allPM Today November/December 2010, Issue 123, Frank P. Saladis, Editor

November/December 2010, Issue 123, Frank P. Saladis, Editor

President and Chief Executive Officer of IIL
E. LaVerne Johnson

Senior Executive
Director of IIL
Dr. Harold Kerzner

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In this Issue:

*allPM's Letter from the Editor, Frank P. Saladis, PMP

*allPM October Poll Results and New Poll Question

*Theme of the Month: The Politics of Project Management

Beat ‘em with a STICK: Winning the Political Game
By Steven P. Blais, PMP

*“Unitics” Over Politics: Mastering the Art of Cutting through Politics to Achieve Optimal Performance
By George Pitagorsky, PMP

*8 Traits to Develop Project Management Political Savvy
By Charanya Girish, PMP

*Minimizing Bias of Subject Matter Experts through effective Project Management
By Jeff Hodgkinson, PMP, Gary Hamilton, PMP and Gareth Byatt, PgMP

*Ask Harry: Ask Harry: Three Charts to Avoid: Help Your Audience; don’t make it Confusing for Them
By Harry Rever, PMP – Director of Six Sigma

*The Black Belt Chronicles: If You Want to be a Better Project Manager or Six Sigma Green Belt, Consider This Advice
By Harry Rever, PMP – Director of Six Sigma

*Positive Leadership In Project Management – The Leadership Journey
By Frank P. Saladis, PMP

*Anatomy of an Effective Project Manager
By Jeff Hodgkinson, PMP, Gary Hamilton, PMP and Gareth Byatt, PgMP

*Risk Doctor: When are Black Swans White?
By Dr. David Hillson, PMP, FAPM

*PM Crossword Connections™: Politically Correct
By Frank P. Saladis, PMP

Past Issues- Archives

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Theme of the Month: The Politics of Project Management

From the Editor's Desk— Frank P. Saladis, PMP

The month of November has become connected with a world wide effort designed to promote the value of project management, to clearly show the power of project management to the business community, and to acknowledge project managers in every industry for their contributions to their organizations and to society as a whole. Officially, International Project Management Day is designated as the first Thursday of November each year, but many organizations worldwide select dates within November for their internal project management recognition events.

Read more >>

October Poll Results

The most prevalent issue facing a project manager today is:

a) Management does not support a formal PM process - 31.62 %
b) Resources are overburdened - 35.29 %
c) Arbitrarily set completion dates - 12.50 %
d) Scope creep - 20.59 %
The November/December poll question is:

Risk management is clearly supported and required by my organization's executive management:

a) For all projects regardless of size
b) Only for highly visible critical projects
c) Only after a major incident has occurred
d) Not at all. It is seen as an added expense

If you have not already done so, please stop by allPM.com and add your opinion today.
Test your PM knowledge. allPM will be posting sample PMP test questions and answers daily. Don’t miss out - visit allPM today.

Beat ‘em with a STICK: Winning the Political Game
By Steven P. Blais, PMP

Politics has a bad rap. Do you play politics? Your answer is most likely “no”, or perhaps, “not often, and not well”. Typically we like to think that it is the other guy who plays politics. You know, the one who got that promotion ahead of everyone else, or who gets the plum assignments, or who takes longer lunch hours to “schmooze”. We believe that if you work hard and long and honestly you won’t need politics.

“Unitics” Over Politics: Mastering the Art of Cutting through Politics to Achieve Optimal Performance
By George Pitagorsky, PMP

Does politics get in the way of optimal performance?

Politics is a reality. Chances are it won't disappear anytime soon. At best, it stimulates dialogue and promotes a synthesis of ideas into practical action. At worst, it leads to dysfunction. It promotes divisiveness.

8 Traits to Develop Project Management Political Savvy
By Charanya Girish, PMP

By definition, a project is a temporary endeavor with start and end date and a desired result implying that a project is different from business as usual. In addition projects are staffed by several individuals trying to exert their influence on how to execute the project. This invariably results in some kind of office politics; i.e. project politics. How? Politics is nothing but people interacting with each other and influencing one another to get tasks accomplished.

Minimizing Bias of Subject Matter Experts through effective Project Management
By Jeff Hodgkinson, PMP, Gary Hamilton, PMP and Gareth Byatt, PgMP

“Of all the causes which conspire to blind Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind; What the weak head with strongest bias rules, - Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools”
Alexander Pope (English Poet, 1688-1744)

“Bias and prejudice are attitudes to be kept in hand, not attitudes to be avoided.” Charles Curtis

Ask Harry: Three Charts to Avoid: Help Your Audience; don’t make it Confusing for Them
By Harry Rever, PMP – Director of Six Sigma

I want you to stand up. Yep, get out of your chair and stand up straight, put your right arm out to the side with your hand up at a 90 degree angle at the elbow and say aloud; “I solemnly swear that I will no longer use pie charts. I will no longer use shaded area charts, and I will no longer use stacked bar charts.

The Black Belt Chronicles: If You Want to be a Better Project Manager or Six Sigma Green Belt, Consider This Advice
By Harry Rever, PMP – Director of Six Sigma

Over lunch, an internal Six Sigma Black Belt, Will, gives a few hints and suggestions to a group of Six Sigma Green Belts and Project Managers about running successful improvement efforts. An interesting discussion ensues.

Positive Leadership In Project Management – The Leadership Journey
By Frank P. Saladis, PMP

In the project management environment, strong leadership skills are essential for success. Regardless of project size or complexity, or the level of authority approved for a project manager, it is the leadership capability of the project manager that will make the difference between success and failure.

Anatomy of an Effective Project Manager
By Jeff Hodgkinson, PMP, Gary Hamilton, PMP and Gareth Byatt, PgMP

It’s first thing in the morning, and you are preparing to interview prospective project managers for an open position on your team. Whether it is your first candidate interview or you have conducted many before in your career, you are likely to be contemplating the line of questioning you will ask of the prospective candidates.

Risk Doctor: When are Black Swans White?
By Dr. David Hillson, PMP, FAPM

A new term has become popular among people when they talk about risk, including some risk specialists. The phrase “Black Swan” is taken from the title of the 2007 book by Nicholas Nassim Taleb called “The Black Swan: The impact of the highly improbable”. Unfortunately the way most people use this term is different from Taleb’s original definition. In popular conversation the Black Swan event is something with an extremely low likelihood of occurrence and an extremely high potential effect.

PM Crossword Connections™: Politically Correct
By Frank P. Saladis, PMP

(Click here or the image above for a crossword in a new window.)

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