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Don’t Just Prioritize Tasks, Say No to Some

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

Good time and project management doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything requested. More importantly, it means doing what is best for your organization, even when the organization may not realize it. Success and achievement are not measured by doing everything requested of you. It’s measure by doing the right things. Sometimes to improve productivity and be successful, you must say no to some tasks, or at least defer some.
Set Goals
Understand what you must accomplish and when it’s actually needed. Goals give you a destination and vision to work toward. When you know where you want to go, you can manage your priorities, time, and resources to get there. Goals also help you decide what’s worth spending your time on, what’s not an immediate priority, and identify what’s just a distraction.
Prioritize Tasks
One of the biggest work challenges that many people face is accurately prioritizing their workload. Here are some guidelines to prioritizing your task list to keep you well-organized:
  • Collect a list of all your tasks: Pull together every request made of you that you could possibly consider getting done. Don’t worry about the order, or the number of items up front.
  • Identify urgent vs. important: See if you have any tasks that need immediate attention – work that if not completed on time will have serious negative consequences. Those are important.
  • Assess task value: Look at your important work and identify what carries the highest value to your business and organization. For example, focus on client requests before internal work, organizational requirements before desired requests, and how many people are impacted by your work.
  • Check priority daily: Be flexible and adaptable. Know that your priorities will change and sometimes when you least expect them to. Keep focused and committed to the tasks you’re committed to doing right now.
Be prepared to say “No”
You may not be able to get to everything on your list. After you prioritize your tasks and add up the ranged estimates, cut the remaining tasks from your list. Focus on the priorities that you know you must and can complete. You can revisit the other tasks at a later time.
You can apply the above strategy to large-scale projects as well as to your daily workload.


I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…

David Schuchman

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Is the PMP as portable as PMI says it is?

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
In my career, I have been most fortunate to work on a variety of projects mostly those that are Information Technology (IT) – or financial services-driven. The IT projects have involved mostly software delivery or implementation, but I also have had the opportunity to conduct projects in technology driven infrastructure, state government, and yes, even a few months in pharmaceuticals. So you can say that I have touched projects in a varied assortment of industries. Nevertheless, there are certain industries that require specific knowledge of the type of product or service being delivered by the project team.  This brings up the question: Is the PMP portable to different industries? For example, can a PM who has worked mostly in financial services work as a pharmaceutical PM? Can a PM who has worked in infrastructure work in government? Let’s examine some questions.

Can the PM show that he/she understands the “lingo?”

This is the first and most likely the hardest question. Just because a PM has worked on technology projects focused on software doesn’t mean that the PM is a “fit” in a pharmaceutical company if the project has to do with software. Let’s say a company is focused on civil engineering. Will a PM understand the needs of the project if the PM has been working in financial services? There may be some exceptions, but I am of the mind that trying to get this PM job may be a tough sell. Yes, I have heard of exceptions, for example, a PM with experience in the refrigeration industry landed a position in pharmaceuticals. In this case, the PM’s knowledge of refrigeration was beneficial because the pharmaceutical company’s product needs to be refrigerated. That was an easy cross-over in industries. But how many experiences like that have you heard of? You see, the PM must be able to speak to at least the high-level of the product being delivered so that the project team members will respect the PM.

Has the PM worked on similar projects?

Let’s go back to our PM who understands the working of software contracts. Can he/she work on a scientific software project in a pharmaceutical company or a clinical research organization (CRO)? If the PM understands the types of contracts and legal and scientific terms commonly used in the industry, then he or she may be able to make the cross over. Again, this may be the exception and not the rule. Scientists who work in CROs may need a PM that thoroughly understands their needs and understands the legal issues of deploying, maintaining, and upgrading software that these scientists use.

Can the PM show his/her flexibility in abilities?

Sure, most PMs I know are very flexible and have worked on a variety of projects, such as I have. It is good for the PM to have a broad knowledge of multiple industries, as long as the PM can be focused on one type. On the one hand, the PM doesn’t want to be “pigeon-holed” in a single area, but on the other, neither does the PM want to be considered a jack of all trades but a master of none. The PM wants to be portrayed as an expert in his/her field with a working knowledge of how projects
work in other industries.

However, the question of portability in other industries becomes quite difficult to explain. I have seen exceptions where a PM has left the industry they have been working in for some time and gone over to another industry. However, those have been the exception. The rule usually is that the PM stays within their industry and works to become the go-to PM in that industry. 

I am open to discussion at any time on these blogs or anything else related to project management you would like to explore. If you would like to comment about this blog, please do so by posting on this blog or by responding in an email at Benny A. Recine. You may inspire a blog article. I look forward to your comments.

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Do You Know Whom to Network With?

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

By far the most effective way of getting a new job is by networking. When making presentations to large groups, I often test that tenet, and invariably it proves to be true. Therefore, networking is how people in transition should spend most of their time. For many, though, networking is a challenging task because they […]

The post Do You Know Whom to Network With? appeared first on Landing Expert Career Coaching.

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The Job Interview—Morphed into Something Else

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

Not too long ago, much-respected blogger Tim Tyrell-Smith of Tim’s Strategy conducted a survey, clearly finding that interviewers’ number one concern is “fit with the company’s culture.” From other articles on that subject, too, it seems as if the old-fashioned “Tell me about yourself” and “What are your key accomplishments?” questions—even when answered well—are apparently […]

The post The Job Interview—Morphed into Something Else appeared first on Landing Expert Career Coaching.

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The Things a New Team Manager Should Do First

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

When you join a team as its leader, either taking over an existing team or starting a new one, it generally creates some nervousness. Everyone wants to know what you’re going to change and where you’re going to take the direction of the team.

Your actions in the first few weeks can have a major impact on whether your team ultimately delivers results. Unfortunately some new leaders skip over the basics of team building.

Communicate
Be as open and transparent about what you’re thinking as quickly as possible. You can start by outlining your 30-day plan. While you may not yet have opinions specific to the business, you can tell people what you want to learn about and evaluate. You may not yet know your strategy, but you can certainly talk about your values, priorities, and observations. The more transparent you can be, the more comfortable people will feel being candid with you.
Figure out What People Really Want to do
Meet with all of your direct reports individually for at least an hour within your first week. Ask them about what they really enjoy doing and what they aspire to be doing in the next 2 to 3 years. It can often be the case that the role the individual is in today is not necessarily fully utilizing their skills or motivating them to be their absolute best. Being genuinely interested in what’s going on within the organization builds credibility, and generally makes you more approachable.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Spend time doing the work that your team actually does. Not only does this help establish you as someone who leads by example, but you also learn first-hand about all of the different challenges that people experience every day. If you can understand what it’s fundamentally like to be on the front lines of your team, you have the perspective when making larger strategic decisions and communicating them to your team.
Be Decisive
Once you have a good lay of the land, explicitly lay out your vision and then plan to start moving toward it. People feel less unrest when they understand the bigger picture and can see where things are heading. This is often the hardest thing to do when you’re new, and can be difficult to recover from if you don’t do it.
Getting people to work together can be a challenge. And, being new is rarely easy. But if you take the time to get to know your team, chances are they will follow you when you step up and lead.

I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…
David Schuchman


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How to Deal with Your Stress While in Transition

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

Physicians and psychiatrists have proved that there is a positive correlation between stress and illness. People in transition experience various and variable levels of stress. And such stress is not a stand-alone issue but is compounded by other stressors. One study identified three types of life stresses: chemical, physical, and attitudinal. All together there are […]

The post How to Deal with Your Stress While in Transition appeared first on Landing Expert Career Coaching.

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Monthly Meeting

Posted on by Adrienne Roman

The Breakfast Club NJ Presents: “Keep the Faith and Networking Alive” by Rod Colon

Saturday January 10th at 8:00am ET

Synopsis:

All human beings are entrepreneurs. When we were in the caves, we were all self-employed … finding our food, feeding ourselves. That’s where human history began. As civilization came, we suppress it. We became “labor” because they stamped us, “You are labor.” We forgot that we are entrepreneurs. – Muhamaad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize winner and microfinance pioneer)
You were born an entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean you were born to start companies. In fact, most people shouldn’t start companies. The long odds of success, combined with the constant emotional whiplash, makes starting a business the right path for only some people.
All human are entrepreneurs not because they should start companies but because the will to create is encoded in human DNA, and creation is the essence of entrepreneurship. To adapt to the challenges of professional life today, we need to rediscover our entrepreneurial instincts and use them to forge new sorts of careers. Whether you’re a lawyer or doctor or teacher or engineer or even a business owner, today you need to also think of yourself as an entrepreneur at the helm of at least one living, growing start-up venture: your career – the CEO of Me, Inc.
You future success depends on understanding and deploying these entrepreneurial strategies. More broadly, society flourishes when people think entrepreneurially.
Keep the Faith and Networking alive

About the speaker:

Rod Colón has a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in today’s global economy. Rod shares his 25 years of experience as a corporate HR management insider, outside agency recruiter, professional networker and career coach through an unusual yet common sense approach to networking and career management. His in-depth knowledge of international staffing, recruiting and networking gives Rod a unique ability to both coach and consult today’s professionals and executives around the world.
As an in-demand Executive Coach and Professional Speaker, Rod reveals his depth of his career management experience and shares the wisdom he has acquired over the years. He demonstrates the power of networking as a giving and sharing activity, and aggressively challenges professionals to be relentless in building their networking skills while managing their careers as a business – the CEO of ME, Inc.
Rod is a published author. His first book, Win the Race for 21st Century Jobs, discusses the need for networking and human relationships as a major part of any job search and career management strategy. You can find his career tips and techniques on his website – RodColon.com. Rod also hosts a new and interactive weekly call-in radio show entitled Own Your Career: The Weekly Summit for the CEO of Me, Inc. online Mondays at 9pm (ET) at BlogTalkRadio.com/OwnYourCareer.
Rod is a graduate of Georgian Court University and is inducted into Georgian Court University Alumni Court of Honor in 2011. He has been featured on ABC-TV “Tiempo” with Joe Torres, NEWS12 New Jersey “It’s Your Money” with Eric Landskroner, BRONXNET “Open” with Dr. Bob Lee, LatinTRENDS, Newark Examiner, Princeton Review and has received numerous awards and citations in both print and online media. His innovations have attracted a growing audience of business professionals who recognize and appreciate his gift for leadership, his command of both traditional and emerging business trends, and his unfailing desire to mentor, coach, train and advise in all matters related to career management and personal growth.

Meeting Information:

Networking begins at 7:30 am, meeting starts promptly at 8:00 am.

TBC meetings for 2015 are free (courtesy of one of our members), and free breakfast (bagels) to the first 50 attendees!!!

Be sure to tell your friends and bring them along. Be a part of our growing network of Job Seekers, Hiring Managers, Recruiters, Career Coaches, and people who want to be able to help themselves and each other.

Event Location:

Days Hotel Conference Center
195 Rt. 18 South, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
732-828-6900

Meeting Format:

7:30 to 8:00 – Registration & Open Networking

8:00 to 8:15 – Welcome and housekeeping

8:15 to 9:15 – Presentation by the guest speaker – Limited to 60 minutes

9:15 to 10:15 – Elevator Pitch – 30 Seconds about yourself, who you are, what you are looking for, target companies (3-4), how we can help you, how you can help others. Follow the rule of the Three B’s of Public Speaking: Be informative; Be brief; Be seated.

10:15 until you choose to leave – Open Networking, follow up with people you are interested in meeting following their elevator pitch, exchange business cards, peruse the library, arrange follow up meetings, etc.

The Breakfast Club NJ – 10 Points for Good Member Citizenship

  1. Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
  2. Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly
  3. Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible
  4. Join linked in group and connect to other members directly (questions see Gerry Peyton)
  5. Join Facebook group and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman)
  6. Follow twitter account (questions see George Pace)
  7. If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
  8. Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)
  9. If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)
  10. Help fellow members whenever possible

We look forward to seeing everyone let’s make this a great meeting for our members that are in transition and welcome those that have landed

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Why Hire a Professional Contractor

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
I write this post having recently started my own IT consulting company, Princeton Technology Advisors, LLC. In making this career decision, I reflected on why I previously contracted with professional consultants, and how I demonstrated doing so will bring value to my projects and the organizations where I worked.

A consultant is a person that is a subject matter expert who is paid to perform a specific set of tasks over a set period of time for an agreed upon sum of money. In this case, I mean for you to consider when it is appropriate to hire an IT consulting professional for your next important project.
As you approach starting a new project, take stock in the skills, backgrounds and timely availability of the in-house resources already accessible to you. Then, determine the skills and availability that you need to complete your new project on schedule. If there are gaps between those two reviews, consider bringing in consulting professionals. It’s important that the assessment of the skills, backgrounds and availability are performed objectively. An over confident or over ambitious program manager may not see these clearly (or truthfully).
What a professional consultant brings to a project are:
  • Works with you, your team and/or your management on goals and deliverables.
  • Accountability for results, schedule and costs to complete key project tasks. These tasks and goals can be identified and added to the contract, which can translate into significant economies as compared to in-house efforts.
  • A proven methodology and skill set applied to the appropriate tasks.
  • Creativity drawn from a robust base of prior experiences.
  • No significant cost of training or “experimenting” on how to complete the assignment. The consultant will focus on achieving results. Training of in-house staff can be scheduled into the project both during execution or as the final tasks to perform.
Once you determine that you will hire a consultant, you have several options for finding the right resources:
  • If your project involves purchasing a product, consider the vendor. While this may appear to be a costly upfront option (e.g. highest hourly rate), the vendor will provide well-trained product resources that will effectively perform the needed tasks.
  • Large multi-disciplined contracting companies have a variety of technical resources and specialties within their in-house staff. Some specialize in a specific set of technologies. While that can provide good value to your organization, you need to be sure the companies you speak with actually have in-house staff proficient in skill sets that your project needs.
  • An independent general contractor is a consultant who will manage your project and has access to a wide variety of the specialty sub-contractors needed on your project. It is often the case that the general contractor can be more cost effective and flexible as compared to specialty contractors since the team assembled is not limited to in-house resources. In addition, an independent general contractor typically does not have the overhead of larger firms.
Hiring a consultant can be extremely advantageous by helping you plan, manage, and implement your key project goals. The apparent cost may actually be less than the real cost when you consider the benefits gained from hiring a professional consultant for your short-term needs.

I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…
David Schuchman

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How Does the Cloud Change How a PM Runs a Project?

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

For Project Managers (PM), new technologies may present an issue regarding the phase structure of a project. What I mean is that when a new technology is rolled out, there seems to be a “buzz” as to how to handle the project using that new technology. The same is being said of Cloud Computing or projects that are related to cloud projects. What I am NOT saying is that cloud projects don’t have their own risks; they do. As a matter of fact, the risks can be substantial in that they can increase the costs in technology and human capital. However, does a cloud project bring about changes in the way a project is run? Should we have a new set of phases and tasks for cloud projects? Are the roots of a cloud project so intrinsically difficult that they demand a new set of project protocols?


Are there new phases?

No, there are no new phases in a cloud project. They remain: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitor and Control and Closing. There are new tasks and increased risks in a cloud project but they alone do not create a need to create new phases. However, in a cloud project, new tasks within the traditional phases are necessary. For example, in Initiation, due diligence regarding Software License Agreements (SLAs) is absolutely necessary. In Planning, there has to be a review of how the new environment is established and how the environment that is being replaced is going to be decommissioned. In Execution, attention must be paid to the types of risks that arise and how to resolve or mitigate them. Monitor and Control brings about a task that addresses the costs of implementing the cloud project and continuing the system being replaced. Lastly, in the Closing phase, ensuring that all tasks for decommissioning the system being replaced are completed is highly recommended.

Are there new risks?
Absolutely yes! I alluded to one in the previous paragraph regarding the risks of costs in decommissioning the system that is being replaced. Or should I say, delaying that task. You see, if the system being replaced is allowed to stay active beyond a reasonable and agreed upon time, the costs of the cloud project will balloon to an unsustainable amount where the cloud project will be considered a failure due to no fault of the cloud system. This is probably the greatest risk and the risk the PM must keep a close watch on.
Another risk would be the increase of costs that are associated with company resources requesting the new application before it’s deployed or after deployment, requesting the application for the sake of having it without a having a check point for approval of the application. This can be the highest risk and cost to the project or when the project becomes operational.
Should a PM handle a cloud project differently and how?
Every project brings with it risks that may de-rail the project and render it a failure, and this is no different for the cloud project. The difference is the magnitude of the risk(s). The PM MUST pay very close attention to the risks, and especially the risk controls, in a cloud project. This is not a “difference” in the way a PM runs a cloud project, but it is a heightened risk and concern regarding the success of a project. During planning, the PM MUST have agreement from the project members and especially the project sponsor regarding the risks and the decommissioning of the system being replaced. In this, the PM must be relentless and communicate effectively and efficiently throughout the project.
I am open to discussion at any time on these blogs or anything else related to project management you would like to explore. If you would like to comment about this blog, please do so by posting on this blog or by responding in an email at Benny A. Recine. You may inspire a blog article. I look forward to your comments.

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How to Tell if an Email is Real or Fake

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
Fake emails, also called “spoof” or “phishing” emails, try to look like they are from real companies or people you know. They are a common way criminals use to steal your personal or financial information, such as bank account details, credit card information, passwords, etc. Fake emails often link to fake (“spoof”) websites where your information can be collected as you type it. So, be very cautious!

Here are some ways to determine that the email you received is a “spoof”:
Fake Sender’s Email Address
You can check who sent the email by looking at the sender’s address. For example, the message may say it’s from “South Bank”, but the email address may be something unusual like “southbank_support@hotmail.com”. A reliable company’s email should not be using a public internet service provider account like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo!, etc. Typically, real companies have their own domains. So, you should expect the email address to look something like “support@southbank.com”.

Requesting Private Information
Companies contacting you will not ask via email for your private information. Be very suspicious of emails requesting your social security number, account number, security code, personal identification number  (PIN) or other sensitive information.

Not Addressed to You
A legitimate email from a business with whom you have a relationship will address you by name rather than as “Valued Customer” (or something similar). Since a reliable business likely has a customer file with your contact information, they will address you directly.

Typos
Emails which have misspellings or grammatical errors, or grammar that indicates they are not properly formatted for the language in which they are written, are another sign that the message is  a fake.

Incorrect Links
Some email message will make a request for you to click on a link (e.g. View your account statement here). Hover your mouse over the link to see the content of the link. Similar to “Fake Sender’s Email Address” above, the link should have the company’s URL in the beginning of the link (e.g. “http://ift.tt/1DF7lv7”). Don’t click on a suspicious link. Clicking on a fake link will likely allow a hacker access to you computer and stored information, or will download malware to your computer.

Low Resolution Images
Another tip-off to a fake email message is poor image quality of the company’s logo or other images in the message.

What if the Sender is Someone you Know?
Spoof emails from people you know usually ask you for you to do something that a friend might not ask you to do, such as to click on a link to an unusual website. Sometimes, you will see that the “friend” sent the email to a number of email addresses in the “To” box. In this case, it is likely that your friend was “spoofed”, which is causing that email account to contact you.

When you suspect you received a fake email from a company with whom you do business, call that company’s customer service department. Ask them about the content of the message. If the message is legitimate, the customer service department should be able to assist you with the message request. If the message is not legitimate, delete it right away.

When you suspect you received a fake email from a somebody you know, send that person a separate, new email asking if they sent the prior message you received. Do not reply via the suspected message which may (or may not) be sent to them. If the person replies that the message is not legitimate, delete it right away.

I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…

David Schuchman

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