10 Reasons Why You Can’t Miss PW&WCBA in Seattle

ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts is an event for all those needing to take charge, reduce risk and deliver results in a changing work environment. Learn how to elevate your skills, deploy technical innovation and collaborate across functions to become a more effective project manager or business analyst from industry leaders

Here are the top 10 reasons you can't miss PW&WCBA 2015:

1.       Project Portfolio Management - New Secrets Revealed
Barb Hurst, Manager, Project Portfolio, Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, will help you uncover secrets on how to plan, communicate and rollout portfolio management as a valuable service in the real world (including the best day/time to present a new idea and influencing the influencers.

2.       Build Your Brand as an Emerging Leader
Uncover the three essential elements of an effective leadership brand and how you can scale up  your brand and advance your career with best practices from Jo Miller, Founding Editor, BeLeaderly.com, CEO, Women's Leadership Coaching, Inc.

3.       Decrease Project Risk
Drive project success through active risk management and get a better understanding of the relationship between project risk management and project success. Plus, Scott Reynolds, VP Senior Technology Project Manager, Bank of America will also share how you can increase your projects probability of success.

4.       Become a Change Leader            
Project Managers will come together with Lou Russell, CEO & Learning Faciiliator, Russell Martin & Associates to experience project collaboration and competition in real time. You'll learn how to complete difficult projects with and in spite of other teams, just like in the real world.

5.       Navigate Your Own Career Journey
A career in project management can take on many paths and is dependent on an individual's goals, interests and limitations. Join Rick Radice, VP, Federal Regulatory Exam Liaison, Prudential Financial as he shares different PM career paths and how to select what's right for you.

6.       Build a Project Management Centre of Excellence
CIBC Bank's Lindsey-Ann DePeri leads you through the journey of creating a CoE for Project Management, including establishing a value proposition, aligning staff and projects into a shared services portfolio, application of best practices and more.

7.       Master Your Presentation Skills
One of last year's top rated speakers, William Greenwald, Founder & Chief Neuroleaderologist, Windsor Leadership Group, returns to the PW&WCBA with the goal of helping you construct a great story while holding mastery of the stage.

8.       Explore & Analyze Data in 3D
3D data exploration is a new and promising field. Igor Peev, Senior Program Manager, Power Map for Excel, Microsoft Corporation will talk about how interacting and animating the data gives the user additional insights which are not available in the traditional methods of exploration.

9.       Scale Agile to YOUR Organization
Forrester Research examines new roles required to make a transition to Agile, address limitations that require a hybrid approach and talk about shifts that need to be made in budgeting and planning.

10.   Manage the Rate of Change in a Digital Driven Economy
Fredrick Redd, CEO, ASSAI Management Consulting reveals leadership strategies to keep pace with the rate of change that is ideal for leading projects, programs and organizations.

Download the brochure for full session details and speaker line up: http://bit.ly/1G6UIFN

Join us next month to explore what the future of project management and business analysis will look like. As a valued reader of our blog, you get an exclusive $100 off the current rate with code PW15BL. Register today: http://bit.ly/1G6UIFN

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Uncover the Promise of a PM/BA Partnership at PW&WCBA, Save $200 Today!

Earlier this year, ESI's Top 10 Trends in Business Analysis projected that BAs would become the common thread between business objectives and the projects designed to achieve them.*

The challenge, for both project managers and business analysts, now lies in the collaboration between the teams throughout the project phases. Are you prepared to managing complex projects with your peers?

PW&WCBA arms you with the skills you need to work across the project lines.

New Session Just Announced!

Understanding the Role of Business Process Management within Projects
Gurpreet Kanwar, Senior Project Manager, Information Management, NAV Canada

Business process plays an important role in successful project delivery and vice versa. We will identify how business process and project management relate together. We will review:

·         The difference between Project Management and Process Management

·         How projects can help in creating and improving the business processes

·         How Business Process helps projects to align with the organizational strategy

·         How Change Management plays a very important role to institutionalize the business process across the organization

·         How Project Methodology can be used in executing business process

·         Plus, don't miss Kathleen Hass, Principal Consultant, Kathleen Hass & Associates as she explores the New Project Leadership Model: The Promise of the PM/BA Partnership in a Complex World.

Download the brochure for full session details: http://bit.ly/1ULwTdg

$100 Early Registration Savings Expire today, September 11. Plus, as a valued reader of our blog, you get $100 off the current rate – That’s a total of $200 savings: Secure Your Spot & Save: http://bit.ly/1ULwTdg

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Practical Approaches to Change Management from Farm Credit Mid-America

Change is inevitable, that's a fact. And it's never easy. But if there's one thing we can learn in today's project landscape, it's that not adapting to change isn't even an option.

Project timelines are accelerating at an unprecedented pace and you're expected to work with brand new tools and solutions that weren't even available a few years ago - how are you and your teams coping?

 

PW&WCBA is Your Partner in Advancing Your Change Management Strategies:

Change is Tough: The Alternative is Tougher.  A Case Study on Organization-Wide Change Management Emphasizing Practical Approaches and Lessons Learned

Farm Credit Mid-America's Vice President of Process Improvement & Execution, Chuck Millhollan will lead you through a multi-faceted case study which incorporates strategic portfolio management, the practical application of Lean concepts in a service organization, a complex program impacting every employee in one of the largest associations in the Farm Credit System, and a multi-year change management initiative on the organization's Journey to 2020. Special attention is given to the practical tools and tactics the Farm Credit Mid-America teams have used to enhance delivery and change management.

In addition to Chuck, also hear from:

• Lou Russell, CEO, Learning Faciliator, Russell Martin & Associates on The IT PM as Change Leader

• Myles Miller, CEO & Founder, LeadUp discussing Change Agents - Are You Ready for Change?

• Brunella Lahey, Senior Business Systems Analyst sharing how to Implement Global Solutions at a Fortune 100 Company

• Wayne Kremling, PMP, Senior Project Manager, The Boeing Company revealing Managing Risks, Issues and Opportunities with a Mitigation Burndown

• And much more!

To view the full agenda download it here: http://bit.ly/1EDAgB8

Join us in October and walk away with an action plan to increase your ability to manage projects during times of change. Register today with code PW15BL and receive $100 off current rates! http://bit.ly/1EDAgB8

We hope to see you in Seattle!

Cheers!

The PW&WCBA Team

@Project_World

#PW15

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Advance Your Career & Increase Your Value at PW&WCBA

Become a more effective project manager or business analyst at ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts this fall. Hear how to elevate your skillset, deploy technical innovation and collaborate across functions at PW&WCBA, designed to deliver the skills and knowledge you need to take charge, reduce risk and deliver results in a changing work environment.

PW&WCBA West 2015

October 21 - 23, 2015

Renaissance Seattle Hotel | Seattle, WA

Featuring:

·         5 Keynote Sessions dedicated to advancing your professional AND personal development (focusing on developing leadership strategies, managing change, building your brand and more)

·         27 hands-on learning sessions led by experts in the project trenches, including Microsoft, Prudential Financial, The Walt Disney Company, Forrester Research, Blue Cross Blue Shield & more)

·         8+ hours to network and learn with your PM & BA peers

·         Access to the PW&WCBA Webinar Series, continuing your education year-round

Download the brochure for the full program: http://bit.ly/1NEPAx0

Plus, Earn Up to 36 PDUs/CDUs in Just 3 Days!

Use code PW15BL for $100 off the current rate. Register today: http://bit.ly/1NEPAx0

Hope to see you this fall!

Cheers,

The PW&WCBA 2015 Team

@Project_World

#PW15

http://pwwbcablog.iirusa.com/

Finding the Right Project Management Methodology for You

By: Kazon Robinson

Projects are formulated and produced by organizations to gain profit and expand the organization. Every project formulated, whether it is big or small, needs some form of planning because without planning, a project could result in failure.

Fortunately, there is a way to go about that business of creating an outline for a project - Project Management Methodology (PM).  Today, there are various PM methodologies and author Moira Alexander addresses a few very well in her recent article, “How to Pick a Project Management Methodology”. Specifically, three methodologies that stand out from the rest are Agile, Waterfall, and Scrum.

Agile: Alexander writes, “The Agile Methodology was developed for projects requiring significant flexibility and speed… Agile may be best-suited for projects requiring less control and real-time communication within self-motivated team settings.” So, a possible recommendation would be an open space office where communication is faster paced and thoughts are able to exchange faster.

Waterfall: “Used across many industries, most commonly in software development. Waterfall allows for increased control throughout each phase but can be highly inflexible if scope changes may be anticipated later,” according to Alexander. The Waterfall methodology is used for more complex projects being as there is a need for more control throughout to handle the complexity.

Scrum: Scrum is an agile development framework that is more so used for software development but is now generally used in complex projects.

In addition, there are many other PM Methodologies such as Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM), Six Sigma, Crystal, or Feature Driven Development (FDD). This amount of various methodologies helps organizations settle on a certain way of performing a project whether it is complex or simple.

Every methodology works in a business, some work better than in others depending on the situation and if the situation does not always fit the project methodologies framework it can lead to undesirable results. Nevertheless, no project is the “best of the best” and Alexander explains what to look for in a methodology. “When evaluating methodologies, these are only a few of the many factors that should be carefully considered: risks, complexity, constraints, project size, and cost…” Those are some of the factors to consider when looking at different project management methodologies.

In the end, what needs to be focused on is how projects improve or better the whole organization’s objectives. Once you determine the success or failure of those goals, look for the best methodologies that suits your organization’s needs.

About the Author: Kazon Robinson is currently a Marketing Intern at IIR USA and a high school student at All Hallows. Kazon helps oversee and revise the data entry of spreadsheets with information relating to investors, twitter handles, and conferences. He also has experience interacting with other writers from participating in the AH Writers and Authors Club. He has previously worked at Bronxworks Betances Community Center as an Office Assistant where he provided professional service and directions for callers. He can be reached at krobinson@iirusa.com

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PW&WCBA 2015 Full Program Now Available

The Fusion of Technology & Innovation

We've got news. ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts is coming back to Seattle in 2015! Download the just released brochure here: http://bit.ly/1GySTAo

As always, PW&WCBA has been designed to deliver the skills and knowledge you need to take charge, reduce risk and deliver results in a changing work environment. Hear how to elevate your skills, deploy technical innovation and collaborate across functions to become a more effective project manager or business analyst from industry leaders including:

·         The Walt Disney Company

·         Clark County NV

·         The Boeing Company

·         Champs Oncology

·         SUNY ITEC

·         Windsor Leadership Group

·         Bank of America

·         Prudential Financial

·         Mutual of Omaha

·         Forrester Research

·         Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas

·         Russell Martin & Associates

·         Microsoft

·         Assai Mangement Consulting

·         Women's Leadership Coaching

·         Farm Credit Canada

·         Denab Quality Systems

·         Kathleen Hass & Associates

Download the full 2015 PW&WCBA West Program for the full agenda and speaker lineup: http://bit.ly/1GySTAo

Join us in October and you'll walk away with tangible lessons to implement immediately upon returning to the office, increasing your value to the organization.

Plus, register by Friday, July 10th and save $300: http://bit.ly/1GySTAo

Cheers,

The PW&WBCA 2015 Team

@ProjectWorld

#PW15

Pwwbcablog.iirusa.com

Lean Project Management Can Make Or Break Project Success

Though lean project management isn't new, it can make or break the success of your projects. Canadian Blood Services has recently launched a series of Lean strategies into their day-to-day operations resulting in new process efficiencies, improved service for consumers and $125 million in savings.

Hear firsthand how Canadian Blood Services executes large-scale, complex projects, completing them both on-time and within budget. Later this month, join Canadian Blood Services' Todd Campbell, PMP, Project Manager, National Public Cord Blood Bank at ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts as he presents:

Complex Projects: Our Gated Marathon to Save Lives
When the project team at Canadian Blood Services set out to establish a national, public cord blood bank, they knew it would be a long, complex project involving many stakeholders. And, as the marathon progressed, it became clear that any challenge could be overcome, even a mountain.

Learn how the project team collaborated with stakeholders and managed change/expectations, using the phase-gate project model, and yes, even climbed a mountain. The key motivation for building a national, public cord blood bank is to provide stem cell transplant opportunities for both Canadian and international patients, to help save more lives.

Download the brochure to view the complete agenda: http://bit.ly/18eTuO0

PW&WCBA East

March 23-24, 2015

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Mention code PWEASTBL and save $100 off the current rate: http://bit.ly/18eTuO0

In addition to Todd's session, hear from PM & BA leaders from PMI, Verizon, Starbucks, Farm Credit Mid-America, Daimler Trucks NA, Associated Bank, Boeing and more.

It's the can't miss event for your project management and business analysis needs. Don’t forget, PW&WCBA EAST delivers 24PDU/CDUs.

All the best,
The PW&WCBA Team

@Project_World

#PWEAST

pwwbcablog.iirusa.com

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Earn a FREE Pass to PW&WCBA East in Disney World - Become a Guest Blogger

Earn a complimentary all-access pass to ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts East 2015 by serving as a Guest Blogger at the event. As a Guest Blogger, you’ll have access to PW&WCBA's comprehensive agenda attracting the best in insights from around the world, right in Lake Buena Vista, Florida this March.

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

Guest Blogger responsibilities will include submitting one post per week to the PW&WCBA blog between now and the conference and attending specifically assigned sessions at the event and blogging live or same day.

By participating as a Guest Blogger leading up to and at the event, you’ll receive an all-access pass for the entire event, taking place March 23-24, 2015at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. In addition, Guest Bloggers are responsible for their own travel and lodging. Learn more about the event by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/1zzJ9Cn 

Apply today by sending your name, title, company, short biography and links to your blog or writing samples, along with a few sentences about why we should choose you to be our 2015 Guest Blogger to Amanda Ciccatelli at aciccatelli@iirusa.com. We will review your submission and contact the chosen Guest Bloggers directly with more details.

All readers of our blog receive an exclusive discount of $100 off the current registration rate with code PWEAST15BL. Register here:  http://bit.ly/1zzJ9Cn

We hope to have you join us in Orlando!

Cheers,

The PW&WBCA Team

#PWEAST

What Does the Digital Economy Mean for PMs & BAs?

The digital driven economy has not only altered the way we manage projects and programs, it has fundamentally changed the way we conduct business across all industries and sectors and the way we live. In today's economy, any project, program or organization whose internal rate of change is slower than the external rate of change will be headed for difficulty.

Project managers and business analysts are our leaders for tomorrow - do you have the skills necessary to Manage the Rate of Change in a Digital Driven Economy?

Fredrick Redd, former Director, Project Management Office, Port Authority & New Jersey will take the stage at PW&WCBA to share the principles and strategies you need to keep pace with the rate of change that is ideal for leading projects, programs and organizations.

PW&WCBA East

March 23-24, 2015

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Plus, check out new sessions from Verizon (Risk Management on the Edge: Tips, Tools & Techniques) and Vertex, Inc. (Process Improvement Insights Gained while Watching Reality Television).

Download the brochure for the updated agenda: http://bit.ly/17qgkla

We hope to see you in Orlando as we help you prepare for the digital driven economy.

Register by Friday, February 20th and save $200: http://bit.ly/17qgkla

All the best,
The PW&WCBA Team

@Project_World

#PWEAST

pwwbcablog.iirusa.com

P.S. - Are you a PMI or IIBA member? You can save an additional 20% off your conference registration. Contact Kacey Anderson at kanderson@iirusa.com for more information.

Communication and Proactivity Make You a Better Project Manager

Project managers often have the difficult job of dealing with projects having inter-team disputes, being over budget and missing deadlines. However being able to avoid problems and potential pitfalls before they even arise is something that can put the better project managers head and shoulders above the rest.

A recent article by CIO Magazine has pinpointed key areas and scenarios that may arise for project managers and how best to deal with them. The key elements that are prevalent are communication and proactivity. By keeping a stream of communication between manager and team helps to check in on progress in order to make sure problems aren’t a surprise and can keep the team focused and happy. By building a good relationship with the team will create trust and increase productivity, as workers are more likely to put in more effort for a manager they trust and enjoy working with.

Communication with higher management is also key for keeping a strong team; by being pro-active and making sure you know if a key member of your team could be taken away for something else could be the key to keeping them. A good project manager will be able to show facts and data that can back up the need for the member which can be the way to keep them. By showing in data form that without a certain member a project could potentially go over the deadline day or the time and effort to train a new member could push the budget up past the quota creates a much stronger case for keeping the team intact. If the communication with higher management is there it can give time to gather evidence instead of arguing a case with nothing to back up the claims.

The proactivity of pre-empting issues like that can be useful for other potential project setbacks. Communicating with the team and making sure they understand their specific roles and setting a number of mini deadlines will keep the project on track. Setting specific roles for each member keeps the team from potentially overlapping and doing the same thing twice which is inefficient. By setting early smaller deadlines can mean if there are problems along the way they can be dealt with quickly to make sure they overall deadline is kept to.

The final point on communication is that sometimes members may be in different countries or time zones and have difficulty accessing each other’s work. However new technology such as EMC Syncplicity allow members to be able to collaborate easily to share their work with each other to make sure the project keeps flowing.

The project manager is not just there to set schedules and crack the whip; they are there to keep the team together and on course by creating an atmosphere of trust and keeping good inter-team communication. Pro-activity is also critical for anticipating and averting potential difficulties that may arise in the project. These assets are paramount for a project manager to succeed and move forward in their company and gain the trust of peers and management.

About the Author: Harry Kempe, a marketing intern at IIR USA, who works on various aspects of the industry including social media, marketing analysis and media. He is a recent graduate of Newcastle University who previously worked for EMAP Ltd. and WGSN as a marketing assistant on events such as the World Architecture Festival, World Retail Congress and Global Fashion Awards. He can be reached at hkempe@IIRUSA.com.

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Advance Your PM & BA Skills at PW&WCBA 2015 in Orlando

It's that time of year again, the holidays have passed and we're in the middle of those dreaded winter months. We've got the remedy to get you out of that cold weather rut. 

ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts, the premier conference for advancing collaboration through practice, is back in Orlando this March. Continue your professional and personal development (with the added benefit of warm weather & sun!) with best practices and lessons learned from leading PMs & BAs from Starbucks, The Boeing Company, Daimler Trucks North America, Canadian Blood Services and more.

PW&WCBA East
March 23-24, 2015
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
Lake Buena Vista, Florida

View the full agenda:  http://bit.ly/1yqPkaZ

Featured Session:
Redefining a City: Kim Schaefer, Director of Communications, DOWNTOWN PROJECT

Las Vegas is a city that evokes a very specific public perception. By helping to revitalize a Downtown neighborhood that has been in a state of decline for many years, The Downtown Project is helping to redefine the image of the city itself. Rather than a place where what "happens here stays here" the company is working to create an environment of entrepreneurship, learning, collaboration, innovation and creativity that it hopes will inspire communities around the world. Kim Schaefer, Director of Communications, The Downtown Project will share what it takes to not only manage such a project, but also how to lead the various teams in making a new Downtown Las Vegas. 

Join us at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando to advance your collaboration, leadership, and project management & business analysis skills.

Mention code PWEASTBL & Save $100 off the current rate. Register today: http://bit.ly/1yqPkaZ

Best,
The PW&WCBA Team
@Project_World
#PWEAST
pwwbcablog.iirusa.com

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ESI’s Top 10 Project Management Trends of 2015

ESI International, a project management training company, recently released its top 10 trends in project management for 2015. This year’s trends reveal that project managers (PMs) will be impacted by many changes this year including more hybrid environments, an increasing demand for talent management, and a growing need to align project outcomes with organizational strategy.

In 2015, the PM’s role will continue to evolve, according ESI VP of Marketing and Strategic Intelligence Mark Bashrum. Improving interpersonal skills, learning the discipline of strategic execution, and becoming well versed in change management practices should be on every PM’s list of New Year’s resolutions.

“All too often people talk about strategy and execution independently,” said Bashrum. “In the coming year we will see a heightened focus on managing the critical links connecting the two, as more organizations begin to view strategic execution as a core discipline.”

ESI’s top 10 trends for project management include:

Lofty Expectations: PMs need to become adept at managing gaps between the constraints of cloud-based platforms and the business’ expectations.

Out-of-Whack: Talent management within the PM community comes back into focus.

Fuel for the Hybrid: As the pace of change continues to accelerate, hybrid project methods will become the norm.

A Day Late and a Dollar Short: The ability to find and hire top PM talent is dwindling.

Bottom’s Up: Organizations must build bottom-up processes to link project outcomes to organizational strategy.

Ignore Them at Your Own Peril: Project managers will continue to be ignored and not get the coaching and mentoring they are screaming for.

Run!: Project managers continue to sacrifice project transparency as they flee from conflict and avoid difficult conversations.

Change is Coming: The disciplines of change management and project management continue to merge as PMs become responsible for delivering project and business outcomes.

Knocking at the Door: Project management and business strategy better align to the benefit of the organization.

Culture Shock: Organizational culture becomes a bigger consideration in risk management practices.

“The impact on project management is substantial,” he added. “Project managers, who are typically held accountable for delivering project outcomes, will now also be responsible for how those deliverables impact the business. This will require a retooling of their skillsets, but in the end it elevates the PM’s role as a critical enabler of business strategy, and that’s a very good thing for project managers who can make the jump.”

About the Author: Amanda Ciccatelli, Social Media Strategist of the Marketing Division at IIR USA, has a background in digital and print journalism, covering a variety of topics in business strategy, marketing, and technology. Amanda is the Editor at Large for several of IIR’s blogs including Next Big Design, Customers 1st, Digital Impact, STEAM Accelerator and ProjectWorld and World Congress for Business Analysts, and a regular contributor to Front End of Innovation and The Market Research Event,. She previously worked at Technology Marketing Corporation as a Web Editor where she covered breaking news and feature stories in the technology industry. She can be reached at aciccatelli@iirusa.com. Follow her at @AmandaCicc.

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PW&WCBA East Agenda Just Released

Due to overwhelming demand, we're happy to announce ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts will return to the East Coast in March. Join us at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, March 23-24, 2015.

The 2015 program brings you some of the best presentations from the Seattle conference, plus new and exciting best practices and case studies from the project trenches. Designed for all training levels, PW&WCBA boasts a robust agenda and most importantly, delivers tangible lessons you can implement as soon as you return to the office. Plus, new this year, we're leaving sessions open to bring you the latest in project management and business analysis!

PW&WCBA East

March 23-24, 2015

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Download the 2015 agenda here: http://bit.ly/1wQdNFT

As always, PW&WCBA delivers the actionable insights you need:

• Simplifying Project Management
• Practical Tools & Tactics to Enhance Delivery & Change Management
• Strengthening Your Soft Skills & Strategic Leadership
• Leveraging Visual Thinking in Project Management
• How to Win at the Game of Office Politics
• Optimizing Presentation Impact & Stage Presence
• The True Value of an Agile Process for You & Your Organization
• Creative Problem Solving

And much more!

Download the agenda for full program details:  http://bit.ly/1wQdNFT

Mention code PWEASTLI & Save $100 off the standard rate. Register today: http://bit.ly/1wd1Ue4

We hope to see you in Orlando as we accelerate development at the rate of change.

All the best,

The PW&WCBA Team

@Project_World

#PWEAST

pwwbcablog.iirusa.com

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Top PW&WCBA Blog Posts of 2014

We’ve published a lot of inspiring and thought-provoking posts this year about project management, business analysis, leadership and more, so we wanted to take a moment to look back on the most popular posts of 2014. Here are the topics our readers enjoyed the most this year:

Leadership Lessons: Paul R. Williams: Paul R. Williams, Leader of Project Management, PAi, talked to us about how PMOs add value to the organization. Today, PMOs are a strategic imperative for the C-Suite to deliver projects aligned with key strategic initiatives. Project Managers are in high demand today; Williams will give us keen insight into recruiting, training and retaining key program staff. To read the full post, click here.

Here Comes The Boom! An NFL Champion Illustrates Key Business Analysis Skills: As business analysis practitioners, we certainly appreciate the analytical style of Richard Sherman and his LOB brothers.   In addition to conducting a sort of pre-game analysis, we too must be able to conduct game-time analysis and make adjustments, where needed.  For example, it is important for practitioners to understand stakeholders early on. Whether by talking to the actual stakeholder, consulting with other practitioners who have worked with them, or some other method, we need to understand certain things about our stakeholders, including (but not limited to) the stakeholder's view of the problem or opportunity at hand, expectations of a solution, and anticipated level of involvement with the initiative. To read the full post, click here.

Leadership Lessons to Live By: In virtually every industry that exists today, leaders must set aside more time to reflect and assess their thinking, capabilities, and strategies. It is crucial that they evaluate how their leadership brand is being perceived by others and whether or not it requires a tune-up.  We highlighted some key leadership lessons that you should live by. To read the full post, click here.

The 5 Best Free Project Management Tools: There are effective free project management tools out there - some are more robust than others, but all of them provide ways to collaborate and complete projects quicker. We found five of the best free project management tools that may make your job easier. To read the full post, click here.

Big Data and Project Management: Today, organizations are taking strategic risks to add business value through innovative big data initiatives. Big data is a blanket term for any collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using available data management tools or conventional data processing applications. Tom Davenport, author of “Big Data at Work” has worked with many companies and he’s uncovered key principles around five key areas to be successful at big data projects. To read the full post, click here.

Agile State of Mind: Are you wondering how to choose which project management method to deliver a successful project? Organizations today have to be more competitive in the marketplace so choosing the best practices and methods for your organization and projects is important. Agile is a set of values and principles, not a pre-defined process with obvious areas of limitation. Waterfall is a model based on development method that is linear and sequential.  We put together the top four criteria to choose the best fit of methodologies at the right time for the right customer. To read the full post, click here.

Women in Leadership: Jo Miller: Jo Miller, CEO Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc. sat down with us to talk about women in leadership. Today, women make up over 50 percent of the workforce, are entrepreneurs, hold key leadership positions and serve on board of directors. Miller will give us her insight into the challenges women face in the workplace, how to overcome these obstacles and become a more empowered leader. To read the full post, click here.

Leadership Lessons: Dr. Alicia Aitken:  Dr. Alicia Aitken, managing director Asia Pacific, Human Systems International (HSI), sat with us to talk about the ins and outs of leadership in today’s competitive business landscape. According to Aitken, being authentic makes great leader stand out in a crows these days. Today’s world is full of leadership models, business school taught methods and processes. Leaders stand out by being authentic and true to who they are and who they are leading. To read the full post, click here.

About the Author: Amanda Ciccatelli, Social Media Strategist of the Marketing Division at IIR USA, has a background in digital and print journalism, covering a variety of topics in business strategy, marketing, and technology. Amanda is the Editor at Large for several of IIR’s blogs including Next Big Design, Customers 1st, Digital Impact, STEAM Accelerator and ProjectWorld and World Congress for Business Analysts, and a regular contributor to Front End of Innovation and The Market Research Event,. She previously worked at Technology Marketing Corporation as a Web Editor where she covered breaking news and feature stories in the technology industry. She can be reached at aciccatelli@iirusa.com. Follow her at @AmandaCicc.

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Become a Better Leader and Secure Your Organization’s Future

"Companies with high leadership qualities were six times more likely to be among the top 20 financial performers of all organizations."

Want to do your part to launch your organization into the top 20?

We are excited to announce that NACCM and the Windsor Leadership Group have partnered together to bring you a truly unique learning event: Creating Magic through Leadership & Service Excellence. This learning event offers the skills and insights you need to further develop your leadership skills (based on best practices from Lee Cockerell's Disney Great Leader Strategies - used to train over 7,000 leaders at Walt Disney World!) and secure your organization's spot at the top.

Visit the website for more information:  http://bit.ly/1uNqK3D

Facilitator William Greenwald, Founder & Chief Neuroleaderologist, Windsor Leadership Group will lead attendees through self-exploration, Disney-based leadership and service case studies, hands-on learning exercises and group experiences in the Disney theme parks. This experiential journey will lead to personal discovery, authentic leadership development and the ability to design and sustain high performing leadership teams and service cultures.

New Registration Savings Just Announced! We're happy to extend a special $500 savings for you to join us at Creating Magic. Register by Wednesday, December 17th to lock in your special savings

Your registration includes:

·         2 days of experiential learning at Hollywood Studios and Epcot Theme Parks

·         3-day Disney Park Hopper Pass

·         Breakfast, lunch and snacks each day

·         A signed copy of Lee Cockerell's book, Creating Magic 

·         Optional Pre-Workshop Tour: Half Day Disney Backstage Tour of the Magic Kingdom

·         Discounted room rates for those wishing to extend their stay before or after the event

·         And more!

Download the full event details or check out the agenda here: http://bit.ly/1uNqK3D

"William's energetic presentation style and mastery of storytelling make my books come alive. I highly recommend this workshop for anyone aspiring to create a little magic in life, both personally and professionally.” - Lee Cockerell Register by Wednesday, December 17th to lock in your special savings of $500. Register today: http://bit.ly/1uNqK3D

Cheers,

 William Greenwald & The Creating Magic Team

#CreateMagic15

@NACCMevent

Customers1stblog.iirusa.com

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