http://pm411.org project management internet radio show, templates, and webtools Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:37:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 The pm411.org Project Management Podcast is dedicated to help you at your job as a Project Manager or Program Manager, regardless if you have years of experience, or if you are just starting on your journey in Project Management. pm411.org is a place where you can come to find the latest in PM tools, PM Templates, PM tips, and PMI (PMBOK) methodologies that have been found to help others. It is a place where discussions can be had with project managers from around the globe and in every industry where project management permeates in our Project Management discussion forums. It is a place where you can find the best Project Management links to other sites dedicated to our wonderful profession. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no Ron Holohan, MBA PMP show@pm411.org show@pm411.org (Ron Holohan, MBA PMP) 2007-2012 Ron Holohan Project management internet radio show, discussion forum, methodology, templates, and webtools project, management, pm, prepcast, management, manager, pmi, pmp, team, management, schedule, budget http://pm411.org/wp-content/uploads/pm411logo_itunes.jpg http://pm411.org/category/pm-tools/ http://pm411.org/2011/07/10/podcast-episode-076-the-pm-exam-simulator/ http://pm411.org/2011/07/10/podcast-episode-076-the-pm-exam-simulator/#comments Sun, 10 Jul 2011 06:28:50 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=2450 http://pm411.org/2011/07/10/podcast-episode-076-the-pm-exam-simulator/feed/ 2 pm exam simulator,pmi,pmp,pmp prep,pmp simulator,project management professional At some point you are going to have to ask yourself: "Am I ready to take the PMP Exam?" Here is the secret to answering this question and passing the exam on your first try! At some point you are going to have to ask yourself: "Am I ready to take the PMP Exam?" Here is the secret to answering this question and passing the exam on your first try! Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 22:09 http://pm411.org/2011/05/25/podcast-episode-075-e-project-managers-schedule-training/ http://pm411.org/2011/05/25/podcast-episode-075-e-project-managers-schedule-training/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 13:16:53 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=2105 http://pm411.org/2011/05/25/podcast-episode-075-e-project-managers-schedule-training/feed/ 2 dora tarver,e-project,Gantt Chart,Microsoft Project,MS Project,project,schedules,Scheduling,Scheduling Programs,training,video training Regardless if you are experienced or a beginner with Microsoft Project you will benefit from this exclusive weekly video coaching program. The secret strategies to quickly create and manage project schedules is the foundation for successful project ma... Regardless if you are experienced or a beginner with Microsoft Project you will benefit from this exclusive weekly video coaching program. The secret strategies to quickly create and manage project schedules is the foundation for successful project management, and for the first time you will receive the information you need in a clear and easy to learn system that will help you be successful. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2011/05/12/podcast-episode-074-the-schedule-killers-presentation-part-7/ http://pm411.org/2011/05/12/podcast-episode-074-the-schedule-killers-presentation-part-7/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 04:28:47 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=2118 http://pm411.org/2011/05/12/podcast-episode-074-the-schedule-killers-presentation-part-7/feed/ 5 bad multitasking,delay,durations,estimation,late,multi-switching,multi-tasking,multitasking,on-time,PM experiment,PM Video,presentation This is part 7, and the final part, of a video presentation I gave on The Schedule Killers last summer.  In Part 7, I discuss how you can defeat the "Schedule Killers" on your next project. - So now that we have covered the three Schedule Killers ... This is part 7, and the final part, of a video presentation I gave on The Schedule Killers last summer.  In Part 7, I discuss how you can defeat the "Schedule Killers" on your next project. So now that we have covered the three Schedule Killers ... Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2011/04/05/podcast-episode-073-the-schedule-killers-presentation-part-6/ http://pm411.org/2011/04/05/podcast-episode-073-the-schedule-killers-presentation-part-6/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:52:27 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=2088 http://pm411.org/2011/04/05/podcast-episode-073-the-schedule-killers-presentation-part-6/feed/ 4 bad multitasking,delay,durations,estimation,late,multi-switching,multi-tasking,multitasking,PM experiment,PM Video,presentation,ron holohan This is part 6 of a series of video presentation I gave on The Schedule Killers  last summer. - Do you think you can focus on more than one thing at a time? In this video, which I call The Holohan Multitasking Experiment, This is part 6 of a series of video presentation I gave on The Schedule Killers  last summer. Do you think you can focus on more than one thing at a time? In this video, which I call The Holohan Multitasking Experiment, I let you decide whether you can multitask or not.  In this simple experiment, you get to see which is easier and faster to do - adding two columns of numbers at the same time or adding one column before adding the second column. Although the same amount of work was done in both experiments, when I do this test during presentations, I find that it typically takes the audience 2 to 3 times longer when they try to add both columns of numbers at the same time than it does when they add the first column before starting the second column.  The audience also tends to make a lot more mistakes when they try to focus on adding two columns of numbers at the same time. This experiment demonstrates what happens when we try to switch quickly (called multi-switching) between multiple tasks on projects.  Teams should be encouraged to prioritize tasks. When resources are assigned to multiple tasks, their work should be leveled to allow them to focus on the highest priority task before moving on to the next one. Leave me a comment and let me know which experiment you thought was easier to do! Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2011/01/14/podcast-episode-067-stop-playing-games/ http://pm411.org/2011/01/14/podcast-episode-067-stop-playing-games/#comments Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:23:39 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1786 http://pm411.org/2011/01/14/podcast-episode-067-stop-playing-games/feed/ 6 Do you ever get tired of playing games? - No. I’m not talking about Scrabble or poker or even Dungeons and Dragons Online in which incidentally, I am a current fourth level paladin. No, rather I’m speaking about the games that we get to play every... Do you ever get tired of playing games? No. I’m not talking about Scrabble or poker or even Dungeons and Dragons Online in which incidentally, I am a current fourth level paladin. No, rather I’m speaking about the games that we get to play every day as project managers. What games you ask? Oh, you know the ones like “The Pricing Game,” “Guess the Truth,” and “Grapevine.” Well, lucky for us, Rick Morris, PMP, provides some strategies on how to win at these games. Rick Morris is the best-selling author of the book Stop Playing Games: A Project Manager’s Guide to Successfully Navigating Organizational Politics. This book, from the author of Project Management That Works and The Everything Project Management Book, dives deep into topics of gaining buy-in from upper management, accurately estimating timing and cost, controlling project communications, managing within a corporate culture, taking care of your team, and more. The Inspiration Behind the Book Frustration was one of the factors that inspired Rick to write Stop Playing Games. Frustration often occurs when project managers are ask to try to beat impossible deadlines with budgets and dates that they didn’t help set and without the authority to be successful.  Then, often we get to take the blame for when it all goes wrong! Luckily, Rick has worked with a lot of executives, both as a consultant and as a project manager, and has been able to help many see that their team leaders actually share the same goals that they have. In the end, we’re all people and we all want to be successful. By applying tips from Rick’s book, project managers can help their executives look so much better than they do today. In the long run, together we can stop playing these games and just have an honest relationship and become successful together. So, who's ready for a hug? The Current Status of Project Management Rick contends that the current status of project management is that a lot of people want a “quick fix” to improve corporate efficiency and they think that Project Management might be able to provide that, but they don’t want to put in the needed work to make the process changes to truly get the benefit of doing it the right way. One of the reasons we try to play “games” is because, just like when "Six Sigma" was new to organizations ten years ago, Project Management is new to a lot of organizations today. If you remember when Six Sigma became so prevalent, you had stories of Motorola and GE getting all these gains and successes from implementing Six Sigma. They had these results that suggested that if you brought a certified "Master Black Belt" in, your organization would suddenly become tremendously more efficient overnight. Although organizations are starting to recognize that Project Management does bring dividends, they still don’t know exactly how to help project managers do their jobs succesfully. What’s happening is they think “Oh, we just established a Project Managemetn Office (PMO), now we’re finally going to have better project predictability.” Unfortunately, the problem is that organizations don’t want to put in the effort to really change any of their processes. Perhaps they read some journal article that said, “Hey, if you hire a project manager, you can get results.” So, they go and hire a PMP. But they don't provide the time or budget to effectively plan and execute the project. Soon the top floor wants to know “Where are these results we were promised?” As a result, in many cases project managers simply end up being big paper pushers and additional money gets spent to bring in consultants to figure out that the organization's processes and expectations never got changed to allow projects to come in under budget, under schedule, and within scope. When I grow up, I want to be a Project Manager Most of us really didn’t plan to become a project manager. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 26:05 http://pm411.org/2010/11/27/podcast-episode-066-5-myths-of-weekly-status-reports/ http://pm411.org/2010/11/27/podcast-episode-066-5-myths-of-weekly-status-reports/#comments Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:31:09 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1756 http://pm411.org/2010/11/27/podcast-episode-066-5-myths-of-weekly-status-reports/feed/ 10 myths,PDU Podcast,project,status report,Templates Usually when I talk with project managers struggling with team communication, I get a litany of excuses why weekly status reports won't work on their team. - So, today I do my best to help debunk 5 of the myths around publishing weekly status reports ... Usually when I talk with project managers struggling with team communication, I get a litany of excuses why weekly status reports won't work on their team. So, today I do my best to help debunk 5 of the myths around publishing weekly status reports and provide you with some tips on how to get the most out of them. There is even a free template available to get you started! Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 15:38 http://pm411.org/2010/08/28/podcast-episode-062-mindmanager-9/ http://pm411.org/2010/08/28/podcast-episode-062-mindmanager-9/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:29:36 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1693 http://pm411.org/2010/08/28/podcast-episode-062-mindmanager-9/feed/ 1 Communication,mindmanager,mindmapping,Organization,pm software Today I talk with Neil Mendelson, Vice President of Products at Mindjet, about their new version of MindManager, MindManager 9. Today I talk with Neil Mendelson, Vice President of Products at Mindjet, about their new version of MindManager, MindManager 9. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 16:01 http://pm411.org/2010/07/11/podcast-episode-061-tips-for-new-project-managers-2/ http://pm411.org/2010/07/11/podcast-episode-061-tips-for-new-project-managers-2/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:30:45 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1564 http://pm411.org/2010/07/11/podcast-episode-061-tips-for-new-project-managers-2/feed/ 2 e-learning,josh nankivel,learning,networking,new pm,pmstudent,project manager Well, today we welcome back to the show Josh Nankivel who shares some tips on how to network with other more experienced project managers through a new tool he has created called pmStudent e-learning. Well, today we welcome back to the show Josh Nankivel who shares some tips on how to network with other more experienced project managers through a new tool he has created called pmStudent e-learning. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 24:37 http://pm411.org/2010/05/14/podcast-episode-059-the-pdu-podcast-with-cornelius-fichtner/ http://pm411.org/2010/05/14/podcast-episode-059-the-pdu-podcast-with-cornelius-fichtner/#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 05:32:39 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1413 http://pm411.org/2010/05/14/podcast-episode-059-the-pdu-podcast-with-cornelius-fichtner/feed/ 3 cornelius fichtner,pdus Today I welcome back to the show Cornelius Fichtner of the world famous PM Podcast and the PM PrepCast to unveil a new product of his available through pm411.org, called The PDU Podcast. - You can earn 15 PDUs for free by simply listening to The pm411. Today I welcome back to the show Cornelius Fichtner of the world famous PM Podcast and the PM PrepCast to unveil a new product of his available through pm411.org, called The PDU Podcast. You can earn 15 PDUs for free by simply listening to The pm411.org Project Management Podcast episodes and then learning to claim your free PDUs here.  But what if you want to earn even more PDUs to fulfill the 60 PDU requirement?  Well, now we offer The PDU Podcast! Benefits of the PDU Podcast Earn PDUs Anywhere: With The PDU Podcast there is no need to go to a classroom. You don't even have to sit at your computer. Simply download the webinars to your iPod and play them wherever you are. Earn PDUs Automatically: Your PDU Podcast puts you on autopilot for your re-certification. New webinars arrive monthly. Automatically. ORDER NOW! Earn PDUs on Your Schedule: Work the webinars into your schedule and not the other way around. Play them when you have the time. Earn as many PDUs as you like: Cornelius is a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) and therefore the PDU Podcast offers "Category 3" PDUs. There is no limit to how many PDUs you can earn in this category. ORDER NOW! Learn from a Variety of Presenter: You'll receive presentations from a different presenter who is the expert on the topic at hand. Learn from their vast expertise and expand your own horizons. It's portable: Synchronize the webinars to your portable device and then play the webinars wherever your player goes. ORDER NOW! You can Relax: Never again worry about not having enough PDUs to maintain your PMP or PgMP certification. Your PDU Podcast delivers at least 1 PDU to you month after month. Reliably. Play. Earn PDUs. Repeat. Yes... It's as easy as that. ORDER NOW! What You can Expect Monthly, recorded PowerPoint style video webinars. (Watch our samples here...) Presentations from the experts in the field who make their years of hands-on experience available to you. Challenging concepts that will help you grow as a project manager. Worksheets (with select webinars only) that allow you to apply what you learn on your projects the very next day. And most importantly: 20.5 Category 3 PDUs to maintain your PMP or PgMP certification! ORDER NOW! Monthly Webinars You receive your first webinar as soon as you subscribe. New webinars will arrive every 30 days. It doesn't matter when you sign up, you always start with the first one: No Presenter Topic Type PDUs 01 Steve Kaye Effective Meetings for Project Managers video 1.25 02 Margaret Meloni, PMP Dealing with Difficult People video 2.25 03 Thomas Cutting, PMP High Performing PMOs video 1.50 04 Diane Altwies, PMP Managing Teams in a Virtual World video 1.00 05 Jack Ferraro, PMP The Strategic Project Leader video 2.50 06 Jack Ferraro, PMP Build your Service-based Project Leadership Skills video 3.00 07 Gene Dutz Effective Teleconferencing video 2.00 08 Stan Levanduski, PMP Leadership Challenges of Complex Projects - Part 1 video 2.00 09 Stan Levanduski, PMP Leadership Challenges of Complex Projects - Part 2 video 2.00 10 Janice Preston, PMP Managing Stakeholder Expectations video 1.00 11 Mark Perry Effective Project Dashboarding video 1.00 12 Cornelius Fichtner The 4-week PMO video 1.00 That's 20.5 Category 3 PDUs in the first year alone. ORDER NOW! PDU Category You earn Category 3 PDUs from The PDU Podcast. We are a PMI Registered Education Provider (PMI R.E.P.) and there is no limit to how many category 3 PDUs you can earn from us and then claim in your renewal cycle. PDU Certificate You receive a "Confirmation Code" with each of your monthly webinar. Use this code on our Certificate Website to print your PDU Certificate. Then claim your Category 3 PDUs on the PMI CCRS website. Subscription Options Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 19:28 http://pm411.org/2010/04/11/podcast-episode-058-virtual-team-tips-with-the-cranky-middle-manager/ http://pm411.org/2010/04/11/podcast-episode-058-virtual-team-tips-with-the-cranky-middle-manager/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:51:45 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1277 http://pm411.org/2010/04/11/podcast-episode-058-virtual-team-tips-with-the-cranky-middle-manager/feed/ 21 Communication,cranky middle manager show,monitoring and controlling,pm software,PM Video,remote team,Teams,virtual team,wayne turmel Recently I spoke with the very smart, funny, and dare I say, Cranky, Wayne Turmel about virtual teams. Wayne Turmel is the president of Greatwebmeetings.com, as well as the host of one of the world's most successful business podcasts, Recently I spoke with the very smart, funny, and dare I say, Cranky, Wayne Turmel about virtual teams. Wayne Turmel is the president of Greatwebmeetings.com, as well as the host of one of the world's most successful business podcasts, The Cranky Middle Manager Show. The BBC, ABC and BusinessWeek Online have called Cranky Middle Manager one of the best HR blogs out there. And Wayne's book 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar: Generate Leads and Tell Your Story to the World is the leading web presentation book on Amazon.com. Wayne is also a contributor to BNET. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 36:23 http://pm411.org/2010/03/28/the-5-goals-of-a-project-manager/ http://pm411.org/2010/03/28/the-5-goals-of-a-project-manager/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:55:23 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1107 http://pm411.org/2010/03/28/the-5-goals-of-a-project-manager/feed/ 2 http://pm411.org/2010/03/12/how-project-management-helps-businesses-increase-success/ http://pm411.org/2010/03/12/how-project-management-helps-businesses-increase-success/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:57:31 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1073 http://pm411.org/2010/03/12/how-project-management-helps-businesses-increase-success/feed/ 2 http://pm411.org/2010/02/07/podcast-episode-053-6-tips-for-email-in-the-new-decade/ http://pm411.org/2010/02/07/podcast-episode-053-6-tips-for-email-in-the-new-decade/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:28:43 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=933 http://pm411.org/2010/02/07/podcast-episode-053-6-tips-for-email-in-the-new-decade/feed/ 9 alec satin,decade,email,tips In today’s episode, we talk with Alec Satin of the Alec Satin on People, Projects, and Process blog, about how we can make our email more efficient, and even the future of email. - Alec is a project manager and organizational expert with a passion f... In today’s episode, we talk with Alec Satin of the Alec Satin on People, Projects, and Process blog, about how we can make our email more efficient, and even the future of email. Alec is a project manager and organizational expert with a passion for fixing workplaces. As a trained therapist, entrepreneur and Information Technology professional, he seeks to infuse environments with order, process and sanity. During this past decade there were several advances in how we get our email...  Email became easier than ever with Gmail and email became truly mobile with devices such as the Blackberry and iPhone.  And perhaps even several benevolent princes were able to find you through email so you could help them by keeping their fortunes as they were deposed. During this past decade, books like Getting Things Done by David Allen and email applications like Microsoft Outlook have tried to help us organize our email inboxes better.  But, today many of us are overloaded with work and we spend too much time reading, replying, and composing email.  But, what does 2010 and this coming decade look like and what can we do to organize our email better? Well, here are a few tips from Alec Satin on ways we can better use email starting today for the new decade. 1.)   Keep Your Inbox Empty The purpose of your email inbox should not be as an email repository or task list.  It should be treated like a physical inbox on your desk.  Your email inbox should be where you open email and determine whether it should be acted upon immediately, in cases where it would literally take less than 30 seconds to address, or whether it should be filed or tagged to be addressed at a later time outside of your inbox. 2.)  Keep Your Subject Clear Cover only one topic per email and keep your subject clear!  If you do need to cover 5 topics, then send out 5 different emails!  Alec suggests following the advice at Lifehacker.com and create “Twitter-style” emails where possible by using your subject line as the body of your email.  Use meta information at the beginning of the subject line, such as “ACTION:” “INFO:” “REMINDER:” “QUESTION:” and type a short message following the meta header followed by <EOM> for “end of message” at the end.  The body of the message can then be left blank.  So your entire subject line would look something like this: ACTION: Be sure to follow up with me on your action items from last week <EOM> That way the recipient can quickly read your email without even needing to click and open it and it is much easier to find the email later. 3.)  Don't CC: The World. Only send emails to people that absolutely need them.  By adding your boss to every one of your emails, you give the impression that you need their approval on those issues that they are expecting you to handle.  Also, by adding the bosses of others to the cc list, you come across as passive-aggressive to your recipients.  Basically you give the impression that you don’t trust your teammates to get their work completed.  In either case, it comes across as a “CYA” maneuver.  Don’t do it – it just makes you come across as a jerk and clutters people’s inboxes. Last episode we covered the RACI model.  You should only CC: those folks that need to be Consulted or Informed on the particular topic. 4.)  Just Say No to Rambling Emails Email should be no longer than 2 screens – you should only need to page down once at the most to read someone’s email.  If you are the recipient of a rambling email, rather than try to read through it, just respond with “What are you asking?”  Hopefully they will be able to succinctly summarize their email. If you were thinking about writing a rambling email – don’t do it!  As the guys over at manager-tools.com advocate, your first sentence in the email should state the “bottom-line” of the message, Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 31:22 http://pm411.org/2010/02/04/genius-project-management-software/ http://pm411.org/2010/02/04/genius-project-management-software/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:33:29 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=926 http://pm411.org/2010/02/04/genius-project-management-software/feed/ 1 http://pm411.org/2010/01/16/podcast-episode-052-its-okay-to-be-raci/ http://pm411.org/2010/01/16/podcast-episode-052-its-okay-to-be-raci/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:19:18 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=870 http://pm411.org/2010/01/16/podcast-episode-052-its-okay-to-be-raci/feed/ 5 Accountability,consulted.ram.responsibility assignment matrix,raci,responsibilities,responsibility,roles,team If you like us, give us a 5 star review in iTunes! - In Episode 004 and Episode 051 we discussed the Work Breakdown Structure and how it can help you as a team to clearly document your project’s deliverables.  But once you have completed your WBS, If you like us, give us a 5 star review in iTunes! In Episode 004 and Episode 051 we discussed the Work Breakdown Structure and how it can help you as a team to clearly document your project’s deliverables.  But once you have completed your WBS, what’s next? Well the next step is to develop a Responsibility Assignment Matrix, or RAM, using the RACI process.  I think you are going to find this to be a valuable tool to help clarify ownership to various parts of your project.  Soon your entire team will be RACI! Define Activities Process After you identify your deliverables in your Work Breakdown Structure, you will need to define those actions and activities that need to be done to produce the lowest level deliverables.  This is the first process in the PMBOK Time Management Knowledge Area and is known as the Define Activities Process. In Episode 004 on Work Breakdown Structures we provided an example of a project of doing laundry.  A lower deliverable could be “clean dark clothes”.  Decomposing the activities under this deliverable could be “sort laundry by color,”, “select cold setting,” measure laundry detergent, add detergent to washer, add dark clothes to washer, check clothes once the cycle completes, unload washer, add washed clothes to dryer, select regular drying setting, check clothes once dryer timer goes off, fill laundry basket, sort laundry to iron, Iron laundry, Fold laundry, and Put laundry away. Note that the order of the activities doesn’t need to necessarily be in order at this point, and additional activities can be added such as “add dryer sheet to dryer.”  However, once you have your list of activities for each deliverable, you are ready to use the RACI process to assign them to folks associated with the project. Basically, RACI is a method to assign activities to resources by name or by function. RACI is an acronym that stands for four types of task assignments: Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed So, let’s talk about the four types of assignments. Responsible [R] The first type of assignment is “R” that stands for “Responsible.”  The person assigned as “responsible” for a task is the person, or role, that is responsible for actually performing the work for the task. A few guidelines to keep in mind…  When no one is assigned as responsible for the task, chances are that it won’t get done. Also, when many people are assigned to completing the work, it requires a lot of coordination and usually means further decomposition is required to make sure everyone is clear about what specifically they need to work on.  Finally, if a specific person is assigned as the “R” to multiple tasks they may become overloaded.  In this case, you may want to see if someone else can fill in as the “R” on some of the tasks. Accountable [A] The second type of assignment is “A” that stands for “Accountable.”  This is the person who is held accountable for the task getting completed.  One guideline to keep in mind for the person assigned as “Accountable,” insure only one person is assigned as accountable for each task being performed.  If you end up trying to assign multiple people to a particular task you will end up with a lot of finger pointing and confusion when issues occur. Consulted [C] The next type is Consulted – the “C’s.”  These are the people involved and consulted prior to a task being performed. Essentially, their input is sought after and factored in prior to action taking place. As the number of people consulted increases, the speed with which action can be taken decreases. Conversely, too few and improper decisions and actions may be made without those whose buy-in is required being assigned as a “C”. Informed [I] Finally are the “I’s” who are those that need to be Informed on the status and completion of a task. If necessary parties aren’t informed, Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2009/12/12/podcast-episode-051-is-the-wbs-just-bs/ http://pm411.org/2009/12/12/podcast-episode-051-is-the-wbs-just-bs/#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:53:57 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=842 http://pm411.org/2009/12/12/podcast-episode-051-is-the-wbs-just-bs/feed/ 2 Communication,josh nankivel,mindmapping,monitoring and controlling,planning,pmstudent,project lifecycle,training,wbs,wbs coach,work breakdown structure Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast Newsletter delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. - Way back in Episode 004, Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast Newsletter delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. Way back in Episode 004, I discussed one of the key building blocks of a successful project, known as the Work Breakdown Structure or WBS.  However, it is pretty evident that there is still a lot of confusion in Project Management on whether we truly need a WBS on our projects, how to structure a WBS, and how to use it throughout a project’s lifecycle.  In this episode I welcome back to the show pmstudent.com blogger and WBS expert Josh Nankivel as we dive deeper into the topic of the Work Breakdown Structure. Josh  has recently published a set of training tools called the WBS coach to help those of us that need to know how to create a WBS or those of us that just need a refresher on WBS development.  So is the WBS just…  BS?  Josh and I talk about why more PMs don’t use the WBS, we discuss whether it really helps in project planning, and finally we talk about the right and wrong ways of developing a WBS. So what the heck is a WBS? The WBS is a special kind of outline for your project.  It is deliverables-based, focused on project results, and usually includes a graphic hierarchy and a WBS dictionary.  Basically, it is a representation of your project scope. However, the WBS is not a task list, organizational chart, and it shouldn’t be time phased. Why should teams use Work Breakdown Structures? A lot of project managers don’t use a WBS as a tool on their project, or they see it as just another piece of paperwork.  But the WBS is the representation of scope on your project.  All deliverables, services, outcomes of your project should be covered by your project WBS. The WBS also provides clear definition of what the project will be producing.  It provides a common language and helps to structure reporting so that there is a common understanding with stakeholders.  It also provides a strong foundation for your project. The WBS also helps with clear change control.  The WBS provides traceability if anything changes to help team members and stakeholders understand how changes impact the project. Parts of the Work Breakdown Structure The “WBS Graphic” includes some kind visual hierarchy of the scope and how the deliverables are related.  There are a lot of tools that can create a WBS hierarchy – mindmaps, Visio, and even Microsoft Word. The “WBS Dictionary” goes into detail on each deliverable of the WBS.  The key to the WBS dictionary is to first define what is included and then create the details of what that deliverable is.  Many teams also create an “exclusions list” that specifies what is not included in the project scope in order to provide additional clarity to what the team is planning on delivering. “Deliverables” can be defined as anything that is results-oriented (e.g. a system, a sub-system, etc.) Josh differs from the PMI on the definition of “activities.”  Josh sees activities as a special kind of deliverable that are service-oriented (e.g. “project management,” “configuration management,” etc.) The “work package” is the lowest level of your WBS after decomposition.  You will later want to use your work packages to do activity definition, duration estimations, cost estimations, etc. “Control accounts” track your costs and progress on a particular piece of the WBS.  However, again, tasks are not part of the Work Breakdown Structure. So, why is there so much confusion around the WBS? One reason is because the WBS is typically understated in many PM textbooks and PM classes.  Whenever it is mentioned, it is usually just presented as a basic overview rather than providing details on how to create and manage a WBS.  Also, there is quite a bit of disagreement on how to create and use the WBS.  Unfortunately, Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 50:01 http://pm411.org/2009/11/20/podcast-episode-050-wrike-and-pm-2-0/ http://pm411.org/2009/11/20/podcast-episode-050-wrike-and-pm-2-0/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:34:05 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=806 http://pm411.org/2009/11/20/podcast-episode-050-wrike-and-pm-2-0/feed/ 0 collaboration,Communication,software,Teams,wrike Today we talk with Andrew Filev.  Andrew has been managing software teams since 2001 with the help of new-generation collaboration and management applications. His best practices are based on implementation of Enterprise 2. Today we talk with Andrew Filev.  Andrew has been managing software teams since 2001 with the help of new-generation collaboration and management applications. His best practices are based on implementation of Enterprise 2.0 software in project management. Now Andrew is an expert in project management, a successful software entrepreneur and the CEO at Wrike.com, online project management software. Andrew is also the author of some influential project management articles, including works for Cutter IT Journal, Web 2.0 Journal and Agile Journal. Andrew is often invited to speak at conferences, symposiums and seminars. Andrew has given speeches on new trends in project management and on implementing Enterprise 2.0 strategies. He spoke at such events as the PMI Silicon Valley Tools and Techniques Forum, Office 2.0 Conference, Enterprise 2.0 Conference, Project Management Symposium and others. Andrew’s ideas about improving traditional project management are reflected in his popular Project Management 2.0 blog (http://www.wrike.com/projectmanagement). In today’s episode we find out more about Wrike and what Project Management 2.0 is all about.   Plus we are giving away some more freebies! Project Management 2.0 So, what is the difference between traditional project management and Project Management 2.0.  Traditional project management is focused on the project manager being the center of the team’s communication hub. It places the manager in the center of the project work, as they need to collect all the information from team members, process it, and then communicate to various project stakeholders, including upper management.  Project planning can especially be hard and time consuming since all the project information is concentrated only around a single person — the project manager.   This contributes significantly to what a project manager spends 90% of their time doing – communicating. New-generation project management tools make it possible to create a collaborative team space, and everyone involved in the project is able to contribute to the project work in this space. Project planning and communication is distributed around the whole team, and each team member has the full information on the project. Project progress is visible to everyone on the team. The project manager’s role is transformed from the traditional taskmaster to become a project visionary as they focus more on the right direction for the project development. The new-generation tools take away part of the typical traditional burden of project management and allows the project manager to focus more on leading the project team. With Project Management 2.0 collective team insight and collaboration driving a project, people and businesses are accomplishing much more than when they did with traditional project management information funneling.   With Project Management 2.0, the project management of a project is built around the work, rather than the work being forced to conform to a particular project management system.   Collective intelligence systems, such as wikis, mashups, and dekis have allowed teams to share information more easily. Now, New-generation technologies have brought collective intelligence into the project management process.   and open the way to another successful practice, emergent structures, where the one-to-many approach of conventional Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) is replaced by a many-to-many approach of work package delivery. Together, these powerful principles determine key differences between Project Management 2.0 and traditional project management: Bottom-up planning is utilized much more often and much more efficiently Tools help to communicate and reduce unnecessary burden Instead of using one work-breakdown structure that is designed before the project is started, multiple structures might be applied and they can evolve on the way. Wrike Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 29:39 http://pm411.org/2009/10/24/podcast-episode-049-event-chain-project-management/ http://pm411.org/2009/10/24/podcast-episode-049-event-chain-project-management/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:50:44 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=785 http://pm411.org/2009/10/24/podcast-episode-049-event-chain-project-management/feed/ 2 bayesian,event chain,intaver,lev virine,mitigation,monte carlo,risk,riskyproject,software Today we talk with Lev Virine, PhD. Lev is president and co-founder of Intaver Institute, a Calgary (Canada) based research, software development, and consulting company. Lev has twenty years of engineering and project management experience in informat... Today we talk with Lev Virine, PhD. Lev is president and co-founder of Intaver Institute, a Calgary (Canada) based research, software development, and consulting company. Lev has twenty years of engineering and project management experience in information technology and construction industries and is author of more than thirty scientific papers and patents. Lev's current research interests include decision and risk analysis, project management, and their applications. And much of his writing is on the topic of Project Management using Event Chain Methodology, which differs substantially from Critical Chain methodology which we have talked frequently about on the show in the past. So, we talked with Lev to find out more about what exactly is Event Chain methodology. The Intaver Institute First, a bit about Lev's company.  The Intaver Institute Inc. is a leading innovator in the field of project management software, offering their clients "unique, cost effective software solutions to their project and portfolio management challenges." Intaver Institute was founded in 2002 by respected technology executives, mathematicians, economists, and computer scientists. Intaver Institute Inc. develops commercial software, provides training and consulting services, and performs scientific research in the area of project decision and risk analysis. Event Chain Methodology According to Lev, event chain methodology is an uncertainty modeling and schedule network analysis technique that is focused on identifying and managing events and event chains that affect project schedules. Event chain methodology can help to reduce the negative impact of psychological heuristics and biases, as well as to allow for easier modeling of uncertainties in project schedules. Event Chain Methodology Objectives: There are three main objectives of utilizing Event Chain methodology. 1. To mitigate the effect of motivational and cognitive biases in estimating and scheduling. In many cases, project managers intentionally or unintentionally create project schedules that are impossible to implement. 2. To simplify the process of defining risks and uncertainties in project schedules and particularly to improve the ability to provide reality checks and visualize multiple events. 3. To perform more accurate quantitative analysis while taking into account such factors as relationship between different events and actual moment of the events. Event Chain Methodology Principles There are also several priniciples to be followed. 1.) Moment of risk and state of activity An activity (task) in most real life processes is not a continuous uniform procedure. Tasks are affected by external events, which transform an activity from one state to another. One of the important properties of an event is the moment when an event occurs during the course of an activity. This moment, when an event occurs, in most cases is probabilistic and can be defined using statistical distribution. 2.) Event Chains Events can cause other events, which will create event chains. These event chains can significantly affect the course of the project. Lev provides the example of requirement changes that can cause an activity to be delayed. To accelerate the activity, the project manager allocates a resource from another activity, which then leads to a missed deadline. Eventually, this can lead to the failure of the project. 3.) Monte Carlo Simulations Once events and event chains are defined, quantitative analysis using Monte Carlo simulation can be performed to quantify the cumulative impact of the events. Probabilities and impacts of risks are used as the input data for Monte Carlo simulation of the project schedule. In most real life projects, it is necessary to supplement the information regarding the uncertainties expressed as an event with distributions related to duration, start time, cost, and other parameters. 4. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 38:07 http://pm411.org/2009/10/05/announcing-mindjet-catalyst/ http://pm411.org/2009/10/05/announcing-mindjet-catalyst/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:01:39 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://1927122623 http://pm411.org/2009/10/05/announcing-mindjet-catalyst/feed/ 6 catalyst,mindjet,mindmanager,mindmapping,online collaboration,pm 2.0,project management 2.0,scott raskin,virtual teams Today I am extremely excited about a major product announcement from Mindjet, the makers of MindManager mindmapping software.  In today's podcast I talk with Mindjet CEO Scott Raskin about a new collaborative Project Management 2. Today I am extremely excited about a major product announcement from Mindjet, the makers of MindManager mindmapping software.  In today's podcast I talk with Mindjet CEO Scott Raskin about a new collaborative Project Management 2.0 tool from Mindjet... Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 18:04 http://pm411.org/2009/08/03/the-pm-podcast-pmo-roundtable/ http://pm411.org/2009/08/03/the-pm-podcast-pmo-roundtable/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:12:39 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=562 http://pm411.org/2009/08/03/the-pm-podcast-pmo-roundtable/feed/ 2 cornelius fichtner,pmo,shawn futterer Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, host of The PM Podcast, once again invited Shawn Futterer, PMP, of The ICPM website, and myself to a roundtable project management podcast discussion. In this roundtable discussion we focus on the Project Management Office (PMO). Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, host of The PM Podcast, once again invited Shawn Futterer, PMP, of The ICPM website, and myself to a roundtable project management podcast discussion. In this roundtable discussion we focus on the Project Management Office (PMO). Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 47:51 http://pm411.org/2009/07/23/podcast-episode-043-interview-with-josh-nankivel-pmp/ http://pm411.org/2009/07/23/podcast-episode-043-interview-with-josh-nankivel-pmp/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:25:12 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=538 http://pm411.org/2009/07/23/podcast-episode-043-interview-with-josh-nankivel-pmp/feed/ 1 aspiring pm,josh nankivel,new pm,pmstudent.com Josh Nankivel, PMP, recently interviewed me for his pmStudent.com website, and he was willing to return the favor and he let me interview him last weekend for this pm411.org podcast. During the interview, Josh and I discuss all kinds of great stuff in... Josh Nankivel, PMP, recently interviewed me for his pmStudent.com website, and he was willing to return the favor and he let me interview him last weekend for this pm411.org podcast. During the interview, Josh and I discuss all kinds of great stuff including his past and current projects, the pmStudent.com website, the PMP and its future for project management, and even possible ideas for a great Project Management videogame! Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 27:03 http://pm411.org/2008/12/28/podcast-episode-040-mindmanager-pro-8-browser-features/ http://pm411.org/2008/12/28/podcast-episode-040-mindmanager-pro-8-browser-features/#comments Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:55:18 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=381 http://pm411.org/2008/12/28/podcast-episode-040-mindmanager-pro-8-browser-features/feed/ 0 mindmanager,mindmapping,PM Video,software Today we continue our look at some of the new features of the latest version of Mindmanager Pro 8.0 mindmapping software from Mindjet.  In our second video in a series, we take a look at some of the new web integration features within Mindmanager Pro 8. Today we continue our look at some of the new features of the latest version of Mindmanager Pro 8.0 mindmapping software from Mindjet.  In our second video in a series, we take a look at some of the new web integration features within Mindmanager Pro 8.0. Project teams can now fully leverage the incredible information resources of the Internet by initiating Web searches right from a map. Real-time search results will appear whenever you view your map.  You can also build your own Web service to add information from your company's information systems. Also, in 8.0 you can view Web pages and Adobe PDF documents without leaving your map. You'll retain your train of thought by staying focused on work at hand. Check out the video below to see it at Youtube.com. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE2v62Paf5Y Free Giveaways! Finally, we have another special giveaway on the show today!  On December 31st, 2008 we will announce the name of 1 lucky winners that will receive a free downloadable copy of Mindmanager Pro 8.  Simply send an email with your name, email address, and home address to show@pm411.org with "Mindmanager Pro 8 Contest" as the subject line.  The first email we receive before December 31st, 2008 with these details will win a free downloadable copy of Mindmanager Pro 8.0 complements of Mindjet. Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast Newslestter delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented.   Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2008/12/07/podcast-episode-039-new-task-features-in-mindmanager-pro-8/ http://pm411.org/2008/12/07/podcast-episode-039-new-task-features-in-mindmanager-pro-8/#comments Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:26:23 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=374 http://pm411.org/2008/12/07/podcast-episode-039-new-task-features-in-mindmanager-pro-8/feed/ 0 mindmanager,mindmapping,PM Video,software Write a review of the pm411.org Podcast in iTunes! - Today we look at some of the new features of the latest version of Mindmanager Pro 8.0 mindmapping software from Mindjet.  In this episode we take a look at some of the great new schedule task feat... Write a review of the pm411.org Podcast in iTunes! Today we look at some of the new features of the latest version of Mindmanager Pro 8.0 mindmapping software from Mindjet.  In this episode we take a look at some of the great new schedule task features. Now you can get a quick overview plus ongoing progress on all project tasks—automatically. Visual cues and status indicators allow you to quickly determine the status of critical activities. View the ripple effect of any changes to a map and even run “what if” scenarios to see the resulting outcomes. With Mindmanager Pro 8.0 you can now develop your WBS as a mindmap and then easily automatically import it into Microsoft Project.  Check out the video below to find out more! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg6EwLvE8pA In Episode 40, we look at some of the new integrated web features of Mindmanager Pro 8.0. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2008/09/21/podcast-episode-036-mindmapping/ http://pm411.org/2008/09/21/podcast-episode-036-mindmapping/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:10:02 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://876225498 http://pm411.org/2008/09/21/podcast-episode-036-mindmapping/feed/ 5 mindjet,mindmapping Today I speak with Jagdish Mirani, the Product Marketing lead for Mindjet Corporation. His professional experience spans the areas of Development, Product Management, and Marketing over a twenty-five year period. - Today I speak with Jagdish Mirani, the Product Marketing lead for Mindjet Corporation. His professional experience spans the areas of Development, Product Management, and Marketing over a twenty-five year period. Prior to Mindjet he was VP of Product Management and Marketing at Business Objects (acquired by SAP). Before that, he was responsible for positioning and marketing Oracle’s Enterprise Performance Management Applications and Oracle’s future Enterprise Applications Product Line (Project Fusion). Prior to Oracle, Jagdish held various positions at Sybase, Tandem Computers and Hewlett-Packard. Jagdish holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Santa Clara University and an MBA from UC Berkeley. A mind map is described in Wikipedia as is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing. Today Jagdish and I talk about how mindmapping can be used by project managers to help plan, execute, and monitor their projects.  We also discuss: What is mindmapping, and as a project manager what can it do for me? How is mindmapping different than flowcharting or using Visio? Is mindmapping only used for planning activities like brainstorming? What mindmapping tools does Mindjet offer and what are some of its features. Mindjet offers a new web service called Mindjet Connect.  What are some of its features? Mindjet also offers a new version of their Project Management Solution, JCVGantt 3. Listeners can findout more about mindmapping and download project management mindmapping templates at www.mindjet.com. Key Links Mindjet:  www.mindjet.com Mindmanager Pro:  http://www.mindjet.com/products/mindmanager_pro/default.aspx The Mindmanager Project Manager JetPack:  http://www.mindjet.com/products/jetpack/default.aspx JCVGantt Pro:  http://www.mindjet.com/products/jcv_Gantt/default.aspx Free Giveaways! Finally, we have a special giveaway on the show today!  On October 30th, 2008 we will pick the names of 2 lucky winners that will receive a free downloadable copy of Mindmanager 7 and the Mindjet Jetpack for Project Management.  Simply sign up through the pm411.org website for the free pm411.org Project Management Newsletter or click here before October 30th and you will be automatically entered into the contest. Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast Newslestter delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented.   Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 23:41 http://pm411.org/2008/08/07/the-bigg-success-show-five-tips-for-more-effective-status-reports/ http://pm411.org/2008/08/07/the-bigg-success-show-five-tips-for-more-effective-status-reports/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:49:15 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=300 http://pm411.org/2008/08/07/the-bigg-success-show-five-tips-for-more-effective-status-reports/feed/ 1 Communication,PM Podcasts,status reports,stoplight reporting,Templates Recently I was interviewed on one of my favorite podcasts, The Bigg Success Show, and I provided George and Mary-Lynn with 2 Tips for More Effective Project Status Reports. - Below I provide three additional tips for a total of five tips that will hel... Recently I was interviewed on one of my favorite podcasts, The Bigg Success Show, and I provided George and Mary-Lynn with 2 Tips for More Effective Project Status Reports. Below I provide three additional tips for a total of five tips that will help you write status reports that people will actually read! Tip #1 - Know your audience! Ask yourself these questions: Who will be reading your status report?  Team members? Management? Your customer? What level of detail does your audience require?  Don't make your audience dig through lots of details to get the information they really want. How frequently does your audience need updates - Daily, Weekly, Monthly? Tip #2 - Focus only on the exceptions! Look at just those issues that have changed since your previous report.  This will give your audience just the information that has changed since last report.  This will also help keep your report short and concise. Tip #3 - Make your report easy to read! Allow your audience to easily scan and find those details that interests them the most Use "Stoplight Reporting" on bulletpoints to communicate progress: - Green means everything is going according to plan. - Yellow means this particular item needs to be watched. - Red means that action is required. - Use Blue to indicate a particular issue has been resolved since the last report. Use short bullet points instead of paragraphs of prose to communicate information. Use tables to list the status of items like milestones, budget information, or product material cost. Tip #4 - Stay consistent! This means staying consistent in how you present your information as well as when you distribute your status reports. You want to stay consistent in how you present your information so your audience knows exactly where to find the information they need each time they read your report. Keep the sections in your report consistent. - Use a table of Project milestones with Planned completion dates and actual completion dates. - Provide a bulleted list of accomplishments since last report. - Provide a bulleted list of upcoming events and goals for the coming week or month. - Provide a bulleted list of current issues or risks - Provide a a table or list of links to other project documents like previous status reports, your project charter, your project budget, and project background information. Publish your status report consistently - Send it out on the same day by the same time every time. - If you send it out on Friday's by 4pm, always send it out on Fridays by 4pm. - With many mail clients, like Microsoft Outlook, you can even schedule the exact time when your status report is sent out.  However, mail clients have not figured out how to time travel, so you can't send out a status report in the past.  So if you are going to be late publishing a status report, send out a short email to your audience letting them know when they can expect it. Tip #5 - Ask your audience for feedback! Ask how could your status reporting be improved? Are your readers satisfied with the information you are providing? Could you provide any additional information? Is the frequency in which you publish your status reports adequate? Or Is it published too frequently and your audience has added you to their spam filters? You can download a free Status Report template, along with some other great templates, from www.pm411.org/templates. And be sure to check out The Bigg Success Show - it is published daily and provides some really great motivational ideas and techniques for your personal and professional life! Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 5:38 http://pm411.org/2008/05/27/podcast-episode-031-pmos-and-portfolio-management/ http://pm411.org/2008/05/27/podcast-episode-031-pmos-and-portfolio-management/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 04:10:25 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=212 http://pm411.org/2008/05/27/podcast-episode-031-pmos-and-portfolio-management/feed/ 3 pmo,portfolio management Recently I interviewed Nayan Patel, PMP, who works as a Corporate Manager of Portfolio Management for a major Healthcare Network.  I talked to Nayan about his role in creating and supporting project management, project management reporting tools, Recently I interviewed Nayan Patel, PMP, who works as a Corporate Manager of Portfolio Management for a major Healthcare Network.  I talked to Nayan about his role in creating and supporting project management, project management reporting tools, and ... Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 19:07 http://pm411.org/2008/01/20/podcast-episode-021-team-collaboration-with-central-desktop/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/20/podcast-episode-021-team-collaboration-with-central-desktop/#comments Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:26:22 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2008/01/20/podcast-episode-021-team-collaboration-with-central-desktop/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/20/podcast-episode-021-team-collaboration-with-central-desktop/feed/ 2 In episode 022 we feature our first pm411.org Project Management video podcast.  The decision to use video as the medium for this episode is to be able to show you some of the great features of a free team collaborative web application from one of our... In episode 022 we feature our first pm411.org Project Management video podcast.  The decision to use video as the medium for this episode is to be able to show you some of the great features of a free team collaborative web application from one of our sponsors called Central Desktop.  It's the collaboration tool voted “Best of The Web” by Business Week.  Organize projects, share files and meet online.  And best of all, you can set up an account and use the tool for free! The tool is free for up to 5 team members, but if you do want to add 10 or more team members, pm411.org Project Management Podcast listeners get an additional 25% for plans with additional features and team members when they upgrade!  And if you do increase the number of team members, pricing starts at just $25/month for 10 members prior to the 25% pm411.org discount. Some of the advantages of Central Desktop over other collaboration software include:    Quick Setup - No Learning Curve Central Desktop was created for business teams, not the IT department. No Technical Knowledge or Programming Experience Required Setup Workspaces in Minutes, not Months Choose From Templates To Jumpstart Your Project or Intranet Familiar Word Processor Like Toolbar (WYSIWYG Editor) Encourage the Entire Team To Contribute Achieve High Adoption Rates Enterprise Grade Search Data At Your Fingertips Search A Single Repository for Files & Documents Full Text & Document Search (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, HTML, etc...) Searchable Conversation Threads Search Across Multiple Workspaces Simultaneously Access Workspaces From Anywhere (Office, On The Road, Home) Real-Time Collaboration Web Meetings & Audio Conferencing Single Sign-On Access Collaborate with Customers, Partners, Vendors - In Real-Time Encourage Ad-Hoc Team Collaboration Share Screens, Remote Presentations Integrated Free Audio Conferencing Outlook Calendar Integration Online Docs & Spreadsheets Track Revision History and Document Versions Store online docs & spreadsheets in a secure, password protected workspace environment Create, edit and share online spreadsheets in *real-time* Import and export online spreadsheets to and from Microsoft Excel Create more than 30 types of charts (bar charts, pie charts, etc.) Access more than 500 formulas and functions Team Accountability Get Everyone On The Same Page Version-Tracked Files & Document Revision History Document Library (Check-In /Check-Out) Workspace Audit Trails (Page Level Revision History) Track Project Status (Scorecards) Set User Permissions For Each Workspace (View Only, Modify, Add/Delete) Centralize Communication Get Out Of Your Inbox Foster Online Group Discussions View Workspace & Project Event Calendars Personlized Dashboard Overview of Workspaces, Reminders and Overdue Alerts Instant Messenger Presence Integration (Skype (Voice Supported Also), Yahoo, MSN Messenger, ICQ, AIM, Jabber) Subscribe to an Interactive Workspace Activity Digests via RSS/Atom Secure RSS Authentication Supported So, get started for free with Central Desktop today with no obligation!  You can start setting up your workspace today by clicking here or by going to http://www.pm411.org/centraldesktop . How about leaving us some comments on what you think about Central Desktop.  Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free!  - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no http://pm411.org/2008/01/18/project-management-at-macworld/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/18/project-management-at-macworld/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:09:58 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2008/01/18/project-management-at-macworld/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/18/project-management-at-macworld/feed/ 0 http://pm411.org/2007/12/28/podcast-episode-020-e-projectmanagers-website/ http://pm411.org/2007/12/28/podcast-episode-020-e-projectmanagers-website/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:11:55 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/12/28/podcast-episode-020-e-projectmanagers-website/ http://pm411.org/2007/12/28/podcast-episode-020-e-projectmanagers-website/feed/ 0 In today's episode I talk with Dora Tarver of the e-ProjectManagers website, a great website for Project Management templates. - Dora began her career as a Programmer / Analyst, soon becoming a technical leader and eventually a Project Manager. In today's episode I talk with Dora Tarver of the e-ProjectManagers website, a great website for Project Management templates. Dora began her career as a Programmer / Analyst, soon becoming a technical leader and eventually a Project Manager.  She is a member of PMI, has published papers, and has spoken across the country for PMI including at PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium.  Dora has over 17 years expereince in planning, building and buying software and hardware for medium and multimillion-dollar projects. Her experience includes infrastructure management, project procurement, change management, risk management, team development, time & cost analysis, business analysis, project plan development and maintenance following PMBOK and Corporate methodologies. Show Notes: http://www.e-projectmanagers.com/ - Dora's project management website where her free templates can be found. doratarver@e-projectmanagers.com - Where to contact Dora. http://www.dharmakaya.com/ - The Dharmakaya Meditation Center. http://www.freewebsitedesign.org/ - Where you can go to get your website created for free. http://www.enlightenedsource.org/ - Dora provides some internet business product reviews. Finally, be sure to look for the bonus year-end pm411.org podcast episode next week on the topic of things you and your team can do to make sure you get off on the right project management foot for 2008!  Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free!  - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented.    Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 14:41 http://pm411.org/2007/12/10/podcast-episode-019-project-management-web-resources/ http://pm411.org/2007/12/10/podcast-episode-019-project-management-web-resources/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:52:46 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/12/10/podcast-episode-019-project-management-web-resources/ http://pm411.org/2007/12/10/podcast-episode-019-project-management-web-resources/feed/ 0 In Episode 19, I have the great privilege of having two of the top providers of Project Management internet content join me in a roundtable discussion on various project management web resources. - Shawn Futterer, PMP®, In Episode 19, I have the great privilege of having two of the top providers of Project Management internet content join me in a roundtable discussion on various project management web resources. Shawn Futterer, PMP®, is a certified project management professional with a broad range of experience. He started his career in 1992 managing quality control projects for a small manufacturing company and is currently working in a PMO for a Fortune 50 telecommunications company where he supervises project managers for the North region. Over the course of his career, Shawn has managed projects of all shapes and sizes. Shawn has a keen interest in the methodologies, strategy, planning and operations. He has over fifteen years of hands-on project management experience and has led, consulted on or contributed to: process development efforts, various methodologies and multiple training programs. Shawn attributes a project managers success to their ability to provide a strategic view and a demonstrated ability to interact and communicate effectively with all levels of an organization.  Shawn runs the Project Management Learning Center as part of the TenStep Global Community. Cornelius Fichtner, PMP®, is the host of The Project Management Podcast and  The Project Management PrepCast™. The Podcast is a general PM related podcast and the PrepCast prepares listeners for the PMP® exam.  Cornelius worked as a Project Manager in his native Switzerland, in Germany and in the USA for the last 16 years. He received his PMP® credential in April 2004. He has led projects for a management consulting company, a national retailer and an internet startup company.  Currently, Cornelius works as a project manager for one of the oldest financial service providers in the USA. His passions are project management methodologies and PMOs.  Cornelius is also an instructor for the PMP® Workshop for his local PMI chapter and serves as the chapter's chair until the end of this month. He currently lives in Silverado, California, USA with his wife and their two computers. Show Notes: Web resources brought up during the roundtable discussion: http://www.maxwideman.com/ http://projectmanagementlearningcenter.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/mygroups http://forums.pmhub.net/ http://www.manager-tools.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=10 http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/pmfwebmaster http://www.allpm.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewforum&f=6 http://projectmanagement.ittoolbox.com/groups/career/projectmanagement-career http://groups.google.com/ http://www.kadonk.com/ (Live project free viewer) http://www.pmconnection.com/ http://podcast.amanet.org http://www.pmhut.com/ http://www.pmstudent.com/ http://www.cuttingsedge.com/ http://projectized.blogspot.com/ http://techrepublic.com http://www.chiefprojectofficer.com/ http://www.gantthead.com/ http://www.techrepublic.com/ http://tenstep.com/ http://www.managementhelp.org/ http://www.12manage.com/ http://www.controllingchaos.com http://www.mindjet.com http://freemind.sourceforge.net/ http://www.openoffice.org/ http://www.projity.org http://www.e-projectmanagers.com http://www.pm411.org Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 43:52 http://pm411.org/2007/10/01/podcast-episode-014-dotproject-collaborative-project-management-software/ http://pm411.org/2007/10/01/podcast-episode-014-dotproject-collaborative-project-management-software/#comments Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:36:32 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/10/01/podcast-episode-014-dotproject-collaborative-project-management-software/ http://pm411.org/2007/10/01/podcast-episode-014-dotproject-collaborative-project-management-software/feed/ 0 Today I talk with Karen Chisholm, from Melbourne, Australia, who serves as an admin for dotproject, an free, open source, web-based project management application designed to provide project layout and control functions. Today I talk with Karen Chisholm, from Melbourne, Australia, who serves as an admin for dotproject, an free, open source, web-based project management application designed to provide project layout and control functions.  dotProject aims to provide the project manager with a tool to manage team tasks, communication, and file sharing.  Within the application there are several core modules that allows the user to track work by company, project, task, and contact.  Additional free add-on modules allow additional functionality, such as importing Microsoft Project Tasks into dotProject. During the discussion, Karen and I discuss: The history of dotProject and Karen's background. How dotProject is different from other collaborative software. Some of the modules available in dotProject. What is typically involved in installing dotProject on any server. New features and applications being creating by Karen's group at the moment. And finally, how to convert user donations into goats for a good cause!  Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free!  - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented.    Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 27:09 http://pm411.org/2007/09/24/leave-us-a-voicemail/ http://pm411.org/2007/09/24/leave-us-a-voicemail/#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:00:55 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/09/24/leave-us-a-voicemail/ http://pm411.org/2007/09/24/leave-us-a-voicemail/feed/ 0 http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/ http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:52:20 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/ http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/feed/ 0 Sorry - I am reposting this episode since there were some link issues with the original posting... - I am happy to announce that on September 7th, 2007 I passed the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Exam. Sorry - I am reposting this episode since there were some link issues with the original posting... I am happy to announce that on September 7th, 2007 I passed the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Exam.  In today's show I talk about...   Why I chose to become a PMP® What I did to prepare for the exam and how long it took me What sections of the exam I felt were especially difficult What I would do differently if I were to take the exam over again And finally, how I believe being a PMP® will help me at my current job I also created a template (PMP® Practice Exam Answer Sheet Template) that I used while taking practice exams which you can use yourself.  Also, here is the link to the PM PrepCast.  Thanks for listening!  Ron Holohan, PMP®  Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free! Full Disclosure:  We are an affiliate of the PMP® PrepCast™ and earn a referral commission in exchange for actively testing and promoting this beneficial project management tool to our readers and listeners.  The commission earned helps to offset our hosting, equipment, and publishing costs and allows us to continue to provide our readers and listeners with valuable free content. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 18:08 http://pm411.org/2007/08/12/free-project-management-giveaways/ http://pm411.org/2007/08/12/free-project-management-giveaways/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2007 01:45:11 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/08/12/free-project-management-giveaways/ http://pm411.org/2007/08/12/free-project-management-giveaways/feed/ 0 http://pm411.org/2007/08/05/podcast-episode-011-critical-chain-project-management/ http://pm411.org/2007/08/05/podcast-episode-011-critical-chain-project-management/#comments Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:50:04 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/08/05/podcast-episode-011-critical-chain-project-management/ http://pm411.org/2007/08/05/podcast-episode-011-critical-chain-project-management/feed/ 4 According to research by the Standish Group, using traditional project management approaches, only 44% of projects finish on time.  In fact, the study showed that projects on average complete at 122% over the original schedule, According to research by the Standish Group, using traditional project management approaches, only 44% of projects finish on time.  In fact, the study showed that projects on average complete at 122% over the original schedule, 89% over the original budget, 70% of projects don't meet their planned scope, and 30% are cancelled before completion (Standish 1994).   But, what if I were to tell you that there is a proven project management methodology out there that has been credited with allowing project managers to complete their projects 10% to 50% faster and cheaper than by traditional Critical Path or PERT methods alone?  What if I also told you this methodology has also been credited with up to 95% on time and on budget success when applied correctly?     Sound too good to be true?   In episode 11 we talk to Mr. Larry Leach, PMP to learn more about the Critical Chain Project Management Methodology and its keys to success.  Larry Leach is the president of Advanced Projects Incorporated.  Prior to founding API, he was a vice president in several Fortune 500 companies, managing projects up to $1 billion dollars (US). His 30-plus years of experience as a project manager involve varied projects that include software development, research and development and construction. Larry has a master’s degree in business management from the University of Idaho (USA) and a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut (USA). He is certified in the Theory of Constraints, and the leading expert on Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM). He is a member of PMI and has published many papers on related topics including articles in PM Network and in the Project Management Journal. Larry is a facilitator for the University of Phoenix, an instructor for PMI Seminars, and a certified Project Management Professional.  His clients include Abbot Laboratories, American Express, Boeing, GTE, Hewlett Packard, Honeywell, Motorola, Shell, Texaco, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force, and many others. His books, Critical Chain Project Management, and Lean Project Management: Eight Principles for Success, are available from Amazon.com.  Also, be sure to visit the Advanced Projects website at www.Advanced-Projects.com.  There you will find more information about CCPM and API's software that integrates with Microsoft Project called CCPM+.   We will draw the names of two lucky listeners on August 25th to win either a free ebook copy of  his book Lean Project Management, or a free copy of his Critical Chain software add-on for Microsoft Project, CCPM+.  Simply send an e-mail with your name and e-mail address to show@pm411.org with "CCPM Drawing" in the subject line before August 25th, 2007.   If you have had success using Critical Chain Project Management or have any comments or questions about using CCPM, please stop by and post on the discussion board through the pm411.org website.  The discussion board allow you to ask questions or post comments on everything from general discussions, PMBOK, team building, PM software, books, and more.  Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free!  - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented.    Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 25:29 http://pm411.org/2007/05/01/project-budget-template/ http://pm411.org/2007/05/01/project-budget-template/#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 18:20:18 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/05/01/project-budget-template/ http://pm411.org/2007/05/01/project-budget-template/feed/ 2 http://pm411.org/2007/04/01/podcast-episode-002-managing-effective-meetings/ http://pm411.org/2007/04/01/podcast-episode-002-managing-effective-meetings/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2007 02:25:49 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/04/01/podcast-episode-002-managing-effective-meetings/ http://pm411.org/2007/04/01/podcast-episode-002-managing-effective-meetings/feed/ 0 When creating meetings for your team it is important that you: Determine if you need a meeting Determine the goal of the meeting Prepare for the meeting in advance Run the meeting effectively and follow up after the meeting - When creating meetings for your team it is important that you: Determine if you need a meeting Determine the goal of the meeting Prepare for the meeting in advance Run the meeting effectively and follow up after the meeting Although most of us already have way too many meetings, effectively managed meeting can mean the difference between success and failure for a project team.  In this podcast (Part 1 or 2 on Effective Meetings) I describe some techniques that I use in my own team meetings to insure success.  I have also provided an effective meeting minute template that allows minutes to be captured easily into 4 critical Key Information Buckets:  Action Items, Decisions Made, Discussion Points, and Open Issues.  Next week's podcast will continue on the topic of effective meetings and I will discuss the use of standup meetings. Enjoy, Ron Meeting Minute Template (Right Click and choose "Save Target As" to download .xls file)   Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free!    Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 14:36 http://pm411.org/2007/03/13/software-review-risk-41-for-microsoft-project/ http://pm411.org/2007/03/13/software-review-risk-41-for-microsoft-project/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:02:30 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/03/13/software-review-risk-41-for-microsoft-project/ http://pm411.org/2007/03/13/software-review-risk-41-for-microsoft-project/feed/ 0 http://pm411.org/2007/03/11/27/ http://pm411.org/2007/03/11/27/#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2007 06:55:33 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/03/11/27/ http://pm411.org/2007/03/11/27/feed/ 1