Archive for July, 2009

Basic Accounting for Project Managers

13 July 2009

Project Management AccountingBasic accounting is one of the key skills that project managers need to master to keep their projects within budget.

At a high-level, you need to forecast your monthly, quarterly, yearly and overall project expenditures. Obviously, you need to compare your planned versus actual numbers which should be done at least monthly. Report any variations and make the necessary adjustments as appropriate.

Depending on your project, you may also need to calculate the costs for internal employees. Usually, it is a fixed monthly amount regardless of the position which is then multiplied based on staff utilization. If you are using contractors, get their rates and do not forget to include taxes.

There are other expenses to consider as well such as capital expenditures, fixed rate resources, hardware costs, software costs, equipment leases, one-time expenses, ongoing costs and R&D credits.

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Minor Mistakes Even Experienced Managers Make

9 July 2009

Minor MistakesIn my current project, I recently completed the schedule to redesign four mortgage Web sites for a financial institution.

I was reminded (again) of the following “minor mistakes” within three weeks of my project.

  1. Load your team leaders less than 100% because they need time to “lead” their teams
  2. Leave some slack time for the initial tasks for ramp-up and learning curve
  3. Schedule walkthroughs several days after the completion of the draft documents because reviewers need time to review before they can provide feedback
  4. Incorporate holidays, vacations and other non-working days into your project calendar before you communicate the dates to your project stakeholders
  5. Send requests for access, permission, etc. early because they often require a long lead time

We are familiar with these common errors. Yet, with time pressure, they’re so easy to forget!

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Self-Management for Project Managers

8 July 2009

Emotional Intelligence: Self ManagementSelf-management is one of the constructs of Goleman’s emotional intelligence. In relation to self-awareness, it pertains to regulating your emotions and impulses based on changing circumstances.

At the beach last weekend, a mother screamed at her children and told them to go to the car for a 10-minute timeout. Had she regulated her emotions properly, she could have achieved the same results without creating a scene. It works the same way in the office.

If you disagree with someone in the office or someone really pissed you off, watch how you react to it. It is always better to understand their perspective first before you calmly and eloquently present your side of the story. If it happens via e-mail, type a response immediately but DON’T send it. Go for a coffee, read your response again and adjust your message accordingly.

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Self-Awareness for Project Managers

6 July 2009

Emotional Intelligence: Self-AwarenessSelf-awareness is one of the constructs of Goleman’s emotional intelligence. As a person, you need to be aware of how your emotions can negatively affect your ability to build strong family relationships, gain the respect of your friends and manage projects effectively.

At home, do you do things that may annoy family members without you noticing it? Do you have an irritating habit that your friends might find offensive? Although you may be able to get away with your lack of self-awareness at home, it can be a career killer in the office.

Don’t assume that everything is hunky-dory. Pay close attention next time. Always check your appearance, attitude and behaviour. Are you aware of your non-verbal behaviours? Do have a boisterous laugh? Do you speak clearly or do you mumble your words? If in doubt, ask a trusted individual.

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If Twitter is a Project Manager, Part 3

2 July 2009

Twitter Project ManagerIf Twitter is a project manager, her tweets will look like the ones below.

@sponsor How did you come up with the deadline without first defining the scope?

“Adding more resources will just make your project take longer” P. M. Sage #quote

@peon WBS isn’t an emoticon with a W before it.

RT @PM2 Can I earn #PDUs for assassinating incompetent team members in Mafia Wars? #pmot

http://twitpic.com/tahduh – must see @sponsor picture after our “discussions”

#FF is not #FollowFriday; I meant to say finish-to-finish.

Don’t send me your resume, I was asking for a cost variance.

@BA Please send me the RACI matrix and NOT your pictures from Spring break.

@SportsFan Did you see that Backward Pass?

Bottom-up Estimating: It is not what you are thinking.

I became a Project Manager because I don’t like the opposite of Functional Manager.

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