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PRINCE2, APMIC, MSP, ITIL Training
2007-02-23 04:19:10
I’m not on commission or receiving any backhanders, but I’d like to mention some multimedia training that has helped me a great deal in the past. If you’re someone who wants to get ahead, increase your value as a manager and enjoy more choice of work opportunities, read on. The ILX Group in the UK provides some excellent Project, Programme and Service Management Multimedia training. I have the PRINCE2, MSP and ITIL courses and they were great. As an individual student, they allowed me to learn and get certified without having to attend classroom sessions. I did my studying remotely and sat the exams in the UK although there are many options when it comes to exam time, which helps those who aren’t based in the UK. Some companies use ILX courses as part of a training framework, combining their CBT programmes with workshops, allowing training for greater numbers. So from a company perspective, this can result in significantly lower cost and less time away from ...
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A PM recruiters world
2007-02-23 04:19:10
I’ve worked as an Interim Manager for quite some time and it suits me well. But in August last year I expanded my business and began recruiting Project and Programme Managers. I was being offered roles that didn’t interest me and I was always passing them on to people I knew. I was also getting asked by clients and associates if I knew of good PMs as they needed new resources. I would pass all this business onto an agent who actually gave me nothing in return so I decided it was time I started enjoying some of the benefits of this business that was falling into my lap and I began recruiting. It’s been an interesting adventure in which I’ve experienced the recruiting world from the other side of the desk. In the past I had used recruiters to find assignments and to find candidates. But suddenly, I was the recruiter. Naturally it has its own set of challenges but to be frank, I haven’t found it very challenging generating good business. It’s basica...
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An interim experience
2007-02-20 04:17:02
When an organisation decides it needs a critical injection of expertise, there is no time to waste and often the expertise required is not sitting within the organisation with enough bandwidth to assist. Finding an Inter im Manager requires a fast and efficient process to identify the right level of experience. Unless the organisation has a good network of interim managers to consider, they will usually seek to use an agent to help get the right person on board. That’s why I always try to ensure that organisations know that I am available for interim assignments, whereas many other interim managers I know will rely only upon agents. Personally I don’t think this is good marketing on the part of the interim, but then again, not everyone is cut out for marketing so the agent becomes their one and only marketing tool. Most people don’t enter the world of Interim Management. Whilst it suits some people (me included) down to the ground, the uncertainly, continuous chang...
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Are you really there?
2007-02-20 04:17:02
Yesterday was busy, fun and social, although I did squeeze in two hours of work, but no time for the Blog. I spent a few hours in the morning sunshine sitting outside a cafe beneath Prague’s astronomical clock in the old town square with former colleagues John Watkins and Saloni Seth. We all worked together in Dubai last year. In the afternoon I met Paul Byrne at Namesti Miru who was on a fleeting visit from the UK and who always introduces me to interesting books on programme management and provides unofficial back-ups of other good stuff. Cheers Paul! A phone call from my old friend and current British team captain Tony Williams followed, on how we can establish a full British team to compete at the world water ski championships in New Zealand this May. Tony and I actually won a European silver water ski team medal together in Sicily back in 1991. I even had a full head of hair in those days! Then a fomer two-time colleague in the Middle East Skyped me a business lead (than...
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PMO - who needs it?
2007-02-20 04:17:02
After I tortured myself at the gym this morning, I had a good chat with a great Architect I once worked with. He shall remain nameless because his son calls me ‘baldy’, but we spoke about the importance of the PMO. A CIO can expect a PMO to operate across the following seven areas: 1. Project support; 2. Project management process/methodology; 3. Training; 4. Home for project managers; 5. Internal consulting and mentoring; 6. Project management software tools; 7. Portfolio management; What Are The Benefits of A PMO? Here are a few which come to mind, but please post any others you can think of in a comment (your entry point James!): Improving project success rates Implementing standard practices Better visibility into project status Tighter change control Higher ROI Fewer failures More projects completed on time and within budget Better risk management Better management of external partners There’s an interesing survey which KPMG carried out in 2002 and the figure...
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My media moments
2007-02-09 16:13:03
Years ago when I was a competitive waterskier, I used to appear on TV, radio and the printed press quite often. Those days of sporting stardom are gone and as Communications Director for the world governing body of water ski racing, I now do all I can to help the new stars of the sport enjoy some of the limelight. But it seems I’ve had a few recent media moments. The PMI called me from the USA to interview me for an article in the next edition of their printed magazine; PM Network. In fact it was Vincenzo Torre, the President of the PMI in Italy, who actually hooked me up with the magazine. The article will be about Project Management from an expat perspective and the writer certainly gave me a good grilling. Then last night my girlfriend and I were out to dinner with friends Mike and Olga. Mike runs the Central European operation for Microsoft’s CRM solutions and he showed me a copy of the latest British Chamber of Commerce magazine which covered the Chamber’s Xma...
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80-Year-Old Enrolls in Engineering Class [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
"I'm a little late in the game", he says.
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The cost of living overseas [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
It's all very well considering that exciting adventure of living and working overseas. Your new found salary might seem as if you've hit the jackpot too. But how does that other country's cost of living compare to yours?
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Godfather of PgM Management & Extreme Ironer
2007-02-09 16:13:03
If you don’t know this already, Geoff Reiss is the God father of Project and Programme Management . I’ve cut & paste below, a few lines from his website to highlight some of his achievements. But the punch line comes at the end of this post so read on!   1. He has written four significant books: Project Management Demystified (2 editions, 15 reprints) and Programme Management Demystified have become two of Britain?s best selling books in their topics. One Project Too Many, jointly authored with Geof Leigh, was published in August 2004. He led the six man author team for The Gower Handbook of Programme Management.  2. He co-authored the Apple Project Manager, Pertmaster and Pertmaster Advance project management and Hydra programme management software systems. 3. He chaired the Editorial Board of the ProgM initiative in Project Selection and Benefit Management and was a member of the National Computing Centre?s programme management initiative. 4. He is joint author, wit...
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Successful consultant stories wanted [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
If you deem yourself to be a successful consultant, www.successful-consultants.com would like to hear your story. In an effort to spread some inspiration to those who aspire to get into consulting or to become more successful at it, there's nothing better than stories from those who have already gone through that journey.
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Why govern a programme? [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
In the IT world, far too many organisations have yet to take Prog ramme Governance seriously. Governance being the functions, processes and procedures that define how a programme is set up, managed and controlled. This article looks at the key factors and benefits of good governance.
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Flogging dead horses [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
We all see the statistics associated with IT project failure. Most project managers are afraid of being labeled as quitters or failures and often flog dead horses. Perhaps it takes more courage to admit that your project is a failure than to accept it when theres's no choice.
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Top 25 management concepts [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
The latest survey of the 25 most popular management tools and techniques. This is an excellent list of the top 25 concepts that management consultants should be conversant in throughout 2007.
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Risk management culture [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
Most well run organisations will have risk managed at four distinct levels which are; Corporate/Strategic, Programme, Project and Operational.
More About: Culture , Management , Risk Management , Cult , Men

Work-life balance [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
Are you one of the many whose narrowed view of life consists primarily of work and sleep? Perhaps it?s time to step back, take a good look at yourself and ?get a life?.
More About: Life , Work , Digg , Balance , Alan

Being an independent consultant [Digg]
2007-02-09 16:13:03
Being an independent consultant can be a lucrative business, but are you up to the challenges that go with it? Gone is the corporate cotton wool which comforts us when we're not at our best. Gone are the sick days that we get paid for and gone are so many other creature comforts of being employed. Is consulting and its rewards really for you?
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APM?s Maturity Model?s initiative
2007-02-08 04:11:01
I was just reading the Program Management Newsletter and thought I’d reiterate its news about M2iMP. M2iMP is the acronym for the UK’s Association for Project Management?s initiative ?Model s to Improve the Management of Projects?. In 2006, the APM?s Project magazine reported on the maturity of the project management environment in business and organisations and the perceived effect on project outcomes. This continues, for 2007, with advice on how to navigate the route around the many maturity models designed to improve the management of projects.   Each maturity model will be described in a consistent way designed to help an organisation find the right model for its purposes. The first model featured (around May 2007) will be the Programme Management Maturity Model (PMMM). The PMMM provides a mechanism through which an organisation or a group within an organisation can: - Evaluate itself in programme management terms  - Compare its own maturity with other organisation on...
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Manage in plain English
2007-02-07 04:10:03
Are you someone who uses phrases such as ‘globalise’, ‘push the envelope’, ‘intellectual capital’, ‘core competency’ and ‘outside the box’; to name a few? Many people are constantly building their jargon vocabulary in a bid to come across as ‘more intelligent’. The truth is, all this does is reduce the clarity of your communication. Considering the art of communication is so important to Project and Programme Mana gers, this isn’t realy a smart thing to do. None of these buzzwords and phrases will make you a better manager. Instead of padding your language with unnecessary and often meaningless words, think about ways that will help you speak and write with more clarity and less jargon. By communicating more clearly you give your colleagues and customers a reason to listen. And getting someone?s attention is key these days. Here are 7 good ways to help you break the buzzword habit: 1. Stop pretending Some ...
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Your career change
2007-02-04 04:09:02
When it comes to careers, business and style of life, we are all different. That said, we should all be taking a look at where we are, where we’re going, and whether we are getting what we’re worth. I know some damn good PMs out there who financially, seem to be taken for a ride. But they have a choice - to stay and be underpaid or to get what they’re worth. The PM job market is in fact incredibly healthy right now and it’s just getting better. For your information, the average Project Manager in the UK is currently making £49200/annum as a permanent employee and £45/hour as an independent consultant. Of course there are those who are well below average and others who are well above it, but these figures offer a good benchmark.     It’s not always easy trying to look for work, especially when you’re not accustomed to it (job searching that is!), when you’re tring to juggle your projects. Aside from applying directly for jobs that you see ad...
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Top 25 management tools for 2007
2007-01-31 16:07:17
It’s common for most of us to try and stay on top of how we can improve ourselves in areas that will enable us to perform better. Whilst core project management principles are enhanced now and then, and the need to communicate well remains a given, there are other ‘tools’ that do change and it’s always good to know what selection we should have in our toolbox and how we use them. Of course our role and the environment in which we operate have a lot to do with our individual needs here.   Darrell Rigby from Bain Company has just published ?Mana gement Tool s 2007: An Executive?s Guide?. It?s an excellent PDF which looks at the key management tools used by executives, including five new tools that have entered the game. With the explosion of available tools, it?s not always easy to ensure that you use all that are appropriate. This blog is in fact one of the tools that I’ve learned to use in the last few months and it certainly has proven to be useful. I&#...
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ITIL basics
2007-01-29 22:04:12
Any PM who works in an environment where they don’t know what their next project might entail, could be wise to familiarise themselves with ITIL. To start with the basics, ITIL is the acronym for “IT Infrastructure Library” and it consists of a set of books developed by the UK’s Office of Government Commerce (OGC).   Just to set the scene, because we all have our own interpretations of things, IT Services are normally provided to an organisation by an internal resource, often the Information Technology department, and the supporting infrastructure. The term ‘IT Infrastructure’ is used to describe the Hardware, Software, computer related communications, procedures, documents and skills used to support the IT services. All this has to be managed, hence the term ‘IT Infrastructure Management’ and the management of the IT Infrastructure is known within ITIL as IT Service Management. There’s a strong link between ITIL and quality sys...
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Corporate blogging sense
2007-01-29 10:03:02
It’s been a few months that I’ve been blogging from a professional perspective and I find it an ideal way to communicate with the many people that I’ve worked with in the past and to share knowledge. I was interested in Bain & Company’s recent article on how corporate blogging is have a serious impact on business, from many perspectives. Darrell Rigby of Bain explained that blogs are now reducing the reliance on internal e-mail and the traditional public relations-oriented corporate website. Darrell adds that a successful corporate blog should: ? Establish the blog?s focus and mission; ? Develop a simple-to-use site and update it frequently; ? Create links with key audiences; ? Ensure consistency with corporate image and product branding; ? Employ RSS; ? Consider the option of wikis; ? Establish clear blogging guidelines for the corporation and educate employees about potential legal repercussions. This blog that I write is an excellent way for me to ma...
More About: Sense , Blogging , Corporate , Blog , Ense

Flogging dead horses
2007-01-27 16:00:18
We all see the statistics associated with project failure. For instance, according to a study by Gartner, almost 40% percent of IT projects fail or are abandoned before completion. Most project managers are afraid of being labeled as quitters or failures. Perhaps it takes more courage to admit that your project is a failure than to accept it (with no choice) when you finally walk over the cliff’s edge. Let’s be frank, continuing with a hopeless project is like flogging a dead horse …and wasting huge amounts of money in the process. It doesn’t make very smart business sense does it. Approximately only 20 percent of PMs have a process for identifying and cancelling failed projects, according to a four-year survey of 672 senior IT and business managers conducted by the Center for Project Management in the USA. Do you have one? If not, you might like to take a look at this one: It’s natural for project managers and project teams to have a task-oriented foc...
More About: Horses , Dead , Horse

62 tips for consulting success
2007-01-27 16:00:18
If you’re an independent consultant, you constantly need to have your ear to the ground and know how to market yourself. Having a skill to sell is simply not enough. I’ve always enjoyed the marketing challenge, and learning new ways to sell myself and in fact I had a sales and marketing career before entering the IT world. If you’re in the business of being an indepenent consultant, you might be interested in Michael McLaughlin who publishes a blog called ?Guerrilla Cons ulting ?. He has also published a 75 page ebook with 62 tips for consulting success. It?s organised into seven parts. 1. Managing Your Practice 2. The Consulting Process 3. Marketing 4. Pricing Your Services 5. Proposal Writing 6. The Language of Consulting 7. Selling Your Services The Foreward to Michael?s ebook goes; In 1891, Carl Eisner invented the now-famous Swiss Army Knife, which is shipped by the thousands every day. Although this e-book cannot hope to rival the utility of Eisner?s invention...
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Work-life balance
2007-01-27 16:00:18
If you’re one of the many whose narrowed view of life consists primarily of work and sleep, perhaps it’s time to step back, take a good look at yourself and ‘get a life’. I find it very sad when I see people devoting virtually all their time to the company they work at. Come on, what sort of life is that? Is that really a life? I’ve spent years living and working in Australia, quite a few European countries and around the Middle East. It’s people in the latter that seemed to have a problem with ‘getting a life’ more than the others. Wives wanting to enjoy time with their husbands end up seeing them come home from work at 10pm most days, kids have their fathers only at weekends and suddenly the main purpose of this guy’s life is working 15 hrs a day for his money and managing the creation of a bunch of IT systems that might not even see the light of day. Work -life balance is achieved when an individual?s right to a fulfilled lif...
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Risk management culture
2007-01-27 16:00:18
Most well run organisations will have risk managed at four distinct levels which are; Corporate/Strategic, Programme, Project and Operational. To do this effectively, a framework for managing risk needs to be designed and implemented to address the following: 1. how risks are identified; 2. how information about their probability and potential impact is addressed; 3. how risks are quantified; 4. how options to deal with them are identified; 5. how decisions on risk management are made; 6. how all these decisions are implemented; 7. how actions are evaluated for their effectiveness; 8. how appropriate communication mechanisms are set up and supported; 9. how stakeholders are engaged on an ongoing basis. But this is just the beginning because it’s all very well having a thorough framework documented and sitting pretty on the shelf with a tick in the box, but risk management needs to instilled within the people of the organisation. A healthy culture of risk management needs to ...
More About: Culture , Management , Risk Management , Cult , Men

Managing yourself and others
2007-01-27 16:00:18
All managers have a team to manage but all managers have themelves to manage too. It?s tough being a manager. You need to get through the day getting your own work done and looking out for your team. As managers move further up the ladder, they receive less mentoring and training. There are of course those instinctive managers who do better than others and they happen to have led a life which has helped them develop key management skills, not just in work, but in general life too. But most people aren?t that lucky and tend to rely on a PMI or PRINCE2 course and read a few books. But even that?s not enough. This blog was never intended to regurgitate what you can pick up from a PMI or PRINCE2 course. It?s intended to cover things that most managers are never taught. Which brings me on to a great new CD which Harvard Business has just released to cover some of the challenges that a manager faces in their day to day life. I?ve mentioned the topics below for two reasons. First to let y...
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How?s your CV looking?
2007-01-27 16:00:18
I’ve been recruiting quite a few PMs for a couple of clients recently and so I’ve had literally hundreds of PM CVs pour in. Now some of these CVs are very good indeed, but note I say ’some’. If anyone is looking for a change in career, a shift up gear, in a current or new organisation, they need to spend time (real time) on creating a CV that will make them stand out amongst the others, because in the job market the CV is the sales brochure. If your sales brochure isn’t up to scratch, it has little chance of portaying you in a very good light and ’selling you’ into an interview. I’m not going to write about what you should or shouldn’t do in a CV here as there’s a pile of material out there on the net that far better qualified people than I have written. I just want to emphasise that no matter how great you are at managing projects or programmes, if your CV doesn’t sell you well, there’s very little chance of y...
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100 Rules for NASA PMs
2007-01-27 16:00:18
These have been floating around the net for quite a few years and I happened to stumble across them again and thought I should share them with you. All credit goes to Jerry Madden at NASA for this compilation. None of it is rocket science but they?re all good reminders for anyone in management. I know it?s a long list and I thought of separating them into easily digested bite sized chunks. But then I thought not, so here they are for your travel reading or for pasting on the walls of the office. Project Managers Rule number 1 A project manager should visit everyone who is building anything for his project at least once, should know all the managers on his project (both government and contractor), and know the integration team members. People like to know that the project manager is interested in their work and the best proof is for the manager to visit them and see first hand what they are doing. Rule number 2 A project manager must know what motivates the project contractors (i.e.,...
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Share what you know
2007-01-27 16:00:18
We should always try to mentor people around us who know less than us. They don?t have to know that much less and you don?t need to know that much more. But if you share what you know with others, that can only be a good thing. You will come across the occasional manager who sees this kind of contribution in the office as a threat, but they are the foolish ones. Other managers feel awkward about sharing, often because they think they don?t know enough, but you should never be afraid to give someone behind you a helping hand when you are able to. Sharing with colleagues is important, and the more you give, the more you get back. If you give one piece of helpful information to 30 managers and only 50% of them are generous and decent enough to return the favour at some point in the future, it means that you benefit from 15 pieces of new information. Each one of those managers gained by one, but you gained by 15. Quite clever really, isn?t it. There?s a lot to be said about being goodh...
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