This week's entry is a continuation of my previous posting regarding what Dr. Stephen Covey calls the "4 Disciplines of Execution". This text is taken directly from FranklinCovey's "The 4 Disciplines of Execution Quick Reference".
Discipline 2 - Create a Compelling Scorecard
Measures and a scoreboard ensure that people have the same understanding of goals. Turn your measures into a compelling scoreboard that is accessible, visual, engaging, doable, and concise.
Key Things to Remember
Types of Measures
* Lagging - provide an historical look at past performance
* Leading - provide measures that are predictive of future results.
* Real-time - show where things are right now. They allow corrective action to be taken immediately to affect the outcome.
Measurement Credibility Checklist
* Accurately tracks progress toward the goal
* Inputs cannot be easily manipulated
* Can be influenced by the team
* Drives the right behaviors
* Tracks outcomes as well as activities
* Is truly achievable
* Has no unintended consequences
* Value of measuring exceeds cost of measuring
For more information on the "4 Disciplines of Execution", click here.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Dr. Stephen Covey is one of my favorite authors. His books, writing, lectures, and course offerings are well worth reviewing. As I was looking through my bookshelf I came across a CD and short brochure around what Dr. Covey calls the 4 Disciplines of Execution.
Over the next few weeks I will go through each Discipline. Today, I will talk about Discipline 1.
As taken from the "4 Disciplines of Execution" brochure:
Discipline 1 - Focus on the Wildly Important
To achieve results with excellence, you must focus on a few wildly important goals and set aside the merely important. Choose to do a few things with excellence rather than many things with mediocrity.
Key Things to Remember
Too many goals, conflicting or not, lead to confusion, burnout, decline in quality, and loss of focus".
Align your goals with those of your organization as well as the key teams you work with".
Use the Importance Screen (reference to CD) to help identify your wildly important goals
Click here to view Importance Screen
Create Sell-Crafted Goals
* Specific and clear
* Explicitly linked to corporate strategy
* Plain language
* Bite-size chunks
* measurable
* Deadline-driven
For more information click here to go to Franklin Covey's website.
Over the next few weeks I will go through each Discipline. Today, I will talk about Discipline 1.
As taken from the "4 Disciplines of Execution" brochure:
Discipline 1 - Focus on the Wildly Important
To achieve results with excellence, you must focus on a few wildly important goals and set aside the merely important. Choose to do a few things with excellence rather than many things with mediocrity.
Key Things to Remember
Too many goals, conflicting or not, lead to confusion, burnout, decline in quality, and loss of focus".
Align your goals with those of your organization as well as the key teams you work with".
Use the Importance Screen (reference to CD) to help identify your wildly important goals
Click here to view Importance Screen
Create Sell-Crafted Goals
* Specific and clear
* Explicitly linked to corporate strategy
* Plain language
* Bite-size chunks
* measurable
* Deadline-driven
For more information click here to go to Franklin Covey's website.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
New PMI Standards
The Project Management Institute has released two new standards. They are:
The Standard for Program Management
The Standard for Portfolio Management
As stated in the Standard for Program Management, "The Standard for Program Management aims to provide a detailed understanding of program management and promote efficient and effective communication and coordination among various groups. With its ability to help assess the variety of factors linking projects under one program and provide the best allotment of resources between those projects, this standard is an invaluable tool for program and project managers alike."
In the introduction the Program Management Standard states: "The Standard for Program Management provides guidelines for managing programs within and organization. It defines program management and related concepts, describes the program management life cycle and outlines related processes. This standard is an expansion of information provided in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge."
It appears on first glance that both Standards will be an excellent resource for all project managers. You can purchase them both at the PMI website
Your comments are always welcome
The Standard for Program Management
The Standard for Portfolio Management
As stated in the Standard for Program Management, "The Standard for Program Management aims to provide a detailed understanding of program management and promote efficient and effective communication and coordination among various groups. With its ability to help assess the variety of factors linking projects under one program and provide the best allotment of resources between those projects, this standard is an invaluable tool for program and project managers alike."
In the introduction the Program Management Standard states: "The Standard for Program Management provides guidelines for managing programs within and organization. It defines program management and related concepts, describes the program management life cycle and outlines related processes. This standard is an expansion of information provided in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge."
It appears on first glance that both Standards will be an excellent resource for all project managers. You can purchase them both at the PMI website
Your comments are always welcome
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Vacation is Over, but what a Ride!
Some photos from my vacation are included below. I rode the Harley to Cartersville, GA, Fontana Dam, NC, up and around the Blue Ridge Parkway, on to Asheville, NC, then back home. The weather was great, the scenery incredible, and the break from work much needed. Hopefully the photos will tell part of the story.
Mountain View
Flowers in the Mountains
Devils Courthouse - Blue Ridge Parkway
Another View
Motorcycle Project Dude
Mountain View
Flowers in the Mountains
Devils Courthouse - Blue Ridge Parkway
Another View
Motorcycle Project Dude
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Vacations are Projects Too!
Well I'm off for vacation on Saturday. I'm riding my Harley-Davidson to Atlanta and staying for a couple of days with a friend, then moving on to the Road King Riders Rendevouz in Fontana, NC. After a couple of days of riding in the Smokey Mountains I will ride to Asheville, NC for my sister-in-laws wedding.
In order to make sure the trip is as uneventful as possible, I have created a checklist of things to do and take, as well as pre-planning my route. Additionally, as part of the pre-trip process I have completed a maintenance and safety check on the motorcycle, and ensured I have my insurance, registration, and other paperwork required for the trip.
While taking the time to plan the trip won't guarentee success, it should reduce the chances of problems while on the road.
What out for Motorcyles, they are Everywhere!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Quotes from Tom Peters
As many of you know I'm a big fan of Tom Peters. I own a couple of his books, and I like to review materials on his website from time to time. Below you will find several quotes and bits of wisdom that I have gleamed from Tom's writings. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I have.
In any public-sector business, you must become an avid student of "the politics," the incentives and constraints, mostly non-economic, facing all of the players. Politicians are usually incredibly logical if you (deeply!) understand the matrix in which they exist.
Risk Assessment & Risk Management is more about stories than advanced math i.e., brilliant scenario construction.
Don't waste your time on jerks, it'll rarely work out in the mid- to long-term.
Under promise (i.e., don't over-promise; i.e., cut yourself a little slack) even if it costs you business; winning is a long-term affair. Over-promising is Sign #1 of a lack of integrity. You will pay the piper.
There is such a thing as a "good loss", if you have tested something new and developed good relationships. A half-dozen honorable, ingenious losses over a two-year period can pave the way for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3.
Keep it simple! (Damn it!) No matter how "sophisticated" the product. If you can't explain it in a phrase, a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you haven't got it right yet.
Don't hold grudges. (It is the ultimate in small mindedness, and incredibly wasteful and ineffective. There is always tomorrow.)
Little People often have Big Friends!
Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly)
Phones beat email.
Obsess on ROIR (Return On Investment In Relationships).
Scoring off other people is stupid. Winners are always in the business of creating the maximum # of winners among adversaries at least as much as among partners.
Your colleagues' successes are your successes. Period.
Lend a helping hand, especially when you don't have the time.
Don't get too hung up on "systems integration", first & foremost, the individual bits have got to work.
For Gods sake don't over promise on systems integration it's nigh on impossible to deliver.
It's Relationships, Stupid; Deep and from multiple functions.
Don't over-schedule. Running late is inexcusable at any level of seniority; it is the ultimate mark of self-importance mixed with contempt.
"Preparing the soil" is the first 98 percent. (Or more.)
Be kind. It works.
Opportunism (with a little forethought) mostly wins.
"Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes."
Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.
Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrels
Focus groups are counter-productive
All information making it to the top is filtered to the point of danger and hilarity
"Success stories are the illusions of egomaniacs (and "gurus")
If you believe the "cause & effect" memoirs of CEOs, you should be institutionalized
"Top teams" are "Dittoheads"
"Expert" prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice
Statistically, CEOs have little effect on performance
Success kills
In any public-sector business, you must become an avid student of "the politics," the incentives and constraints, mostly non-economic, facing all of the players. Politicians are usually incredibly logical if you (deeply!) understand the matrix in which they exist.
Risk Assessment & Risk Management is more about stories than advanced math i.e., brilliant scenario construction.
Don't waste your time on jerks, it'll rarely work out in the mid- to long-term.
Under promise (i.e., don't over-promise; i.e., cut yourself a little slack) even if it costs you business; winning is a long-term affair. Over-promising is Sign #1 of a lack of integrity. You will pay the piper.
There is such a thing as a "good loss", if you have tested something new and developed good relationships. A half-dozen honorable, ingenious losses over a two-year period can pave the way for a Big Victory in a New Space in year 3.
Keep it simple! (Damn it!) No matter how "sophisticated" the product. If you can't explain it in a phrase, a page, or to your 14-year-old ... you haven't got it right yet.
Don't hold grudges. (It is the ultimate in small mindedness, and incredibly wasteful and ineffective. There is always tomorrow.)
Little People often have Big Friends!
Work hard beats work smart. (Mostly)
Phones beat email.
Obsess on ROIR (Return On Investment In Relationships).
Scoring off other people is stupid. Winners are always in the business of creating the maximum # of winners among adversaries at least as much as among partners.
Your colleagues' successes are your successes. Period.
Lend a helping hand, especially when you don't have the time.
Don't get too hung up on "systems integration", first & foremost, the individual bits have got to work.
For Gods sake don't over promise on systems integration it's nigh on impossible to deliver.
It's Relationships, Stupid; Deep and from multiple functions.
Don't over-schedule. Running late is inexcusable at any level of seniority; it is the ultimate mark of self-importance mixed with contempt.
"Preparing the soil" is the first 98 percent. (Or more.)
Be kind. It works.
Opportunism (with a little forethought) mostly wins.
"Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes."
Integrity. Credibility. Humanity. Grace.
Strategic planning is the last refuge of scoundrels
Focus groups are counter-productive
All information making it to the top is filtered to the point of danger and hilarity
"Success stories are the illusions of egomaniacs (and "gurus")
If you believe the "cause & effect" memoirs of CEOs, you should be institutionalized
"Top teams" are "Dittoheads"
"Expert" prediction is rarely better than rolling the dice
Statistically, CEOs have little effect on performance
Success kills
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
The Water is Full of Sharks
In the past, I enjoyed reading the book, "Power and Politics in Project Management" by Jeffrey K. Pinto (and still review it periodically). One section of the book has had special significance for me of late. I have to admit that I'm not a very good politician. I have learned over the years that playing politics is a skill set I need to work on. As mentioned in the book, we need to be aware of all political behaviors (Naive, Sensible, and Shark) and react to them appropriately if we are to keep ourselves from getting in to trouble.
One behavior I have had the unfortunate experience of witnessing lately is that of the Political Shark. These types of people have certain character traits that if not recognized can negatively impact our careers. These sharks know how to play the self-serving political "game" and don't mind leaving blood in the water. They are experts at manipulating the system to get their way and have no interest in serving anything but their own desires. They have loyalty only to themselves and their own goals.
SHARKS ARE PREDATORS, AND ARE INDISCRIMINATE WHEN FEEDING!
To quote from the book, "work with them (sharks), and one is likely to be used and manipulated; get between them and their goal and their behavior becomes utterly amoral." "The only cause these individuals espouse is their own."
The author goes on to make an important point; Sharks "enter organizations with the express purpose of using politics and aggressive manipulation to reach the top."
As summarized in the book, Sharks are:
* Opportunistic
* Self-serving and predatory
* Manipulators that will use fraud and deceit when necessary
* Bullies that will misuse information and use others to service their own means
Do you know or work with or for a shark? What can a project manager do to ensure these types of individuals don't negatively impact their projects?
Here are some things to keep in mind:
* Be aware that sharks exist in your organization
* Know who the sharks are and avoid them whenever possible
* When working with sharks, be very careful not to become their prey
* Learn to be politically "Sensible"
* Be a good negotiator
* Expand your network and be fair and honest in all of your dealings
* Be comforted in the fact that Sharks will eventually move on to new feeding grounds
It is unfortunate that political sharks are so prevalent in organizations. They offer little value to the organization other than to serve their own means. Occasionally sharks do good things, but the cost of their behavior will always be a disruption to the organization. The benefit is rarely worth the cost.
Don't trust a shark. Don't turn your back on them and don't take them lightly. Remember they are self-serving and will stop at nothing to satisfy their appetite. I have seen the damage they can do first hand and I know they are indiscriminate in the way the feed. Even though we have to swim with the sharks, we don't have to become their victims.
Keep your friends close, but the sharks closer.