Invest in Yourself: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Showing posts with label PROJECT MANAGEMENT. Show all posts

Napoleon Hill's 10 Principles of Personal Achievement ..

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve

Lesson 1: Definiteness of Purpose - Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Without a purpose and a plan, people drift aimlessly through life.

Lesson 2: Mastermind Alliance - Success does not come without the cooperation of others.

Lesson 3: Going the Extra Mile - It's never crowded along the extra mile. Do more than is required. If you want to succeed at any job, make yourself invaluable. Go the extra mile; make them never be able to imagine what life without you there would be like.

Lesson 4: Personal Initiative - Personal initiative is the power that inspires the completion of that which one begins.

Lesson 5: Positive Mental Attitude - Success attracts more success while failure attracts more failure.

Lesson 6: Enthusiasm - Enthusiasm is faith in action. It is the intense emotion known as burning desire. It comes from within, although it radiates outwardly in the expression of one’s voice and countenance.

Lesson 7: Self-Discipline - If you do not control your thoughts, you cannot control your needs.

Lesson 8: Accurate Thinking - The power of thought is the most dangerous or the most beneficial power available to man, depending on how it is used.

Lesson 9: Teamwork - Unity is strength when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.

Lesson 10: Creative Vision - Vision is developed by the free and fearless use of one’s imagination. It is not a miraculous quality with which one is gifted or is not gifted at birth. Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.

ref: http://www.success.com/article/napoleon-hills-17-principles-of-personal-achievement

Value Proposition: Employee Value Addition

"Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without integrity, you really want them to be dumb and lazy"
-

A Value Proposition is a promise of value to be delivered and acknowledged. It is also a belief from the customer how value (benefit) will be delivered and experienced. “A business is a ”, that defines value proposition as “a clear, simple statement of the benefits, both tangible and intangible, that the company will provide, along with the approximate price it will charge each customer segment for those benefits”.

The value proposition is to differentiate the brand from competitors. It convinces a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings. Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is the balance of the rewards and benefits that are received by employees in return for their performance at the workplace.

Every employee should add value to the team/organization that they are serving. is all about filling the gaps that team/organization has at that point of time. Value addition is 100% context based. Your value is always assessed based on your contribution to the team. Your past value addition is no guarantee for your future value addition. It's always based on current context(eco system).

If an employee is not adding value to the team then it's a clear indication that -

1. Figure out the value to be unlocked in the same team and excel in it.

2. Employee has to look out for a job in another team in the current company where his value can be appreciated.

3. Shift to another company where you can add value.

4. Believe in yourself and start own company.

How to add value to your employer -

1. Create BRAND for yourself - Accept the most difficult task in your team, Excel in it. You got to be the in your team during critical times.

2. Invest in yourself - Upgrade yourself to the latest trends and figure out how those skills can be used best in your current job. The of the team.

3. Talk less and do more - Do not waste time in justifying what you think is RIGHT. Just do it and show the results as results speak out louder than words.

4. Be proactive - Do not ever miss a chance to express your opinions. Do not be a doormat in the team. Always remember the big picture and align yourself to what is CRITICAL to your team.

5. Respect team - Everyone wants to be appreciated. It's the basic need for human beings to be appreciated. It feels good and makes us wanted. Never disrespect your team members. Everyone has a place to add value to the team.

6. Make yourself predictable - Predictable delivery of work increases management's confidence in you. Drive and execute to get work done before deadline dates. Deliver than expected. Managing the expectations is the KEY.

7. Be a Mentor - Share your experiences with other team members. Learn from other's success/failure. Increase your circle of influence by mentoring people in your team/organization.

ref:

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_proposition

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_value_proposition

  http://www.fastcompany.com/3027382/work-smart/5-ways-to-be-a-team-player-without-turning-into-a-doormat

Conflict Resolution ..

"Conflict is an unavoidable component of human activity" - Brahnam et al., (2005:p204)

Conflict arises from differences. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. Sometimes these differences look trivial, but when a conflict triggers strong feelings, a deep personal need is at the core of the problem - a need to feel safe and secure, a need to feel respected and valued, or a need for greater closeness and intimacy. Conflict Resolution otherwise known as , is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution.

Tips for managing and resolving conflict:

Managing and resolving conflict requires , self-control, and . It can be tricky, frustrating, and even frightening. You can ensure that the process is as positive as possible by sticking to the following conflict resolution guidelines:

1. Make the relationship your priority - Maintaining and strengthening the relationship,rather than “winning” the argument, should always be your first priority.

2. Be respectful of the other person and his or her viewpoint.

3. Pick your battles - Conflicts can be draining, so it’s important to consider whether the issue is really worthy of your time and energy. Maybe you don't want to surrender a parking space if you’ve been circling for 15 minutes. But if there are dozens of spots, arguing over a single space isn’t worth it.

4. Focus on the present - If you’re holding on to old hurts and resentments, your ability to see the reality of the current situation will be impaired. Rather than looking to the past and assigning blame, focus on what you can do in the here and now to solve the problem.

5. Be willing to forgive - Resolving conflict is impossible if you’re unwilling or unable to forgive. Resolution lies in releasing the urge to punish, which can never compensate for our losses and only adds to our injury by further depleting and draining our lives.

6. Know when to let something go - If you can’t come to an agreement, . It takes two people to keep an argument going. If a conflict is going nowhere, you can choose to disengage and move on.

5 Strategies for Dealing with Conflict:

1. Compete or Fight - This is the classic win/lose situation, where the strength and power of one person wins the conflict. It has its place, but anyone using it needs to be aware that it will create a loser and if that loser has no outlet for expressing their concerns, then it will lead to severe hurt.

2. Collaboration - This is the ideal outcome. a win/win situation. However, it requires input of time from those involved to work through the difficulties, find a way to solve the problem that is agreeable to all and may take a long time but will produce great results in end.

3. Compromise or Negotiation - This is likely to result in a better result than win/lose, but it’s not quite win/win. Both parties give up something, in favor of an agreed mid-point solution. It takes less time than collaboration, but is likely to result in less commitment to the outcome.

4. Denial or Avoidance - This is where everyone pretends that there is no problem. It will create a lose/lose situation, since there will still be bad feeling, but no clearing the air through discussion, and results.In short - ‘I’m not OK, you’re not OK’.

5. Smoothing Over the Problem - On the surface, harmony is maintained, but underneath, there is still conflict. It’s similar to the situation above, except that one person is probably OK with this smoothing, while the other remains in conflict, creating a win/lose situation again. It can work where preserving a relationship is more important than dealing with the conflict right now, but is not useful if others feel the need to deal with the situation.

ref:

- http://www.edcc.edu/counseling/documents/Conflict.pdf

- https://hbr.org/2007/11/how-to-manage-conflict/

Solutions Thinking ..

Solution Thinking involves evaluating a current problem or situation and determining a reasonable, practical plan to attack that problem or situation. The mindset is:

There is a solution to this problem or situation
I possess the skills, talents, and resources to discover the solution
I will devise a workable plan and make it work.

There are three key principles to working in a solutions focused way:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Once you know what works, do more of it.
If it's not working, do something different.

Tools/Frameworks that help in Solutions Thinking journey:

Cynefin Framework explores the relationship among "man, experience, and context" and proposes new approaches to communication, decision-making, policy-making, and knowledge management in complex social environments.It has five domains -

Obvious - Relationship between cause and effect is obvious to all, the approach is to Sense - Categorize - Respond and we can apply best practice.
Complicated - Relationship between cause and effect requires analysis or some other form of investigation and/or the application of expert knowledge, the approach is to Sense - Analyze - Respond and we can apply good practice.
Complex - Relationship between cause and effect can only be perceived in retrospect, but not in advance, the approach is to Probe - Sense - Respond and we can sense emergent practice.
Chaotic - Relationship between cause and effect at systems level, the approach is to Act - Sense - Respond and we can discover novel practice.
Disorder - State of not knowing what type of causality exists, in which state people will revert to their own comfort zone in making a decision.

The Kano Model of Customer satisfaction divides product attributes into three categories. A competitive product meets basic attributes, maximizes performances attributes, and includes as many delight attributes as possible at a cost the market can bear.

Google HEART framework User Experience metrics fall into five specific categories -

Happiness: Measures of user attitudes, often collected via survey.
Engagement: Level of user involvement, typically measured via behavioral proxies such as frequency, intensity, or depth of interaction over some time period.
Adoption: New users of a product or feature.
Retention: The rate at which existing users are returning.
Task Success: Traditional behavioral metrics of user experience, such as efficiency (e.g. time to complete a task), effectiveness (e.g. percent of tasks completed), and error rate. This category is most applicable to areas of your product that are very task-focused, such as search or an upload flow.

ref:

A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making(Cynefin Framework) - https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making

The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated world - http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~brooks/storybiz/kurtz.pdf

Strategic Insight in Three Circles - https://hbr.org/2007/11/strategic-insight-in-three-circles

Start with Why: Creating a value proposition with the Golden Circle model - http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/online-value-proposition/start-with-why-creating-a-value-proposition-with-the-golden-circle-model/

Complete Guide to Kano Model - http://foldingburritos.com/kano-model/

Understanding Kano Model - https://articles.uie.com/kano_model/

Measuring the User Experience on a Large Scale: User-Centered Metrics for Web Applications(Google HEART metrics) - http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.com/en//pubs/archive/36299.pdf

Diffusion of Innovations Book by - http://www.amazon.com/Diffusion-Innovations-5th-Everett-Rogers/dp/0743222091

Books for Students ..

Books for Students:

1. How to Win Friends & Influence People(Dale Carnegie)

2. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People(Stephen R. Covey)

3. The Power of Positive Thinking(Norman Vincent Peale)

4. The Magic of Thinking Big(David Schwartz)

5. Developing the Leader Within You(John C. Maxwell)

6. The Greatest Salesman in the World(Og Mandino)

7. Think and Grow Rich(Napoleon Hill)

8. Who Moved My Cheese(Spencer Johnson)

9. Built to Last(Jim Collins)

10. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference(Malcolm Gladwell)

Effective Goal Setting ..

Setting goals is a matter of knowing what you want and properly allocating your resources - primarily time and money - to reach your desired ends. Create SMARTPLUS(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, Timely ,Positive, Linked, Unbundled, Shifting) goals ..

Your Goal Statement Template:

1. Goal =>

I will know I'have met this goal when:
I will accomplish this goal by/within:

Things that motivate employees more than MONEY

ref:

You don’t need to be hot; You just need to be successful and those are two different things. Success often comes from doing a few things extraordinarily well and noticeably better than the competition.

1. Catch People in the act of doing things Right not Wrong: Everyone wants to be recognized and it's the basic instinct of being a human and good news is that it’s one of the easiest things to give. Appreciate every improvement that you see your team members make.

2. Make your ideas theirs: People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”

3. Instantaneous feedback: Instantaneous appreciation/criticism are highly effective because the feedback is immediate, unlike the annual reviews where you are charged for things committed several weeks or months ago.

4. Appreciate in public: Once you’re comfortable delivering appreciation one-on-one to an employee, try appreciating them in front of others. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.

5. Never criticize in public: No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong in public; Take it to the private conversations. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.

6. Empower people to take decisions and make them accountable: Encourage Agile(Learn, Unlearn, Relearn - "Fail Fast, Fail Often, Learn Fast"); Foster Open Communication; Reward self-improvement; Clearly define Roles; Appreciate honest efforts

7. Give recognition and small rewards: These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Try simple things like lunch, dinner, family vacation, trophies, spa services, and plaques.

Critical skills to success while climbing corporate ladder ..

Critical skills to success while climbing corporate ladder:

Influencing right people
Focus on your strengths not weakness
Communication and get noticed by those who matter
Network, network, network
Articulate stories(context, problem, solution) well backed by facts
Self development/improvement

Managers vs Leaders

ref: http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what-is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/

Leadership and management must go hand in hand; They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate.

Career advice at work ..

1. Do what matters early on

Focus on identifying specific tasks or objectives you can achieve early on to establish your reputation as someone who gets things done. Be sure to choose a goal that matters to the company and its business objectives.

- Ryan Stoner, ryanstoner.com

2. Focus on the problem in its simplest form

One of the most important things you can learn as an entrepreneur is to focus on the problem in its simplest form, one that you can describe in one sentence. Then come up with the simplest answer to that problem. If you know a problem exists, then you can determine the demand for an actual solution.

- Andy Karuza, SpotSurvey

3. Listen more than you talk

Listening carefully with 100% focus and commitment is such an important thing. My colleague is great at it, and every time I am reminded that by just listening well, you pick up a lot of what it eventually takes to succeed, or, for example, to complete a final sale. Customers will literally tell you what they need when asked.

- Ridaa Murad, Christina Ventures

4. Over-prepare, and then go with the flow

Whether it’s sales calls, meetings, presentations or anything else associated with job-related duties, over-prepared individuals can relax once they are in the hot seat. It gives you the ability to maintain a grace under fire and creates room for necessary improvisation and flexibility. Nothing will ever turn out as planned, and when you are over-prepared, you can compensate for this dynamic.

- Jon Cline, Rokit SEO

5. Slow down

I walk quickly, especially when I’m at an event location and getting things done. At one of my first large events, a colleague told me to slow down—more specifically, to saunter. When I slowed down my walking, my brain slowed down. And during the walk from Point A to Point B at an event location, I could better assess how to handle four tasks at once. Saunter is my new middle name.

- Sydney Owen Williams, Planet Green Socks

ref:

13 Pieces of Career Advice to Help You Flourish at Work - http://success.com/article/13-pieces-of-career-advice-to-help-you-flourish-at-work

24 Proven Steps to Make You a Master Networker - http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243159

50 Quotes on Leadership Every Entrepreneur Should Follow - http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243861

Pert & Gantt Charts

PERT => Program Evaluation and Review Technique

You can also estimate an activity's duration by using the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) formula. PERT weighs the average of the pessimistic (P), most likely (M), and optimistic (O) estimates for an activity. For example:

PERT formula = (P+4M+O) / 6

In the following example there are seven tasks, labeled a through g. Some tasks can be done concurrently (a & b) while others cannot be done until their predecessor task is complete (c cannot begin until a is complete). Additionally, each task has three time estimates: the optimistic time estimate (a), the most likely or normal time estimate (m), and the pessimistic time estimate (b). The expected time (TE) is computed using the formula (a + 4m + b) /6.

A Gantt chart is a popular type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. Some Gantt charts also show the dependency (i.e., precedence network) relationships between activities.

Gantt charts don't illustrate task dependencies & PERT charts can be confusing, PMs often use both.

Links:
Pert, CPM , Gantt - http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~mtruill/dev-pert.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_Evaluation_and_Review_Technique

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-manager/?p=548&tag=nl.e053

http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid92_gci1301351,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart

http://gates.comm.virginia.edu/rrn2n/teaching/gantt.htm

http://www.12manage.com/methods_gantt_chart.html