Project management coaching and career development tips
Looking for how to configure the Due Date or other fields in JIRA is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Here’s the step-by-step instructions: 1.Click Project Settings on the left sidebar 2.Click Fields in the left sidebar 3.Click the Edit icon (it’s the pencil in the red box highlighted in the screenshot above) … Read more
By now, the result of the Canadian Federal Election held on September 20 would be known. Was it a good decision by the people of Canada? I believe James Surowiecki thinks so. After all, what is a general election if not a decision made following “The Wisdom of Crowds”? There are some basic assumptions though, … Read more
The role of Program Manager exists in many organizations but there is some ambiguity around whether this is an operational-type role or a project-based role. What is the difference? In my experience, operational Program Managers are more widespread than project-based ones. There is no end date to operational programs. The Program Manager is expected to … Read more
The value add of a project manager tends to be missed if you do a good job and everything goes smoothly. If a project was a one-year international road trip, the project manager: Maps out the entire journey Foresees problems along the way e.g. forest fires resulting in road closures, bad weather necessitating slower speeds, … Read more
I recently became upset at someone because I observed certain behaviours and told myself a narrative about why this person did what they did. That started a spiral of negative emotion fueling an imagined narrative, that in turn amplified the negative emotion, and boosted the story with even more negative charge–over and over again. When … Read more
In many project management offices, the term “smart failure” is shunned. It’s not smart to be associated with any project or initiative with even a hint of failure. Thomas Edison begs to differ: On progressive elaboration, iterative development, and lessons learnt:• Results! Why, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things … Read more
I was walking in a beautiful nature park when I came across this plaque with a photo. I have encountered many plaques before but this is the first time I saw one with a photo so I stopped to read it. Melda reached beyond the grave to inspire me; she caused me to reflect on … Read more
Ideas come from everywhere and everyone. And yes, we tend to think that anyone can come up with bad ideas. We expect good ideas to come from people whom we think of as creative: thought leaders, speakers, authors; product managers, leaders, executives; those higher up who move in influential circles. However, great ideas do come … Read more
Like every other Olympic event, Tokyo 2020 is a mega project, likely a portfolio of projects involving sectors as diverse as construction, sports, event management, marketing, transportation, and in 2021, healthcare. Cities who host the Olympics benefit from an injection of funds for infrastructure projects for public transportation and sports arenas. Within the triple constraint … Read more
Failure acts like a compass to your success. To recognize what you’re great at, acknowledge and accept what you’re bad at. The ego thinks it can be good at everything but in reality we all have strengths and weaknesses. To build a great team, each player needs an area of specialization. Surround yourself with people … Read more