Clown In Office or Chief Information Officer February 28, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Leadership , add a comment1) Take a look at the world’s most successful organisations and you will find them using best practice frameworks with formal programme and project management in place.
2) Take a look at organisations that flounder around in total chaos with CIOs who seem to have no concept of programme and project management and often don’t even know the difference between the two.
Enough said - but I’ll add a few words around this. (more…)
A culture of process improvement February 26, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Process , add a comment
The management of IT is all about the efficient and effective use of people, processes and products - products being a blend of tools and technology. I want to write about process improvement here, which in a nutshell is a series of actions taken to identify, analyse and improve existing processes within an organisation; to meet new goals and objectives. These actions often follow a specific methodology or strategy to create successful results. (more…)
PMI Global Congress February 24, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Events , add a comment
If you’re a PMI member you might well know about what I’m about to write already. Between 14 and 16 May, the PMI holds its Global Congress a few hours from me in Budapest, Hungary. Unfortunately I’ll be in New Zealand throughout most of May so I won’t be able to attend. One of the 12 areas of focus at the congress will be Communication, which I think is key to successful management. Knowing process off by heart is simply no good without the ability to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively. (more…)
PM required in Singapore 6-9 mths February 22, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Job Opportunities , add a comment
I don’t normally post jobs on the Blog but this one is based in Singapore and I don’t have much of a network in that part of the world.
Role: Project Manager (Infrastructure)
Location: Singapore (frequent travel to India)
Duration: 6 - 9 month contract
Start Date: ASAP
(more…)
PRINCE2, APMIC, MSP, ITIL Training February 22, 2007
Posted by Rob in : APM, ITIL, MSP, PRINCE2, Training , 2commentsI’m not on commission or receiving any backhanders, but I’d like to mention some multimedia training that has helped me a great deal in the past. If you’re someone who wants to get ahead, increase your value as a manager and enjoy more choice of work opportunities, read on. (more…)
A PM recruiters world February 21, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Recruiting , add a commentI’ve worked as an Interim Manager for quite some time and it suits me well. But in August last year I expanded my business and began recruiting Project and Programme Managers. I was being offered roles that didn’t interest me and I was always passing them on to people I knew. I was also getting asked by clients and associates if I knew of good PMs as they needed new resources. I would pass all this business onto an agent who actually gave me nothing in return so I decided it was time I started enjoying some of the benefits of this business that was falling into my lap and I began recruiting. (more…)
PMO - who needs it? February 16, 2007
Posted by Rob in : PMO , add a commentThis morning I had a good chat with an Architect I once worked with, about the importance of a PMO. A CIO can expect a PMO to operate across the following seven areas: (more…)
Are you really there? February 15, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Attitude, Communication , 1 comment so far
Yesterday was busy, fun and social, although I did squeeze in two hours of work, but no time for the Blog. I spent a few hours in the morning sunshine sitting outside a cafe beneath Prague’s astronomical clock in the old town square with former colleagues John Watkins and Saloni Seth. We all worked together in Dubai last year. In the afternoon I met Paul Byrne at Namesti Miru who was on a fleeting visit from the UK and who always introduces me to interesting books on programme management and provides unofficial back-ups of other good stuff. Cheers Paul! (more…)
An interim experience February 13, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Consulting , add a comment
When an organisation decides it needs a critical injection of expertise, there is no time to waste and often the expertise required is not sitting within the organisation with enough bandwidth to assist.
Finding an Interim Manager requires a fast and efficient process to identify the right level of experience. Unless the organisation has a good network of interim managers to consider, they will usually seek to use an agent to help get the right person on board. That’s why I always try to ensure that organisations know that I am available for interim assignments, whereas many other interim managers I know will rely only upon agents. (more…)
Godfather of PgM Mgt & extreme ironer February 9, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Programme Mgt , add a comment
If you don’t know this already, Geoff Reiss is the Godfather of Project and Programme Management. I’ve cut & paste below, a few lines from his website to highlight some of his achievements. But the punch line comes at the end of this post so read on! (more…)
My media moments February 9, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Media , add a commentYears ago when I was a competitive waterskier, I used to appear on TV, radio and the printed press quite often. Those days of sporting stardom are gone and as Communications Director for the world governing body of water ski racing, I now do all I can to help the new stars of the sport enjoy some of the limelight. (more…)
APM’s Maturity Models initiative February 7, 2007
Posted by Rob in : APM, Process, Programme Mgt , add a commentI was just reading the Program Management Newsletter and thought I’d reiterate its news about M2iMP. M2iMP is the acronym for the UK’s Association for Project Management’s initiative “Models to Improve the Management of Projects”. (more…)
Manage in plain English February 5, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Communication , add a comment
Are you someone who uses phrases such as ‘globalise’, ‘push the envelope’, ‘intellectual capital’, ‘core competency’ and ‘outside the box’; to name a few? Many people are constantly building their jargon vocabulary in a bid to come across as ‘more intelligent’. The truth is, all this does is reduce the clarity of your communication. Considering the art of communication is so important to Project and Programme Managers, this isn’t realy a smart thing to do. (more…)
Your career change February 2, 2007
Posted by Rob in : Job Hunting, Job Opportunities , 2commentsWhen it comes to careers, business and style of life, we are all different. That said, we should all be taking a look at where we are, where we’re going, and whether we are getting what we’re worth. I know some damn good PMs out there who financially, seem to be taken for a ride. But they have a choice - to stay and be underpaid or to get what they’re worth. The PM job market is in fact incredibly healthy right now and it’s just getting better. (more…)
