Minneapolis Bound for Project Management Leadership Meetings

Heading to Minneapolis for Project Management Institute (PMI) Region 2 Leadership Meetings.  Thursday will be the Strategic Alignment Group, we plan out our next two years as well as work on projects that will support the Chapter Leaders.

Friday and Saturday are networking and brainstorming meetings, role specific, to help advance individual leadership competencies.

I am hoping to get a round of golf in Saturday afternoon, then heading back to the Bend on Sunday.  Catch you next week.

From Certifiable to Certified :o)

It has been a challenging couple of weeks with getting ready for vacation, training, and Christmas, but it paid off today.  After a four hour exam with 200 questions, 70 of which I marked as "review", and changing at least 10 of those, I clicked the "End Exam" button.....

And as my heart rate increased with each end of exam survey question I answered (damn you testing place!), I got the sequel server twirling circle, and then there it was "CONGRATULATIONS".

Over the next week, I hope to get back to regular blogging.

International Project Management Day 2010

November 4, 2010* marks the 7th Annual International Project Management Day (IPM Day). IPM Day was established as a way of recognizing the extraordinary efforts made by project management professionals everywhere - across industries and geographies.


Have you hugged a project manager today?

History, Do Not Repeat Failures!

Top reasons projects, or other endeavors, fail:

• Poor alignment.  Are you aligned with organizational vision?
• Bad Planning.  If you fail to plan, then plan to fail.
• Lack of Executive Support.  Do not wrestle with issues on your own, engage leadership.
• Incomplete Requirements.  Build consensus.
• Unclear Expectations.  Set expectations and establish acceptable deviations.
• Scope Creep.  Uncontrolled changes can be a bust, protect your boundaries.
• Lack of Resources.  Do more with less, you need to apply your people skills.
• Choice of technology.  Make sure you exercise robust due diligence.
• Inexperience.  Know your strengths and weaknesses, and those of your team.

Take Charge!

Are you ready for action?

Do not wait for an opportunity to come your way, be willing to act on instinct, without endlessly analyzing everything.  Below are some qualities of "doers":


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• Know what you want (desire).  Have clear purpose, mission, scope, and objectives.
• Push yourself to act.  Push beyond your comfort zone.
• Take risks.  Take a gamble now and then.
• Do not be afraid to make a mistake.  
• Change your mindset.  Do not hesitate to take action.
• Take stock of your assets, talents, and resources.
• When opportunity is presented, make the jump.

Be a doer, not a blamer.