This Project Is Fraught With Risk

How to be a Good Project Manager

Show appreciation - thanking people for their assistance is not only the right thing to do it is expected.

Listen effectively - think before speaking. Listen attentively. Make the person feel like they are the only thing you are focusing on.

Give credit to others - always give credit where credit is due.

Don't be negative - negative people can kill team creativity. Eliminate them from your team if possible.

Have a work/life balance - don't forget that all work and no play makes for a dull life.

Don't have hidden agendas - they are only hidden for a while, and most people realize what you are doing.

Be willing to publicly admit your failures - there is nothing more pathetic than the person that never admits a mistake.

Talk about the problem not the person - don't personalize problems and make them about a person or group. Be willing to focus on only on the problem.

If you lie down with dogs you will get fleas - be careful of your relationships in the workplace. Trust, but verify.

Don't gossip - gossip can hurt careers and projects. Don't participate in gossip and don't allow it on your team.

Use Empathy not Sympathy when dealing with delicate issues - Empathic listening is listening with intent to understand. Sympathetic listening is a form of agreement and judgement.

Diagnose before your prescribe - if people don't have confidence in your diagnosis, they won't have confidence in your prescription

Keep your commitments and promises - enough said.

Remember while you are free to choose your actions, you aren't free to choose the consequence of those actions.

Cool Gadget for Thirty Bucks!

Use coupon code MCU2009-06 when checking out

Click Here for Link to TI's Website

Overview from TI

Texas Instruments (TI) introduces the eZ430-Chronos, which is the world’s first customizable development environment within a sports watch. Taking the popular line of eZ430 development tools to the next level, the kit allowsdevelopers to easily harness the leading integration, ultra-low power and wireless capabilities of TI’s CC430 microcontroller (MCU).
The eZ430-Chronos is priced at $49. Key features and benefits are listed below:

• Wearable form factor allows customers to conveniently develop in remote locations
• TI’s SimpliciTI and BM Innovations’ Blue Robin™ RF protocols enable developers to easily establish wireless links regardless of RF knowledge, right out of the box
• Available in three different RF frequency bands – 915, 868, and 433 MHz – allowing for worldwide usage
• Integrated 3-axis accelerometer for motion sensitive control as well as sensors for measurement, including altimeter, temperature and batteryvoltage
• Internal CC430 memory available for data storage, holding up to 11 hours of data such as heart rate
• eZ430 emulator for simplified programming and debugging on top of basesoftware framework and RF functions
• USB-RF access point for PC communication and automation, supported by production-ready source projects, including, but not limited to, motion-based mouse control, sensor data logging with wireless PC download, keyboard and presentation control as well as time and calendar sync
• Large 96 segment LCD display driven directly by CC430
• Low cost system includes all supporting hardware and software, increasing accessibility and reducing development cost