Dealing With Scope Creep in Project Management
We’ve all been there. You’re creating a project’s deliverables, and the next thing you know, you’re three rounds deep in a revision cycle that doesn’t seem to end. If you can point to a similar instance, you’ve experienced scope creep. But what exactly is it, and how...
Time Tracking To Increase Your Productivity
We’ve all been there. It’s suddenly 5 o’clock on Friday, and our to-do list is staring back at us, untouched, despite us spending the week glued to our desks. Time management is one of the most difficult aspects of productivity. It’s easy to feel like there’s just not...
Agile Elements Keep a Project Moving
Shift happens. Shift happens everywhere. The world around us changes so quickly. Family. Politics. The environment. Business. It's naive to think that things will happen exactly as we plan them. We only fool and frustrate ourselves when we get bent out of shape...
Decisions Require Action
"Never leave the scene of a decision without taking an action."-Tony Robbins I'm a serial decision maker. I take a special joy in making grandiose proclamations about my new life choices. For me, these decisions are usually related to drastic eating changes and how...
Lean for Project Managers
I have been learning and practicing Lean and Six Sigma for the past 18 years, and it's been an awesome journey. This journey has allowed me to learn and think about work and processes from a customer’s perspective. I studied engineering as an undergrad and business as...
Personal Empowerment
I read an article recently by Maryville University titled, "7 Tips for Achieving Self-Empowerment”. It was written to encourage people who are considering going back to school. One of the key lines in the introductory paragraph is, "Self-empowered people take control...
How Your Ego Can Get in the Way of Your Success
Many moons ago when I was a newly-minted project manager, I had a peer approach me after a meeting I had led. This peer asked me if I was open to feedback. To be honest, I use the term “peer” rather loosely. He was about 20 years my senior, had done a stint in the...
Bringing Fun Into the Workplace
Lately, I've had way more work than I've had time. I've overbooked myself, but thankfully, it’s slowly getting better. This is sometimes a good problem to have… but I don't want to repeat it. As I extended the amount of time that I worked, I edged out my morning...
Try New Things. People Aren’t Sitting Around Thinking About You!
Just try it. No one is watching. No one is thinking about you. They are busy thinking about themselves; they’re thinking that you are watching them. You can either see this as encouraging or sad. Here is why I'm choosing encouragement: Most of the things I delay on...