PMI Nashville Articles Feed

Should you learn ITTO's by Heart? by Cornelius Fichtner, PMP

web@pminashville.com — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:44:07 -0600

Should you learn ITTOs by Heart?

By Cornelius Fichtner, PMP

Do you feel that in order to pass the Project Management Professional (PMP) ® exam you should memorize the PMBOK® Guide’s ITTOs (Inputs, Tools, Techniques and Outputs)? Do you think that the PMP exam is full of IITO type of questions? Many people still believe this myth. Well, let me clear some misconceptions…

Many project managers have successfully passed the PMP exam without any memorization. The current PMP exam is all about an in-depth understanding of applying project management concepts and principles from the PMBOK® Guide as well as general management knowledge from other sources to project situations.

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Sound Advice by Cheryl Austin

web@pminashville.com — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:24:41 -0600

Sound Advice

By Cheryl Austin

Over the years, I’ve come across many quips, quotes, snippets, or nuggets of wisdom, that I’ve cut and re-read from time to time because I have found them valuable or inspirational. Some I even have posted in my office, thinking that constant exposure will help me put them into practice! I’ve also concluded that the advice that helps make a person successful professionally can be applied to one’s personal life as well, with equally positive results.

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Job Market Implications of the Current Trends by Cheryl Austin

web@pminashville.com — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:23:07 -0600

Job Market Implications of the Current Trends

By Cheryl Austin

The recession of the last year and a half has taken a toll on companies and employees. Everyone has been expected to do more with less: fewer staff, smaller project budgets, fewer tools, fewer opportunities for training (internally and externally), and so on. As the economy is starting to improve and job cuts are slowing down, there are interesting dynamics at play, especially in the job market. Labor statistics show productivity increases without job increases, e.g., a jobless recovery. What are the implications for you as a job seeker?

Implications for job seekers: With fewer job openings and high unemployment, there are literally hundreds of applicants for each job posting. Wages have fallen because companies no longer need to offer a “competitive wage” to attract workers. Companies do not need to spend money on advertising job openings on Monster or Career-Builder in order to get a large pool of applicants… they can advertise on their own website or word-of-mouth for free and still get quality applicants. Project Management (PM) and Business Analyst (BA) positions are more likely now to be contract or contract-to-hire rather than full-time, permanent positions. As a job applicant, getting your resume seen among the hundreds of applicants becomes futile.

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Managing the “Meeting from Hell”! Facilitation Techniques to Manage Three Common Dysfunctional Behaviors by Dana Brownlee

Posted by Rusty Thompson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:24:04 -0600

Managing the “Meeting from Hell”!
Facilitation Techniques to Manage Three Common Dysfunctional Behaviors
By Dana Brownlee

Project Manager Sherry Martin couldn’t stop thinking about her last team meeting as she walked down the hall towards her office. Slamming her office door behind her, she let out an exasperated scream and looked for something the punch! Her team was driving her absolutely crazy and she channeled Scarlett O’Hara as she proclaimed, “I will never run a meeting like that again!” Her problem in a nutshell boiled down to three really difficult personalities that continually recurred on her team. These personalities were indeed a cancer not just infecting the team and its results but also spreading throughout the group and impacting the other team members as well.

Sherry needs an antidote… now!

Click here to download the full article in pdf

© 2009 Professionalism Matters, Inc.
Dana Brownlee is President of Professionalism Matters, Inc. which owns and operates www.meetinggenie.com, an online resource for meeting facilitation tips, training, and instructional DVDs.

The Project Manager’s Guide to Dealing with Difficult Sponsors by Dana Brownlee

Rusty Thompson — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:22:11 -0600

The Project Manager’s Guide to Dealing with Difficult Sponsors
By Dana Brownlee
Part of the challenge that the Project Manager faces is the reality of having to serve so many different stakeholders and sometimes being pulled in very different directions. We’re often taught that our “sponsor” is the person who is the champion of the effort. Indeed, they are often the one we’re to seek out for support and issue resolution throughout the project. But what do you do when your sponsor IS the problem??? As I travel the country and beyond to speak to business analysts, project managers, and team leaders about how to best manage problem attendees in their meetings or deal with difficult team members, I am astounded by how often someone raises their hand to ask, “But what do you do if your sponsor is the problem????” I have to admit that that does pose an interesting dilemma, but it’s not one void of strategies you can use to address this not too uncommon dilemma….Let’s explore a few different varieties of the “difficult sponsor” and see how they can be managed for optimum success.

Click here to download the the full article in pdf.