Quiet or you may ruin it for us all!
“Quiet or you may ruin it for us all.” – have you ever been in a situation where that thought crossed your mind? I was earlier this week. Allow me to explain… Marseille is the site of the EMEA PMI Global Congress for 2012. The city is the second largest in France, and it has a rich [...]
Plans Are Nothing
Dwight D. Eisenhower once voiced one of my favorite quotes: “Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.” He went on to explain that when planning for an emergency, the very definition of “emergency” means that we weren’t expecting it. It is very likely that things won’t go according to plan. But planning keeps us focused on [...]
Zombie Management
I recently spoke at a summit at the CDC. I’ve had a close relationship with them for several years now, and I got the chance to share some research with their project managers. This came just a few days after I had watched the Walking Dead episode where they travel to the CDC looking for [...]
Public Speaking, Hurling, and Naked Snakes
Think of this post as “Part 2” – a continuation of the lessons I learned last week – valuable reminders about public speaking. (If you just landed here and have no clue about the reference to hurling and naked snakes, you may want to check out the prior post.) To recap, the 1st Lesson in [...]
Does Public Speaking make you want to HURL?
If the very mention of “Public Speaking” causes you to hurl, that’s OK. It’s a perfectly natural response. A Gallup poll ranks our fear of speaking in front of people as 2nd only to our fear of SNAKES. You’ve all heard the tip: overcome your fear of speaking by picturing the audience naked. Yikes. That [...]
The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree
I have heard that “the apple does not fall far from the tree.” I was reminded of the concept recently as my family gathered to celebrate my birthday. My daughter Lauren is the office manager for an industrial lighting equipment supplier, and she and I often discuss things like watts, volts, and even LEDs. I find [...]
Hello, PMI – Metrolina Chapter (Charlotte)
Today (Tuesday, Oct 18) I’m headed up to Charlotte, NC to speak to the PMI Metrolina chapter. After a long, self-imposed hiatus, my speaking schedule has heated up again. I’ll be sharing some research I’ve conducted in project management into what makes an effective project manager. This is one of those topics that continues to [...]
“No one was sorry when he died”
These 7 words are haunting. In the world’s best-selling book, this short sentence is a sobering summary of a failed leader’s life. King Jehoram was a horrible leader. He was a tyrannical, self-absorbed loser who inspired fear and distrust. And, when he died, no one was sorry. On the contrary, you get the feeling that [...]
Mystery
On a hiking expedition yesterday, my wife and I came across several mounds of rocks; one of them pictured here. Archaelogical investigations by the University of Georgia state that these rock “cairns” are a mystery. They are frequently clustered on the southeast slopes of hills throughout the Appalachian and Piedmont areas of Georgia. They are believed [...]
Project Management Around the World
The best part of my job (by far) is getting to interact with some of the smartest, most resourceful people in the world. Working with project and program managers exposes you to the people who make the world go around. Last week I was in Manhattan with the NYC PMI chapter for their Professional Development [...]
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