ProjectNews - Keep it Simple to be Successful

I remember when Air Mail was the only option for sending mail quickly. Today, we communicate with a few keystrokes and the push of a button. Digital communication, such as email, instant messaging and texting allow us to stay connected and get things done quickly. But do communication devices help or hinder our business relationships?

Today's business landscape requires us to communicate with team members and business partners who are spread across town, the country, or around the world, raising new challenges for maintaining healthy, productive relationships.

Here are four simple email practices to keep virtual relationships focused and productive:

1. Be Concise. Do not make the message longer than it needs to be. Keep to the 1-minute rule. If your reader can't get through your message in 60 seconds, you are likely to lose his or her attention.

2. Deliver Quality. Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation; errors will discredit you in a heartbeat.

3. Use Structure. Since reading from a screen (and especially a tiny device) is more difficult than reading from paper, structure is very important. Use succinct sentences and short paragraphs.

4. Be Emotionally Clear. Email does not convey emotions as well as face-to-face or telephone interactions. Are you serious, kidding, frustrated, or euphoric? Always re-read your email before hitting the "send" button to make sure it represents your tone.

Need to capture someone's attention immediately? Send a text message. It commands attention and produces results. Texting is the only way I get the attention of my teenagers these days - imagine the possibilities in business!

Keep it simple to be successful.

Now its time for you to join the conversation - Share your ideas, suggestion and thoughts on what the successful project manager looks like on our LIVE discussion on LinkedIn.

Contributor: Lisa DiTullio (Lisa DiTullio & Associates)

If you have not yet subscribed to our complimentary ProjectNews newsletter, please click on the following link to subscribe: http://www.iirusa.com/optin. To catch up on old issues, or learn more about our PWWCBA conference, click here.

Researching Requirements?

Yesterday, the 2010 Project World and World Congress for Business Analysts webinar series presented "Better Requirements through Better Requirements Validation" featuring Tony Higgins, VP of Product Marketing at Blueprint Software Systems.

For a glimpse at some of the content covered in the presentation, check out this video Blueprint Software Systems uploaded to youtube previewing one of their products.



You can also read a great blog post from Tony Higgins here. In this post he addresses some of the same topics that were covered in the webinar. For example, moving beyond text documents to describe your requirements through images or models. A key takeaway from both the webinar and this post can be found in the following quote:

"using diagrams tends to be far more expressive than using text-only, helping people expose errors in the requirements early and improve communication."

For access to our exclusive year-round learning webinar series, join us this Fall at ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® 2011.

Within one conference package, you'll get a pass to the annual PW&WCBA November event plus exclusive access to a networking community and on-demand webinars, to help you grow and learn throughout the year.

To learn more, download the 2011 brochure here, or register for the event here. Save 15% off the standard rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG.

Plus, follow us on twitter for updates @Project_World.

The 2011 ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts Program is Unveiled

We are excited to announce your exclusive preview of the 2011 program and full speaker roster for ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts®. PW&WCBA will deliver exactly what you need to accelerate success and create value for your organization.

This year's theme pays particular attention to accelerating core leadership competencies. In the wake of all revolutionary change - there's a clear need to elevate the discipline from manager to definitive leader. That's exactly what the event is built to do.

Join us November 14-16 at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL. Download the brochure for full event details.

ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® 2011, Transforming a Role: Accelerate Core Leadership Competencies, November 14-16, 2011, Orlando, FL

Earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs with one pass
Featured speakers include:

• • Peter Guber, Founder & CEO, Mandalay Entertainment & Author of best-selling book Tell to Win
• • Carlos Dominguez, SVP, Office of the Chairman and CEO, Cisco
• • Brett Roberts, Senior Project Investment and Change Management Manager, The Boeing Company
• • Terri Dickson, PMP, Program Manager, External Mandates & Compliance Implementation, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield
• • Special Presentation by The Disney Institute, The "Magic" Behind Great Teamwork: Disney's Approach to People Management
• • And more - Download the brochure for the full speaker line-up and complete agenda.

The Content Has Been Organized to Help You Achieve More:
• From Project Manager to Project Leader
• Mastering the BA Role
• The New Era of Social Communication, Leadership & Collaboration
• Tools, Techniques & Trends
• Advancing Your PMO
• Adopting & Implementing Agile Practices
• Being an Evangelist for Portfolio Management
• Enterprise Business Analysis - Moving from Tactical to Strategic
• The Risk of Ignoring Culture in Projects
And don't miss pre-conference activities, workshops and summits, including a newly expanded all-day Agile Summit with breakout options for all maturity levels, the Advanced PMO Summit and all-day topic intensive workshops for the BA & PM.

PLUS - Earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs and master the people, leadership and facilitator techniques you need to succeed. Download the brochure for the complete program.

Register now to secure your spot and receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando this November!
All the best,
The ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts Team
Visit the ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts webpage
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How do you develop openness to change?

Encountering resistance to change within your company?

Check out this great video produced as part of Fast Company's 30-Second MBA program featuring Mark Langley President and CEO of Project Management Institute.

An ongoing video “curriculum” of advice from the trenches from business leaders, the 30-Second MBA series is a treasure trove of quick, inspirational ideas.

The gem in this video? "Change happens, and it's going to happen with you or without you."

Agile Resources Abound

Are you thinking of pursuing the new Project Management Institute - Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification?

I recently came across two great resources for those looking to build their body of Agile knowledge.

Find an excellent reading list and a great visualization of what is expected to be on the PMI-ACP exam on InfoQ here.

Plus, Agile Scout recently compiled a top 200 list of the best Agile blogs. Ranked by content and influence, this list is truly worth checking out.

What resources have you been turning to in researching Agile certification?

The 2011 ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® conference will provide more information about the new PMI-ACP certification. Opt-in for updates as they become available here.

New York City's CityTime Project

In our most recent issue of the ProjectNews newsletter, we explored New York City's CityTime Project. The original goal for the NYC CityTime project was to streamline the timekeeping system for public employees, making the government accountable for its employees and prevent employees from getting paid for time not spent working.

The project was estimated to cost the city $68 million and be completed within 5 years, however the project has now cost over $740 million.

Meanwhile, this article in the Wall Street Journal acknowledges that "To date, 163,388 employees in more than 60 agencies are now on the electronic payroll system," progress that some are seeing as a victory for the beleaguered project.

In that same article Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith "said the administration 'learned some valuable lessons' and plans in the comings weeks to release a report that details how the city will better manage these types of IT projects."

While we wait to see the results of that report, share your own experiences and ideas. Have you ever worked on a project that ran far over budget and time estimates? What lessons were learned in the process?

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