| March 2010 PMI Space Coast Chapter Newsletter
New Career Development Initiatives
Starting this month we will begin posting job openings and career fairs on our LinkedIn Group account. We will also use this free service to promote discussions and commentary between our members. I encourage anyone looking for work or new career opportunities to join this online group. Also, for this initiative to be effective we need your help to provide new job openings by emailing them to vp_communications@pmispacecoast.com. Please include as much information as possible including; job title, brief description, required experience and contact information. To learn more about the PMI Space Coast LinkedIn Group page visit our new Career Development page.
April 12th Chapter Dinner Meeting - You could win a $1,350 Mega SeminarsWorld Voucher
You may now register for our April Chapter Dinner Meeting. Our keynote speaker will be Rick Brenner. Rick's topic is: The Race to the South Pole: Ten Lessons in Project Management. To read more about Rick's topic and his bio click here. In addition to a great dinner, networking and nationally recognized speaker we will be raffling off a FREE two day admission to Mega SeminarsWorld Orlando starting June 21st. This ticket is worth $1,350.00. Don't miss your chance to win it for free! To learn more about Mega Seminars World Orlando click here. We will be collecting business cards at registration for this raffle. You must be present to win.
Rick Morris
We want to thank Rick Morris for a great presentation on "Turning Around a Failing Project" at our February Chapter Dinner Meeting. Rick has graciously allowed us to share some of his work including an entry from his blog that was mentioned during his presentation to PMI Space Coast. Read Rick's Bio and download his presentation here. Learn more about Rick at his website.
But We Still Get to Work...
From Rick's Blog
I recently did a speech in Austin, TX. One of the individuals attending asked a great question and I have thought about it ever since.
For those of you that have seen me, I often use an example of variance in estimates by asking someone how long it takes them to get to work. Usually, it is between 300-500% variance. I then explain that it is something that we do every day, but we have a wide variance. If we have a variance on a known activity, how can we possibly select a date in the future on something that we have never done and be accurate?
Someone in the audience raised their hand and said, "Yet, we still get to work on time. If not, we would be fired!" A great observation. My response to it was that there is a wide acceptance of being late due to unforeseen circumstances. However, I have thought about the question further and wanted to expand the answer.
First, there are several adjustments when we start a new job. We may leave really early to ensure that we are at work on time and then slowly leave later and later until we settle on the right time. There are also times where we can't leave any earlier due to having to leave a child at daycare or other circumstances. In almost all cases, we come to an agreement with ourselves and our employer about what is and is not acceptable.
Second, there is acceptance of things beyond our control. If there is a major accident on the highway and someone is not to work on time, the assumption is that they are caught in traffic. In fact, many people will defend the missing person with this excuse without truly knowing the cause. If the daycare opened late, the employee simply apologizes when they do get to work.
Third, the number of times early and late generally fall within the probability distribution that people estimate. When you ask them how long it takes to get to work, their first response will follow the most likely distribution plus or minus a standard deviation.
Therefore, the case still stands. If we can't guarantee how long it takes us to get to work, even though some of us have done it thousands of times because there are just things beyond our control, then how can we ask several people to perform tasks they may have never done before and be able to guarantee a date and time of being finished?
The point of all of this is that project manager's dates of completion are only our best guess or estimation. We have a tremendous toolset available to help select the date, yet we are still predicting the unknown. If we could guarantee the date, then we are in the wrong business. Maybe we should have been stockbrokers! Just a thought.....
No Day But Today,
Rick
A conversation with Rick Morris
From PM Network Magazine by PMI
Q: If you had to pick the most important tip/advice for achieving a healthy work/life balance, what would it be?
A: To answer your question, I would make sure we validate project timelines as one of the greatest ways to achieve the work/life balance. Project Managers often accept a project date blindly and commit to it without running through their process and due diligence. It is this practice that not only hurts the credibility of our profession, but it interrupts the work/life balance of the entire project team. Taking a "mandated date" at face value often forces a team to work insane nights and weekend schedules simply to make a date that was selected out of thin air. The greatest tip I can offer is to learn how to present the proper options to senior management. As project managers, we are told "just figure it out." Project managers must become better at making assumptive statements such as, "I need three more resources or the project end date will be 8/31 instead of 8/1." This is a simplistic example, but it is not a yes or no response type of question. The question is posed as an either/or type of question. In doing so, the project manager can promote a schedule that allows the work/life balance to occur.
Rick Morris- Owner/President of R2 Consulting
Rick Morris and R Squared Contact Information:
Greg Huffman
VP Sales
Cell: 678-480-9958
www.rsquaredconsulting.com
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