Dec/090
Project Manager’s Survival Guide
I have been struggling with this problem of having loads and loads of things to do, and I’m sure I’m not the only manager who has the same problem. To give you an idea of what I need to do let’s take a closer look:
- Manage multiple projects (5+)
- Support five business guys (one at US, two at Asia and two at Europe)
- Run team of around ten developers (one engineer at China)
- Support our customers
Now, how do you survive when you have multiple projects, business guys and a middle-sized team to run?
Supportive Project Managers
You do not have enough time to concentrate nor do everything. This brings us to the first thing, get some help. You are still a human and you have limited resources on your own. Figure out the key people from your team and discuss with them whetever they would like to participate on helping you with the management burden. The most important tasks for these supportive project managers are in short, keep the ball rolling and report the status and issues to you.
Now you have more resources to handle the management burden, but a) you need to coordinate, b) you need to train the new project managers, c) you cannot overload them with the management work, d) you still are responsible for the outcome. Let’s take these one by one:
a) Arrange weekly management meeting to coordinate the projects (on a small team you most likely share the resources so this is very important), to discuss the most important issues, and to get reports from the supportive project managers.
b) Write down the common guidelines how the supportive project managers should work, i.e. Project Handbook. This document should cover the whole process: how the weekly meeting works, how to manage the projects, and so on.
c) Give your supportive project managers only one project to manage. That project should be familiar to them – they already know the project so it is easier to start managing it.
d) As you are responsible for the outcome it is not enough just to track the projects on the weekly meeting, you need to give guidance to the new project manager and still be in touch with the customer.
Prioritize
Another thing that you need to do as soon as possible is to prioritize your work. Now this is pretty simple: customers first, you cannot afford to loose them, if you do, soon you won’t have anything to manage. Next thing to do is to figure out and prioritize the most important issues on the team, if there are none, then move to supporting business guys.
Conclusion
Well, now you know at least a couple tricks how to handle a bad situation. Remember, do not burn yourself down, if you do that, there is not one to manage anything anymore: you are more important than anything above! Thinking about hundreds of different things each day will burn you down if you don’t find time for yourself to relax. Trust me, I’v been in the both ends.
Sep/092
Leader of the Future?
For a while now, I have been reading this book: The Leader of the Future by the Drucker Foundation. The foreword, by Peter F. Drucker, was written in 1995, which is a long time ago. Back then a few people, like Peter F. Drucker and Peter M. Senge, understood that the way we practise leadership must change tremendously.
They are right on the requirements of a great leader. But, I disagree with them in one point, they didn’t describe a leader of the future, they just described a great leader. Though, they probably ment that it takes a while to get all leaders to act like this.. anyway, to talk about about the past:
Like I have always said, the world is changing all the time and the biggest problem are people who resist it. Back in ‘the old days’ leaders were trying to stick with the old habits when the world was changing away from that. And, they had loads of problems when something like that happened, they just didn’t understand it back then, or didn’t even want to. Now after years and years of research we are starting to understand it and share the knowledge. Sharing this idea is hard because people are.. umm.. just people: we all have egos, we all have our habits and so on. We don’t just want to let go something that is safe and familiar. In short, it is hard to get leaders to get out of their comfort zone to try out new ideas.
Now, go and do yourself a favor and buy at least these two books: The Leader Of The Future and The Fifth Discipline. While thinking about how to change your leadership style you can listen to AC/DC – Back In Black.
Sep/090
Steve Jobs
Very good and inspiring speeches from Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Together: Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5Z7eal4uXI&feature=related
Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
Aug/090
Orcish Armageddon!
My small game project, previously known as Knights vs. Orcs, has now a real name: Orcish Armageddon.
At the same time we have opened a blog for Orcish Armageddon, where we will be posting the latest news about development and sales & marketing. Check out the site to see beta video material!
Beta will be released very soon.
Aug/090
Knights vs. Orcs Second Alpha Release
My small real-time strategy game is getting closer and closer to its release. I’m very exited about the release as we have planned this for a long time, so stay tuned for news!
You can download the new version and check out three new screenshots (including one new level) from the Games – page.
All feedback is more than welcome! Have fun!
New Level In Alpha: Blood In Forest
Jul/090
Virtual Management
Great article at GameDev about virtual management:
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/business/features/virtualOffice/
The programmer in me says: Yes, this is the future and the way I always loved to do it.
The management guy in me says: I would love to try this as it really puts the meaning of sharing the responsibility and trusting to others people in to trial – this is how it should be in the real office too, but many cases it is not. I think this is the future.
Why I love doing work at home or anywhere else than office is because:
- I can choose the environment. I know where I like to work at. This is the same thing as not trying to force processes to people. Don’t force people to work at some place.
- Power. Responsibility. No one is watching after me all the time. I can answer to the phone or respond to e-mails when I’m ready to do that, this means I do not get interrupted so easily, when again in office people tend to wonder around chatting or quickly popping up to ask questions. No one cares when I do the work as long as I get it done on time.
This is why people want to be entrepreneurs, the freedom to work anywhere they feel like being most effective doing the thing they love to do.
ps. If you happen to have a small project using virtual management and you are in a need of a project manager, please, let me know. I’m more than happy to spent my spare hours helping you guys out and learning at the same time – that is a win-win situation.
Jul/090
Challenging The Way To Manage
And so I continue my journey in the land of writing.
After learning a heck of a lot about writing since my last eBook I wanted to see how much better I could do this time. At the same time I changed the topic from programming to management tips & tricks as I currently work as a manager. This time I used a lot more time for writing than the last time, and I’m happy with the end result!
My new eBook, as the topic says, contains tips & tricks that will continuously challenge the ways of management, and some other good practices. Currently many organization is going through huge changes and have to learn to learn – when did we lose that again? Most of my tips are aimed for building an open learning environment which will help your organization to get through changes by adapting and learning, by challenging the existing status.
Enough of talk, here are the links you want to click:
Jul/090
Must Read Books For Management
I have read dozens of management books, but only a few of them really standout. Here are the ones that I recommend for anyone who works in a management position:
Also check other books I recommend from Books To Read – page.
Jul/090
Site Update
I finally decided to update WordPress to the latest version. At the same time I updated the theme to get a more professional and smoother look & feel.
Some site statistics for this year:
Average Visits Per Month: +1000
Unique Visitors Per Month: ~500
I also added a better way to shop my eBook(s): Products Page – this way you will receive the purchased product right after successful checkout. And as I said, there is currently only one eBook available anymore, I removed the Testing eBook. But, I’m currently working on a Management Tips & Tricks eBook, which should be available soon.
Jun/090
Five Tips For Growing A Learning Organization
A while ago I posted a question “Your Top Five Tips For Growing A Learning Organization” to Learning Organization Practitioners’ Network – LinkedIn Group. Eight people were willing to share their tips. Now I have combined them to a one list of five tips.
- Integrity – Quote from John Fleming:
“Ensure that as a leader one lives the truth in their efforts to help the organization to be successful. There will be times when tough decisions have to be made and the team(s) need to trust that they are being made with the best interest of the whole and each of the pieces in mind. One has to be firm and fair with consideration for all the elements in the system of the business and the economic environment in which it operates.”
- Senior Management Support – upper management need to understand and support the change in order you to get enough resources and power. From my own experience I can tell that you can start without it, but it is a lot easier if you have this.
- Persistence – Quote from Calvin Coolidge:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”
- Shared Vision – a sense of mission, what do we do and why we do it.
- Communication -open and honest communication. People must be able to talk about both negative and positive things openly.
With these in place, you can begin the learning and changing the way your organization acts.