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The Complete Project management package

Topics include

Definitions
What is a project and Project Management?
What is a Project Management system?
Human, culture, planning...


General Project Structure
Project visualisation
Start and end
Size, costs, time...


Breaking down a project
Milestones, management
Costs and budgets...


Phases of a project
Concept, feasibility
Specification, design
Installation...


The Project notebook
What is it?
Assumptions, problem statements, mission statements
Strategy, scope, objectives
Customer analysis, deliverables
Exit criteria...


Product specification, work break down structure (WBS)
Schedules, resources, control system
Authority, roles and resonsibilities
Risk areas and benefits ...


Planning overview
Why plan?
Work breakdown structures
Task characteristics
Information and milestones...


Detailed planning
Overview
Procurement
Estimation

initial
overview
too long
too short
budgets...

Dependencies
PERT analysis
Slack or float, elapsed time
Roles and responsibilities
Resources
Gantt charts
Constraints
Critical paths and how to manage them...


Control
Why?
Monitoring, general, what...

Time, cost (terms, overspend, cash flow), quality
Progress reporting...
General, committees, data


Taking action
Assessing the situation
Impact analysis
Resolving issues and problems...


Review
Contingency
Change
Documents and procedures
Project completion...


Quality
Plan
Statistical control


Risk
Overview
Impact analysis
Risk versus impact
Automated planning tools
Consideration of time...

Responsibilities
Documentation
General approach
Identification and costing...

Assess chances and impact
Measures
Contingencies
Records and review
Health and safety...


Reviews
Project audits


Human factors
The role of the Project Manager
Overview
Project teams
Recruitment...

Communication
User expectations
Systematic approach
Empowerment
Appointment of a Project Manager...


Project organisation
Project office and documentation

What is a problem?

A.P.I.M.A.
(assess)
problem definition
analysis of data
objective definition


(plan)
identify causes
select the most likely cause
devise potential solutions
selection of the most appropriate solution
plan for implementation


(implement, monitor and act)

Problem solving techniques

problem identification
prioritisation
analysis of problem causes
identifying key causes
data gathering
evaluation and finalising options


brainstorming

method and system


Pareto analysis

what is it?
method and system


data collection

fact and opinion
documentation
method and system
interviews


cause and effect diagrams

effect vs cause
identification and selection of cause
taking action
method and system


process analysis

examine the steps in the work process
method and system


six word system

what, why, when, how, where and who?
method and system


presentation

histogram, barchart and pie chart
scatter diagram
organisation charts


Time saving templates e.g.

audit reports, customer analysis
deliverables, estimation of cost
mission statement, objectives
problem statements...

project numbering
project progress
strategy and S.W.O.T. analysis
timesheets and work breakdown and many more...


Fully Worked Example

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The complete
Risk management package

Topics include

What is risk?
Uncertainty
Risk versus issue
Risk versus reward
Margins versus contingency
Will a project succeed?
Key areas of concern...


6 basic questions to answer
Who?
Why?
What?


How?
Resource?
When?...


Why carry out a risk assessment?
Is the project too risky?
The threat intensity
Decision making
Helpful documentation...


What should risk analysis provide?
Time factor
Prioritisation
Summary of risk
Decision making
Realism...


How does risk management integrate with project management?
Risk management is key?
Permeates all projects?
Supporting role?...


Accountability
Sharing of risk
Who is accountable?...


Stakeholders
Identification
Customer and supplier
User priorities...


Success measures
How do you measure it?
Assumptions
Clarify objectives
Suppliers versus customers


Basic steps
What are the core process steps to assess a risk?

Identification
Proactive planning
Reactive planning
Monitoring and control
Triggers

A simple process outline
What is the basic overall process steps?

Identifying stakeholders
Success criteris
Plan preparation
Identify and assess risks
Ownership and planning
Aggregation, monitoring and review...


Human relations
Pressure
Timing
Bid and budget control
Risk focus
Planning confidence
Price versus cost
Client versus stakeholder driven...


The Project LIfe Cycle
Overview
Concept
Design
Plan


Allocate
Execute
Deliver
Review


Support
Different areas
Working in parallel
Milestones
Contracting
Decision points...


Cost terminology
Expected cost
Target cost
Provision
Contingency
Commitment


Statistical terminology
Mean or average
Median
Mode
Variance
Standard deviation


The risk management process
Overview
Timing
Defining the project
Defining the risk management process...


Identifying risks and responses
Organisng the risks and responses
Ownership (risks, responsibilities and contractors)
Estimating technique...


Evaluating the estimates
Planning (integrating risk and project management)
Managing (the risk management process)


Estimating detail
Overview
Simple estimating of risk
Cumulative probability graphs
Simple estimating of risk detail...


Simple estimating problems
Obtainng the estimates
Breakdown of variables...


Evaluating detail
Overview
Independent correlation
Cumulative probability graph
Positive correlation
Cumulative probability graph...


Negative correlation
Conditional correlation
Cumulative probability graphs...


Planning detail
Types of plan

Initial
Reference
Base
Contingency
Horizon
Action

Ways to modify plans
General comments


General points to consider
Resource level
Control
Contractors
Customer...


Managing the risk process
Overview
Identifying risk issues
Other issues and the project life cycle
Other aspects

Cost and resources
Effectiveness of risk management
Modelling
Managing the process...


The contractor
Overview
Risk assessment positioning
The contract
Cost plus fixed fee
Fixed price
Screening
Transferring risk...


Risk combination
The issues involved...


Common methods of risk assessment
Overview
The timing, prioritising, summarising and decision making virtues
Issue based
Checklists
Qualitative
Quantitative...


Quantitative risk assessment
Overview
Simple example and detail
Simple cost model
Cost model including uncertainty
Cost model including likelihood...


Monte Carlo distribution
Overview
Monte Carlo simulation
Monte Carlo simulation output
Monte Carlo distribution
Monte Carlo risk distribution
How do we carry out the simulations?
Probability Density Function (PDF)
Triangular Probability Density Function (PDF)...


Uncertain events
Overview
Simple pathway likelihood and frequency versus cost graph
Detailed calculations
A basic risk assessment
Probability versus total cost graph...


Correlated events
Overview
Ranges of correlation
Process summary
Risk assessment versus a traditional approach
How will the level of breakdown structure influence the result?
How do we estimate probability simply?...


General points
Collecting task information
Documentation
Other areas to consider when reviewing risk


Data handling
Overview
Monte Carlo risk distribution
Multiple variables


Budget versus contingency
Overview and setting the contingency
Alternative setting of contingency


Schedule risk assessment
Detailed planning, 4 basic types
Detailed planning, in software


Simple network
Simple network (no lag) duration calculations
Simple network (with lag) duration calculations


Branching
Overview (simple branching)
Complex branching
Complex branching duration calculations
Multiple branching
Multiple branching duration calculations
Multiple probability branching
Multiple probability branching duration calculations
Production example
Production example, one step further
Production model output interpretation graph
Nodes and branching networks
Nodes and branching networks graphical output


Markov chain
Events and transitions
Benefits
When do you use it?


Business forecast
Overview (types of operation, activity, timing and correlation)
Business schedule risk
Business revenue and profit risk distribution
Business profit yearly forecast
Business profit simulation graphical output


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The Complete Time management package

Topics include

Resources
Capital
Physical
Human
Information
Finite time...


Workaholic
Long hours
Work enjoyment
Ambition


Personal life
Routine and mundane
Addiction


Result orientation
Old values
Tiredness and mistakes
Signs...


What is time management?
Problem time solving
Goals or objectives and targets
Strategy and tactics...


Goals
Road to success
Hurdles
Basic tactics
Types
Setting goals


Refining goals
Control
Short and long term
Quality
Flexibility...


Objectives
List of tasks
Dependent and non dependent
Strategic v urgent
Prioritise...


Prioritising objectives
Priority ranking
Multiplication ranking
Tabular matrix...


Urgent v important
Urgent - deadline
Important - time
Matrix
Rank
Category detail
Job needs
Job order...


Human nature
Pleasing people
Avoidance of challenges
Fear of position
Ambition


Pride of ability
Being a perfectionist
Retaining control
Preconceived ideas...


Blame culture
Interruptions
Phone calls
Meetings


Lacking data
What are the goals?
Objectives...


Productivity
Output v input...


Also...

Time log
Prioritised objectives
Weekly plan
Recording the log
Analysis


Identify 'time destroyers'
Identify actions
Implement plan...


Key time destroyers
Action chasing
Being disorganised
Can't say no
Crisis management
Friends


Large reports
Low energy levels
Meetings
Multiple tasks
Other's errors


Other's jobs
Paperwork
Perfection
Poor communication
Poor control and reporting


Poor delegation
Poor information
Poor leadership
Poor planning
Poor preparation


Poor self discipline
Putting things off
Resource issues
Responsibility v authority
Socialising
Staff issues


The boss
The telephone
Travel time
Unfinished tasks
Unwanted callers
Work overload
Your own errors...


Typical process
Review your personal time log
Audit
Decide on your time destroyers
Rank them in order of priority
Review the causes


Consider solutions
Generate action steps
Decide on the time scale
Create deadlines
Teamwork...


Strategies for getting on with it
Visibilty
Rank review
Minimise
Tick off


Your time
Challenge
Delegate
Routine


Desktop
Measure
Check
Negative


Fear
Start
Exposure
Mentality


Others
Positive
Benefit
Part


Reward
Energy
Confidence...


Positive thinking
Positive mindset
Attitudes and beliefs
Self belief
Modifying attitudes
Record the goals
The road to success...


Commitment
Winning
Definition
Not knowing


Meetings
Less interruptions
Resource
Resource...


Delegation process
Monitoring
Review
Problems
Tough personnel
Towards independence...


Information collection
Part of time management
Everything
How and where to?
The purpose


Projects
Delayed tasks
Delegated tasks
Processing information
Other...


Processing the information
Define the purpose
Prioritise
Decide on the action and format...


Filing notes
What should you file?
What system should you use?
Agree
'A' to 'Z'
Day files
Other...


Day files
Detail...


Decision PATH
Priorities
Activity
Time
Health
Decision is not action...


Capturing ideas
Record
Techniques
Computer folders
Software...


Brain storm
Record
Do not criticise
Ideas
Consider


Stepwise procedure
Simple voting procedure
Ranking technique
What next?...


Mind mapping
Brain styles
Mond mapping...


Checklists
Task list of reminders
Yesterday's mistakes
Not exhaustive
Ignored
Orientation
Lacking detail...


Reminders
Processing complete
Delegated tasks
Delayed tasks
Projects
Triggers
Diary...


E-mails
General
Message rules
Back up
Spam
Action...


What not to do
General
Would it matter if you didn't do it?
How to tackle it?
Perfectionist?
Time runs out
Bottle it up
Education...


Projects
General
Plan
Meetings
Decisions and data...


Irritating tasks
Benefits
Get started
Atmosphere
Putting them off...


Combining tasks
Areas to consider
Criteria
Culture...


Time
Historical view
Passing time
Quality time
Culture
Mono and polychronic time...


Monochronic time
Attitudes
Definition
Culture
Plans
Other
Issues
Flexibility...


Polychronic time
Attitudes
Definition
Culture
Plans
Other
Issues
Flexibility...


High and low context culture
High and low
Information transfer...


Divergent thinking
Sees the big picture
Flexibility
Free space...


Convergent thinking
Takes a narrow view
Methodical
Free space...


Blending styles
Ideas
Sharing
Good will
Brain use
Assess, plan implement, monitor and act...


Assessment and planning
Best v easy
Work area ideas
Take a break
Taking notes
Prioritising...


Implementing
Combining tasks
Goal posts
Delay
Scheduling...


Prioritising
Visual sorting
Communication and flexibility
Resource
Restructuring
Inclusion...


Scheduling
Diary or calendar
Visual aids
Odd items
Personal energy
Bits and pieces
Assistant
Overload
Visible
The telephone
Proative...


Review
General
Delayed tasks
Delegated tasks
E-mails and voice mail
Diary
Collection
Projects...


Personality drivers
Faster
Please
Perfection
Try hard
Be strong...


Assertiveness
General
Assessment
Process...


Stress
General
Signs
Sources
Problems
Not enough time
Leading to tension
Tempers being lost
Stress escalates
Coping techniques?
Legal redress...


Coping with stress
General
Personality driver
Experience
Techniques
Ideas...


Playtime
General
Reasons for avoidance
Things to try
Little bits
Imagination...




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Leadership - motivation people part 2

Leadership must use good motivation techniques and that requires people...
Future leaders
There are really only two aspects of staff training or development.
  • The training of all staff to maximise their potential.
  • Identifying potential future leaders and developing them accordingly.
How much can you do as an individual?
Do you work 8 hours each day, or 12 or 16?

Once you have maximised you own personal efficiency you can only create a greater output by working more hours.
This can lead to increased pressures on your personal and family life or lead to a position where you become a workaholic.

The simple conclusion is that you need help!
The biggest help you will have will be people, not equipment of an increased budget.
From this people resource the ones who will have the most influence over your own career and development will be those who are closest to you.

The best teams have the best leaders.
v As we have seen before using the Pareto principle if you can identify your top 20% as possible leaders then put 80% of your effort there. Get those top 20% to train some of the other staff.
Key leader traits
A good leader will create the right environment for success for his or her staff.

He or she will know how to motivate the staff at his or her disposal.

The leader will have strong connections with the finance department who will in turn influence budgetary control.
Personnel will be important for getting good quality staff so you will need to cultivate good relations.
A good knowledge of planning techniques will be required in order to implement any vision.

Make your self available. If you do this your staff will communicate problems before they get out of hand.
Note that this does not mean you should solve the problems. Your staff should provide the solution with your guidance

Don't favour any member of staff, treat everyone the same - this will earn you respect for your decisions but not necessarily popularity.

Seek advice from your staff in order to keep them involved in the decision making process and in similar vein keep them informed of key aspects of their work.

Keep in mind the development of skills for your team this will help instil a sense of responsibility.
Which people?
Training and coaching is one thing but it helps a great deal if you are trying to recruit the 'best' people in the first place.

It is simple mathematics that this is even more important the smaller the organisation.
If one person is poor within a team of 4 that is a 25% reduction in efficiency but only 1% in a group of 100.
So, for smaller companies, it is vitally important to make sure that you obtain good staff.

Poor staff not only affect their own work but will have a negative affect on the rest of the personnel.

What do you want to look for in a person for leadership and training?
Academic qualifications are one thing and experience is another.

Both of these aspects have their problems.

You would expect to receive applications from many individuals that have the necessary qualifications.
Many of these will have the required qualifications to the same high standard.
This will indicate a few traits of the individual perhaps intelligence, perhaps a hard working individual.
Technical knowledge alone does not necessarily make you a great asset for a company.

If you have experience in a position you clearly have a small advantage.
However, this may come at the price of a higher than expected salary requirement.

If you feel you can train an individual and you have the time to do so you may want to avoid too much experience.
Good people characteristics
Interviewing people well, to find out their personal characteristics, is a hard job and requires experience from yourself and from the personnel department.

Interviewing techniques.

There are many positive characteristics you can look for.
  • Do they have a positive attitude to work and problems in general?
  • Are they trustworthy, do they exhibit good integrity?
  • Do they know the difference between accountability and responsibility?
  • Are they willing to go on with their learning and training?
  • Is the person too serious? Do they have a reasonable sense of humour?
  • Will failure hold them back or will they learn from it and come back stronger?
  • Is flexibility something that comes naturally or is everything carried out in a rigid and overly logical manner?
  • Leadership and any other job requires self discipline, do they have it?
  • Do they know anything about 'time management' skills and do they use it?
  • Do they have a likable personality?
  • Leadership potential is a good thing. How is their influencing skills?
  • Have they demonstrated any people development skills?
  • Can they see the bigger helicopter view or are they more narrow in their approach?
  • Can they provide any examples of showing intuition?
  • How do they view themselves, do they have a good self image?
  • Do they show signs of being a team player?
  • Do they appear to be highly self motivated with a high energy level?
  • Have they got a creative approach to problem solving?
  • Are they ambitious with a strong desire to succeed?
  • Are there any personal issues you should know about?
  • Do they have any relevant experience?
Some areas might be intrinsic to the person and not easy if not impossible to teach.
Right person right job
Particular jobs require certain characteristics.
  • Is experienced needed?
  • Would you prefer a leader of a follower?
  • Are the skills needed general or is the position rather specific?
  • Do you need a team player?
  • Is a creative or a more logical thinker suited for the position?
  • Do you need a proactive or a reactive person in the position?
In general, take your time to prepare a list of requirements that you need from the person before any interviews are carried out.
You might want to take up references and have more than one interview with the individual.
On occasion include people you respect in the interview so that you can gauge their opinion.

In this way you will have a better chance of getting the right person for the job.
If the fit is right that individual should begin the job better motivated.
Other
When you employ a person there is an effect on the rest of that person's family.
If the individual has a spouse it may be relevant to find out how they feel about the position and the responsibilities involved.

Not every organisation has a big budget for recruitment.
If you are in this bracket you may need to take on young inexperienced people with the intention of training them on the job.



Encourage your staff to do their best and think for themselves.
Simply playing by a set of fixed rules may miss important opportunities.
It all comes back to a lack of fear of failure.
Encourage people to try.

Few people will work to full capacity but many work a lot harder and more efficiently if they are motivated to do so.

It is not good enough to be just a team member, the individual should really feel part of the team.
Try and create a team identity by using a symbol, slogan or name.
Make people proud to be team members.
For new starters it's a good idea to speak of past team successes and anything else that the team is proud of.
Don't forget the vision for the team as well as the larger organisation aspirations.

Define clear team roles to reduce confusion and aid annual appraisals.
Set personal objectives and deadlines
Make sure you have criteria for the measurement of success.
Judge people on results and not effort.

Don't wait for the year end to check on progress.
Evaluate at regular intervals to clarify activities and help correct deviations from what is required.

Avoid using the word 'I' and concentrate on 'we'.

If you need to remove someone who is not doing a great job make sure you have the necessary evidence.
You should already have told the person that you have been unhappy with their performance.
A below par performance will help to de-motivate others in the team.
Failure to act can undermine your own credibility whether in leadership or training.
Get the full details
leadership arrow
The Complete LEADERSHIP package


Links on this site:



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Other useful links at risk management basics.com:



Other useful links at time management basics.com:

 

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Influence | Integrity | Insight | Leadership training | Leadership qualities | Loneliness
Motivation | Personal direction | Personality | Personality indicators | Prioritising | Problem solving
Relationships | Strategy | Style spider | The three Cs | The vision | Miscellaneous

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Complete
project management package