Global Leadership

By Camille Smith • May 15th, 2013

Dumping-off.  We ask others to do stuff for us all the time – stuff we don’t want to do, don’t have the time to do, and couldn’t do even if we had the time.  We drop our suits off for pressing (a task we can’t do), our car for an oil change (a task we [...]

Managing Projects Overseas – Part III – Simplify the Process We just spoke of global perspective of managing projects overseas, followed with how PMs can minimize culture gaps in these situations. We now conclude with a value-based sequel relating to simplifying the process as we successfully manage our project (s) overseas. Meeting Your Timeline Objective: [...]

Managing Overseas Projects – Part I – A Global Perspective All of us have had a fair share of success in managing projects either in our own cities and/or across our country. While some of us on a few occasions have had the fortune of also engaging in projects that are overseas (the meaning of [...]

(This article is part of a series originally published in Japan by ALC Press English Journal, and is written in “Global English”. CLICK HERE to see the accompanying video, spoken in “Global English”.) QUESTION:  “My subordinates are younger than me, but they seem much more global-minded. I know I need to change, but I’ve never worked abroad, and I’m [...]

It’s impossible not to judge. Telling someone else “not to judge” — shows you have made the judgment that they are judging. Most opinions, descriptions, decisions, views, rulings, and critiques are judgments.

I received the below great question a few days after my Art of War for Product Managers and High-Performing Professionals.  I thought you might be interested in the answer as well. Q: Many senior employees work under my lead. In this case, many other senior employees think that what a lucky me. Jealousy is coming [...]

If you know how to drive, you already understand project management. You may still not want to be a project manager, but at least you understand better their function and value. In fact, project management and defensive driving have much in common.

Most everyone is familiar with Pro and Con lists to help make a decision. Often times the Pro and Con List does very little to clarify the decision – because – well – the reason you are creating the Pro/Con list is because it was a ‘close call’ to begin with. We don’t go to the trouble of making a Pro and Con list on ‘no-brainers’. Often times the pro and cons are pretty equal – making the decision still difficult. Our mistake is that we stop at this point. We don’t take the next step to reduce the impact of the “Cons”.

Delivering Your 4th Dimension – Value Based Reporting By Dr. Shree Nanguneri on March 20th, 2013 “Guys, our reports are due this Friday to our client!” This rings a loud bell in our ears as project managers. While you compile those reports, you might find some that are excessively detailed; others that are not written [...]

Delighting Your Customers! By Dr. Shree Nanguneri Ever thought about a time when a salesman, provider or a vendor asked you if you were delighted with their product and/or services?  Probably, much less often than you wished.  By the same token, do you recall your customer or manager complaining about a Defective product or a [...]

Project Managers as Project Marketers Seasoned project managers understand that a successful project never results from a single endeavor. Instead, it takes a myriad of cumulative and often-subtle accomplishments to bring even the simplest project to completion. Consistent communication with stakeholders is arguably the most important of those many factors. Motivating, coordinating and managing various [...]

Many of the strategies used in games can be effectively translated to business and professional navigation. Find out how….

As business leaders strive to leverage technology and communication platforms to conduct business globally, working in global teams is becoming increasingly prevalent.  Clearly, we can acknowledge the upside of working in global teams – as our local U.S. team sleeps at night, there could be a global team working diligently elsewhere in their normal business [...]

 Today’s entry I wanted to focus on a tactical, down-in-the-trenches topic that several of my colleagues and I have bantered around when we discuss good and bad project methodologies. It’s on how to get the client to”really” accept the project. I’m sure most of you have been on countless projects where each time the project [...]

In my last post, Low Hanging Fruit, Part I, I outlined some quick and ever-so-easy tips that make communicating on global projects a bit smoother. These are things we know but just may not do as we are running so fast:  Share the pain of time zones (easier said than done, admittedly,) share photos even [...]

I spent much of my time with global project managers who are sometimes a bit overwhelmed juggling their daily work in addition to time zones, cultural missteps, countless communication challenges and holidays at all the wrong times. Sometimes all they want is a quick fix, something to smooth the wrinkles in their global communication. To [...]

Enhancing PMP with Business Process Excellence Part III (Final Part of Series) Viable Lean Six Sigma Solutions to Validate Project Timelines and Increase KPI Linkage for PMP leaders Dr. Shree Nanguneri and Mr. Gustav Toppenberg   Meandering in a World Swayed by Certification: In Part I, we addressed the vitality of the linkage of a [...]

Enhancing PMP with Business Process Excellence Part II (of an III Part Series) Validating Project Timelines against Expected Changes in Customer Requirements Dr. Shree Nanguneri and Mr. Gustav Toppenberg Background for “Changes in Customer Requirement:” In Part I we initiated discussions on how the KPI needs to link with the business goals and objectives.  In [...]

Linking PMP Leaders’ KPI with Customers’ Success Dr. Shree Nanguneri and Mr. Gustav Toppenberg click to hear music Brief Introduction of the current PMP and LSS status quo: Whether we refer the PMP or LSS leadership success there is a clear process that is transparent as shown below: With the PMP space we are looking [...]

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.  - Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) A close examination of the role of management on large and more complex projects has often spawned the creation of a new field to address particular issues. Recent examples include the management of human resistance on [...]

About one generation ago, management styles focused on the concept of a “happy worker is a good worker.”  Organizations focused on providing employees the amenities they needed to feel valued, in hopes of it leading to higher productivity.  The Hawthorne experiments by Elton Mayo found that changes in the workplace were welcomed and improved morale.  [...]