progressively 
    Elaborated
7 Juggling
6 Communication
5 Gremlins
4 All I Needed to Know
3 Don't Avoid the Hard Stuff
2 All You Need is Love
1 Sweat Equity

2007
12 Fiasco, Part Three
11 Fiasco, Part Two
10 Fiasco, Part One
9 Belbin's Research
8 Watch Your Words
7 Is There a Need to Know?
6 Technical Leadership
5 Lessons Learned
4 Risky Business
3 Keep the Main
2 Visual Thinking
1 Building Project Teams

2006
12 Well Project-Managed Frog
11 No Authority
10 Over Communication
9 Don't Think Buy-In
8 Pushing the Snowball