Raven's Brain has moved to http://www.ravensbrain.com/. If you receive your updates via email and you haven't received a "Newsletter Transfer Confirmation" email yet, you'll need to sign up again to receive updates from the new site via email.

If you subscribe via a RSS reader you will need to update your feed to receive updates from the new site:

Raven's Brain V2.0 FEED: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ravensbrain2

The new blog still needs some tweaks and edits, but it's a decent start. You can check out the welcome post at the new site here: http://www.ravensbrain.com/2008/07/raven-youngs-blog-ravens-brain-has.html. I plan on continuing to post regularly - while continuing to enjoy my lazy summer!

Final change - I have an updated email address to match the new domain:  

If you're wondering why I decided to make these changes check out my last post here: Raven's Brain - Lost In Transition.

I will post another entry here with some summary thoughts on my Windows Live Spaces experience and the accomplishments of this blog in the last 30-something months.

Thanks to everyone who has (and will continue to) stop by. You've made blogging a great experience!

- Raven
www.RavensBrain.com

MindTools has a great article to help project managers (or any manager) build high performing teams  and increase productivity through better relationships. Coaching for Team Performance outlines the benefits of team coaching and explains the importance of team dynamics. It's written to help you develop an established team with a solid foundation to build upon and shows how team members can gain useful insight by trying to understand each others perspectives and see each other differently.

If you're looking for ways to develop and grow your team in a positive direction, check out this excerpt:

Coaching to improve team performance can need different approaches for different teams and different people. What works for one team may not necessarily work for another.

Effective working relationships are built by understanding team members' needs, preferences, and styles of work. By helping people understand their own styles and appreciate the different styles of others, you can work with them to change their behaviors and use everyone's strengths.

The process of improving team performance takes time, and it may involve looking deeper than team processes. Organizational systems – like reward and recognition, performance management, and training – may need to be addressed as well.

However, the end result of this work is usually well worth it; improved collaboration and communication will benefit the organization as whole.

Read the full meal deal here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_66.htm

  Related Reading:

• Ten Golden Rules Of Project Management Maturity & Team Effectiveness
• Emotional Intelligence and Project Management: Learn about HALT
• Project Management, Teams and Success
• 20 Benefits of Peer to Peer Coaching
• Critical Team Persona's: Ten Faces of Innovation
• Communication Essentials: Keeping Communication Open On Your Team

Posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management, Team Coaching, Professional Development, Teams

The July 2008 issue of PMWorldToday (an informative global project management e-zine, by the way) has an interesting article for tech PMs and others working on technology projects: Avoiding the Top Five Traps of Technical Project Management (PDF). It's written by Bob McGannon, PMP, who has a long history of providing solid project management training, consulting, & coaching services. He shares his experience in working on technology projects and provides tips for avoiding some common "traps" when managing them. Here's an excerpt:

Managing technology projects can be one of the most challenging arenas of project management. Ironically, it is rarely the technology itself that presents obstacles for the technical project manager. Being mindful of the most common traps that await the unsuspecting project manager can help ensure your technical projects don’t end up as financial disasters that don’t deliver expected function, and diminish the reputation of yourself and your technical organization.

1. It is about business process, not the technical tool

The intent of a project is to move the business to a better place. That better place can mean increased efficiency, additional capabilities or an improvement in the accuracy of the business’ output. Regardless of the nature of the business improvement, it is enhanced process that will drive the superior results. It is not necessarily as a result of a tool, a new IT system or improved technology – these are only the catalyst for the improved process which drives business results. Many project managers and their teams mistake the new technology as being the output of the project, rather than the enhanced process that results in conjunction with implementing new technology.

Read the rest here (PDF): http://www.pmforum.org/library/tips/2008/PDFs/McGannon-7-08.pdf

The other four "traps" discussed include:

• 2. Moderate the amount of change your technology users must absorb
• 3. We understand the business better than our customer does!
• 4. There are no "small" changes
• 5. New function isn't necessarily new value

My thoughs - a decent list. #3 is very common - and not just to technology projects, and #4 "there are no small changes" would make a great tattoo for ANY project manager's forehead - or, at a minimum, burned into their memory for life!

Posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management, IT Project Management, Technology Projects, Project Management Blog, Project Management Posts

Much has been written about the importance of open, effective communication, but often "saying no"  isn't a focus in the articles and lists of communication tips. I just read an article at ProjectConnections with a telling title: The Hardest Word in the Project Management Vocabulary. Now, One may be the loneliest number but "no" has got to be the loneliest word in the in project management - we just don't use it enough, even when it's perfectly appropriate! How do get better at it? Check out the intro to Carl Pritchard's article below and learn how to Just Say No!

For project managers, "no" is often the toughest word in the English language to deploy. We often prefer the classic PM strategy of "Yes, but..." as the softer, kinder, gentler alternative. "No" sounds harsh. Uncooperative. It sounds reticent and recalcitrant. It sounds negative. And yet, for many of us, the time has come as professionals to set "yes, but..." aside and venture into the world of "no."

I say this because I note that with increasing frequency, clients are not taking "yes, but..." as an answer. No sooner do we offer a "yes-we-can-do-that, but-it-costs-you-another-million" response that the customer hears only the first half of the equation. They often seem far more interested in capability than cost. As a result, when we come to the table with the costs for their ventures, they balk.

One of my clients recently asked for a much higher level of review and a much higher degree of involvement in my consulting work than that to which I have become accustomed through the years. I agreed to a single review, but during that review, it became very clear that this was not to be a one-time event. They wanted more and more involvement in the work I have historically done to great accolades. And so, at the end of the first conference call, I tried a "yes, but.." approach.

Read more here: http://blog.projectconnections.com/carl_pritchard/2008/05/the-hardest-wor.html

You'll need to read the complete article to get the whole story, but it's a good piece on the importance of learning to say NO tactfully and guilt-free. There is a lot of good info in the blogosphere on "how to say no" or "learning to say no" and each piece offers it's own insights, perspective and unique tips. Here are a few great resources to help you learn how to Just Say No:

• Saying ‘no’
• 20 Ways To Say No
• How to Say No Respectfully
• 17 ways to say "no, Growth & Leadership
• 7 Ways To Say No Without Feeling Guilty

Posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management, Project Communication, Effective Communication, Project Management Blog, How To Say No

ComputerWorld has two articles discussing ten do's and don'ts when working with your CIO. There is a common theme in each piece with a focus on transparency, honesty, solid information and the "real" picture, and both articles offer advice on managing up and working more effectively with your CIO or other IT manager.

I found the tips to be realistic and not rooted in some pie-in-the-sky fantasy world. If you look below there some solid steps you can take now to begin working better with most managers, whether in IT or not. As always, you could add more to the list, or argue about what should be in the "top 5", but take these two article for what they are - good resources to learn about communicating useful information and managing up effectively.

• Five things you should never tell your boss
  Here's the information he's relying on you to provide.
  (note - tips below are truncated)
  
  1. All about the technology -- and nothing about the business. Acting like the business is terra incognita is a no-no. "Never tell me you don't know what the business wants but you'll build it when they decide," says James E. Schinski...
  
  2. There's only one solution. "People can sometimes develop a fondness for a certain technology or programming language or manufacturer into almost a religion, but it's never the case that one type of solution is the proper one for all situations,"...
  
  3. Bad opinions about your colleagues. It's a simple rule that can get overlooked when your team is struggling with a missed deadline or a failing project, but think before you point a finger, because bosses generally don't want to hear about it -- especially if you haven't tried to work it out on your own...
  
  4. There's no way. Robert Strickland, senior vice president and CIO of T-Mobile USA Inc. in Bellevue, Wash., makes his position very clear: Everything is possible...
  
  5. A surprise. CIOs almost universally say they don't like surprises -- particularly unpleasant ones. Ian S. Patterson, CIO at Scottrade Inc., a St. Louis-based online brokerage firm, says he always prefers to hear news -- good and bad -- directly from his workers. So when someone comes by and starts with "I want to give you a heads up," it really catches his attention....
  
  
• Five things you should always tell your boss
  There are some things your CIO definitely doesn't want to hear.
  (note - tips below are truncated)

  1. The real story. "Sugarcoating problems, holding back information, overpromising and consistently underdelivering are all reasons why IT has a bad reputation. We do this so well, we don't even realize there is a problem," says Robert Strickland, senior vice president and CIO of T-Mobile USA Inc. in Bellevue, Wash. "To lead effectively, I need the complete picture, as do our customers and our suppliers. When information is withheld, you are protecting no one."...
  
  2. Your ideas. "Bring me ideas to improve the business, even if they're outside of IT,"...
  
  3. What you want. Ted Maulucci, CIO at Tridel Corp., a condominium developer in Toronto, tries to shift his workers into the jobs that they enjoy most. It helps with employee retention, office morale and productivity. He points to one employee who loves working on hardware so much, he'll come in at 3 a.m. to tackle a new project....
  
  4. No. It takes courage to tell the boss that you don't agree, but it's better for all involved when you say no to suggested projects, timelines, budgets or technologies that just aren't going to work, says Michael F. Williams,...
  
  5. Your successes. No one wants to spend each day hearing only about project setbacks, failed servers and unexpected downtime. Good news is welcome too. Yet IT workers seem reluctant to promote the positive, Kalia says. "The thought process doesn't take place in their heads, or maybe they think that what they're doing isn't that special," he says...

I know some will say their managers don't want the real story - this would be common if you work for a "just get it done!" manager, which probably means they don't want to hear about your ideas or successes and "NO" probably isn't in the organization's vocabulary. Hopefully you are fortunate enough to work for an organization that cares about it's people and sets everyone up for success. With transparency comes more open communications and people will learn that being honest and presenting the real picture is not only acceptable - but expected.

image courtesy: Shoebox Blog

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Management
Tags: Management, Managing Up, Management Tips, Management Blog, Management Resources

allPM has an article by Dhanu Kothari discussing "the human side of project management" and detailing Ten Golden Rules Of Project Management Maturity & Team Effectiveness. Some interesting thoughts  are outlined and there is a questionnaire at the end to help you assess your own team's effectiveness. You'll want to read the complete post for proper context, and to get all the great insights, for now here are the "10 golden rules" (truncated):

Golden Rule # 1: Develop a Project Organization

1. Are there specific individuals who are identified as the Sponsor and the Customer or Client for the project?
2. Does everyone know who has the single source of responsibility for the project?

Golden Rule # 2: Formulate a Team Purpose

1. Is there a common understanding of project objectives and deliverables among all players?
2. Are the “Vision, Purpose, Goals” of the project documented and supported by a scope definition with SMART objectives (i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Target-driven)?

Golden Rule # 3: Scope and Sell the Project

1. Do you know who your clients are and do you have their enthusiastic support?
2. Do you have a presentation that explains the business benefits of the project, its major components, how the project will be implemented and why it takes as long as it does?

Golden Rule # 4: Insulate Team from Management Issues

1. Is there a process for escalating problems to management and resolving issues?
2. Does the Project Manager resolve internal team conflicts expeditiously, and stand up for the team when dealing with external influences, management and stakeholders?

Golden Rule # 5: Teams Optimize, Individuals Maximize

1. Does every team member clearly understand his/her deliverables, acceptance criteria, and the individuals who will be approving or accepting the deliverable?
2. Is there an agreed facilitation process for team discussion and issue resolution?

Golden Rule # 6: Encourage & Facilitate Open Communication

1. Is there a formal and structured communication process in place consisting of reviews, status reports, minutes of meetings and management updates etc.?
2. Does the Communication Plan include weekly “One on One” reviews with team members?

Golden Rule # 7: Institutionalize Positive Mindset

1. Do your team members believe that their meetings are generally productive?
2. Do you invite team members to provide feedback on the content and process of the meeting so that you can continually improve the management and performance of meetings?

Golden Rule # 8: Remember the Five “R”s

1. Does the project team practice and follow through the 5Rs - Respect, Recognition, Rewards, Rest and Recreation?
2. Is the project baseline schedule realistic and based on reasonable assumptions?

Golden Rule # 9: Implement Consistent & Predictable Processes

1. Are team members trained in the fundamentals of Project Management and are they familiar with the organization’s business terminology and Project Management Methodology?
2. Do team members clearly understand the differences and context of the various methodologies used for project management, system design, systems development, proprietary solutions and IT operations, etc.?

Golden Rule # 10: Transition the Team Graciously

1. Do you get a formal signoff from the client whenever a project deliverable is approved and accepted?
2. Do you take the time to provide feedback to team members on their project performance?

Read complete article here: http://www.allpm.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1924&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

I love to hear from readers - your comments matter! WL Spaces comments require login -  feel free to drop me an email if you have  something to say! Even better, let me know if you'd like to post a guest article here at Raven's Brain - You know you want to!

Posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management, Project Management Article, Project Management Links, Project Management Blog, Project Management Posts

Hmm, it's July 5th and I *just* heard that July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Obnoxious cell phone users are a serious source of frustration here in Seattle, and I suspect we're not alone. I'm hoping more newsies will cover the story of this month-long effort and highlight the need for better etiquette when using their moile phone, but as we continue to live in our own bubbles and ignore common courtesy, I wonder what impact this initiative will really have..

I visited the page dedicated to the cause and found a list of common sense tips for using your mobile  phone without annoying those around you - This means YOU, guy at the video store yesterday, using speakerphone to decide what to watch..really? Speakerphone? Are we that lazy that we can't even hold the phone up to our ears anymore? Might I at least suggest a headset? That way the entire video store won't have to listen to your thoughts on every single movie you touch. But I digress.. Here are thirteen common sense tips created by Jacqueline Whitmore, "one of the nation's foremost experts on etiquette and protocol", in honor of National Cell Phone Courtesy Month (July):

Be all there. When you're in a meeting, performance, courtroom or other busy area, let calls go to voicemail to avoid a disruption. In some instances, turning your phone off may be the best solution.

Keep it private. Be aware of your surroundings and avoid discussing private or confidential information in public. You never know who may be in hearing range.

Keep your cool. Don't display anger during a public call. Conversations that are likely to be emotional should be held where they will not embarrass or intrude on others.

Learn to vibe. Use your wireless phone's silent or vibration settings in public places such as business meetings, religious services, schools, restaurants, theaters or sporting events so that you do not disrupt your surroundings.

Avoid "cell yell." Remember to use your regular conversational tone when speaking on your wireless phone. People tend to speak more loudly than normal and often don't recognize how distracting they can be to others.

Follow the rules. Some places, such as hospitals or airplanes, restrict or prohibit the use of mobile phones, so adhere to posted signs and instructions. Some jurisdictions may also restrict mobile phone use in public places.

Excuse yourself. If you are expecting a call that can't be postponed, alert your companions ahead of time and excuse yourself when the call comes in; the people you are with should take precedence over calls you want to make or receive.

Send a message. Use Text Messaging to send and receive messages without saying a single word.

Watch and listen discreetly. New multimedia applications such as streaming video and music are great ways to stay informed and access the latest entertainment. However, adjust the volume based on your surroundings in much the same way that you would adjust your ringer volume. Earphones are a great way to avoid distracting others in public areas.

Alert silently. When using your phone's walkie-talkie feature, send the person you're trying to reach a Call Alert before starting to speak. If you're around other people, turn off your phone's external speaker and use the vibration setting to minimize any disturbance and to respect your contact's privacy.

Be a good Samaritan. Use your cell phone to help others. According to CTIA, The Wireless Association, more than 224,000 calls a day are made to 911 and other emergency numbers by mobile phone users who report crimes and potentially life-threatening emergencies.

Focus on driving. Practice wireless responsibility while driving. Don't make or answer calls while in heavy traffic or in hazardous driving conditions. Place calls when your vehicle is not moving, and use a hands-free device to help focus attention on safety. Always make safety your most important call.

Spread the word. Discuss cell phone manners with friends and family members. Tell them that you are practicing new wireless phone etiquette rules and offer to share them (www.sprint.com/etiquette).

Read more here: http://www.etiquetteexpert.com/cellphone.html

At the link above you can learn more about why the campaign was created, listen to a podcast with etiquette tips and, more importantly, you can take the cell phone etiquette quiz to see if you know the "best" ways to be courteous and avoid offending others when talking on your mobile phone. As you probably noted above, these are basic, seemingly "no-brainer" steps you can take, and the quiz, though pretty basic, can help expose your own behavior and thoughts on "appropriate" cell phone usage. It's unfortunate that so many folks are annoying many more folks with their cell phone behavior, and pretty pathetic that a month-long campaign was established to combat our r-u-d-e behavior.

Ok, putting soap box away..

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Personal Growth
Tags: Personal Growth, Cell Phone Month, Cell Phone Etiquette, Common Courtesy

The Project Management Link-fest - a list of links focused on project management and related business topics, hand picked by yours truly! The last time I posted a link-fest was the end of March, and I hope to post them more regularly going forward.

Wondering how posts get added to my Project Management Link-fest? Like Bas at Project Shrink, I follow a TON of project management blogs, not to mention the numerous management, personal/professional development and leadership blogs I subscribe to. I read a lot of solid, project management focused and related content, and don't have time to do a post on each item I come across, so a lot of good stuff gets put in the bucket for the next link-fest. I want to highlight some of the great thoughts out there, as they are what fuel my blog's fire! Of course, if you have something PMish you're really proud of you can always send me an email and I might just add your piece to the project management link-fest pie - yum!

Project management links you might have missed:

• Motivational Theory in Project Management & Uncertainty in estimates of software projects, fort building, and anything including a toddler, Ron Holohan
• PM Tools - The Nature of Scope, Larry Cone
• Free Intro to Project Management Presentation, ProjectPerfect
• There Is No Iron Triangle In Project Management & Experienced Project Managers Stop Learning, Bas De Baar
• 5 Opportunities to Question for Effective Project Leadership, Project Management and Risk Management: Is Risk Managing You? & Personal Feelings and Project Performance, John Reiling
• The Curse of Knowledge and Making Decisions, Max Wideman
• A Primer for Embracing Project-Based Work, Randy Englund
• Taking Over a Project in Progress, Tim Millett
• Are you 'On Strategy, Craig Brown
• Webinar: Ten Tips for Driving Better Project Outcomes, Jack Vinson
• Emotional Intelligence for PM's - New Webinar Available & People Skills - Not So Important to Project Managers, Anthony Mersino
•  Models of PM Success & IMP/IMS and Deliverables Based Planning, Glen Alleman
• Handoffs Don’t Work, Johanna Rothman
• What’s Wrong with Requirements, Stacey Douglas
• Building trust by making different promises, Clarke Ching
• The Right Stuff: Measuring What Counts & Do You Know Your Stats?, gantthead
• RUMBA- The Fail Proof Project Management Dance, The Project Management Hut
• “Negotiating Using a Project Charter” Published, Alex Brown
• Successful projects are led not managed, Great Project Management
• Managing Across Cultures - Not So Easy - Podcast, Lisa A. Grant
• Project Engagement (MMP#46), David Zinger

Related links:

• Book Review: Dreaming in Code & Improving Employee Engagement, Eric D. Brown
• Age, Gender, and Culture: The Human Brew & The Gen Y-Friendly Workplace, Jerry Manas
• 10 and 1/2 commandments of visual thinking & How to get the mentoring you need Craig Brown
• New Software Executive Report Available: Managing Core Development, Steve McConnell
• Productive Jealousy - Is There is Enough Sun for Everyone to Tan?, Christopher Hawkins
• Listening and Respect, Stephen Seay
• Seven Personal Development Books - Free!, Mike Ramm
• Are stronger professional associations the key to better work literacy?, Eclectic Bill
• The contemplated action contains the seed of its result, Jack Vinson
• Here Be Dragons - An Introduction to Critical Thinking, Adam Goucher
• Leaders vs. Managers….. Are they really different?, George Ambler

Stay tuned for the next batch of e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-t links and do feel free to drop me an email if you have  something you'd like referenced in the next project management link-fest - you just might get included! Even better, let me know if you'd like to post a guest article here at Raven's Brain - You know you want to!

Posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management, Project Management Article, Project Management Links, Project Management Blog, Project Management Posts

In a recent post I mentioned Diana Mclain Smith's new book Divide or Conquer- How Great Teams Turn Conflict Into Strength.  Search queries pour in to my blog each day with phrases containing some form of "dealing with" or "handling" conflict. It's good to see folks are interested in learning how to work through confrontations and conflicts, and Diana's new book, released last month (June 2008), will serve as an excellent resource for those looking to handle/deal with/manage/work through conflict and how to grow from these situations.

Diana's ideas on conflict are not only interesting and based in the real world, they will help anyone improve their important business relationships and get more out of them. With Bill Gates recent departure from Microsoft, I found Smith's thoughts on the Gates/Balmer relationship at Microsoft timely and interesting. Comparing their positive relationship to that of the broken, and highly publicized relationship betwen Scully and Jobs from Apple helped show just how critical  good relationships are to a company's success. It also highlighted the fact that poor or broken   relationships can lead to serious damage to both the organization (external) and it's people (internal).

• About the book: http://www.dianamclainsmith.com/dmsmith-book-overview.htm
• About Diana: http://www.dianamclainsmith.com/dmsmith-bio.htm
• Podcasts: http://www.dianamclainsmith.com/dmsmith-podcasts.htm (Why Teams Fail., Why Divide or Conquer?, Why Stronger or Weaker?)
• CMM Podcast: The Cranky Middle Manager Show #148 Conflict in Teams- Diana Mclain Smith.
• ManageSmarter excerpt: Team Strength: The Life and Death of a Relationship
• LeadershipTurn: Book review: Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength 
• 800 CEO READ review: Divide or Conquer
• 800 CEO READ audio interview: Diana McLain Smith: the author experience

posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Leadership
Tags: Leadership, Leadership Blogs, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Conflict

• Credibility - about words (builds trust)
• Reliability - about actions,  (builds trust)
• Intimacy - about emotions,  (builds trust)
• Self-Orientation - about motives, (reduces trust)

I believe these four dimensions to be a valuable way to assess my own behavior and can see how they can help anyone develop trust. Leaders cannot lead effectively without trust so learning how to build trust is critical to your success. Listen to Earning Trust here: http://davidmaister.com/podcasts.archives/5/55/ to get started!

posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Leadership
Tags: Leadership, Leadership Podcast, Trustworthiness, Trust, Developing Trust

I read a question at LinkedIn and it reminded me of an ongoing contest for project managers. Below is my answer to the question: What is your Best Project Management Trick that works? 

This reminds me - RMC is running their "Project Management Tricks of the Trade®  Contest" for 2008. Multiple submissions are allowed and top three winners will be announced in September. Top three tips cash prizes of $500, $1,000 and $2,000.

Last years winner wrote about a newsletter he created for his project team. If you can think of a creative PM tip or technique, give it a shot. You only need 500 words or so and there are samples available. (FYI - I'm not affiliated in anyway with RMC.)

One good PM tip is to factor non-project work into your schedule. We often forget that people take vacations, get sick, need last minute personal days, jury duty, etc. and how often do we factor in "work time" that isn't on the project - like corporate events, non-project meetings, training, professional development, commitments to other teams and projects? Not very often. Committing every resource to a given project for 8 hours a day without factoring these time-eaters in might give you a better looking schedule (quicker delivery) but it iwon't be realistic, and organizations that don't consider these common schedule factors probably don't care about reality (just get it done!).

Read more answers, or respond yourself here: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/business-operations/project-management/OPS_PRJ/259984-21068376

For more info on the Project Management "Tricks of the Trade®" Contest:

Do you consider yourself an innovative project manager? Do you have a project management trick, technique or creative way to use a tool that helps get your projects completed on time and on budget? If so, you could win up to $2,000 for your knowledge in RMC’s Project Management Tricks of the Trade® Contest. The requirements are simple: you submit your favorite trick using the form below, a panel of experts from RMC will evaluate it and assign it a grade, and the best three submitted tricks will win a cash prize

$2,000 for the best trick

$1,000 for the second best trick

$500 for the third best trick

Learn more here:

• http://www.rmcproject.com/submittrick/new/default.aspx
• http://www.rmcproject.com/submittrick/index.aspx

If you submit a tip or answer the LinkedIn Question, I'd love to hear your response and share here.  Email me and spread the project management tips and techniques that help make you a success!

posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: Project Management Tips, Project Management, PM Tips, Project Management Techniques

PM World Today's June 2008 edition has an interesting article for those working in Tech/IT: Seven Good  Reasons for the Rapid Growth of Project Management in IT and why that Trend will Continue (PDF). As a project manager who focuses on web and software development projects I was interested in reading author David L. Pells thoughts on the future of IT and project management. Solid insights - Here's an excerpt to get you started:

Over the last decade, modern professional project management (PM) has been embraced by    organizations involved in information technology (IT) more rapidly and more seriously than in any other sectors.  The increased use of PM in technology organizations has been astounding, as reflected by the rapid growth in membership in the Project Management Institute (PMI).  PMI has seen its membership increase from 50,000 to over 270,000 worldwide over the last 12 years, with 80% of the new members working in IS, IT, Telecoms and other technology-oriented organizations.  In particular, PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) certification has been widely embraced and adapted by IT organizations, to the point where the PMP is now one of the most sought after certifications within the IT sector.

Many of us who have been involved with the PM profession for many years have been amazed at these trends, wondering what it all means.  Is the PM profession now to be completely dominated by IS and IT organizations?  Why haven’t we seen similar growth in adapting PM among older, more traditional, project-oriented industries and organizations, for example, in aerospace, construction and defense?  What is really driving these trends?  Why all the interest in PM by IT professionals and companies?  Will this trend continue?

In this paper, Seven major reasons why I think that PM has been so rapidly and fully embraced by IT organizations and professionals are outlined.  In the context of this article, I include software, hardware, systems and subsystems development in the IT sector.  The factors discussed below apply to all of these industries, and the projects and organizations within those industries.  The reasons described below have all put pressure on technology organizations to embrace professional PM.  When considered together, these factors have created enormous pressure to improve performance on IT programs and projects.

Read more here (PDF): http://www.pmforum.org/library/editorials/2008/PDFs/Pells-6-08.pdf

In case you're wondering, The "Seven Good Reason for rapid growth of project management in the IT sector" discussed are:

• Massive investments in IT worldwide
• The natural project-orientation of IT
• The increasing complexity of IT programs and projects
• Rapidly changing technologies
• IT project failures
• The Information Age - The Third Wave has arrived
• IT crosses all industries, organizations and projects

And author David L. Pells does a good job of detailing each item in the article. Definitely worth checking out if you work in/around IT. The paper is in PDF format and is 14 pages in length, including graphics, references, resources, bio, etc. Ch-Ch-Check it out!

posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Project Management
Technorati tags: IT Project Management, Project Management, Software Development

Search queries containing the words "fail","failure" or "failing" have been growing since my post on  failure last month. In that post are links to a few more posts with a focus on "failing forward", and    here is one from The Positivity Blog: 4 Reasons Why Failure is Pretty Awesome. It discusses some reasons one might stop looking at failure as a way of learning:

• Being too hard on oneself.
• School and society grades us and makes failure something bad.
• The ego helps to develop a victim identity.
• It’s not “normal”.
• Too little of being in the now.

And details 4 ways to find the positive side of failure:

• You learn.
• You gain experiences you could not get any other way.
• You become stronger.
• Your chances of succeeding increases.

I agree with each of these four positives and feel that the first one is especially important. If you aren't set up to learn, or open enough to accept that you need to learn, failure is more likely to be a negative in your reality. Check out the complete post from Henrik Edberg to get all the great insights on failing forward.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Personal Growth
Tags: Personal Growth, Failure, Failing Forward, Personal Development

•  About the book: http://www.dianamclainsmith.com/dmsmith-book-overview.htm
• About Diana: http://www.dianamclainsmith.com/dmsmith-bio.htm
• Podcasts: http://www.dianamclainsmith.com/dmsmith-podcasts.htm (Why Teams Fail., Why Divide or Conquer?, Why Stronger or Weaker?)

And of course don't forget to check out the Cranky Middle Manager for more excellent podcasts. Others I've enjoyed recently include The Cranky Middle Manager #147 Ken Blanchard Is Here and The Cranky Middle Manager #144 Big Ideas to Big Results- Michael Kanazawa.

posted by Raven Young at Raven's Brain under Leadership
Tags: Leadership, Leadership Blogs, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Conflict