Project Management Tips by Drake - #1

The Team

Managing a diverse project team can be challenging. You need to plant your leadership stake in the ground that we are a team. We all depend on each other. Everyone has an important role to play no matter how small it is.

Communication is key on how you reach out to different team members. You need to adjust your communication style as needed with different team members. You do not want to project an intimidating image. People skills are so important to be a good Project Manager. Remember to treat people the way you would like to be treated. 

I recommend using Wrike to manage your projects. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

My Twitter Word Cloud

My twitter timeline translated into a cloud.

Get your word cloud by tweeting: @wordnuvola #wordcloud

The Vendor Statement of Work

The statement of work (SOW) that a vendor provides for a project that they are contracted to perform needs to be evaluated with a fine tooth comb. A tedious process, but you need to make sure it covers everything that you are expecting to be delivered. Once you are satisfied with the SOW you need to translate it into a project plan so you can generate a Gantt chart to get a better feel of the scheduled timeline that the vendor is proposing. 

Having a Gantt Chart can help you track the vendor progress to make sure they stay on schedule. You will need to diligently update the project tasks by getting periodic progress status from the vendor to update your Gantt chart. You have to keep the vendor on schedule or you will have some explaining to do latter why the project is late. If you encounter any delays you need to document the reason and inform your management so they are not caught by surprise latter.

Be nice to your vendor, but be clear with them that you have a deadline to meet.

The Hawaii Sunset Hidden by Clouds

The sunsets in Hawaii are a spectacular sight to watch from the beach. Sometimes the weather gets in the way of letting spectators watch the sun go down due to heavy cloud cover blocking the sunset. 

When the clouds block the sunset you still will be in for a treat. The sun will paint the sky with beautiful colors when it goes down behind the clouds. Keep watching as the shades of colors keep changing on a moving canvas of clouds.

It's the 11th Hour the Curtain is Going Up

The day has arrived after months of hard work building and testing the new system. You are in the go-live phase of the project. You should have an implementation timeline tasks in your project plan. The timeline will summarize all the required steps to implement the new system.

The timeline should contain:

• The timeline is like the program for a play that lists the cast and acts. The audience wants to know ahead of time what to expect. Your stakeholders want to know the estimated time of completing the go-live.
• List all key contacts with cell number so you can confer with them should issues arise.
• Give a brief summary of all the steps in the implementation and list who is performing the step.
• Estimate the time in each step and include some padding in it. Estimate time in quarter hour, half hour and one hour increments. 
• Make sure you have a back out plan should a situation occur that impedes a successful implementation. You need to give a good estimate on how long you will need to back out the implementation at the designated point of no return.
• Highlight a key step in the implementation that means you are at the point of no return. You can only go forward now at this point. Any issues encountered will have to be addressed on the fly and resolved to keep moving along in the implementation. Evaluate with your team at this point that you all are confident that you can continue the implementation. If you are not comfortable contact your key decision maker to ask for extended time to address the areas of concern or back out the implementation.
• Send an update that the system is up and ready to use.
• Take a bow the curtain is coming down now after your successful implementation.

Breakfast for Dinner at Waikiki Beach Eggspress

Sometimes you want to have breakfast for lunch or dinner. Waikiki Beach Eggspress is my favorite place to have corned beef hash and eggs. The food is great there. You need to check this place out because they have more delicious Items on their menu. The staff are very friendly and will make you feel at home.

Convenient Waikiki location in the lobby of the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel:

2464 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu Hawaii 96815

Phone＆Fax: (808) 926-EGGS (3447)

Hours: Open Daily ／6:00am to  2:00pm

                                  4:00pm to 10:00pm

Website: https://www.eggsnthings.com

　　　　　　　　　　

Corned Beef Hash and Eggs with potatoes.

The Little Seattle Seahawks

The NFL regular season has started and they sure start young in Washington State to support their Seahawks. 

The 12's aka The 12th Man celebrates Blue Fridays wearing the Seahawks jersey to show their team pride. It's really neat to see a state come together by wearing Seahawks jerseys and saying Go Hawks to anyone wearing the Hawks jersey.

Washington State is very proud of their team. They wear a jersey to work on Blue Friday. The schools celebrate Blue Friday by letting students wear their jersey to show their pride for the team.

Go Hawks!

Green Diamond Head

Diamond Head is so green in the month of September due to all the rainfall from the storms that where generated in the Pacific. The island of O'ahu received generous amounts of rainfall that brought all the vegetation on the dry slopes of Diamond Head back to life. A nice treat to see Hawaii's famous landmark green right now.

Let's Pay It Forward

Pay it forward is not a new expression, but we all should try doing an act of pay it forward. What is pay it forward? In simple terms it means when you are the recipient of a good deed you do a good deed for another person. It's that simple. The idea is to keep the good deeds going.

The Passion for Project Management

I have a passion for Project Management because it's a profession that keeps challenging you to do your best. You are constantly learning new subjects or technology. Never a dull moment being a problem solver and negotiator. The challenge to lead a team to produce a deliverable is a satisfying experience. It's like a symphony conductor leading the orchestra to play beautiful music for their audience. The quarterback running plays with his team to score a touchdown.

Plan your Hawaii Vacation

I took this picture on an evening walk in Waikiki. This is what it looks like after the sun goes down. So peaceful to just relax and watch the sky change colors.

Search for airfares on: Jetradar JetRadar

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