Everyone likes to have choice. No, that's not quite correct. These days people demand choice, especially in the arena of consumer goods and services. The more choicethe better, it would seem - or at least the manufacturers would have you

#048 - A Practical Case Study in Cost-Benefit Analysis - did you want Popcorn with that?

Nov 14th, 2014

Cost-Benefit AnalysisA process by which you weigh expected costs against expected benefits to determine the best (or most profitable) course of action.http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/cost-benefit-analysisAfew years ago I was at a

#047 - Why we all need a little Project FIRST AID

Nov 13th, 2014

I recently attended an Outdoor First Aid course at Camp Waingaro, which is an old scout hall nestled in 19 hectares of New Zealand bush. Quite a long way from anywhere - or at least it felt like it when I found that I could nolonger get a

#046 - Index Card Planning - An interview with Bryan Barrow

Sep 9th, 2014

Today's interview is with Bryan Barrow, a widely recognized Project Management and Risk Management consultant and Speaker. Bryan is the founder of Nova Consulting Ltd in the UK. Over the past twenty years, he hasworked with Project Mana

#045 - If only every Project ran like an old Honda Civic

Aug 13th, 2014

When I was in my late teens, I bought my first car. My friends were all doing the same - we all had our licenses and we wanted to put them to good use. Of course, not having a lot of money, we each ended up buying older, cheaper cars. I bou

#044 - What's the big deal with Team Sports, anyway?

Jul 10th, 2014

When I was a child, I didn't like sports. Well, that's not exactly true - I loved swimming and spent almost every day during my young summers in the water at our local pool, and was part of the swim team. Wrinkly skin, and a persistent sm

#043 - Dis-Orientation: The importance of Project Vision

Jun 13th, 2014

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." Proverbs 29:18 One of the most important things you will do as a leader or Project Manager is to communicate a compelling vision to your team or organization. It not only sets the direction

#042 - May Your Projects Never Be Late Again: Secrets from a Road Trip

May 26th, 2014

How do you make sure your projects complete on time? When you set a deadline, you are supposed communicate it to everyone, right? Then, presumably,the entire team will work towards that date, vendor and client alike, to make it happen.Tha

#041 - All I want is a little change to the Project Scope...

Apr 21st, 2014

The Cost of ChangeWe have all heard about how the cost of change increases exponentially the further you are along the path of project delivery. If the unit of effort is, say, (1) at requirements stage to accommodate a feature change, in

#040 - Is your Project Team like a Light Switch...or a Candle?

Mar 24th, 2014

A few years ago I went on a fly-fishing trip with a group of work colleagues. I was working on a project in New Zealand, and we were going to be staying in an old company-owned holiday "bach" just outside of Taupo. You could book these propert

#039 - May I have your Attention, Please?

Mar 16th, 2014

You know the drill - anyonewho has ever flown on a commercial airline has heard this announcement from the flight attendant, usually followed by a safety briefing video and a demonstration by the crew. Most of us briefly look up, see the

#038 - Have YOU Exploited your Project Team Today?

Dec 8th, 2013

Let me ask you an important question:Have you Exploited your Project Team Today? Wait a minute, Exploit your Project Team? You are probably thinking - He can't be serious. That's a horrible, evil thing to do, right?Youprobably also have

#037 - Your Fifteen Minutes of ... Productivity?

Oct 24th, 2013

Fifteen minutes of Fame- we all seem to want it, and according to some we are all due our fifteen minutes in the limelight. Well, maybe, or maybe not. I am sure that the law of averages has something to say about that, and more likely some

#036 - Roadside Checkup: How Clear is your Project Vision?

Oct 14th, 2013

When I was fifteen, I spent the summer visiting my relatives in Alberta. Nothing unusual about that, as we did that most summers. We would usually drive the nearly 14 hours to Calgary and then spend a few very enjoyable weeksvisiting the g

#035 - Protect your project from Zombie Outbreaks

Aug 1st, 2013

zom·bie \ˈzäm-bē\ noun 1. Formal.a. the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.b. the supernatural force itself 2. Informal.

#034 - Too High, Too Fast - Project Asphyxiation

Jul 30th, 2013

I have, for much of my life, lived close to sea level. Most people don't think too much about altitude, unless they travel a lot, climb mountains, or are professional athletes. If you live near hills or near mountains, you might not even

#033 - Do you have enough Rope? A Lesson in Being Prepared

Mar 19th, 2013

Have you ever saved a life?In an emergency, can you do what it takes to help someone? Could you rescue them from a life-or-death situation? Perhaps you might think I am being a bit dramatic, but it's a serious question. Are you prepared?

#032 - Sense, Sensibility and Perception: There's no accounting for Taste

Feb 4th, 2013

A colleague of mine has no taste. None at all - either he lost it in early childhood or he never had it, he can't exactly remember. I am not being mean about his clothing or sense of style - I am being quite literal. His taste buds do not

#031 - New Year, New Project - Don't forget the PARTY!

Feb 3rd, 2013

Happy New Year - and welcome to your new project! The start of the calendar year often marks the start of new projects; the old year is done, the new year is fresh and full of potential. Everyone is rested from the break and raring to go..

#030 - Working with Teams: Interview with Chris Cattaway

Jan 7th, 2013

Today's interview is with with Chris Cattaway, an expert in building successful teams.Chris's experience ranges from designing and project managing multi-million dollar telecommunications systems to leading disaster response teams in Africa

#029 - Pick Me! Pick Me! ...What is YOUR Essential Value Proposition?

Nov 15th, 2012

When my father graduated from university and got his first job as an Electrical Engineer, his manager told him the following on his first day:"Congratulations on earning your degree. But I want you to know the only thing it shows me is that y

#028 - From the Playground to the Olympics: What NOT to do in Team Development

Nov 2nd, 2012

"I got here first!""No, I did!""Me!""No, me!" I just got back from a three day school camp with my youngest son. We went to new and interesting places each day, and everywhere we went, walking or driving,the adults were constantly

#027 - Whole Brain Team Development: An Interview with Lynne Schinella

Oct 12th, 2012

Today's interview is with Lynne Schinella, an expert on building “whole brain” organizations and teams.Lynne Schinella is an authority on masterful communication in the 21st century. She believes that at the heart of all great communica

#026 - Project Pain Management: The Good, The Bad and the Useful

Oct 3rd, 2012

Definition of PAINa: a state of physical, emotional, or mental lack of well-being or physical, emotional, or mental uneasiness that ranges from mild discomfort or dull distress to acute often unbearable agony, may be generalized or localiz

#025 - Would you know an Unacceptable Risk if it jumped up and bit you?

Sep 14th, 2012

When I was younger, I was quite risk-averse. I said "no" to a lot of things that some might consider a "safe-ish" activity - like Bungee Jumping or riding a motorcycle. (Dirt bikes were OK though, because I never got going that fast).So w

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