Journyx Project Management Blog

Outsourcing decisions are never easy. You must decide if the requisite talent exists within the organization, and then, if you reallocate this talent to a new project, decide if you can live without the resource’s previous function that is no longer being executed elsewhere in the organization. Outsourcing is also an emotional decision because of the perception that project management (PM) support should come from within your organization. So consider these thoughts and then make your own informed decision.

Read more at: http://www.chiefprojectofficer.com/article/112

Project managers are typically task-oriented people with a strong sense of urgency and a keen focus on getting started and finishing. Not too surprisingly, the inclination of most PMs is to skip strategic project planning and start work.

The Activity Trap
Instead of thinking strategically to define the measurable results the project should achieve, the PM and her sponsor usually focus on the bells and whistles of the project’s tasks. This is the activity trap, and it is an evil thing. When a PM dives head first into the gunk of the activity trap, the project planning takes the form of horse-trading. “Okay, if you can add your favorite task, then I get to add mine!” Most importantly, no one has agreed on what the project will achieve. After the project starts, tasks can change at the drop of a hat because there is no clear vision of the end result; everyone has their own idea. The project’s scope and budget expand wildly as tasks are added because they sound like they should be part of the effort. The inevitable budget cutting is equally senseless. The thousands of decisions that people make during a project are not channeled toward a clear, measured result. The project manager doesn’t find out about this desired strategic result until the project is almost finished and the stakeholders are unhappy.

Read more at: http://www.4pm.com/articles/projplan.html

Just in case you haven’t been watching the Journyx website’s front page like a hawk ever since the last newsletter, waiting for word that Timesheet 7.0 has been officially released to our adoring public, let me be the first to tell you… Timesheet 7.0 is now available!

That’s right, the long-awaited day has come. Timesheet 7.0, with all its new geegaws and hoozits and whatnots is now ready for you, our loyal customers. So stop wondering how you’ll fill that “I need a new version of Timesheet” void that’s been gnawing at your soul and swing on by the Journyx website to see what we’ve got waiting for you.

Get the good stuff at: http://www.journyx.com/rss/products/timesheet/70features.html

So you’re managing people and projects around the world. It’s not easy, and it seems to be the norm these days. I’ve worked with global projects for the past 15 years, and here are three of my tips to making them successful.

#1 Define Clear, System-Based Milestones One of the biggest problems with global projects is knowing who depends on what piece. Sometimes pieces of the system are interrelated, without the project manager understanding how. If you and your project team define clear handoffs that are based on pieces of the system under development, you have a much better chance of knowing if you’re all on schedule or not.”

Learn more, o ye globetrotter, at: http://www.journyx.com/rss/redir/cworld-globetips.html

In honor of the release of the stunningly easy-to-use new Timesheet 7.0, we’re forgoing tips this month. But don’t worry - they’ll be back next month to give new insights into the power and majesty of Timesheet.

Meanwhile, if the idea of life without tips is just too much to bear, we’re happy to point you towards the Tip Archive at the Journyx website, where all your favorite hits from yesterday live on. So feel free to take a few minutes to browse and relive the good ol’ days with these golden oldies.

Browse our back catalog of tips at: http://www.journyx.com/rss/support/tips/tiparchive.html

No one at Journyx ever likes to think about customers having problems with Timesheet - we pride ourselves on making sure it is the easiest to use and most reliable time and expense application on planet earth. But just in case something goes wrong, just in case a customer comes across a place where they need help, Journyx keeps a well-trained cadre of support ninjas locked away in a dark room, ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice to get things working right again.

The services of the support ninjas are available to everyone, even to our beloved “10 free” customers. But, since the care and feeding of support ninjas does impact our bottom line, we do have to prioritize their services. And one of the best ways to make sure you’re at the top of the line for the ninjas’ attention is to have a current maintenance contract with Journyx. With one of those on file you’ll be certain to be among the first to feel the power of the support ninjas should you ever need it.

Oh, and lest you think that the attention of the support ninjas is the only benefit you receive with a Journyx maintenance contract, allow me to note that paid maintenance customers also get free access to the latest patch level as well as any new minor releases. But wait, there’s more… you also receive a 50% discount on any new major releases you purchase. New major releases like the aforementioned Timesheet 7.0.

You read that right… 50% off of Timesheet 7.0 is yours if your have a maintenance contract with Journyx. And if you act fast and order or renew your maintenance contract now, I’d bet you a dollar that you’ll get that 50% discount, too.

Get covered at: http://www.journyx.com/rss/support/maintenancecontracts.html

“Some of the most practical management and leadership lessons come to us everyday. We may not regard them as such but they are presenting fundamentals in both personal and organizational development.

Where can you find these lessons? In the sports pages of your daily newspaper or on the screens of your favorite sports shows. Everyday you will find stories about athletes who push themselves to the limits to achieve stardom or just the opposite, athletes with plenty of raw talent but no brains, nor sense of restraint so they end up frittering their gifts away through drink, drugs or sheer laziness.

You will also find stories of coaches who set the right example for their teams by setting standards for athletics and teaching to those standards. And on the professional side you will see stories of owners who build organizations designed to put coaches and players first so that the team wins. And of course you will find stories of owners who care only about polishing their egos at the expense of everyone else. Taken together these stories provide valuable insights into character, motive, energy and commitment.”

Check the box score at: http://www.journyx.com/rss/redir/darwinmag-sports.html

Wikipedia says:

“The Zeigarnik effect states that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik first studied the phenomenon after noticing that waiters seemed to remember orders only so long as the order was in the process of being served.”

Apparently you can game the Zeigarnik Effect for more effective studying, employ it to goose your direct marketing plan, or just consider it as one excellent explanation for the allure of multi-tasking.

In any case, it’s a fascinating idea and sure would account for why it feels so worthwhile to “close the loop” whenever you can.

Read more at: http://www.43folders.com/2005/09/incomplete_task.html

If you ask the leaders of any organization, they will probably agree that they strive to perform effectively and efficiently. Agreeing on the goal isn’t difficult. How to get to the goal, however, can be tricky. Executives face myriad dilemmas: How can we grow revenues while reduce spending? What steps must we take to optimize efficiency and productivity to better serve our customers? Do we have the right people in place to achieve our organizational goals? Have we implemented a program to help build accountable and competent leaders within the organization? Do our customers feel as though we are helping them to solve their most critical issues?

Learn more at: http://www.chiefprojectofficer.com/article/125

The security job market is experiencing a classic case of supply versus demand. As an increasing number of certified security professionals browse the want ads, the pay for such positions is decreasing. As a result, competition is tougher. One way to get your resume noticed - and move up the security career ladder - is to hone your project management skills, experts say.

Project management skills, such as value and risk analysis, relationship management and communications, can make all the difference. ‘They help me to align business needs with security needs,’ said Tom Bowers, a manager of security operations at a pharmaceutical company. ‘They bridge a lot of the gaps from a security standpoint. I can literally go to our drug research folks and we can talk the same language.’ Bowers holds several certifications including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional and the Project Management Professional.

Learn more at: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1117462,00.html