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Showing posts from June, 2013

I’m moving.

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Which has me thinking about the process of moving. (Trust me: Thinking about the process of moving is infinitely more fun than the actual work of attacking and packing up that junked out storage closet.) So go with me here....    In a fundamental way, the act of selling your house, packing your stuff, finding a new place to live, moving your stuff, and unpacking your stuff so you can settle in and get back to your life again, well, it’s fundamentally just another project. It has mission and goals tied to overall strategy, and it has phases and methods and detailed tasks that must happen in a specific order. And just like any other project you might work on in your professional life, the process of pulling up sticks and moving your household will run more smoothly if you obey and organize around the principles of effective project management. Every project has specific phases. These are initiation, planning, implementing, controlling, and closing. If the project is long and...

Karen’s Project Management Tips

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Resist the urge to produce something, anything before the team understands the goals of the project. At the beginning of every project, there is pressure to show something, anything to prove there is movement. The pressure can be subtly cultural or overt and obnoxious, as in “So what has your team actually been doing??!!” The best project managers push back against creating any work product until the goals and objectives of the project are well understood. I’m not suggesting waiting months to show progress, but taking an extra few days or weeks at the very beginning to set a proper direction is always time well spent. Project managers have a responsibility to their teams to shelter them and to seek the answers required to move forward. About the author Karen Creditor teaches Quality in Project Management: Navigating ISO 21500 Training Course @ Centauri Business Group Inc. More project management tips in the free download . Let us know what you think:   • W...

5 Ways to Improve Quality Culture of Your Organization

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Every organization has a culture which is influenced by its leaders and adapted by its employees.  An organization that focuses on Quality in its culture will benefit in many ways. It will improve efficiency and thus will be able to meet their customer needs more effectively. The solidly defined processes will facilitate decision making based on evidence. Transparency and honesty will increase staff morale. Quality culture of an organization can be defined as a commitment to quality environment, products and processes. Quality culture can and has to be constantly improved. Regardless of level in the organization, you can play a part in its culture. 1.    Lead by example; promote positive values through consistent decision. 2.    Establish and maintain a positive quality culture through regular training and educational sessions. 3.    Cultivate in the personnel a sense of pride of belonging to the Company. This will activate the eff...