From the Co-publisher's Desk— William Sand
This May, 2006 edition of allPM TODAY represents the continuation of a strong tradition as well as its natural growth into new areas. Among the new developments, I am joining as co-publisher, complementing Frank Saladis' professional perspective in project management with mine in journalism and communications.
But first, tradition. Personal voice has been the trait that most distinguishes allPM TODAY and allPM.com. That has been embodied by the voice of Judy Umlas, publisher emeritus and now columnist (see below), but also Frank and a great number of active, interested members — notably the seven MVPs who put so much of themselves into allPM. Harry Waldron, Tom Welch, Ginger Levin, David Brandon, Bernard Ertl, Daniel Kuperman and Gerald Leech all stand at the heart of this community, not only in their personal voices but in their genuine spirit of peers helping peers.
This month the new personal voice will be that of the great general and leader, Napoleon, as interpreted in the project management world by Jerry Manas, author of the recently published Napoleon on Project Management.
Interestingly, military planning isn't even half of Jerry's book. And it does not represent half of Napoleon's achievements as they relate to project management. Jerry focuses to an even greater degree on the complementary skills of leadership, judgment, tact and negotiation that Napoleon summoned to make him a leader whose name lives today far from any battlefield but in feats of states craft.
But linking project management with military strategy and tactics is, of course, natural. Project management is closely tied to military logistics, as any reading from generals and their great campaigns demonstrates. For instance, the towering memoirs of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant or John Keegan's fine Six Armies in Normandy are just two examples that immediately spring to mind.
For Grant, his fastidious planning of rationing, travel and overall logistics displays a command of project detail that anchored his army at the same time as strategy and valor propelled it forward. In the case of D-Day, standing on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoq in France and looking down into La Manche (the English Channel), it is difficult not to be humbled by the wherewithal of the engineers and project managers, the sailors and soldiers who built two hulking concrete and steel breakwaters to supply the incoming troops and realize the vision of Winston Churchill (like Napoleon, not one known for thinking "inside the box") for massive artificial harbors or "mulberries" in the surf.
In terms of allPM TODAY's own personal voice and leadership, allPM remains anchored by its two stalwarts, Judy Umlas and Frank Saladis. Judy, now publisher emeritus and columnist, retains her focus on her readers, correspondents and friends in the worldwide project management community. Judy begins a column this month in which she maintains her ongoing dialogue with you. So (while I lack Judy's majesty to command attention) please do write her—and if you'd like help to pick the name for her new column. She cares deeply about allPM, the continuing growth of the profession and her many friends in the community.
Frank Saladis, a real zealot for the project management community and student of the profession, happily continues his role as co-publisher bringing his creativity and circumspection to bear on everything from his article on leadership to the incisive co-publisher's letter he writes every month, and his entertaining crossword.
Stress management takes center stage this month in Laura B. Moore's "Communications Toolbox." And in terms of useful advice, it's difficult to think of a more helpful area for project managers (or, really, anyone living in the competitive, technology- and caffeine-fueled world today) to learn to cope with. It has always occurred to me that stress can be marvelous — allowing us to summon the intensity needed to succeed — or powerfully destructive, depending on the circumstances. Exploiting the good stress and avoiding the bad is an important skill for us all.
Finally, a little background on my role. As co-publisher of allPM, I will try humbly to fill Judy's ever-dancing shoes, work as a good colleague with Frank and provide you all with interesting articles. I have worked with project managers for years—from AT&T engineers who encircled Manhattan with lightguide to Big 4 consultants who "reengineered" many state governments and installed massive IT systems for corporate clients. I myself have also managed many complex, cross-functional publishing projects. As such, I have a long appreciation for the particular challenges of the profession. My own backgound, however, is in corporate communications at large companies as well as daily and financial journalism in New York.
With that said, I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. I will work hard to keep allPM TODAY and allPM.com the active voice for the project management community that it has become through a lot of hard work, much of it yours.
William Sand — Co-publisher allPM.com
William.Sand@allPM.com
From the Co-publisher's Desk - Frank P. Saladis, PMP
 Project Leadership has been an underlying theme of the allPM newsletter each month for the past few years. We have provided articles and information about many different topics from risk management to estimating techniques but the topic of leadership has always been present to some degree in each issue. This month allPM introduces another perspective on project management and leadership, the "Napoleon perspective."
Jerry Manas, author of the book Napoleon on Project Management, provides us with insights about effective project management and leadership from a unique and historical perspective. In this allPM newsletter, Manas focuses on the need for project managers to understand the power of establishing a compelling vision, setting expectations with the team, and bringing a sense of order where there may be chaos.
I particularly like the quote "a vision without a strategy is a hallucination." Relating that quote to managing projects it is easy to make the connection. It is one thing to set a direction for a project but it requires a strategy to get there.
In chapter 2 of his book (excerpted here) Manas compares Napoleon's approach for bringing order to post-revolutionary France to the concepts of sound project management — determining the specific need or problem to be resolved, communicating the need to the appropriate stakeholders, motivating the key stakeholders, and then developing the strategy to achieve the desired results.
Part of Napoleon's plan, as explained by Manas, was to "get organized" by creating a capable organization. Organization is essential in project management, as most project managers will agree, because the process of delivering a successful project requires the project manager to establish a system of supporting subsystems such as change control processes and quality control processes that are integrated within the system to assist in achieving success. A defined organization for the project will also provide a sense of order for the project team and stakeholders. This includes the alignment of management with the goals of the project, a critical success factor in Napoleon's plan as well as for project managers.
When order has been achieved, goals have been established and the team members (in Napoleon's case, the people) are motivated, a solution is developed. It is essential for the team to work cohesively in support of the vision and objectives of the project and strong leadership from the project manager will keep the team focused. As Manas explains "One way to ensure buy-in is to make certain that our vision is inclusive to begin with — that it considers the needs of all stakeholders."
One additional thought worth mentioning is the need for passion. According to Manas "there is nothing that makes a vision more compelling and a team more cohesive than passion. Successful project managers display very openly their passion for the project, for the work they do, and for leading and supporting their teams."
I think you will thoroughly enjoy Jerry Manas' book and it will not only reinforce many of the principles you have learned as project managers but will also provide you with some new ideas and fresh perspectives on project management.
allPM also provides project managers with fresh perspectives about the challenging but exciting field of project management and I encourage you to review Jerry's article, read the book, and continue to make allPM a contributing partner as you develop your own "project battle plans." March on!
Frank P. Saladis, PMP
Frank.Saladis@allpm.com
March Poll Results
From your experience, who is most likely to first identify the signs of potential problems:
a) Project team members - 59.80 % (244)
b) Users dissatisfied with the finished product - 13.24 % (54)
c) Senior managers - 3.92 % (16)
d) Project manager - 23.04 % (94)
Total votes: 408
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The June poll question is:
From your experience, at what point is it best to bring the project manager on board?
a) Soon after the project request is submitted
b) After the business case has been approved
c) Once an approved charter exists with goals, etc.
If you have not already done so, please stop by allPM.com and add your opinion today.
Theme of the Month: Napoleon on Project Management—
Timeless Lessons in Planning, Execution and Leadership
By Jerry Manas, PMP
Napoleon had it easy. He had an ambitious vision of a free and united  Europe unconstrained by monarchy—and that vision jelled perfectly with the desires of the French people. In the chaos following the French Revolution, with rebels and royalists still battling, the people were more than ready to accept someone who could give them a sense of order and hope and yet still meet their needs for equality. And this was precisely what Napoleon offered. After all, it was Napoleon who said, "A leader is a dealer in hope."
To fully appreciate this phrase, it is important to understand that the word hope does not signify unsupported optimism or dreaming of the impossible. Hope implies a sense of expectation. And to give people a sense of expectation, you must give them a clear vision of what will come—a picture they can grasp.
© 2006 allPM.com
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 Jerry Manas, PMP, has provided project management, leadership, training, and product development services to the information technology sector for a wide range of organizations, from small domestic businesses to international Fortune 500 companies. He has managed projects of all types, from small software development projects to large-scale, global projects spanning Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, and North America. Jerry is president of The Marengo Group, LLC and cofounder of PMThink! (www.pmthink.com), a thought leadership Web site, where topics such as Project Management, Portfolio Management, and Governance are discussed.
To stay abreast of the ever-changing industry, he remains actively involved with the Project Management Institute, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for PMI's Aerospace and Defense SIG. He has also contributed to several of PMI's international standards, including their Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3), where he assisted with the integration of the model and helped define the glossary; and the new Program and Portfolio Management Standards, where he was recruited to help lead the program (consisting of more than 300 volunteers around the world) as part of a small leadership team.
Jerry's goal is to open new perspectives about project management and leadership: that, to do either well, both are required. His affinity for history, his pursuit of fresh perspectives on leadership, and his understanding about the effectiveness of simplicity create a powerful approach to understanding the complexities of today's leadership issues, especially in project management. Underlying all of this is his strong belief that some of the most relevant lessons for today's project managers and leaders can be learned from an exploration of historical figures—their triumphs and their failures.
PUZZLER 1: WHAT WOULD NAPOLEON DO???
Your boss is wrong, and you know it. She has insisted in delaying the pilot for a new hi-tech shipment tracking device until it's out on the market longer. She calls it a "folly." But you know that the product has been in use successfully elsewhere and that it could decrease errors and gain productivity, not to mention give the company an edge over its competitors. Time is of the essence, as your company's busy season is coming up. In the meantime, your internal customers are getting annoyed. … They expect YOU to take over somehow. … And your boss's boss is snooping around, asking your opinion at the water cooler. … Frustrated, this senior manager indicates to you your boss's job could be yours if you overcome the resistance and implement the pilot ………. Thinking like Napoleon, what would you do?
© 2006 allPM.com
Communication Toolbox: Using Stress to Your Advantage
By Laura B. Moore, PMP
So often when someone thinks of stress, a negative image comes to mind. Advertisements boast stress reduction techniques, and who doesn't like a good massage now and then to release stress? And we've all seen what unmanaged stress can do to a project team's productivity. It is, therefore, important to understand stress and how to control it.
While it is true that stress can have negative impacts, and is often caused by less than desirable situations, it does not always have to be the enemy. On the contrary, it is intended to be an ally. Now, before you think me crazy, or someone who has never experienced true stress, let me assure you I have. But even when going through a very stressful situation, it is valuable to understand that the emotion of stress is there as an ally — as a red flag telling you to take action. Maybe a key point is that the stressor (the event) may not be an ally, but the stress, your own personal response to the stressor, pays attention and takes care of you.
© 2006 allPM.com
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Laura Moore (PMP, M.A. Social Psychology) has an eclectic background that includes not only project management, but clinical research and social work as well. Currently, she works as a Senior Project Manager in the telecommunications industry and does, what her team calls "guerilla project management", that is, taking urgent, high impacting issues and resolving them within a matter of days. Laura lives in California with her husband Lorin, and their two amazing daughters Lily Faye and Layla Blue.
Judy Umlas Continues the Conversation … And Asks Your Advice on Naming Her New Column
 Dear allPM.com friends and colleagues,
It feels like forever since we have "spoken", and I miss you all so much! I am so grateful to every one of you for being a part of our project management community. I am also deeply grateful for the interactions we have had over the years, and hopefully will continue to have!
In the last newsletter I told you in a column which featured the famous words from the Pete Seeger song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" that I would be moving on after four years of being Co-Publisher of allPM.com, to take on some new and exciting responsibilities with our parent company, International Institute for Learning (IIL).
I received personal notes of both congratulations and mixed emotions from many of you, such as the following from John Ritchie, Systems Engineering Manager of Reutech Radar Systems in South Africa:
Subject: RE: What - you're leaving us??!!
© 2006 allPM.com
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Judy Umlas, allPM co-publisher emeritus and continuing columnist, remains the heart and soul of this community and invites you to correspond. Her professional accomplishments are many.
Positive Leadership in Project Management Series: Ten Factors for Successful Project Leadership
By Frank P. Saladis PMP
Project success is defined in many ways. We may start with the triple constraint — Time, Cost, and Performance Specifications (or quality in some literature) but success is generally determined by how the intended end user or client sees the outcome, and whether or not a project's product or service is actually used.
My favorite definition of success is a quote I saw on a training room wall at a client location. The quote read, "You know your client is satisfied when he or she sees you on caller I.D. and still picks up!" Success relates to customer satisfaction and what the client perceives success to be. Client satisfaction is clearly important but project leaders must be able to assess success from several different perspectives. If the client is happy but your team never wants to work with you again, is that a success? If you delivered on time, on budget and within specifications, but have to take several weeks off to recover from lack of sleep, stress related ailments, or other health related issues, is that project success? If you miss several important family events, and your family hasn't spoken to you in weeks, is that success? Project managers do have to make some sacrifices on occasion, it goes with the job, but there should be some balance between all of the elements of success.
© 2006 allPM.com
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Frank P. Saladis (PMP) is Senior Consultant with International Institute for Learning, Inc. He has been involved in the development of standardized Project Management Guidelines (PMGs) for the AT&T Corporate Information Technology Services (Corporate ITS) organization and is the author of the Project Evaluation Review Process (PERP). He is the President of the NYC PMI Chapter.
Zero Chance of a Zero-Risk Project
By Dr. David Hillson, PMP, FAPM
The word "risk" is a common and widely-used part of today's vocabulary, relating to personal circumstances (health, pensions, insurance, investments etc), society (terrorism, economic performance, food safety etc), and business (corporate governance, strategy, business continuity etc). One area where risk management has found particular prominence is in the management of projects, perhaps because of the risky nature of projects themselves.
So why are projects risky? There are some factors which are found in all projects, and which make them inherently risky, including:
- Uniqueness, involving at least some elements that have not been done before
- Complexity of various kinds, including technical, commercial, interfaces or relational
© 2006 allPM.com
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 Dr. David Hillson (PMP, FAPM, FIRM, MCMI) is an international risk management consultant, and Director of Risk Doctor & Partners ( www.risk-doctor.com ). His speciality is risk technology transfer, assisting organisations to develop in-house risk processes, and he is a popular conference speaker and author on risk, winning several awards for his papers. He is recognised internationally as a leading thinker and practitioner in risk management, and his recent emphasis has been the inclusion of proactive opportunity management within the risk process, which is the topic of his latest book "Effective Opportunity Management Exploiting Positive Risk", published in 2003 by Dekker of New York.
David is an active member of the global Project Management Institute (PMI) and was a founder member of its Risk Management Specific Interest Group. He received the 2002 PMI Distinguished Contribution Award for his work in developing risk management over many years. He is a Fellow of the UK Association for Project Management (APM) and a Fellow of the UK Institute of Risk Management (IRM), as well as being a member of the Chartered Management Institute.
To provide feedback on this Briefing Note, or for more details on how to develop effective risk management, contact the Risk Doctor (info@risk-doctor.com), or visit the Risk Doctor website (www.risk-doctor.com).
Project Management Poetry™: The Song of the Project
By Bruce R. Shaw, PMP
Best practices are well defined.
They'll keep you out of a bind.
The PMBOK® says how,
So follow it now
And project success you will find.
Every project begins with a charter.
This isn't a matter to barter.
It enhances success.
This isn't a guess.
Not doing it makes the job harder.
© 2006 allPM.com
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Bruce R. Shaw, a PMP® since 1992, has had a career as an engineer and project manager since 1961. Now retired from formal employment, he teaches basic project management and PMP® exam preparation classes in the Washington, DC area. He may be reached at brucershaw@verizon.net.
 ZenPM™ Tip — Learn to Relax!
By George Pitagorsky, PMP
"Only the person who learns to relax is able to create," said Cicero, "and for them, ideas reach the mind like lightning." Even in the face of chaos, pressure and stress, relax! How? Relaxation is not the same as tuning out and turning off. It is not somnabulence. Learn to rest in the moment. Cultivate the ability to quickly focus on your breath and body just long enough to find your "center." Then engage.
© 2006 allPM.com
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George Pitagorsky, (PMP) , is Senior Enterprise Solutions Advisor for International Institute for Learning (IIL). He is an expert in project management, and process improvement and facilitator. George authored IIL's Project Management Basics™ , a multimedia interactive browser based course, and has authored or directed development of all of IIL's core PM courses. He has written numerous articles on Project Management, organizational development, conflict resolution and personal development subjects. George is the author of IIL's IT Project Management System, a multimedia product, and co-creator and director of IIL's The Unified Project Management Methodology (UPMM™), Web PM knowledge tool. He is a meditation teacher with over thirty years of experience in Yoga and meditation practice and co-creator of both the Conscious Living and Working Wisely workshops.
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PM Crossword Connections™: Lead the Way
By Frank Saladis, PMP
(Click here or the image above for a larger, printable crossword in a new window. )
Across
2 360 degree _______
6 _______ skills establish relationships and remove barriers
9 furthers the cause or the ultimate winner
10 what you wish to accomplish
12 keeping this high is essential for a team's success
13 to provide an opportunity
16 after talking the talk you should _______
19 How to achieve goals
21 make contact with or attach two ends
23 to place yourself in another's shoes
26 remove fuzziness or direct attention to
27 leaders need high levels of this!
29 Should be SMART
32 reduce resistance
33 A reward
34 Does the right things
35 The specific path or explaining how to do something
Down
1 Inspire action
3 A pledge to your team
4 A view of the future
5 Key performance indicator (Abbrev.)
7 The opposite of speaking
8 Does things right
11 To exchange information
14 Internal or organization perceptions of worth
15 Its important to balance their needs
17 Funding source
18 A leader's most valuable possession
20 The wants and needs of a client or team
22 Can be seen easily
24 Established by your actions and results
25 To assign responsibility
28 Have one of these or failure is probable
30 To distribute evenly or create stability
31 Given for a job well done
© 2006 allPM.com
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Click here to view/print the crossword solution: http://www.allpm.com/Crosswords/June2006answers.htm
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