Lisa DiTullio - UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley

I am the oldest of three, by two minutes.  My twin brother, my sister and I could not be more different.  My brother is a Blues musician; he lives in New Orleans and travels the world playing the harmonica with The Little Freddie King Band.  My younger sister started her career as a stand-up comic, [...]

Today, it’s all about doing things differently and doing different things. Did you know Google runs 50 to 200 search experiments at any given time? Innovation and creativity is the lifeblood of growth – organizations who think differently and act quickly are the ones who will break from the pack.

The Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast.  George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to [...]

The Pilgrims, who set sail from Plymouth, England on a ship called the Mayflower on September 6, 1620, were bound for the resourceful ‘New World’.  Aboard were passengers comprising of the ‘separatists’, who called themselves the “Saints”, and the others, whom the separatists called “Strangers”. After land was sighted in November following 66 days of [...]

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. The celebratory feast acknowledged the power of collaboration and partnerships between the Abenaki and Pawtuxet tribes, and the Pilgrims.  Do you have collaborative partnerships across your projects worthy [...]

I had the great fortune of growing up in a small coastal town located in New England.  In the summer, we would fish on the ocean, in the spring and fall we would head to the pond.  In winter, we would dress in layers and test our luck on the ice.

Is your PMO no longer attracting fish?  The other day, we talked about changing things up to attract more or bigger fish.  Easier said than done.

The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.  ~John Buchan Probably the biggest challenge associated with launching and maintaining a successful PMO is having the fortitude and spirit to keep on fishing.  PMO’s must evolve to survive.   PMO’s must also [...]

According to Marshall Goldsmith, leadership expert and best-selling author, “80 percent of our success in learning from other people is based upon how well we listen”.  We know it’s the “right” thing to do, yet we are continually challenged to do it well.  What gets in our way of listening? Too many distractions.  It’s hard [...]

Earlier today I headed to the airport to catch a flight.  While navigating the Southeast Expressway to reach Boston’s Logan International Airport, I narrowly averted a car accident when the car traveling in the high-speed lane came within millimeters of my car.  The young female driver barely glimpsed my way—she was much too engaged on [...]

Let’s get out of the dark ages and admit what we know. Project manager is a misnomer. We don’t manage projects, we drive change. Set aside the process and tactics associated with projects and you will easily separate those who manage projects versus those who lead. Leadership is not about your credentials or accomplishments; it’s [...]

I recently had the opportunity to speak to an audience of PMO leaders. The event is designed to support PMO leaders through the exchange of best practices and expert advice. Interestingly, the majority of attendees this year were quite novice – over 55% of workshop participants had less than one year experience establishing or managing [...]

Most of us dislike conflict and prefer to avoid it than confront it.  If we don’t learn how to deal with conflict, the danger is when conflict arises, the situation will soon escalate into something destructive that causes long-term damage to relationships and teamwork.

Screening project team members requires project managers to see beyond accomplishments and credentials.

Is your group a real team, a work group, or something in between?

Whether it’s giving a standard project status update of delivering bad news on a project that has gone awry, how you convey yourself can make or break your reputation.  Do you have what it takes to deliver a winning presentation?

Effective use of body language is a sure way to establish rapport with your audience during your presentation.  Maintaining eye contact during your presentation is just one effective use of body language.  Do you know what else you should do?

Project managers are on stage and under the spotlight from the moment the project curtain opens until the project curtain closes.  Successful project managers receive rave reviews from the crowd and cheers of “Encore!” when stakeholders want more.  Do you have what it takes to be an award-winning project manager?

Many of us don’t like conflict and prefer to avoid it rather than confront it.  If we don’t learn how to deal with conflict, the danger is that when conflict arises, the situation will soon escalate into something destructive that causes long-term damage to relationships and teamwork.

Congratulations!  You’ve just received your new project assignment!  As project manager, you are propelled into the project.  You need human resources to help scope, plan, and execute the project on schedule and within budget.  You need a variety of skills and expertise to support the project’s complicated needs — and you need them quickly. Sound [...]

While traveling abroad, I saw an interesting sign in the restroom.  The request was to keep the facilities as “neat as you would like them.”  At the end of the note, it said, “Thank you for your collaboration.”  In spite of the possible error on the sign, we all know about the power of collaboration.