PMI knowledge sharing group notes

1. How is change management undertaken when the project is underway?
A. What systems are used to manage change within the project?
*Document time,
*cost impact
*Document scope creep
*Provide change management process to stakeholders
*Set expectations early on
* Have periodic meetings to anticipate changes
*Communicate scope often to stakeholders

2. How best to communicate changes
*Simplify, red for urgent, yellow for semi urgent, green for non issues.

3. Resolving conflicts and resolution tips
*Set roles and responsibilities
*Find out expectations from other stakeholders, lay it out

4. How does one address someone who is uncooperative?
*How does one gain cooperation? Communicate well. Bring input from all team members, to make them realize how critical their input is. Team evolves around unity of purpose- this is the reason why communication is important. Be candid and straight forward.

5. What's the most common format for project plan? A real project plan is a compilation of different plans. See gantthead.com for templates. "Just enough project management," great reference on level of detail to be provided re: project management plan.

6. Enterprise project management, what is the optimal # of enterprise level projects per PM?
*Wait for resources, acquire more resources, or reallocate resources?
7. Reasons for project failure? Missing project plan.

8. Best practices IT project? Understand the technology.

9. Lessons learned? At start of new one, at end of a project.
10. Project accountability in a weak matrix organization: figure who's running the organization.
11. PM value *Show value in PM processes to encourage buy in. 1 concept at a time.

12. What key PM value are employers looking for? Innovation and collaboration/ alignment with business group.

Spring 2011 PMI Chicago event

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Spring 2011 Special Mentoring Session - Register Today - only limited seats

The Project Management Institute (PMI®) Chicagoland Chapter mentoring group is planning to have two 
special events this year to deliver face-to-face seminar for PMI members. This is to understand how project management 
techniques are used in a specific vertical industry than one most of the PMs are very familiar with(eg:brewing, 
food production, utility, trade show or hospitality). 

In Spring 2011 event we are focusing on the industry which conducts big trade shows 
and corporate events. This helps exhibitors make technology decisions in the most efficient and timely manner, providing 
full solution support throughout the event; Pre-Show, On-Site, Post-Show, Exhibit Theater, main event and allied services. 
The seminar will include 1) a presentation from one or more industry subject matter experts and 2) a walkthrough of 
a typical project site. You can expect a fun filled two hours of experience which can help you to shine in your current 
job or more job opportunity.You will learn about A/V, earn 2 PDUs, and network with your peers and industry experts for just $25

Come and see behind the scenes of the Audio / Visual world at an industry trade show  
See what goes into planning and executing the A/V for a convention, PM role in event hosting and become a star 


Where:  Sheraton Gateway Suites O'hare.6501 N. Mannheim Road
Rosemont, IL 60018. (847) 699-6300
Date:  May 17, 2011
Time:  5:30 - 9:00 pm
Registration Required:http://guest.cvent.com/d/cdqy2h/4W 

Stained glass window at Naperville Settlement Church

Nothing to do with project management- but I certainly admire the workmanship and history related to this church window. I can imagine the detail, the hours invested, the architectural drawing (I imagine it existed) from which the artisan or artist based his or her work on.

In our microwave and disposable society, most things are not made to last anymore. The things that last typically have the following characteristics: timeless beauty, painstaking hard work invested, quality materials, superior quality control and quality management.

For anything to last, the cost may be initially higher. But the cost of ownership will certainly be a lot less. Something to remember and think about.

Naperville settlement church

My wife and I just attended a church wedding at this church building now located in Naperville historic settlement. This tourist attraction is a collection of varied historic buildings originally built in or around Du Page county Illinois.

Although this church is small in comparison to old churches in Europe- I do wonder what project management tools did the builders employ? Who was the business sponsor? Was the town financing the cost of the building? Did they have to submit an environmental impact study? What permitting process did they employ? Was there a building inspection process by a governing body?

If they had a simpler building permit process, is it possible for us to revert to such process?

Finally, did they have a project manager then? Or was it just a construction manager?

Day after Thanksgiving 2010

As we walked and window-shopped at Oakbrook center mall, it was interesting to see how people actually purchased items. Based on initial network news reports, this year seems to be a better year- a lot more shoppers are out and making purchases. It remains to be seen what the actual numbers are, coming from Shoppertrak (a data mining company in Chicago, which counts retail customers' traffic) or Experian.

It is a catch 22. 2/3 of the US economy is driven by consumer or domestic consumption. If the US consumer puts away their credit cards, there is a domino effect on US businesses, employment, utilities consumption, etc. However, this over consumption and overspending by the US consumer really is untenable. The unabated home equity loans to finance a new car and vacations to Mexico is no longer possible.

Will 2011 be better than 2010 for the US consumer? Is saving actually better for the US economy or is it better for the US consumer? Should there be a balance? Where is the balance?

Black Friday Shopping Strategies

Most of you are probably done with your shopping, and most of these strategies are probably well-known and no longer a secret--but I will write down my thoughts nonetheless:

1. Make a list,
2. Set a budget,
3. Pay with cash,
4. Use the latest tools to get the possible pricing, i.e., do your due-diligence,
5. Map out your route, get in and get out.

Call this a stretch but these tips do have a corollary Project Management principles:

1. Making a list is akin to having a project plan, and a WBS (work breakdown structure). Making a list helps one not to be dissuaded or side tracked by impulse purchases.
2. Setting a budget helps one to set a cap on how much one can spend, i.e., a project budget. This means the shopping spree is not an open checkbook deal. It will certainly help not getting depressed in January, not having to pay for the bills that come due in January (if one overspent using credit cards).
3. Paying with cash makes one feel the "pain" of the purchases. Business owner or sponsor, writing out the checks or payments to project vendors certainly keeps everyone in line to make sure project is within budget.
4. Using the latest tools such as RedLaser and pic2shop (allowing a consumer to scan the UPC code on a merchandise via an Iphone and comparison shop) are just one of the few apps that an informed consumer can use. There are a lot of tools (software such as MS Project or Earned Value) in the project management space. There are freeware as well that mimic MS Project.
5. Map out a route--there are apps that show mall maps, deals and coupons available for download on the Apple App store (am confident the Android store has the same or comparable apps as well) that can aid in mapping a shopper's route. This is actually an extension of #4, but the goal is to spend less time on the tasks and get home quicker, i.e., spend more quality time with family.
Which is what Thanksgiving holiday is about.

Learning Curve

It has been weeks since I met with a former co worker. We discussed an important issue that seemed to hit me. Learning curve. In light of today's economic environment, these questions seem to beg answers (more so for project managers seeking employment):
1. Is your PMO willing to invest time and money to train a project manager, i.e., needed for more complex projects that require a more technical PM role ,
2. If yes, how much time is your company or PMO willing to invest time wise,
3. If no, why not?
4. How does one measure ROI in training a PM or a functional manager?
5. What is a reasonable amount of time to train a PM or any employee for that manner?

I remember a media article that companies nowadays are sitting on a pile of cash; that managers and executives are still wary of ramping up hiring to meet increase in business volume.

Having been in this role as well, I was leery of hiring someone not trained nor had the experience in my industry, nor someone who had done project management in the past. It becomes a catch 22 for most seeking employment. They won't get hired if hiring companies are loathe to invest in worker training nor see the value in hiring someone from another industry (and thus will not invest in worker training either for a new technology nor application). Further, I doubt companies nowadays still provide the benefit of tuition reimbursement (for employees working on a college degree or master's program).

Am looking, or most are looking forward to normalcy whereby employers see the benefit of worker's training, education, and employee retention. There's more at stake here but I will address them for later, e.g., business continuity, CRM, customer satisfaction, and plain workers sense of happiness at their jobs.

Or is this the new normal whereby no one sees the ROI on workers training and education?