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C H A P T E R L O C A L I N T E R E S T G R O U P S ( L I G S )

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R I S K M A N A G E M E N T : H O W T O F I N D O P P O R T U N I T I E S

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P M I N J M E M B E R S H I P G R A P H

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K I C K I N G - O F F A P R O J E C T & B U I L D I N G A T E A M

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F I V E P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T M Y T H S

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T H E S E V E N D E A D L Y S I N S O F P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T

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P M I N J N E W S

N O V 1 8 , 2 0 0 5 S E M I N A R :

B E S T P R A C T I C E S I N P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T W I T H D R . H A R O L D K E R Z N E R C O - S P O N S O R E D W I T H I N T E R N A T I O N A L I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G

You'll learn: • Which companies have

achieved excellence in project management

• What these companies have done to achieve ex-cellence

• How they plan to maintain excellence well into the 21st century

• What best practices these companies are using

• And, you'll identify how you can leverage PM best practices to achieve excel-lence within your own organization!

Key Issues Covered

This program is designed to help you identify best practices

and provide the structure for excellence in strategic plan-ning. You will be introduced to: • The Project Management

Maturity Model (PMMM): Learn how you can achieve excellence in pro-ject management in a rela-tively short period of time by adopting the PMMM framework.

• Engagement Project Man-agement: With this model, master how to sell com-plete solutions to custom-ers and position your pro-ject management compe-tency to be viewed inter-nally as a strategic compe-tency and externally as a competitive advantage.

• Enterprise Project Man-agement: Learn best prac-tices to convert "pockets" of project management into an Enterprise Project Management organization. Emphasis is placed upon the establishment of a Pro-ject Management Office and a Best Practices Li-brary.

• Project Management Com-petency: This is a high level road map targeted to the senior levels of man-agement. The ultimate goal is to become so good at project management that it becomes a strategic cor-porate competency and leads to a sustained com-petitive advantage.

Dr. Harold Kerzner (Ph. D., MS, Engineering and MBA) is Senior Executive Director with International Institute for Learning, Inc. and Professor of Systems Management at Baldwin-Wallace College. Dr. Kerzner is the author of the best-selling textbooks: Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling, and In Search of Excellence in Project Management (www.iil.com/Kerzner.asp)

Cost: $245 for Non-PMI members $225 for PMI members & PMPs (Use code BPMP)

For more information, call: John Bufe 908-334-6788 president@pminj.org

Where and When: Nov 18, 2005 8:30am-4:30pm Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe Hotel Teaneck, NJ

Includes continental breakfast, lunch and breaks

A 7 PDU Course Co-Sponsored by the Interna-tional Institute for Learning, Inc. and the PMI NJ Chapter ALL REGISTRANTS RECEIVE FREE:

Dr. Kerzner’s new text, Advanced Project Man-agement: Best Practices on Implementation 2nd Edition ($80), accompanied by a comprehensive workbook.

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E B Y J O H N B U F E , J R . , P M P

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PMI NJ News Email address: editor@pminj.org

Prefer article in MS Word or plain ASCII text. Graphic files are to be in either JPG or GIF format. Call if you have questions.

Dave Case Damaca, Inc. P.O. Box 271 Sparta, NJ 07871 (c) 973-729-5147

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prepaid

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PMI NJ is not responsible for the content or quality of any

advertisement included in this newsletter. Also, this is not

an endorsement of any product, service or establishment

included in the newsletter.

CUS Caring The chapter cares about its mem-bers, the community and others who might need our services. There are many in need that could benefit from our support. If you have provided assistance to people displaced from Katrina, we would like to know your story. We are looking at ways the chapter could provide assis-tance in rebuilding lives, families and the cities affected by this tragedy.

Understanding The chapter wants to understand how it can provide value for your member-ship in the organiza-tion. From education to volunteering for chapter and community services. The chapter would like to help pro-vide opportunities for each of us to grow in professionalism and excellence in project manage-ment. We need your input on LIG opportunities since one size doesn't fit all. We need to under-stand what affiliations would benefit your circle of interest.

Sharing As we start another year, the

chapter is providing many opportunities for proffessional develop-ment. Monthly pro-grams, PMP exam prep training, our an-nual enhanced sympo-sium, and a Kerzner

class on Best Practices in Project Management. Also, we are con-tinuing our support for the net-working that started this year. With CUS, our relationship can grow!

Your Chapter

needs You!!

T H E R I G H T P L A C E , T H E R I G H T T I M E - L O C A L I N T E R E S T G R O U P S ( L I G S )

B Y J U D Y B A L A B A N , P M P – D I R E C T O R L I G S

I talked about LIGs or Local Interest Groups within PMI chap-ters in our summer newsletter, but since returning from the North American Global Congress, I am even more excited about the work the SIGs are doing and the potential of what the LIGs can accomplish at our chapter level! You are probably asking yourself, “Why is a LIG important to me?” Since project management is a broad profession, it covers many areas of industry and interest. A LIG provides you the opportunity to meet locally with people that share the same is-sues in a particular industry or focus area. The PMI/NJ chapter provides a broad range of knowledge to all chapter members, and a LIG can provide in depth concentration to your specific industry, knowledge base, skills or area of interest. You will be able to share best practices in your area of focus and have a broader understanding of what is happening within that industry or interest. The SIGs do great work, and now is the time to bring that great work, discussion and learning closer to home. Right in your own backyard! The objective of a LIG is to support activities and events for special interest groups at the chapter level. Each LIG assists chapter members that have an interest in a specific area to meet with each other in either an organized or informal meeting to exchange ideas and experiences specific to their interests or in-dustries. The intent of the LIGS is to help PMI/NJ to better

(Continued on page 5)

P M I C E R T I F I C A T I O N S J U N E 2 0 0 5 — J U L Y 2 0 0 5

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Riaz Abdul Manali Agarwal Rajeev Aggarwal Karma R. Alexander James A Alfano Karen M Aller Carmen D Allgaier Arvinder S Anand Lloyd G Ang Eric F Applewhite Praveen Arora Lori Artman Alexander Atran David A Badger Prabhu Balaraman Banuprasad R Bangalore Rajesh K. Bansal

Lewis R Baratz Newton C Barreto, Jr. Fred M. Barros Mike Bauer James M. Beamesderfer Ruben Bello Anthony Benedetto Vijaykiran Bhagwat Swaminathan Bhaskaran Yogita Rajshekhar Bhimpure Dhananjay S Bhosale Venkataramaraju Bhupatiraju Ketan Bhuptani Robert Birth Ricardo Blumberg Raymond R Bober Janine M Bongiorni

Dana M Bopp Sabyasachi Bose Sunil Bothra Rajashekar R Boya Jeffrey D Brasher Patrick M Brennan Marc S Brockman Barry Brown Morris E Brown Steven A Brown Carol A Brunsden, CPA Paparaju Buddhavarapu Ronald J Bush Robyn L Byers-Huang Daniel M Capparelli Andrea L. Cappellini Steve M. Carriere

Gail A Case Ted R Cates, II Wayne A Chadourne Ramkumar Chandramohan Angela H Chang Gang Chang Marshall S Checket Jean M Chen Grace Chio Lyn M Chirichillo Belinda Chow Hugh F Christine Larry Cohen Susan G Cohen Les J. Correia Sherree Cushner

(Continued on page 9)

The Chapter congratulates the following 381 PMI NJ Chapter members who achieved PMP certifications or recertification between June 2005 and July 2005. Of our 3,866 active members, 1,724 are PMPs (45%). We strive to provide the opportunity for the members to renew certification through participation in programs or actively serving the chapter. Remember that articles for this newsletter also qualify.

We've all heard stories of job candidates who looked great on paper but who were absolute disasters in person. With fewer interview opportunities available in our competitive job market, it's essential to make the best possible first impression. Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid these top five worst interview blunders: 1. Not preparing for the tough interview questions. Like every job seeker, you probably have your own set of tough interview questions you hope will never be asked. The best strategy is to prepare ahead of time with answers to ALL of these questions. A career coach can be a great resource for helping you work out suitable answers with a positive spin on negative or challenging career situations. 2. Failure to match communication styles. Making a great first impression is easier to do when you communi-cate effectively with your interviewer. The best way to do this is by mirroring his or her communication style. Allowing your inter-viewer to set the tone of the conversation will put him or her at ease and makes the conversation flow more naturally. For instance: • If the interviewer seems all business, don't attempt to loosen

him or her up with a joke or story. Be succinct and business-like.

• If the interviewer is personable, try discussing his or her inter-ests. Often personal items on display in the office can be a clue.

• If asked a direct question, answer directly. Then follow up by asking if more information is needed.

3. Talking too much. In my recruiting days, I abhorred over-talkative candidates, and so did most of my client employers who interviewed these candidates. Over-talking takes several forms: • Taking too long to answer direct questions. The impression:

This candidate just can't get to the point. • Nervous talkers. The impression: This candidate is covering up

something or is outright lying. To avoid either of these forms of over-talking, practice answering questions in a direct manner. Using role-playing in preparing for your interview will help you avoid excessive, nervous talking. 4. Saying negative things about your current or past employers or managers. Even if your last boss was Attila the Hun, avoid stating your ill

(Continued on page 5)

B E W A R E O F T H E T O P 5 I N T E R V I E W M I S T A K E S B Y D E B O R A H W A L K E R

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Recently, a number of different e-mails have been sent out that spoof “@pmi.org” e-mail accounts, by making it look like you are receiving an e-mail from PMI on which you need to take action. These e-mails are fakes and are not sent by PMI. They generally come with attachments that contain viruses. Easy ways to spot recent phony e-mails are as follows. Some are addressed to “Dear Pmi Member” with the 'm' and 'i' in lowercase. Some might be signed by the “Pmi Support Team” and attempt to give you a false sense of security regard-ing an attachment that comes with it, stating for example: “Attachment: No Virus (Clean) - Pmi Antivirus www.pmi.org”. Another clue is the body of the message itself; the description of the attachment is very vague, using wording such as "confirm the attached" or "see the details attached."

These messages do not mean that PMI has an internal network virus. The activity is simply called “e-mail spoofing” of @pmi.org e-mail addresses and is designed to deliver viruses or SPAM by making it look as if it is coming from a trusted source. Currently, this can not be prevented — individuals who engage in this activity may spoof any e-mail address to distrib-ute SPAM or viruses to others. Different technology compa-nies, including Microsoft, are currently working together to develop solutions to prevent e-mail spoofing. In the meantime, always be wary of e-mails with attachments. As an extra step, make sure you have anti-virus software in-stalled and that you schedule it to be updated DAILY, as new viruses are created every day. Another recommended action is to enable your anti-virus software to scan all incoming attach-ments to your e-mail. You may still receive the e-mail message that had the attached virus, but the attachment will be removed; your virus software will either delete or quarantine it.

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P M I F A K E E - M A I L S A P P E A R T O C O M E F R O M P M I . P L E A S E B E A L E R T !

feelings about the person or work situation. No matter how reasonable your complaints, your negative comments will be viewed as disrespect towards your boss. When faced with the challenge of talking about former employers, make sure you are prepared with a positive spin on your experiences. 5. Giving away too much salary and earnings information. Candidates often weaken their future earning potential by speaking too freely about their current income. No matter the official salary range of the position you are interviewing for, your current earnings have an enormous effect on the size of the offer. Investing in a career coach to help you answer salary

questions can add thousands of dollars to your new job offer. You already know that it takes a strong resume that sets you apart as a candidate of choice to be invited for an interview. The next step is to hone your interviewing skills to actually win job offers. Polishing your interviewing skills can mean the difference between getting the job and being a runner-up. ************************************************** Deborah Walker, CCMC Career Coach ~ Resume Writer Read more job-search tips and resume samples at www.AlphaAdvantage.com Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com

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B E W A R E O F T H E T O P 5 I N T E R V I E W M I S T A K E S ( C O N ’ T )

serve some of the specialized needs of segments of our chapter members. Please remember, the LIGs do not compete or conflict with the national SIGs or the local chapters, but are a complement to both PMI/NJ and SIGs to provide additional support to mem-bers. There are some formal guidelines that are followed for consistency and adherence to PMI standards. Currently we have several LIGs in various stages. They are:

Some potential LIGs to be formed:

For more information on forming a LIG or joining an existing LIG, please contact Judy Balaban, Director, LIG at: ligs@pminj.org

(Continued from page 2)

T H E R I G H T P L A C E , T H E R I G H T T I M E - L O C A L I N T E R E S T G R O U P S ( C O N ’ T )

• IS • Risk • Pharmaceutical • Networking

• International Develop-ment

• Manufacturing • Women in Project Mgmt • Retail • Oil, Gas & Petrochemi-

cal • Quality in Project Mgmt • Human Resources

• Marketing & Sales • Diversity Students of PM • Healthcare Project Mgmt • Information Technology

& Telecommunications • E-Business • Financial Services • Service & Outsourcing • Troubled Projects

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R I S K M A N A G E M E N T : H O W T O F I N D O P P O R T U N I T I E S A T T I T U D E

B Y D R . D A V I D H I L L S O N , P M P , F A P M

Describing risk as “uncertainty that mat-ters” allows for different types of conse-quences, and leading standards and guidelines define the concept of risk to include both upside as well as downside impacts. This means that the word “risk” can be used to describe uncertainties which if they occurred would have a negative or harmful effect, and the same word can also describe uncertainties which if they occurred would be helpful. In short, there are two types of risk: threats and opportunities. Accepting this in principle is one thing; using it in practice is another. The tradi-tional risk process (initiate, identify, as-sess/analyse, plan responses, implement, review) can clearly be used to handle both threats and opportunities. But peo-ple who have only used this process to identify and manage threats sometimes have problems extending it to deal effec-tively with opportunities. And the diffi-culties start right at the beginning: how can we identify opportunities? The first step is to be clear about what we are looking for: uncertainties which might or might not occur, but which if they did happen would help us to achieve our objectives, for example allowing us to work smarter, faster or cheaper.

Equally important is to know where to look for opportunities. There are at least four distinct ways of finding them: 1. Some opportunities arise from the

absence of threats. If the bad thing does not happen we might be able to take advantage of something good instead. For example, if poor indus-trial relations do not lead to a strike, we might be able to introduce an in-centive scheme and turn the situation round from negative to positive.

2. Other opportunities are the inverse of threats. Where a variable exists on a continuous scale and there is uncer-tainty over the eventual outcome, instead of just defining the risk as the downside it might also be possible to consider upside potential. For exam-ple, where the productivity rate on a new task is unknown, it might be lower than expected (a threat), or it might be higher (an opportunity).

3. We should also remember secondary risks, which are introduced by imple-menting a response to another risk. Sometimes by addressing one risk we can make things worse (the response creates a new threat), but it is also possible for our action to create a new opportunity. Avoiding potential de-lays to my car journey by taking the train might also allow me to do some useful work during the journey.

4. Lastly, we must not neglect “pure opportunities” which are unrelated to threats. These are simply unplanned good things which might happen. For example, a new design method might be released which we can apply to benefit our project. Or a new recruit to the team may unexpectedly possess a skill needed to solve a problem. This type of opportunity needs to be actively sought out, requiring fresh thinking and awareness of how poten-tial additional benefits might be cre-ated.

Opportunities cannot be managed unless they are identified. People familiar with identifying threats can start with these, then ask whether their absence or inverse might present an opportunity. Planned actions should also be examined to see whether they open up new possibilities to help us achieve our objectives. But “pure opportunities” must not be forgotten, since these often present the greatest po-tential upside of all. ********************************** To provide feedback on this Briefing Note, or for more details on how to develop effec-tive risk management, contact the Risk Doctor (info@risk-doctor.com), or visit the Risk Doctor website (www.risk-doctor.com)

P M I N J M E M B E R S H I P A U G 2 0 0 5 : M E M B E R S : 3 , 8 6 6 P M P : 1 , 7 2 4 ( 4 5 % )

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

9/00

12/00 3/0

16/0

19/0

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/01 3/02

6/02

9/02

12/02 3/0

36/0

39/0

312

/03 3/04

6/04

9/04

12/04 3/0

56/0

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20%

25%

30%

35%

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45%

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Members PMP# PMP%

There are two roles that every manager must perform that aren’t typically thought of as part of the manager’s job: 1) contributing to the building of a network of positive relationships both within the organization and between the organization and the outside world, and 2) building organizational capabil-ity for the long term. Since you, the project manager, are, in fact, a man-ager, you are also accountable for building relationships and capability, in addition to your regular job of creat-ing a project plan and monitoring and controlling that plan. Doing these addi-tional jobs well is a major challenge and one worthy of anyone who calls himself or herself a project manage-ment professional. Let’s talk about the team-building side

of your role. The first time you get the team together is for the project kick-off. Kick-off is critical because it launches the process by which you mold a group of individuals into a team, which consists of four stages: forming, storming, norming and per-forming, also know as the team devel-opment process. (This process is also known as Tuckman’s stages of team development.) The forming stage begins at kick-off, when individuals that haven't worked together before come together and need to get to know one another. They usually have questions in their minds, such as: • What’s this project about? • Who are the other people on the

team? Will I like working with them? Will they like me?

• Who is the leader? What is she like? Will I like him/her? Will (s)he like me?

• Am I going to be successful at this? How will this project affect me? What will I have to do?

You can help people answer these questions positively if you lead the kick-off session in the right way, or you can create negative answers if you lead it the wrong way. During the meeting, use some of the following techniques for addressing these ques-tions effectively include: 1) review the charter with them and resolve any is-sues they have with it, 2) help them get to know the other members of the team using introductions and/or some type of individual and/or team profiling,

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K I C K I N G - O F F A P R O J E C T & B U I L D I N G A T E A M

B Y : P A U L A K . M A R T I N , M A R T I N T R A I N I N G A S S O C I A T E S

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No matter what business you’re in, we’re all plagued by myths. They can be a system of beliefs in our organization, on our team or in our family. Project Man-agement is no different. We also can get tangled up in myths about efficiency and saving time that can actually end up thwarting our success. Here are five common myths that I often see in Project Management and some tips on how to avoid them. Myth #1 We don’t have time to back track Let’s face it, things happen. Customers change their minds about what they thought they wanted, market forces change, new threats and opportunities arise and new priorities surface. All of these changes can make the original goal of our project obsolete. Don’t fall into the trap of forging ahead without devel-oping a new project agreement and pro-ject plan. In my experience, it’s better to spend half a day re-launching the project based on the new project agreement then to create a final deliverable that no one wants, or to attempt to complete a pro-ject with inadequate resources and lack of support from the project sponsor. Make your project agreement a vibrant, living document that is written knowing there will be changes. Make it a docu-ment that everyone understands and feels a part of. When you write a project agreement and simply file it, it doesn’t breathe and set the stage for further com-munication and discussion through out the project. When you’re developing a new project plan from the new project agreement, you may also be able to use the interim deliverables you’ve already created for the new project, ultimately shortening the project cycle time for the new pro-ject.

Myth #2 Working well together is fluff stuff I’m not suggesting a group hug at every milestone. I’m talking about the impact on the project when people aren’t work-ing well together. The bad news is that an inability to work together towards a common goal can mean failure. The good news is that you can find the root of the cause and change behavior. Look for these gnarly roots: lack of commit-ment, lack of interaction, and lack of interest in constructively resolving con-flict. Many projects also lose and gain people during the execution of the pro-ject. When this happens, it is important that the team spend a half hour together developing their new team guidelines and meeting protocols. With any new people joining the team, it becomes a new team. Re-developing your guide-lines and protocols is done for the same reason it is done initially – to facilitate working relationships, to create a way to positively interact, and to prevent de-structive conflict. Don’t let “new” deter you, instead let new people bring new ideas and energy to the project. Myth #3 Document only what the boss wants to see Selling up is always important, but don’t stop the document with only what you want someone to see. It’s important to include the good, bad and the ugly. In-dustry standard Project Management practices require a critical project close-out phase that collects lessons learned and gives your organization powerful historical knowledge from across the enterprise. Think of it as giving every project a chance to take center stage and be a stand-up for the day. A company that can learn and grow, rather than con-tinually repeat mistakes will move faster. As an employee, it’s frustrating to recre-ate the wheel. It’s empowering when you see your work building upon others and vice versa.

Myth #4 Don’t beat a dead horse When you have success, it’s hard to overdo it with communication. People need to see, hear, smell and taste suc-cess, even small victories have a big impact. It’s important to communicate and show success with early adopters, so people will understand what you ’re do-ing and how they can be a part of the ongoing success. Myth #5 That’ll Never Fly Here Maybe you’ve been around the block, but don’t disregard the ideas of your team. For people to communicate, they have to be in an environment that is safe and that allows for some blue sky and off beat thinking. If you foster an environ-ment that shoots down ideas, then people will stop sharing ideas, and instead just take the easiest path with the least resis-tance. This is what we call mediocrity. The next time you conjure up one of these myths, stop and rethink your ap-proach. You can make changes – big and small – by beginning with your own awareness of them. Think of Project Management as a tool that clarifies, illu-minates and unifies, and ultimately brings you closer to the goal that is just ahead. ********************************* Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, is founder of Cheetah Project Management and au-thor of Cheetah Negotiations. Michelle has been designing and teaching accel-erated learning programs for business since the early '90's and traditional courses since the '80's.

F I V E P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T M Y T H S

B Y M I C H E L L E L A B R O S S E , C E O , C H E E T A H L E A R N I N G

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Michael P. D'Angelo Scott A Darvin Jane L Davenport Patricia L Davis James E Day Nicole J De Chiaro Kevin Van de Velde Richard L Del Mastro Anthony Delehanty Emil A D'Elia Michael D DeMelfi Thomas J Dennis Rosaria DErrico Kavita Desai Unmesh K Desai Mahesh S Deshpande Bernard A. DeSiena, II Ravi Shankar Deva-rayasamudram V. Gina M. Dinkey John DiPasquale Anthony DiSpirito Natalia Djamalova-Stacey Matthew J Doherty Timothy J Donald

Joseph F Donnelly, Jr. Michael P Donnelly, Sr. Paul Doris Pierre M Eade Denise A Elder-Walcott Tom P Elefante Jorge Eleta Richard F Eng Kenneth Ernst Paul A. Falcone Bryan P. Falvey Erin M Farrell Robert J Fatta Michael F. Fazelpoor Darryl S Fernandes Judith Finger Christine P. Fitzsimmons Leonid Flaksin Elizabeth Forman Olga Foskarino Robert E. Frederick Eric Gabelmann Shailesh K Gala James P Gallagher Siew P Gan David Gandarillas Kumarbaiju Gandhi

Robyn S Gerin Shahryar Ghandeharizadeh Tom Giedraitis Kevin Gilmartin Saadet O Gokbora Vidhyadhar Golatkar Steven E Goldstein Kenneth R Golkin Polly E Gongwer Irina Gordon James S Graham Charlette H Gray, CPA Michael D Greenshields Todd D Griffith, P.E. Basker Gummadi Gopinath N Gunti Shirish Gupta David E Hackett Elaine Haggar James M Handy Rajesh P Hase Mohamad Ayman Hashem, Conrad S Herholdt Matthew Hird Kerry A. Hoffman Eleanor Hoinowski Brian M Homer

Emily Hsu Kenneth Wolf, II Maria Imas Vincent J Ioia Robert B Jackson Bruce M Jacobi Sivaram Jagadeesan Anthony F. Jannuzzi Krishna Prasad Jayarajan Sasirekha Jayaraman Sanjeev M Joglekar Richard J Jung James F Kachler Mohamed M Kandil Shyam Kapoor Mikhail Karasik Nelly Karasik Venkata K Khadri Nitin Khapre Nikhil Khasnis George W Kibildis Hong Seop Kim Alovett J King Michael J King Dave Kinzler Marcia H. Kirton

(Continued from page 3)

(Continued on page 13)

P M I C E R T I F I C A T I O N S J U N E 2 0 0 5 — J U L Y 2 0 0 5 ( C O N ’ T )

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Every list which attempts to select the best, or the worst, of anything generates controversy. Why was that included? Why wasn’t this on the list? Why isn’t that ranked higher. Yet lists are useful because they’re an, albeit imperfect, en-capsulation of knowledge. So… ignoring the inevitable controversy, why do pro-jects fail? I’m almost certain that Pope Gregory the Great (6th Century) never worked on an IT project, but he did formalize a useful list of Human failings known as the Seven Deadly Sins. Today we know that short list as; Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed and Sloth. Should we be surprised to find that this list has some relevance, even if tongue in cheek, to failed projects? Pride From the instant a project starts, until it is accepted as either a success or failure, the best hope for successful completion is accurate and timely knowledge of pro-ject status. Trying to complete a project on time without knowing where it is, is like trying to fly a plane blindfolded. This is so obviously true that repeating it is almost pointless, yet… project after project fail because people will do any-thing to avoid admitting they’re falling behind schedule. The courage to commu-nicate early that we’ve encountered a problem is the best defense against fail-ure. Of course, creating a work environ-ment where "Courage" isn't necessary, is another option. Envy A team is a group of differently skilled people working together to achieve a common goal. Assuming this definition is sufficient (some argue it isn’t), it points to a common problem. When peo-ple do different things to achieve a joint goal, it is not uncommon for them to receive different rewards and benefits. If these inequities are significant, they re-sult in people working against each other, to the detriment of success. Why

should I work as hard a Bill if my reward is less? Reward equity is important to people. Gluttony We like large projects, they challenge us. There’s also a tremendous amount of Ego and Reputation at risk if we reject a project. All of this is a non issue if we’re good at large projects, but typically we’re not. We lack experience with them, we’re more familiar with average projects. In reality, sometimes good pro-ject management requires that we reject a project. Lust Is there a greater flaw in the IT industry? We LOVE technology and think nothing of starting an important, crucial project using a new shiny toys, a technology with no proven ability, a technology with which we’ve had zero experience. If this weren’t so prevalent in the industry it would be an insult to every reader to even mention it, but it is a failing of most ITers… and since we’re mostly male, it can be summed up with the female sigh of despair, “Boys and their Toys”. Anger “Project Management requires people management skills”, that statement should be obviously true. Yet if we con-sider the stated reasons why people are promoted to Project Manager, we’re almost forced to believe that Project Management is a technical skill. It isn’t. It never was. It can't be. Most, not all, new managers have little, if any, people management skills, and seldom receive training in this area. We seem to operate under the belief that if Jim can plan, track, code, design or test etc., then Jim can manage. Many projects fail because of poor management, sometimes so poor that shouting and tantrums are used as tactics to increase productivity.

Greed Want to crash a project? Try to complete it on time with fewer resources than you need to complete it on time. This is an-other one of those simplistic statements which should be unnecessary, but based on experience, it isn’t stated or listened to often enough. The proper tools and resources won’t guarantee success, but they’ll make it unnecessary to constantly demand superhuman effort and personal sacrifice in the name of profit. Sloth The most peculiar, and effective PM strategy I’ve come across, is to act as if the deadline six months away is tomor-row’s deadline. We all have a tendency to start in repose and finish in haste. Next month’s deadline tends not to be-come an issue until we replace ‘month’ with ‘week’, or even worse with ‘day’. We’re all familiar with the joke that 90% of a project gets completed in the last 10% of the schedule. If we start early, then we’re putting up an impenetrable defense against Murphy’s hordes. Summary? While projects do fail due to technical reasons, the vast majority of failures are due to human foibles, and those are as obvious, and as easy to over-come as they were in the 6th Century. ********************************* Used with permission. © 2005, Peter de Jager – Guess what? Peter has a pas-sionate, almost obsessive, fascination with this thing called Change. If you’d like to inject some of his passion and focus to your organization’s change management process… then contact him at pdejager@technobility.com

T H E S E V E N D E A D L Y S I N S O F P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T B Y P E T E R D E J A G E R

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such as thinking or behavioral styles, 3) have an icebreaker, and 4) have the team participate in planning the pro-ject. If you’ve done a good job of putting people at ease and addressing their forming stage questions, you’re ready to move onto the next stage - Storm-ing. This stage may also occur at kick-off if you’re using the kick-off meeting to begin the planning phase of the pro-ject. During storming, you’ll find dis-agreements erupting about what needs to be done and who should do it. You’ll know you’re in storming when you hear, “I can’t,” and “that’s not possible“. As much as you might like to, you

can’t skip over the storming stage; you need to move through it. Here are some tips for moving through storm-ing: 1) use a participative project man-agement process so that everyone gets to help build the project plan, 2) clearly define roles and responsibili-ties, 3) encourage everyone to contrib-ute their own point of view, 4) use par-ticipative decision-making and prob-lem-solving processes to reach consen-sus, 5) use a conflict resolution process to resolve conflicts, and 6) practice good communication skills in the form of effective listening and constructive feedback. If you do it right, you’ll breeze through storming and head right into norming, and then into performing – where you will have performed your job of building team relationships.

Remember, your style and approach at the kick-off meeting are the first im-pression you make with your team, so set a good one by being prepared, in-clusive and open - encouraging ques-tions and participation - and finally, being supportive so they can answer their questions about you and the pro-ject positively. ************************ ****** Paula Martin is the CEO of Martin Training Associates (MTA), which spe-cializes in project management, change accountability and matrix management. See our website for in-formation on our new Quick Guide series, the first of which is titled: Spon-soring a Project. For more informa-tion call 866-922-3122.

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K I C K I N G - O F F A P R O J E C T & B U I L D I N G A T E A M ( C O N ’ T )

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PMI is currently accepting applications for Component Mentor vol-unteers for the 2006-2007 term. The deadline for applications is 15 October 2005. As a Component Mentor volunteer your commitment would be to component operational excellence through communica-tions, coaching and mentoring. See PMI's Web site under Volunteer Opportunities for more information. (patricia.richardson@pmi.org)

S E E K I N G C O M P O N E N T M E N T O R V O L U N T E E R S

Construction Executive, the magazine for the business of construc-tion, spoke with PMI CEO Gregory Balestrero for its June 2005 arti-cle, “Keeping a Happier, More Efficient Workforce.” The publication reaches more than 44,000 top management decision-makers in con-struction and construction-related firms across the U.S. The article discussed the time and resources construction-industry companies are increasingly using to retain workers, noting that train-ing, such as PMI’s project management professional (PMP®) certifi-cation, is a worthwhile long-term investment that improves the bot-tom line and provides project managers with a lifelong skill set. “We work with individuals to make them excellent at what they do,” Mr. Balestrero said. “And we work with organizations to prepare them for providing excellence.”

P M I C E O P R O M O T E S P M I I N N A T I O N A L M A G A Z I N E

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P M I C E R T I F I C A T I O N S J U N E 2 0 0 5 — J U L Y 2 0 0 5 ( C O N ’ T )

Judith A. Koldewyn Raja Ravikanth Kolluri Richard V Kong Koteswara R Konuru Balaji Koppala Brian Koppel Anna Kottaras Robert Kowalskie Dennis Krasilshchikov Scott A. Krawitz Janice Kressen Sarangadh M Krishnapurath Randy D Kulzer Manoj Kumar Samir Kumar Thomas A Kwolek Lawrence M. Lanwehr Warren D Leatherman, Jr. Frances S Lee Sophy R Lee Laszlo J Lencses Irma A Leong Fred S Leske Bruce R. Levin David J Lewis Jing Li Xiaobing Li Charles G Librizzi Maria A Lindell Joanne P Lindstrom Sudhakar Lingineni Donald Link Tut Y Liu Christopher J Lohrman Daniel A Lotto Edward Louie Nancy J Luciano Sandra Lugo Barbara Lustiger Jayaram Madiraju Shankar P. Madiraju Griselda G Magnaye Robert P Maguire Ganesan Mahadevan Sandeep Mahajan Raymond Majewski Udaya S Majji Brian A Makas Puja Malhotra Hirsch Malik Arul K Manickam Gregory J Massey

Mukhtiyar H Master Mudit S Mathur Paul A. Mattaliano, Jr. Steven P McDarby Richard W McGinley Ashu Mehta Darrell N. Member Mildred Mendez Vinod Mendiratta Jayaprakash Menon Rakesh G Menon Zuzar H Merchant John L Miller Pawan Misra Anthony Moniello Brian R Morgan Robert L Mozenter Klaus Mueller Kumaravel Munuswamy Ashok Muralidharan James R Nance, Jr. Ameurfina H Nazario Lisa M Nicholson Cornelius Noordyk,III Francisco A. Novoa Ronald L Omegna Peniel Ortega Helen Otashevich Radesh P. Mathew Jojy, P.E. Kanagaparabil G Padinja-ruveetil Efstratios Pagidas Clifford Paino Byung T. Pak Veera P Palagiri Vinod U Pallat Debbie A Palmer Melissa S Palmer Kristine B Pascual Frank J Pastrana Patricia Pearson Lydia Petronino Sreeramam Peyyety William H Phillips, Jr. Charles E. Pierce Kevin J Pierre Sebastian Piotrowski Mehul Pipalia Shekhar G Potdar Pankaj Puri Sandra H Quail Timothy R Quilty Nicholas J. Rafanello

Arvind Raja Ravindran Ramaswamy Nadine T Ranade Vijayakumar Rangaraj Ashish K Rathi Anil K. Ravula Sudaragunta S. Reddy Eric Rehr Wayne E. Relyea Steven J Reynolds Charles J Ritchie Michael A Rivera Sanchita Roy Tatiana Rozenblum Diane G. Russomanno Daniel F Ryan, Jr. Satinder S Sadhar Ram K Saini Vimmi R Salem Dana M Saltern Alon B Sanie Panagiotis Sardis Himgouri P Sawant Shailesh Saxena Michael D Scalia Froozan F Scampato Jennifer J Schlein Deborah Schmidt Corey W Schwab Robert T Scott Thomas J Seelinger Sowrirajan Seshadri Ramesh Shanmugam Sadiq Shariff Anjana Sharma Rakesh Sharma James J Sheehy Jay P Singh Ravi Sista Maria C Small Albert H Smith Andrea M Snitofsky Sonal Sokolowski Mark Stahl Robert R Stammer Mark Stefanacci Lawrence P Stern, CPA Wesley C Stillwell Laura J Sturm Manu M Subbaiah Venkatesh C Subramanyam Martin J Szewczyk Eileen S Szperka Venkatesh Taduvayi

Kiran K Talasila Joseph C Talik, Jr. Peter Tarhanidis Bhuvan Thakur Pramod Thewarkar Arun Kumar Thirunavuk-karasu Ambooken Sony Thomas Igor Tosic James Tropp Jay Tze Koteswara R Ummaneni Denis A. Urusov Srivatsa Rajkumar V Ku-rucheti Kumar V Vadaparty Stacey L Valdez Surya Vangala Ashok Vantipalli Thirumalai Varadarajan Dharmendra Varma Sankaranarayanan Vasudevan Vani Vedula Louis V Veltri Alex Vengerovsky Krishna Moorthy Venkatara-manan Sergio F. Vera Derek J Visker Rosemina Vohra Hitesh Vora Devaki V. Wagle Diane K Walsh John A Walsh Heng Wang Patricia Ware Shumei W Warren Alex Wei Michael C Weinberg Leonard P. Westermann Bernadine White-Karl Donald E Witte Piotr Woch Richard Wolf Susan C. Wolf Verrise Wooten Shrinivas V Yawalkar Kalyan C Yerragunta Craig Q Young Barbara Zaharioudakis William Zaklis Di Zheng Yexiang J Zhou James Z Zou

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