Strategies To Maximize Time – Part 1

Posted on 8 April, 2011 at 11:45 PM by with Leave a Comment

Time_Management

There is no denying in the truth of the saying, “Time is precious.”

You never seem to get enough of time. Even if you are given thirty hours in a day, you still won’t be able to get enough of it. Somehow, some things will come up and you will end up wanting more time. Time is a precious commodity. Once it’s gone, it cannot be recovered.

The fact is: when you are busy, time flies swiftly. But when you are not, time seems to be at a standstill. This is true when you are killing time because there is nothing else to do under the circumstances.

How do you maximize the use of your time? It would be worth your time to consider the following strategies:

  1. Check your schedule at the start of the day. Review it in its entirety. You may notice that portions of your day may be hectic, while some may not be too frenzied. Distribute your activities evenly throughout the day.
  2. Keep note pads handy so you can keep track of your schedule. It also helps to remind you of your tasks and commitments. Note pads and schedule notebooks help you avoid overlapping of activities. In case of overlaps, determine which one is priority.
  3. After spreading your schedule for the day and you still feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks to be accomplished, you may have to forgo some of them. Re-schedule other tasks for another day.
  4. What you are actually doing is very much like cleaning a closet. When your closet is in order, you avoid being accidentally hit on the head by falling objects upon opening its door. Also, if it is in order, you will likely find spare spaces available.
Articles, Lessons Learned

How to apply as Project Manager in your industry?

Posted on 10 February, 2011 at 11:45 PM by with 2 Comments

Recently, I received many requests seeking me to share with them how do novices or those who are mid-life career changed get into Project Management industry?

Well, to manage professional or Corporate projects well, you have to start manage personal projects, such as for those profit or non-profit organizations.

Firstly, you need to understand the concept of project management. Get the main gist of project management, and then start to manage projects.

Next, you have to network with other project managers in your desired industry so that the knowledge can be shared or you can be tagged onto others experience.

If you are working into a paper qualification conscious working environment, you need to get yourself a certificate in Project Management. Be it from Project Management Institute, Prince2 or Certificate in IT Project Management (CITPM), it is crucial to get yourself certified. For some organizations, with relevant project management certificate and experience, you are then qualified to knock on their employment door.

Some of these organizations feel that you need to have the fundamental Project Management knowledge, instead of them to invest time to train a fresh school-leaver. Thus you can start to gain hands-on experience by managing some personal projects such as picnic, outings, house renovation, friend’s wedding and so forth. All this will gives you a

There is no doubt of the intense knowledge of terminology, concept used in the formal education. However, not many organizations are following the same terminology either. However, the process is flexible and needs to adjust to every organization. For example, some organizations that I knew, they don’t use the project charter. They will use the project request to represent charter.

In my opinion, terminology variation is alright so long everyone in the Project Management Office is aware of what the document is referring to.

Lesson Learned:

#1- Understand the basic PM concepts

#2- Use the PM knowledge and start to manage many non-profit projects (such as picnic, outing, classmate gathering and so forth)

#3- To gain the precious knowledge, like project costing, project scheduling, project scoping etc

#4- the most important factor – Once you are managing some Corporate projects, start to create a project checklist template. I have created the template and it eases my project management effort. If you are keen, click here to get it.

Articles

Project Manager Ethics and Personal Development

Posted on 21 January, 2011 at 11:45 PM by with 3 Comments

In the process of managing a project, there will be times that the project team members may not be able to deliver what they are supposed to deliver. Team members could be internal team, vendors, and relevant stakeholders.

As a project manager, you need to be tactful and not get emotional over the matter. You need to look at things from the different perspective. Of course, this member is accountable for the project delivery delayed schedule. However, you should instead understand the situation and know why is there a delivery delay? Is there any dependable event that causes the team member not able to execute the activity? Find out the reason before coming to a conclusion.

Be sensible when communicating with project member who is not able to execute the activity on time. I suppose this team member is already feeling bad for not able to deliver the task or activity. Do remember that human beings do have feelings. If a Project Manager will to blame the team member, there will be some percussion. For some people, they will turn the remarks to energy and come out a better result the next time round. On the other hand, some member will keep these remarks in their heart and bear grudges against the Project Manager, thus causing unnecessary conflicts.

Instead follow a simple saying. “Reprimand in private, Recommend in public”.

This way, the team member will feel energized to perform better so as to get recognition from the project manager in future when he indeed outperform. Obviously, the project manager should know when to compliment (give carrot) and when to criticize (issue a cane).

There are also come special case, that the team member is trying to delay the project. As a Project Manager, you should try and see whats the rationale behind all this? Is it because of the true situation that not able to move forward or there is some hidden obstacles that not able to clear.

Project Manager has to come in and resolve the situation. Thus ethics do come in and not many Project Manager can really handle such things, including myself.

Articles, Business Communication
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