Time to hold my feet to the fire.

Recently I wrote a post about email communication on projects.  My focus was for co-located teams and my aversion to using email as a primary communication mechanism for this kind of project environment.

I’ve been with my new team for about 6 weeks now and decided it was time to see if I was walking the talk….

0 Comments Continue reading

You were talking about a specific topic in a meeting, and half the room didn’t know what you were talking about. “Didn’t you get my email?” you chided in frustration. What’s wrong here?

19 Comments Continue reading

I received an email from someone the other day who is very interested in becoming a project manager. She doesn’t have any experience in the field yet, and wanted some advice on how to proceed. She assumed that the PMP exam is what she should be looking into getting.

She mentioned that she is saving up for a training camp that claims they can train her to pass the PMP exam without project experience. I want to thank her for writing to me and taking action towards her career goals!

Unfortunately, that training camp is engaging in unethical practices. If they are condoning that people take the PMP exam without any work experience as a project manager, that really burns me!

Becoming a Project Manager

For those who would like to get started in project management the RIGHT way, here are a few suggestions:

1. I’ve said this before, but when it comes to project management, general management, and many other careers you just need to go get some experience.  Get on a project team somehow and find someone who is doing what you want to get into.  Ask them to mentor you.  Do odd jobs for them, things they find tedious but that you will learn from.  Go above and beyond and tap into the veterans.  You will be surprised how quickly a great attitude and passion can open doors for progressively greater levels of responsibility.
2. If you have no experience yet, the PMP certification is NOT for you.  Neither are the IPMA certifications.  The lowest-level IMPA certification requires “2 FTE years working on projects or 6 months and BA/BS” experience.  The PMP requires 3 of experience with a BA/BS, or 5 without.  I interpret “leads and directs project teams” as experience as an actual project manager.
3. A great way to get some formal education and an introductory certification is to go for the CAPM exam.  The minimum requirements for this exam are 23 contact hours of project management education OR 1,500 hours where you “contribute to a project team”.

If you do seek education in project management, I would like to add that it’s value is greatly diminished unless you are actively working in a project environment where you can implement the concepts you are learning, or at least use a real project environment as a means for comparing “book learning” to real life.

All that said, there’s one product I endorse for both the CAPM and PMP exams…if you don’t have the experience to qualify for the PMP exam, this training is still very useful and inexpensive.  It’s what I bought and used to study for the PMP exam, and I liked it because it focused on the concepts and leveraging stories of real-world examples instead of trying to get you to memorize the answers to questions.  I also like the fact that I could pop the MP3′s into my player and drive to and from work while studying.  It was excellent.

Get more advice for new project managers.

I hope that helps if you are wanting to break into project management.  Any more advice from veterans out there who are reading this?  (Besides “run away!  What are you thinking?!?  It’s hell in here!!!!)

18 Comments Continue reading

My friend called this morning for advice.  He couldn’t understand why the email he had sent to a person he met Friday had been returned.  It turns out that the person had been fired without notice late Friday afternoon.  Perhaps she worked for one of the Bobs (Bob Slydell and Bob Porter) from Office Space.

Sudden or lengthy, work goodbyes are a reality for all of us.  Here are some points to keep in mind the next time you find yourself watching a co-worker packing up for the last time.

Don’t Lie

Some people are not all that pleasant to work with.  If the person leaving is someone you don’t care for, the saying, If you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all is good to remember.  It’s sometimes far easier to say all kinds of falsehoods.  If you have to say something, instead of making something up, why not try this: I sincerely wish you well.

As the Rabbi said in Fiddler on the Roof when asked to provide a blessing for the Czar, May God bless and keep the Czar far away from here!  It’s okay to be happy that someone is going out of your life.

Remember Successes

This is a wonderful opportunity to recall genuine project and task successes that were accomplished through the efforts of the person who is leaving.

What do you Admire?

Take the time to come up with one or two traits or skills that you truly respect about the person.  It’s good to tell them in person, and to give some examples of how you’ve seen them in action.  If it feels uncomfortable to speak this out loud (guys – this is directed to you), it’s even more effective to send in a private email direct to the person.

Don’t be surprised if such an email is treasured for years to come.  Most people very rarely get true and positive feedback out of the blue.

Offer to be a Reference

If you respect the person and believe that you can give a glowing recommendation, offer to do so.  Better yet, write a paragraph or two and send it to them by email or post it on LinkedIn.

Feel free to make a Clean Break

Feel comfortable making a clean break – if that’s what you want.  If you don’t plan on remaining in touch, don’t imply anything to the contrary.  It’s a small world – and a very big one, too.  You really may not see them again unless you go out of your way to do so.

Make a Point to Stay Connected

If you like the person, and want them to remain in your life, set an intention to do everything in your power to make that happen.

• Set a specific date to meet for lunch 2 weeks from now – and keep it.
• Add them to your twitter and IM accounts.  Make them one of the people that you contact regularly.
• Invite them to dinner or for drinks sometime in the next month.

Transitioning relationships from work into other parts of our lives requires a little work – but can happen.  It won’t happen automatically though.

Goodbyes are sad and hard for most of us.

They remind us of our own vulnerability.

What do you do when it’s time to say goodbye?

This post was previously published as How to Say Goodbye When a Workmate Leaves.
(ccPhoto credit: ssssteve.o)

2 Comments Continue reading