Joe Gartrell

Say "yes" to your life

2012-01-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

I just spent a great New Year's Eve in Houston with some very old and dear friends. This trip came on the heals of my trip to NY to spend Christmas with my wife and daughter. It would have been very easy to not take the 3 1/2 hour drive, to stay at home for New Year's, but I chose to say "yes."

All too often we choose to say "no" because it's easy and expeditious. We make excuses in defense of our "no" - it costs too much money, I don't have enough time, I'll do it later, etc., etc... This is a very sad way to live life - turning down passions, dreams, love, excitement, happiness, and all the other good things that life has to offer, all because it's easier to say "no."

Say "yes" to your life. Start doing the things that you want to do, make a living the way you want to make it, and embrace your passions. Quit saying "no."

Pay attention to your life

2011-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for atheists and other groups to start attacking the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It's now an annual rite. It's also indicative of a society that's much too much into each others' business.

If you want a full life, a life of high performance, a life of happiness, then it's imperative that you pay attention to your life and forget what others think and believe. I'm not saying that you shouldn't trust the opinions of those from whom you seek counsel, but unless somebody is directly imposing on your life, their beliefs and opinions shouldn't raise a single hair on your neck.

Live your life and let others live theirs.

The photo accompanying this post is to honor a friend who has been stricken with ovarian cancer. She had the apron custom made for me after she ate my tacos and learned that I cook them by sound. The Li'l Bastard button is from my wife.

Chinese junk

2011-11-30T17:29:00.001-08:00

Last week I bought a new potato peeler at Walmart in anticipation of mashed potatoes and baked sweet potatoes as part of my Thanksgiving dinner. On Thanksgiving day, I happily plopped my potatoes in the sink under slightly running cold water and began the chore of peeling the potatoes. One, two, BREAK! On the third swipe the potato peeler broke in half.

Having bought the potato peeler at Walmart, one doesn't need to strain too many brain cells to figure out where the potato peeler was made - China.

Unfortunately, my experience with Chinese quality (said with tongue firmly tucked inside my cheek) is the norm, not an anomaly. We have completely abandoned quality, and our economic well being, in exchange for cheap goods made in China. We are also risking our collective health because the Chinese, in their quest for insanely low manufacturing standards, are using questionable materials and ingredients.

The official PMI definition of quality is:

"Thedegree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements"

Now, let's all yawn and take a nap. While technically accurate, the PMIdefinition leaves a lot on the table. Quality, by nature, is defined bythe end user, whether it be a client, customer, employee, etc. A jewelercan rave about the "quality" of a colorless or near colorlessdiamond, but if the customer really likes the yellow, or fancy diamond, thejeweler's definition of quality doesn't really matter.

Quality is about expectations. My expectation for my potato peeler was to get a little more use out of it than three strokes. IfI'm looking for a blue SUV with at least 200 horsepower, four doors, adequatestorage space for family trips, and fuel mileage that exceeds 20 miles pergallon, the requirements can be fulfilled by dozens of SUVs on the market, butwould they actually meet my standards, what I expect to buy? Requirements are more like aminimum punch list, but expectations get closer to the real goal of whatquality is about...and the Chinese just aren't meeting any level of expectations.

We need to rethink our giving away our expectations in exchange for Chinese junk.

Your absence defines you

2011-11-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've been a HUGE Colts fan since I was a kid in the 1960s (anyone remember Johnny Unitas?). In that time, the Colts have been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In the past decade the Colts have been on the high side; however, this year Peyton Manning has been out all year because of multiple neck surgeries. The Colts, one of the winningest teams in football, now stand at 0-8 and could be 0-16 at the end of the season.

There is no doubt that Peyton Manning means everything to the Colts, but there's more - he's the glue that holds the team together. His absence has proved his value. Professionally, his absence defines him.

The great Johnny Unitas played in two Super Bowls, winning one and losing one (ironically, that's Manning's Super Bowl record too). The difference between Unitas and Manning is that in both of Unitas' Super Bowl years, he was out most of the year with injuries and Earl Morrall led the Colts to the playoffs. Without Manning, the current Colts aren't themselves, they're completely defined by Manning.

In my previous post, I wrote - "When establishing a brand, the best way to get to the crux of the meaning of the brand, the "why" behind the brand, is to define the absence of the brand." You, my friends, are a brand and your absence defines your brand. What hole do you leave personally and professionally?

The wrong thing

2011-10-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

We are in a constant battle of priorities. Some are internally driven, others are external. Some are personal while others are professional. To make matters worse, our priorities are in a constant flux because our situations are always changing. It gets to a point where everything becomes a moving target and we feel that we're accomplishing nothing.

There is a simple cure to this dilemma - choose to do the right thing. Sound too simple? Let's put it into perspective:

Most organizations never ask the right question when prioritizing business initiatives and projects. They do business cases, risk analyses, cost-benefit analyses, etc. in order to justify their decisions, but they rarely ask, "what will happen if we don't do this?" This question is the key to doing the right thing. In most cases, the answer is "nothing will happen." By not asking this simple question, organizations, and people, fall into the trap of doing too much of the wrong thing - which leads to being overwhelmed with valueless activities and undue consumption of resources.

This logic can be applied to many contexts. For example, I have a very simple strategy for branding that follows this logic. When establishing a brand, the best way to get to the crux of the meaning of the brand, the "why" behind the brand, is to define the absence of the brand. What would the world be like without Coca-Cola?

This one question - "what will happen if we (or I) don't do this" - can be applied to every facet of life, personal and professional. If your answer isn't significantly more compelling than "nothing", you probably shouldn't be doing it.

Honor Steve Jobs by honoring yourself

2011-10-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs will leave a big hole, that's the measure of a man. Inevitably, many people will look to Steve Jobs' life as an inspiration for their own; however, Steve Jobs would be the first to tell you that you'd be making a mistake. He would tell you that you can't change the world by emulating him, but you can change the world by being the best version of yourself, that the pursuit of your dreams and passions can change the world.

Steve Jobs pursued his dreams and passions and we should applaud him for a job well done. Now, it's time for you to get moving...! Honor Steve Jobs by honoring yourself.

An extreme bias for action

2011-10-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

The best advice for anyone, regardless of endeavor, is to have an extreme bias for action. Get in the habit of doing, not documenting or planning, but doing. Planning and documentation are necessary, but in the appropriate doses.

The best performing organizations are always moving, always doing, stasis is abhorrent. The best performing individuals are in motion, always looking to improve, to be a better version of themselves tomorrow.

Thanks to Dennisse Lisseth at Being Exceptional In An Ordinary World for the image.

In my element

2011-09-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here I am in my element...can't wait to be a UTSA dad next year when my daughter starts her freshman year there.

Product Integration Lab

2011-08-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today we toured USAA's Innovation Lab and I got nostalgic for what we did at SouthernSkies Communications Group (dba S2 Entertainment). I founded the company, raised $6 million in equity and debt financing, and, more importantly, convinced people that I wasn't on drugs for having the crazy idea of providing advanced video services over switched networks (i.e. - AT&T's U-Verse and Verizon's FiOS, both of which we helped in developing particular components and codecs).

Below is a video we put together for investors featuring our Product Integration Lab in Seattle. We partnered with Fisher Communications and headquartered in their beautiful Fisher Plaza facilities in downtown Seattle.

We developed a lot of "firsts" at SouthernSkies, something I'm very proud of and something that can never be taken away from all of us who produced some wonderful technology that people today take entirely for granted.

Interviewed for cover story of PM Network magazine

2011-08-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

I was interviewed for the cover story of PM Network magazine (August 2011). My citation is on page 35 of the SlideShare presentation and page 33 of the magazine. Click the link below.

Joe Gartrell interview in PM Network magazine.

Leadership is Earned

2011-07-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Some of the terms that are often used to describe leadership are:

influence, induce, guide, go before, show the way, conduct, to serve, to go ahead, direct, command

Do you notice a similarity between the terms? None of the terms are coercive. Think of leadership from this perspective - If you had no position power at all over a group of individuals, how would you influence, induce, guide, or direct the group? The answer is the key to leadership; it's earned by past example and current conduct. It's earned by having ideas that inspire. Look at the terms again - in order to guide, show the way, or go ahead, you need to have been there before. In essence, you need to have credibility with the group through proven experience. There it is - leadership is earned; it's not bestowed or pronounced, it's a power given by those being led.

Training Important For New Project Managers

2011-07-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Training Important For New Project Managers, Survey Finds - Chief Learning Officer, Solutions for Enterprise Productivity

I obviously agree with this article; however, I'd take it a step further - organizations need to be socialized to be project management centric. Every initiative and endeavor, whether formal or "just get it done", is a project. The need for project management training and education is an absolute, especially in a fluid and ambiguous competitive arena.

Your Voice

2011-06-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

One thing is immutable in this universe...that you are entirely unique and no other life form that has ever existed, or will ever exist, is the same as you. You are beyond rare, there is no word to completely explain your uniqueness. Not even identical twins that share the same DNA are the same, they differ in their experiences and how those experiences are wired in their brains. From the moment identical twins are born, they diverge as unique lives.

Profound stuff, but nevertheless true. So, my question is - Why on earth would you squander that uniqueness? You have a voice that only belongs to you, your purpose is wrapped in that voice, so don't stifle it, nurture it. When the world seeks to silence you, to assimilate you, to mute your uniqueness, your duty is to defend your voice. You only get one shot at this life, don't waste it by letting others define your voice.

Diffusion

2011-05-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I wrote about the perils of multitasking, that your brain literally isn't wired to multitask. Here I will discuss the primary negative effect of multitasking - diffusion.

Multitasking is about activity, diffusion is about capability. When you and your organization are diffuse, your capability is significantly reduced - and the effect is exponential. For example, imagine yourself talking on the phone and trying to watch your favorite TV program at the same time. It can be done, but your concentration on either has been diminished. Now let's throw in reading a book. Do you think that you're capable of reading a book, watching your favorite TV program, and talking on the phone at the same time? The honest answer is "no." By throwing in one more task, you've reduced your ability to concentrate by an order of magnitude. Now, let's throw in cooking a meal to the mix. The bottom line is that your ability to effectively do each of these tasks is now close to zero, more than one of the tasks will have to fall in priority - thus focus is lost, quality drops, and performance is severely degraded.

A person or organization that can reduce diffusion and increase focus will realize a marked improvement in performance. This requires a complete reversal of mindset - focus over multitasking, simplicity over complexity, and one thing at a time. For organizations this means significant structural changes - changes that are wrapped around a clear and consistent mission. More on this to come...

(Diffusion image by jscreationzs).

The Pomeroy Effect

2011-05-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the movie "Morning Glory" starring Harrison Ford. He plays a grizzled veteran newscaster, Mike Pomeroy, who is contractually forced to take a position as a co-host of a failing morning show. He absolutely abhors his situation and the show's new producer (ably played by Rachel McAdams) is tasked with an almost impossible mission to save the show by using the gravitas of Mike Pomeroy.

It looks like disaster until Mike decides to use his contacts to go after a corruption story involving the governor. The story is a hit and the new format saves the day. With that, Mike loosens up and becomes open to more "fluff" pieces that morning shows are known for.

I'm leaving a lot out of the story, but there's a lesson here - allow people to do what they do best, leverage their talents for the overall performance of the organization, and wrap the job around the person rather than the person around the job. You will get a much higher level of performance and, when people are in their groove doing what they do best, they're much more likely to be open to new things. Let's call it "The Pomeroy Effect."

Multitasking Your Way to Failure

2011-04-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

We have been fed the pablum that effective multitasking is one of the primary skill sets of a successful manager, executive, entrepreneur, etc. The needle on my BS meter hits the red line when I hear this. The quickest path to mediocrity is to become a multitasker. Our brains are literally not made to multitask, you are incapable of doing it with any degree of success. When you fight biology, nature has a way of making sure that you lose.

The key to success is FOCUS. The most common complaint that I hear in the workplace and in the personal lives of colleagues, friends, and family is that there isn't enough time. Hogwash. The problem is their use of time. Fiddling away at the edges will not amount to anything but busy work, maintenance, and goals being pushed back - or worse, the debasement of quality.

I have a quick and effective tool for focusing on the right things:

1) Determine what is important right now. This provides clarity and separates that which has value from that which is "valueless" at this point in time.

2) Focus on what you determined to be important. The key is to uni-task, not multitask.

3) Have a bias for action. Be in the present and forget what lies before and behind you, stay focused on what's in front of you right now.

4) Rinse and repeat. Repetition and consistency will eventually drive multitasking from your life and you will become quite proficient at executing those things that have the most value.

A Matter of Scale

2011-03-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

When two galaxies collide, each containing billions of stars, there's essentially a zero probability of any two stars colliding with each other. This is due to the vast distance between stars. I find this fascinating.

Our perspective is always a matter of scale and is a product of our particular reference frames. From a distance of millions of light years away, a galaxy looks well organized and compact, but from within the galaxy, it's a wilderness of empty space. From the air, the ground may look green and pastoral, but on the ground, it may actually be hard scrabble and full of weeds.

Differing perspectives are not wrong, they're just existing on different planes with different scales. This doesn't mean that there aren't absolutes, there are; however, we need to not be so arrogant with our points of view because they're generally just small perspectives within a very large universe of ideas.

You Have the Power to Change the World

2011-03-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

Nancy Duarte of Duarte Design in Mountain View, CA gave this presentation at Tedx East.

"You Have the Power to Change the World"

Simple, elegant, and powerful...

50 is just the beginning

2011-02-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth and this is the year that I turn 50 (along with most of my friends). I always use the dates of significant events as markers to give perspective to my life and this year, coupled with Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday, is a good marker.

Ronald Reagan was 50 years old when I was born; however, the majority of his accomplishments were yet to come. Think about it, at 50 years of age, though he already had a steady film and radio career behind him, Ronald Reagan was just beginning to gain real traction via his contract to host the General Electric Theater. Though fired in 1962, the GE experience catapulted Ronald Reagan to a different level.

50 isn't the "new 30" or any other tired cliche, it's a marker that can be the start of something new, a continuation, or a re-direction - it's anything that you want it to be. 50 also means that there is a trail of experience to be leveraged, there's a maturity and knowledge base that only time can give.

Content versus tactics

2011-01-29T08:35:00.000-08:00

The growth and effectiveness of your social media presence should be based on interesting and relevant content, not on tactics. Regardless of platform, content is what keeps your audience engaged. Whether it be a blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, television, movies, books, articles, public speaking, etc., content is what matters. Yes, some platforms are far more effective in getting your message out because they are appropriate and better purposed to your particular message; however, if the content falls short, no tactic will help.

Personalizing technology

2011-01-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, it's easy to get carried away with your smart phone apps. I tend to try out a lot of technologies and applications; I'm a serial beta user and smart phone apps are no exception. That said, my "simplicity" DNA kicks in every week and I routinely purge those things that I don't use, need, or want.

Through all the technology noise, the most useful smart phone app for me is the Google Reader. I catalog what I want to read in the way that I want to read it...period. Any RSS feed reader will do the same trick, but I use the Google Reader (since I use it on my laptop anyway and my smart phone runs on Google's Android OS). The beauty of using a feed reader is that I can consolidate my favorite sites and blogs in one place, eliminating the need to go to each individual app.

There's nothing new to using a feed reader, they've been in our online world for a long time, so its extension into the mobile app world makes sense.

Resurrection of manufacturing in the U.S.

2011-01-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

I've come to the conclusion that the re-industrialization of the U.S. economy (read: bringing back manufacturing and manufacturing jobs) cannot be accomplished through current business and government leadership - they have all failed. So, I propose a new route based on creativity, self reliance, and the abandonment of the idea that U.S. firms can't produce quality goods at competitive prices.

The current manufacturing model of outsourcing isn't a sustainable construct nor is the mindset behind it. This article from Manufacturing & Technology News gives a glimpse of the misguided and dangerous economic philosophies driving policy and business.

We can reinvigorate manufacturing in the U.S., but only if we get rid of the stale business and political leadership that chooses a path of self interest and decline. I'll be writing more on this subject over the coming year.

Jason Fried: Why work doesn't happen at work

2010-12-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Are you inspired?

2010-12-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Are you excited by what you do? Are you excited by who you are? Are you excited by your own story? Are you inspired?

Here's a good read to that point at Simple Productivity | Zen Habits.

Storytelling

2010-11-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

Stories add a rich context to any subject matter, thus I try to use storytelling in my teaching and curriculum development. I'm also very curious about new technologies and platforms, so blend the two together and I wind up with things like Prezi.

Of all the interactive storyboard platforms that I've screened and tested, Prezi holds the most promise (so far). I'm experimenting with it, especially for use with the online project management course that I will be finishing soon.

I've also started another blog for my entertainment project pursuits (and you thought that you knew everything about me, didn't you?) It's on the Tumblr platform and I haven't really "gussied" it up yet, but it will be a useful outlet in the near future. It can be found at thewildangel.com.

Eric Berlow: How complexity leads to simplicity

2010-11-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

This concept has many, many uses in most organizations, especially with regard to the value stream.

Applying lean principles to your life

2010-10-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

Albert Einstein

Marketing done wrong

2010-10-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we registered with Ticketmaster to buy tickets to "The Lion King" on Broadway. Since going to the show (which was tremendous), I've received numerous marketing e-mails from Ticketmaster encouraging me to buy tickets to...you guessed it, "The Lion King."

Though Ticketmaster may be leaving money on the table by ineffectual marketing, they won't really be hurt by it because they are a monopoly - I have to use Ticketmaster to purchase tickets to most entertainment events. However, the vast majority of companies aren't monopolies and this type of marketing ineptness could seriously damage them, or worse, be fatal.

When to take action

2010-09-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

A question that should be asked before any decision to take action is:

Is there a bigger risk in not taking action? Or, what are the ramifications of not taking action?

This applies to small and large decisions alike. You must first determine if what you are doing is important enough to warrant action, so begging the question of not taking action helps to crystallize your thoughts.

Looking at the opposite, or reciprocal, of anything helps to clarify the issue. For example, if you are branding a product or service, a good question to ask is, "What does the absence of my brand look like?" The answer defines your brand.

Simple tools in a complex world.

Education is relative

2010-09-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

"Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own." - Bruce Lee

The late Bruce Lee was (and still is) a cultural icon renown for his martial arts prowess and his highly popular movies. Devotees of Bruce Lee know that he created an informal martial arts style based on practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency. He originally taught the style as "Jun Fan Gung Fu" ("Bruce Lee's Kung Fu"), but he eventually opted for the more elegant "Jeet Kune Do" ("The Way of the Intercepting Fist").

Without going into a rather long back story, the gist of the anecdote is that Bruce Lee found the Wing Chun techniques in which he was trained to be too rigid and formailistic for actual street fighting, so he worked on creating his own techniques. He professed Jeet Kune Do to be "the style of no style." His emphasis was on using what worked best - he borrowed from numerous styles and sports, even fencing - whatever worked was absorbed and whatever didn't was discarded, and the techniques were customized to match each student's unique physical and mental attributes. The result was a fluid approach to martial arts that, in most cases, was quite superior to the traditional techniques and styles.

The simple philosophy that Bruce Lee used to create Jeet Kune Do can be applied to any aspect of life and any endeavor undertaken. The transfer of knowledge, especially practical knowledge, is relative to each student and their particular background and current mind set. Some techniques are completely applicable, some will become applicable, and some will never be applicable - it depends on circumstances and conditions.

So, my advice is to take Bruce Lee's advice and tailor your learning to what works best for you and your circumstances.

The personal touch

2010-08-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Most large organizations have jumped on the "virtual" bandwagon, ostensibly to save money, but they've bought in to a fallacy. I'm going to open a big can of worms, but projects cannot be managed effectively in a virtual environment. Can virtual projects come to a successful conclusion? Absolutely, but at a cost. The cost is time (read: money), quality, and organizational intelligence. In a global environment, some components of a project will be virtual out of necessity; however, there is no need to codify and institutionalize the virtualization.

Just in the past two months I can give three specific examples of how communications were completely fouled up by my current client's insistence on virtual teams. One instance had to do with an external vendor misunderstanding the release schedule and requirements which could have been catastrophic had I not met with them in person. Folks, you cannot replace the value and effectiveness of working projects in person. Don't fall in to the trap of the "virtual" project - put resources and effort into making sure that project teams are working face to face as much as possible.

The Elegance of Simplicity

2010-08-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Project management is akin to a cattle drive. There is an ultimate goal, a deliverable - in the case of a cattle drive the deliverable is getting the cattle to market on time. In between are broken trails, lost cows, swollen rivers, bad weather, irritable cow pokes, busted equipment, and so on. A project is no different. As with the cattle drive, project managers deal with changing circumstances and conditions.

Often project managers will face a merry-go-round of evolving requirements that will drive the most sane among us crazy. Decisions are made in midstream, sometimes at odds with the project's objectives, that require a project team to quickly change priorities and direction. This is the unpredicable world of project management.

In order to succeed, a project manager must be able to play in an ambiguous sand box. It requires creativity and a single minded focus on the end game. Our tendency is to try to solve problems with more control and complexity; however, the best solutions are generally the simplest solutions - there is an elegance in simplicity. Even the most elaborate endeavors benefit from simplicity born of a clear mission.

Case in point:

The new Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok) was built on reclaimed land and was one of the most complex engineering undertakings of the late 20th century. Reclaiming land from the sea is a major task in of itself, not to mention the fact that they built an airport on the reclaimed land as well as an integrated transportation infrastructure to get to and from the airport. This project could not have been successfully completed had there not been some fairly creative solutions to daunting problems.

When land is reclaimed from the sea it tends to sink over time unless water can be drained from underneath the soil. Couple this with the stringent ground compaction standards required for building airport runways and you’ve got quite a dilemma – how do you drain the water from beneath millions of tons of rock and soil? The engineers on this project used simple physics rather than intricate pumping methods to solve the problem. They designed porous tubes that were inserted

into the ground. The weight of the dirt and rocks pushed the water into the tubes which naturally forced the water up and out of the tubes. This solution was simple and did not require complex designs or technology to accomplish the task.

These engineers were free to make decisions on the ground based on the circumstances facing them. They were well aware of what success looked like, but diverged from common methods without fear of compromising the project. By the way, their solution was far less expensive and took less time. This simple solution can be a touchstone for project managers.

Always go back to the restraint and rhythm of simplicity.

Breaking the rules

2010-07-17T05:32:00.000-07:00

The dirty little secret to rescuing a failed project is breaking the rules. I don't mean the regulatory or compliance variety, but those that get in the way of a project being delivered (read: the organization and its people). To get a project back on track, lifecycle standards, documentation, and petty resource issues must be, for the most part, ignored.

Civilian and military rescue teams don't bring in committees to get their jobs done, they just do it. Yes, there's some planning involved, but it's acute and focused on the problem in front of them. Action is the key to rescuing a failing project...and that sometimes means breaking sacrosanct rules.

A reminder

2010-07-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

Mistakes and failure are not only inevitable, they're necessary. Without them, you're not trying, you're not pushing yourself to learn, you're not taking the risks necessary to move forward.

#1 management skill

2010-07-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

The #1 management skill is the ability to manage in an ambiguous environment where decisions need to be made in a cloud of uncertainty, where 100% of the information needed is not available.

To connect or not to connect?

2010-06-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

I was going to write this week on the fallacious concept of modern communications, on how it's actually severing our connectedness and reducing our productivity, but Sam Parker makes the same point - I defer to him:

http://justparker.com/blog/connecting/

Agile

2010-06-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

My current client, Citibank, is migrating to an Agile environment for the projects that I'm involved with. This is great news because my management philosophy jibes quite well with Agile methodologies.

Teddy Roosevelt and action

2010-06-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, was known as a man of action and not mere words. He extolled the virtues of the "strenuous life", not only in writing, but in practice. -

"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."

"Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster."

"Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind."

"I don't pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him. I pity the creature who does not work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being."

"I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life."

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."

"Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering."

"Rhetoric is a poor substitute for action, and we have trusted only to rhetoric. If we are really to be a great nation, we must not merely talk; we must act big."

John Wooden and success

2010-06-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach at UCLA who set the bar for success in any sport, recently passed away. The pundits and historians will give him his rightful requiem, that's not my place, but his career is a lesson in leadership at all levels.

Experience - John Wooden was a highly successful coach throughout his career; however, the legendary and unparalleled run of championships came at the end of his career (10 NCAA titles between 1964 and 1975, 4 unbeaten seasons during that string, and a run of 7 titles in a row). Experience does count.

Execution - John Wooden's teams were about execution, teamwork, and simpatico. The fundamentals and ruthless preparation were keys to his teams' success. Wooden's teams concentrated on flawless execution by honing basic skills to near perfection.

Simplicity - There was nothing complex about Wooden's tactics and strategies; they were simple and elegant. Great execution of a simple plan.

Flexibility - John Wooden had a famous quote - "Flexibility is the key to stability." Granted, John Wooden's teams had some amazing talent; however, John Wooden was able to win championships whether he had the star players or not. He crafted simple game plans around the talent that he currently possessed and adjusted quickly to the evolution of game conditions.

Executing a vision

2010-05-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell, a project manager executes and delivers an organization's vision.

One doesn't need to be a project management professional or titled a "project manager" to be a project manager. Project management is a sub-set of management proper with specific skills, knowledge bases, and methodologies that are used to deliver project objectives to an organization. Competence in management and leadership is an absolute requisite - which is a product of experience.

Standing alone

2010-05-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

"Deliberation is the work of many men. Action, of one alone." - Charles de Gaulle

Project management is a collaborative effort to be sure; however, a project manager often needs to stand alone and make the tough decisions for the benefit of the project - decisions that may be unpopular. This is no different than any other leadership position - the willingness and steadfastness to stand alone against the majority in protection of the mission and the vision.

Racing Associates' USAC cars at Iowa Speedway

2010-05-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Confucius and project management

2010-05-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." - Confucius

Sounds like a project management methodology to me!

A new vision

2010-05-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am re-purposing this blog to share my experience and lessons learned in management, project management, and leadership. I have years of perspective to share - successes and failures, accomplishments and mistakes - but, above all, the will and ability to take action when others are standing still.

I will be offering formal online training in project management and management/leadership that's based on newly developed curriculum and curriculum that I've developed for colleges and universities (through Joe Gartrell, Inc.). As always, my course material is not "theory", it's based on proven management principles and "in the trenches" experience.

Let's get started...