Project Management | Outlook Solutions for small business

In the majority of large corporations, the number of functional areas that support the services of the primary functional areas is huge. For each employee who goes into the field, large businesses have a total number of employees who work behind the scenes to support, guide and follow-up. But when you are running a small business, you cannot afford the luxury of a good number of departments. Most likely, the employees you have all relate to the main line of your business activity and if you do have a miscellaneous assistant she/he doubles up as a HR Manager, a House Keeping and Maintenance Manager and your personal secretary. With small institutions, multi tasking is the way to excellence.

One of the tools that can really help a small business to run more efficiently is one that a lot already have sitting on their computers, but have just not discovered the full value of.  Microsoft Outlook is not just a tool for sending and receiving email.  It is so much more than that.  It can hold all of you contact, both business and personal, organise and manage all of your daily meetings. Properly configured and utilised Outlook can become the central core tool sitting at the centre of your business web.  It can track the amount of time you spend at meetings, doing particular jobs, track client information and be used as a project management for small projects.  It can also link to most of the other pieces of software, files and data that you have on your systems be it electronic or paper.

People are often stunned at the range of functions and the tasks and data that can be managed and accessed by a well set up and configured Outlook.  The beauty of Outlook is that in reality you don’t need to have any other addon’s to make it this powerful.  You don’t have to use third party applications or spend a fortune on additional software which for most small businesses can really make a difference.

The secret is of course in how you configure outlook and knowing how to get the best out of it.  Over the next few weeks I will be offering some insights into how to make the most out of Outlook, how to configure it to be the best results and some little hints and tips that can make all the difference.

 

Priority Management is a world leader in optimising Outlook to achieve fantastic gains in terms of productivity and efficiency.

 

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Project Management | Controlling Time and Costs

Accurate time estimation is a skill essential for good project management. It is important to get time estimates right for two main reasons:

1. Time estimates drive the setting of deadlines for delivery and planning of projects, and hence will impact on other peoples assessment of your reliability and competence as a project manager.

2. Time estimates often determine the pricing of contracts and hence the profitability of the contract /project in commercial terms.

Often people underestimate the amount of time needed to implement projects. This is true particularly when the project manager is not familiar with the task to be carried out. Unexpected events or unscheduled high priority work may not be taken into account. Project managers also often simply fail to allow for the full complexity or potential errors and stuff ups, involved with a project. The 2004-2006 Wembley Stadium project in London is often used as an example, although there are countless others of less profile.
Time estimates are important as inputs into other techniques used to organise and structure all projects. Using good time estimation techniques may reduce large projects to a series of smaller projects.

Step 1 - Understand the Project Outcome
First you need to fully understand what it is you need to achieve. (Refer to my article; Project Management - Begin with the end in mind). Review the project /task in detail so that there are no 'unknowns'. Some difficult-to-understand, tricky problems that take the greatest amount of time to solve.
The best way to review the job is to just list all component tasks in full detail.

Step 2 - Estimate time
When you have a detailed list of all the tasks that you must achieve to complete the project then you can begin to estimate how long each will take.
Make sure that you also allow time for project management administration, detailed project, liaison with outside bodies' resources and authorities, meetings, quality assurance developing supporting documentation or procedures necessary, and training.

Also make sure that you have allowed time for:

� Other high urgency tasks to be carried out which will have priority over this one
� Accidents and emergencies
� Internal/external meetings
� Holidays and sickness in key staff/stakeholders
� Contact with other customers, suppliers and contractors.
� Breakdowns in equipment
� Missed deliveries by suppliers
� Interruptions by customers, suppliers, contractors, family, pets, co- workers etc
� Others priorities and schedules e.g. local government planning processes
� Quality control rejections etc.
� Unanticipated events (e.g. renovating the bathroom finding white-ants/termites in the walls)
These factors may significantly lengthen the time and cost needed to complete a project.
If the accuracy of time estimates is critical, you will find it effective to develop a systematic approach to including these factors. If possible, base this on past experience. In the absence of your own past experience, ask someone who has already done the task or project to advise what can go wrong; what you need to plan for; and how long each task took previously.
You can lose a great deal of credibility, and money, by underestimating the length of time needed to implement a project. If you underestimate time, not only do you miss deadlines, you can also put other people under unnecessary stress.

Step 3  Plan for it Going Wrong
Finally, allow time for all the expected and unexpected disruptions and delays to work that will inevitably happen. Sickness, strikes, materials not available, poor quality work, bureaucratic bungling etc.

Priority Management can assist with all of you project management training needs.

 

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Project Management | Using traditional recruitment methods to achieve great project teams

 

How are your project teams selected? Are they selected or do you
have representatives from different parts of the business or are
they simply assembled with the ‘same old faces’?
Imagine a long time scale project -12 months plus – the staff
costs associated with this are significant. However, I see
little time spent on putting the right team together to ensure
effective delivery of the project. 

Think of the process of recruitment of a person into your
organisation. The process can be painstaking in length and
detail. This is not a criticism of recruitment merely a
statement of what is! However, putting a project team together
for a significant project is not thought about in the same way.
Why not?

One reason may well be that the resources already exist within
the organization so as one senior manager said; “we must utilise
our staff resources fully!” But, which people are utilised? Do
they have the right skills alongside the time to give to the
project? Little thought is given to the overall team, its
strengths or who should sit on it.
My suggestion is that you recruit a project team in the same way
you recruit for a vacant position; only it should be quicker,
very much quicker.

Develop a person specification in the same way you would for a vacant position in the company. Identify which criteria are
essential and which are desirable and do ensure you include
excellent ‘soft skills’ and for the project manager position
leadership capability.

Use the interview and any application process to identify skills
gaps and use this to inform any training you decide to give. I
have had several examples where an individual in the project
team has a specific skill but they go outside the company and
buy in consultancy support leading to de-motivation of staff
One thing to avoid is the ‘shepherd’s crook’ method of
recruitment described by one person on one of our project
management training courses. She was walking along a corridor
and a manager saw her. She said that “it was as though I was
being hooked” into getting involved in a project. Little thought
had gone into the reason for her involvement and she was
concerned about her day job; how to deliver both!

So, if you want a project team to deliver then think about
ensuring you recruit the right team. Use traditional recruitment
processes to help however ensure that the process is
significantly quicker and ensure you train them effectively –
project management training included. At all costs, avoid the
shepherd’s crook method of selection!

Project Management | Stakeholder Mapping

The actions you take will affect other people. Common sense says that the more people you impact on, the more likely it is that your actions will affect people who have some power and influence over your actions. These people could be useful supporters of your projects, alternatively they may block your projects.
We call people who are impacted by our projects/business activities, stakeholders.

A key skill in project management is learning to win support from interested parties or stakeholders. Mastering this skill ensures that your projects are more likely to succeed.
Stakeholder Analysis is the methodology we use to identify who are the key people who have to be on our side and supporting us to ensure that our project succeeds.

The benefits of using a "stakeholder-based approach" are:

� Stakeholders tend to have opinions which may be sought earlier tin the project cycle than alter. Their knowledgeable input early in the project life, can improve the quality of the project, and give them a sense of ownership in ensuring the project actually happens successfully.

� In gaining support from the more powerful stakeholders we can gain access to more resources � financial, time based and people base.

� When we involve the stakeholders on a regular basis, even if is simply reporting on progress to them, we ensure that they understand what we are doing and are kept abreast of the project status and benefits. If and when we need their active support they are already "on side".

� We can predict what stakeholders' reactions to our project may be and ensure that we are actively marketing the project in a way that will win their support.

The first step is to identify who the key stakeholders for a particular project are.
Brainstorm in a group if possible, who will be impacted upon by the project.
Local government, regulators, unions, employees, customers, special interest groups, neighbouring sites, businesses, Trades people, contractors, investors, managers, suppliers, financiers/banks, the press, etc.
Stakeholders may be either an organisation say a trade union, or an individual say the trade union delegate.
The next step is to work out their power and influence over and interest in the project. This activity ensures that we know who we should focus and prioritise our attention, marketing and communications.
To create a power interest grid, on a page draw an X and Y axis.
Label the y axis, "power" and the x axis "interest":
Where the axes meet, mark both "low" and at the extremity of each axis mark "high"

Now from our list of interested parties, we mark on the grid, where each person/organisations level of power vs. interest is.
Those who we identify as having high power and low interest will need nurturing and attention.
However those who we identify as high power and high interest will need to be marketed to early and regularly in a way which allow them to continue to see the advantages of the project to them. To do this, we ensure that we develop a good understanding of the most important stakeholders so that we can predict how they may respond. This allows us to work out how to win their support
Marketing and communicating to key stakeholders
Once the key stakeholders are identified then all communication with them needs to be in a language an format designed to continue to engage tem and to keep them onside.
To do this - on a page draw a four column table.
Head up column one, Project Features, and in this column list all of the features of the project that are relevant, and frankly completely irrelevant e.g. building height, number of stories, car parking spaces, likely market, tenants, landscaping etc
In column two. Give the column the title Functions, and for each feature, list all the associated functions.
In column three. Give the column the title "Benefits" and list of that benefits of the feature and functions, e.g. Views, return on investment, increase in community interactivity etc
In column four. This is the most important of all. Head up this column with the title "consequences" and identify what are the consequences to the stakeholder of each of the features functions and benefits. Note that the consequences should always be written from the stakeholders' perspective.
When unsure about the consequences then it may actually be useful to talk to the stakeholders and ask them! Most people are open with opinions and this is a first step in building a successful relationship with them.
To get an easy to use visual report on stakeholders and their impact on the project, we can colour code the Power interest grid. Potential project blockers or critics can be coded in red; Project supporters can be coded green, those who are perceived to be neutral can be coded orange.

 

Priority management provide Project management training worldwide to both public and private corporations.

 

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Project Management | 7 best practice processes

 

Managing a project can be daunting. Whether planning your wedding, developing a new website or building your dream house by the sea, you need to employ project management techniques to help you succeed. I'll summarise the top 7 best practices at the heart of good project management which can help you to achieve project success.

Define the scope and objectives
Firstly, understand the project objectives. Suppose your boss asks you to organise a blood donor campaign, is the objective to get as much blood donated as possible? Or, is it to raise the local company profile? Deciding the real objectives will help you plan the project.
Scope defines the boundary of the project. Is the organisation of transport to take staff to the blood bank within scope? Or, should staff make their own way there? Deciding what's in or out of scope will determine the amount of work which needs performing.
Understand who the stakeholders are, what they expect to be delivered and enlist their support. Once you've defined the scope and objectives, get the stakeholders to review and agree to them.

Define the deliverables
You must define what will be delivered by the project. If your project is an advertising campaign for a new chocolate bar, then one deliverable might be the artwork for an advertisement. So, decide what tangible things will be delivered and document them in enough detail to enable someone else to produce them correctly and effectively.
Key stakeholders must review the definition of deliverables and must agree they accurately reflect what must be delivered.

Project planning
Planning requires that the project manager decides which people, resources and budget are required to complete the project.
You must define what activities are required to produce the deliverables using techniques such as Work Breakdown Structures. You must estimate the time and effort required for each activity, dependencies between activities and decide a realistic schedule to complete them. Involve the project team in estimating how long activities will take. Set milestones which indicate critical dates during the project. Write this into the project plan. Get the key stakeholders to review and agree to the plan.

Communication
Project plans are useless unless they've been communicated effectively to the project team. Every team member needs to know their responsibilities. I once worked on a project where the project manager sat in his office surrounded by huge paper schedules. The problem was, nobody on his team knew what the tasks and milestones were because he hadn't shared the plan with them. The project hit all kinds of problems with people doing activities which they deemed important rather than doing the activities assigned by the project manager.

Tracking and reporting project progress
Once your project is underway you must monitor and compare the actual progress with the planned progress. You will need progress reports from project team members. You should record variations between the actual and planned cost, schedule and scope. You should report variations to your manager and key stakeholders and take corrective actions if variations get too large.
You can adjust the plan in many ways to get the project back on track but you will always end up juggling cost, scope and schedule. If the project manager changes one of these, then one or both of the other elements will inevitably need changing. It is juggling these three elements - known as the project triangle - that typically causes a project manager the most headaches!

Change management
Stakeholders often change their mind about what must be delivered. Sometimes the business environment changes after the project starts, so assumptions made at the beginning of the project may no longer be valid. This often means the scope or deliverables of the project need changing. If a project manager accepted all changes into the project, the project would inevitably go over budget, be late and might never be completed.
By managing changes, the project manager can make decisions about whether or not to incorporate the changes immediately or in the future, or to reject them. This increases the chances of project success because the project manager controls how the changes are incorporated, can allocate resources accordingly and can plan when and how the changes are made. Not managing changes effectively is often a reason why projects fail.

Risk management
Risks are events which can adversely affect the successful outcome of the project. I've worked on projects where risks have included: staff lacking the technical skills to perform the work, hardware not being delivered on time, the control room at risk of flooding and many others. Risks will vary for each project but the main risks to a project must be identified as soon as possible. Plans must be made to avoid the risk, or, if the risk cannot be avoided, to mitigate the risk to lessen its impact if it occurs. This is known as risk management.
You don't manage all risks because there could be too many and not all risks have the same impact. So, identify all risks, estimate the likelihood of each risk occurring (1 = not likely, 2 = maybe likely, 3 = very likely). Estimate its impact on the project (1 - low, 2 - medium, 3 - high), then multiply the two numbers together to give the risk factor. High risk factors indicate the severest risks. Manage the ten with the highest risk factors. Constantly review risks and lookout for new ones since they have a habit of occurring at any moment.
Not managing risks effectively is a common reason why projects fail.

Summary
Following these best practices cannot guarantee a successful project but they will provide a better chance of success. Disregarding these best practices will almost certainly lead to project failure.

The Advantages of Time Management

 

The advantages of time management include reducing stress, gaining time, reducing avoidance, while promoting reviews and eliminating cramming. Another advantage is that managing time helps us to stay motivated while we avoid procrastination.
The trick to successful time management is setting up goals that work, while having an awareness of those goals and prioritizing your list of goals. When you set up an effective time management plan, you are growing and upholding a personal commitment to yourself, with the ability to be more flexible.

When you have a great time management plan, you are giving yourself an individual chance to, to generate a timetable that works to suit your busy caseload. When you create a good plan, you will soon find time to do all the things that matter most to you in life. In addition, when you have a good time management plan, you are saving your health.

Plans have a schedule timed, which includes all the activities you are responsible to handle. Your Master Timetable should include all the most important activities you are responsible to handle. It is important that you modify this schedule according to your time changes. When you set up a Master Timetable, you will need to list the priorities first, and work your way down to the least important tasks.

It is important that you follow as you write the tasks first listed. In other words, if you state on your Master Timetable that you need to write up some documents for your business, then do this task first and proceed to the next task. Try to avoid handling multitasking at once, unless it is your job and you are sufficient, and have laid out a time management plan.

You will also need to include meals, sleep, family, friends, yourself, and other tasks if you they are a part of your time management. By setting up a Master Timetable, you can work out your time scheme by working through the list on the time chart. Try to avoid skipping a scheduled task, or procrastinating, since this will only delay your plan.

It is important to keep in mind, that time is essential. When we waste time, we are wasting money. After you have laid out a suitable Schedule Timetable, you will soon learn that your motivation has increased, while your progress is moving ahead. In addition, you will soon find that your stress level is at a normal state. When you are not focused, or do not have a time management plan, you are only hurting yourself in the long run.

Most people without a time management plan often suffer with poor health, insomnia, and other discomforting issues. Some people even find themselves in court waiting for the judge to say "You are now divorced." So you can see that time management is important since it affects everyone around you, but most of all, it affects you.
A final tip: Exercise and eating right plays an essential role to time management, since when you feel good, you work well under a management plan.

Priority Management is a leading provider of workload and time management Training.

 

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Time Management | Minimise you Distractions

 

 

If you're like most busy people, you know that interruptions are a big drain on your productivity. While all interruptions can't (and shouldn't) be prevented, here are some ways you can minimize them and gain more control over your time.

* Identify your priorities. If there's a key project you need to give uninterrupted time to, earmark an hour or two early in the morning to work on it. Do it before you handle client calls, check email, etc. Consciously creating space for your top priorities is an excellent way to manage your time.

* Let your colleagues and subordinates know that you come in early to office and prefer to spend the initial hour or so (e.g., till 9:00 am) working alone on your projects. Let everyone know you are available for meetings only after that time.

* Where possible, create a certain amount of isolation while you're working on something important. You might choose to close your door, or even work inside a conference room for a short while.

* It's a good idea to arrange your office / desk so that you don't face the traffic or are in the midst of traffic. This helps you concentrate better and minimize interruptions.

* If there are files or resources in your area that others frequently access, shift them.
I knew one manager who had a photocopy machine right in front of his desk, with only a clear glass partition in between. It was a huge distraction for him because people were using the machine continually. On top of that, when they see him at his desk, many would stop by to chat as well!
You can imagine the waste of time that meant. He found it much easier to work after he had the photocopier shifted elsewhere.

* If you have a secretary or other assistant, let him know that no interruptions are permitted during the time you've blocked off for key projects. Also let them know what interruptions are ok at other times. Give them the authority to schedule meetings for you during blocks of time you set up for the purpose.

* Where possible, tell subordinates to bunch together problems they want to discuss with you so that you can deal with all those issues in a single meeting. Of course, this may not always be feasible.

* When someone asks you for a short meeting, offer to drop into their office at a specific time. That way, you're in control of the time. And you avoid the possibility of their dropping into your office and spending an inordinate amount of time there.

* If they need to meet you immediately, ask them for an estimate of how much time they need. Agree to meet them for that amount of time. This puts them under a certain amount of pressure to finish the meeting at the earliest. Don't try this with your boss!

* If someone comes to your office and rambles on beyond what is necessary, tell him that you have to go elsewhere for a meeting right now. Or invent some other plausible reason for making an exit.
An organization can function effectively only if there is a significant amount of interaction among team members. So do make sure that your attempts to gain productive time are not at the expense of the real needs of your organization.

 

Priority Management is a world leading training organisation specialising in Time and workload management.

 

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Time Management | Working to succeed

Time management is the process of working to succeed. When we are working to succeed, we are reaching our goals. Sometimes it is difficult when time are constantly changing and problems get in our way, so it is important to decide which plan works for you as well as understanding that life has its ups and downs. When we are planning to reach goals, we have sit down and really ponder on what is needed to reach this goal or set of goals. Some of us prefer to set short-term goals, reach that goal, and then go for a long-term goal. Most of us prefer to set short and long-term goals in the same time management.

 

scheme in an effort to reach both goals accordingly. This is always wise, since you do not want to start over with another time management scheme once you reach your short-term goal. One of the best tools provided to me in time management or rather business planning, was role-playing. When we are setting goals for our self and searching for a solution to make the goal work, it often helps to play out the parts as you come to a decision. If you see this works, then it is obviously part of the solution required to reach your goals. However, if you see that there are issues, then you need to re-evaluate to find a solution that is more fitting. Time management is essential, since it demands the person (s) to plan, act on those plans, and stay focused on those goals with motivation in play. You must also keep reality in view, since if you neglect the realness of the world, you will not be prepared when things go wrong.

Disasters such as storms, computer failures, family illness, personal sickness, and so on can happen any time. There is no sense in believing that you are absent from reality. It is always wise to include elements of your time management scheme in accordance with disaster, by thinking critical on the different issues that may arise. For example, if you plan a solution ahead of a computer failure, you will have the tools to continue working while your issue is addressed. Time solution is more than just planning then, it is a solution for planning here, now, and then. When you begin your planning, you should start by analyzing now. Now is in the present and you can see the elements that are needed to achieve your goals? If you know you need a computer to start a business in the next five-years, you should begin setting up a budget for the computer in demand. It is always wise when setting up budgets to open savings or money market accounts that does not take money from you, rather increases your savings by offering a nice interest on your savings. This can help you to reach the goal sooner. Computers are relatively cheaper nowadays, so you will not have to put much focus on this area, unless you intend to purchase a mainframe coupled with another system.  Mainframes are expensive pieces of equipment. Next, you can search to find out more information about what is needed to start up a new business. It depends on the type of business you are achieving to reach, but most require desks, computers, pens, paper, cabinets, chairs, and so on. Be sure you add these expenses to your budgeting account. You may also want to include other essentials for starting a business, such as insurance policies, health insurance, and disaster recovery coverage and so on. Open separate accounts for your current financial obligations so that your savings will accumulate and your savings will not be affected. Try to avoid purchasing something that is not needed throughout the course of your time management planning, since this can only delay your progress. If you intend to open a business in five or ten years, make sure you keep this in sight while you work to the main goal laid out in your time management scheme. Time management is working to succeed. If you want to succeed then you must work hard every day to meet your goals.

 

Priority management can help with all your time and workload management problems and queries.

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Time Management | On Implementation

 

Everyone has their moments where they feel as though there aren't enough hours in the day to complete everything that needs to be done. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the tasks that are facing you, there are many ways to help relieve that stress and help yourself manage your time a little better.

First of all, clarify your goals and plan your strategy. Be very clear about your ambitions, both short- and long-term goals. Write them down. Once you know what you really want to achieve and why you want to achieve it, it's easier to make decisions about what needs to be done when, and you can plan accordingly. You should focus on your top priorities. You'll be much more productive if you identify and focus on the areas that are most important. Work on the fundamentals first - if you take action and build a strong foundation to each day, the rest should follow smoothly.

Schedule your time! You should literally write out in your planning tool, be it Outlook, a pen and paper diary or whatever, to set aside a realistic block of time for your priority actions. Your anxiety will reduce dramatically, because you will no longer be worried about not having enough time and you will keep yourself much more focused.
Very important - Say no! Don't allow others to divert you from your objectives and always check your schedule before committing yourself to anything new.
Create supportive systems, such as an information management, filing, and communication system.

Will your current activity have a positive outcome or are you doing it just to avoid something else? Take a reality check. Ask yourself - "will doing this take me towards my goal?
If you can delegate a project or activity, often it's tempting to just do it yourself because you think you can do it faster and better. But consider the long-term - delegating an activity now will save you time in the future.

Balance your life! Just as you formally schedule work activities, schedule personal activities too! You can make more time for family, friends, fun, and your health. Having a balanced life is said to reduce stress and increase energy levels. Just goes to show that time management isn't just about work management - it's about life management!

At the end of your day, prepare for tomorrow. Prioritize your tasks and make notes about what needs to be done tomorrow. You'll worry less that evening and in the morning, you'll be prepared, focus, and ready to start your day.

Here's a final thought for you. Never say that you don't have enough time to do things. You have exactly the same number of hours in each day that were given to some of the biggest and brightest individuals - from Einstein to Mother Theresa. If they can accomplish great things, so can you!

 

For more ways to better manage your time and workload you can Contact Priority Management.

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Time Management |Goal setting

The basics of setting a goal is an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful businessmen (and businesswomen), and all types of achievers from all different fields and professions. The basics of setting goals give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set focus on the acquisition of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals. Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.

The basics of goal setting involves deciding what you really want to do with your personal life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to break down your goals into smaller and more manageable targets that you must complete along your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have created your list waste no time in working towards achieving your goals.
A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will always be in the position of moving towards your long term goals. Every day will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.

Here are some pointers that should be taken into consideration in setting goals and achieving them:

Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you, your mind, or your environment is holding you back towards completion of even your simplest goals. Is there anything that is being a hindrance or putting your plans into disarray? If you do have problems in these areas, then you need to address these problems immediately. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions, changing the people you hang around with, or changing your environment so that they are all conducive to obtaining your desired goals.

Careers are made by good time management practice and working towards established goals. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. Careers require a lot from an individual which often makes the career the life of the individual. Plan how far you want to go into your career and maintain goals to help you reach the level of success you wish to achieve.
Education is paramount in achieving your goals. If your goals require you to have a certain kind of degree, or require a certain specialization, or demand a certain skill to be developed, make plans for receiving the appropriate education.

Also, your family should never be left out of your plans. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent or when you want to be a parent if you aren’t one already. You also have to know if you really would be a good parent and how well you could relate to extended family members.
Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. Make it a specific number, not an estimate or a range of numbers. You must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.

Physically gifted individuals may be able to achieve sports related goals like being in the National Basketball association or National Football League. Determining your physical capabilities should be one of your priorities. Physical limitations could however be conquered with proper planning and goal setting.

As the saying goes -'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure should be included into your plans. You will drive yourself into the dirt if you just work, work, work and do nothing else. Rest and relaxation is a requirement and time should be set aside weekly to refresh your mind and give it a break.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily. This gives you long term, mid-range and short term goals to aim for.

Use a planner and schedule your time for the entire week every Sunday. Sunday is a day off for me but I take the 30 to 60 minutes it takes to plan out my entire upcoming week. That way on Monday morning I can get right to work! First, list your projects or tasks that need to be completed, and then prioritize them according to importance. What will make the most impact on your life or business? These would be the top priorities, and so on down to the lowest priority. Next, you will schedule out your week on the planner pages. As you go through the week, make sure that each day, you complete your priority tasks FIRST before moving on to another task. You will see great improvements in the amount of meaningful work you get done throughout the week and how far you get working towards your ultimate goals.

For more ideas on how to set and achieve goal contact Priority Management.

 

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Time Management | Controlling the clock

 

Here are steps that can be taken to improve your productivity. Below are 6 time management tips that will increase your productivity two or threefold. One major factor in time management is self-discipline and one's ability to enforce it. A time management plan must be adhered to, and the initiative must be taken to accomplish given tasks.

Time Management Tips

1. Be wary of multi-tasking.

Contrary to popular belief, a number studies have shown that multi-tasking may actually have detrimental effect on a worker’s output. If a person is concentrating on multi-tasking and if he is suddenly asked to attend to something else, it takes him almost twenty minutes to regain his rhythm and get back to his original task which he had left unfinished, thereby losing precious twenty minutes in the process. The general misconception is that if a person attends to varieties of tasks at a time, efficiency improves and takes care of monotony aspect too. Whatever be the belief, the truth remains that human brain is not designed to attune itself to multifarious tasks simultaneously. The concentration level suffers by trying to navigate between various works, on account of lack of coordination between mental and physical performances, and this may reflect on the output adversely.
2. Plan ahead.

This comes back to Time Management. People simply must plan when they have a lot to do. Plans such as to-do lists have to be put in place. Avoiding procrastination and sticking to a list will help keep things on track and moving forward. A person does need to understand a need for flexibility at times as well. Other ways to plan well are confirming appointments, prioritizing, and effective delegation.

3. Uncomplicated schedule making.

While easy, it is vital for people to devise schedules that suit their individual biorhythms. For some, careful study is ideally done early in the day, so these individuals should avoid planning this type of work for evening hours. Invest the time to evaluate what suits your individual talents and tastes, and devise a schedule accordingly.
4. Parcel out your time in 50 to 100 minute increments dedicated to specific tasks. Make sure to schedule in 10 to 20 minute breaks between work times. Schedule tasks that require lots of focus for times when you won't be interrupted. When working on one task do not let yourself be distracted by anything else you have to do.

4. Become a master of the 8-20 rule.

Also known as the Pareto Principle, this rule means that roughly 20% of anything you do will generate roughly 80% of your achieved results. The main idea is that a lot of things in our lives, like efforts and rewards, are not distributed evenly. Some of them contribute less or more than some other things. What one must bear in mind is that it might actually be a fact that roughly 80% of a bridge built was built in just 20% of the time, but it still needs the entire bridge in order to work properly. This observation requires a person to keep in mind the potential for putting too much effort into too little return on that investment.

5. Break tasks and activities up into smaller tasks.

It is much easier to take the time to analyze any job and spate out the work that needs to be done than to try taking it all on at once.

6. Make meetings work for you.

Try to only attend a few key meetings. When you do attend a meeting, make sure it does not last longer than an hour. If a meeting is extending beyond one hour, you can excuse yourself and leave, but try to do it in a non-offensive way. There is nothing worse than a meeting that wanders off the set agenda so try to remind people to stick to the prepared discussion items.

 

Priority Management can show you how to implement Time and workload management strategies using a variety of tool, such as Pen and paper, Outlook, Lotus Notes, GroupWise and your blackberry.

 

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Project Management |Gantt charts and Pert Diagrams

 

Project management is about the ability to deliver, staff and plan.  These are the three key factors that repeatedly bother a project manager. Delivery plans are very much determined by the commencing and the deadlines assigned for the project as well as other tasks within the assignment. Budgeting determine appropriate finance allocation and expenditure for each task undertaken and time spent. The expenditure budget is always imperative for an assignment and the organization must check on how both relate. PERT and Gantt charts assist the Assignment Director plan for tasks and as well can help communicate to the customers on the project location. The Assignment Director must subdivide tasks into parts prior to any analytical planning, in regard, contribution from customers regarding to ending dates and time span is important. Though not the answer to all problems, there are a variety of tools which can assist the Project Director to plan a project.

 

PERT DIAGRAMS

PERT is an acronym for Project Evaluation and Review Technique, it was developed by the military in the 1950s for the scheduling of events. There are nodes that are labelled on a diagram and each one represents a task in the project. This method is commonly used in aerospace and R&D projects for which timelines are not certain for a specific event. PERT has borrowed features from the Critical Path Method, CPM is used to schedule activities, and an arrow labels the activity from each box in the diagram. The project manager is thus able to control the time taken by each activity in a project. Most PERT systems are hybrids since they contain the best elements of both the PERT and CPM. A PERT diagram closely resembles a flowchart and to the untrained eye, one simply sees many boxes connected by arrows.

The linear format or bar chart will be used generally in scheduling at the task level. One among them is the Gantt chart. The time-phased requirements will be plotted against the task, personnel and total project for use. The PERT/CPM hybrids will be highly related to the Gantt chart. But the use of Gantt chart is easier as they show the critical paths and milestones clearly to the team on the first sight.

 

GANTT CHARTS

Understanding what a Gantt chart does is critical to using it. Microsoft Project,, for example, has a Gantt chart generator. If you understand the elements of your project and when it is that you have to get them done, you can use this generator to plot how the project has to occur, and when the milestones have to happen, and build your chart that way. You can use Excel to create this type of chart by using the stacked bar chart type feature, but with all the other software on the market, it isn't the easiest way to do it. For any software you use, you will need to know exactly what your activities are for the project, and which activities hinge on others getting done. You will basically set up a timeline for the most critical events and backfill until everything occurs in the order in which you need it to for the project to get finished on time.
In spite of the best laid plans, frequently project overruns occur. At that time whatever scheduling tools are used must be adjusted. It takes human intelligence to make it all work, no matter how sophisticated the software.
Even with the help of charts it is really up to the Project Manager to understand the flow of work for the project. The best software is only as good as the mind that uses it.  Priority management can help with both how to best utilse your software and how to plan your project from the ground up.

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Time Management | Tips to Help You Achieve Your Goals

Time Management is something most people find difficult to do well. You often hear people say that time is like money or that time is money and the reason for this is that you can save time, spend time or waste time the same as you can do with money.

But the truth of the matter is that time is not like money at all. The saying that you can save time might be true in some ways, but you cannot take time to the bank and save it for a rainy day. Once it is gone, it is gone forever never to return. So if you think about it carefully time is definitely more precious than money.

From this perspective it is certainly sensible to use your time wisely and to spend some of it in learning techniques that will help you to make the best possible use of the time that you have.
This is of prime importance if you are running your own business,  as there are just so many different tasks that require your attention and an enormous amount of distractions to take your mind off your priorities. This is a definite time waster.

These are the three main concepts that you should focus on that can have a very significant effect on your time management:

1. Mission statements and setting of goals.
A mission statement will help to clarify for you the vision and values that you have for your business and is your main reason for wanting to be in a business in the first place. It will be your constant reminder or your WHY. In other words what you want to achieve from your business.
Once you know what your reason is, and why it is what it is, you will then find it quite simple to set the necessary goals to achieve your desires. Make each goal a milestone and set clear time lines for when you would like to reach each one. Review your goals daily as this will help to keep you focused on what you intend achieving.

2. To do lists:
A to do list like a set of goals will help you focus on your aims and works as a memory jogger so that the important tasks are not forgotten. It also helps you to prioritize the tasks in order of importance. Each completed task gets crossed off the list and you then move on to the next one. Do them in order of importance. By doing the most important ones first you will then have time to focus on what you do enjoy the most.
At the end of each day review your to do list and set up your list for the next day. Any tasks not completed must be carried forward to the next day. Divide your tasks in to groups such as (a) important and urgent (b) important but not urgent etc. Any tasks that are neither important nor urgent are usually not necessary so decide whether it is a task and not just a distraction. If it is a distraction, then drop it altogether.

3. Delegation:
Not everyone can do every task well. By trying to do it all yourself you will end up just wasting time. Rather focus on the things that you do well and delegate the other tasks. Delegation is imperative if you wish to effectively leverage your time and is an essential part of time-management.

By developing good time-management habits you will be more effective in your internet based business and will make money much faster and will achieve the goals you have set for yourself.  Priority Management can help you to manage your time better and to be more productive and effective.

 

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Project Management | How organisational structure effects project management.

 

Project Management effectiveness can be effected by a range of things, on of these is the organizational structure of the business. A myriad of new organizational structures have appeared on the scene in the last couple of decades but they still lack many of the desirable qualities in the traditional methods. Ultimately, project management directors seek organizational methods that facilitate teamwork, can maximize the use of limited resources, efficiency and quality in the way a project is completed and how goals and objectives are achieved. This article will examine the three main traditional organizational structures for project management.

 

These three structures are functional organization, project organization and matrix organization.

Functional Organization

This structure is by far the oldest of the organizational methods but remains one of the most successful. This method performs best when used for routine work functions and the upholding of quality and work standards. Functional Organization structures assign projects in two different ways. One way involves the project being assigned to a specific functional manager who then coordinates with the other departments for them to each contribute. Alternatively, projects can be shuffled around to different departments where each department manager ensures that their parts of the work have been completed.
This method does not work very effectively when used in facilitating complex projects. One of the major criticisms of this organizational structure is the lack of built-in employee recognition, measurement and reward for project performance. Similarly, there is very little individual accountability for any project management tasks that need to be performed.

Project Organization

Project Organization is a structure that is specifically designed for executing projects. It is specifically tailored to meet the demands of complex projects by isolating unique work and maintaining a strong focus on completing the project. Once the project is completed, this structure disbands. This structure is effective in maintaining dedicated resources throughout the life of the project.
The major criticism of this structure is that it is inefficient in transferring technology and the use of resources. Also, by the time the members actually begin acting as a cohesive team, the project is over and the organization dissolves. Since this project has dedicated resources throughout its life, major inefficiency ensues when there are underutilized employees during certain parts of the project.

Matrix Organization

Matrix Organization is a project management structure that evolved from the recognition of inherent flaws in the Functional Organization and Project Organization structures. Created in the 1970s, this structure combined the best components of these two structures. This model functions very well when there are multiple projects being coordinated at once. The functional managers oversee the staffing, training, job assignment and evaluation of the project's personnel. The functional specialists are assigned one or more projects and oversee that these individualized projects' achieve their objectives are completed through maximum resource efficiency.
Despite its recognition and avoidance of the flaws involved in other structure, Matrix Organization still does have some problems of its own. Individual employees report to at least two managers which can often lead to ambiguity and conflict. These problems can be avoided through good communication and solid leadership between managers.

Unfortunately most of us do not have the luxury of being able to choose the type of structure in which we work.  This means that we need to understand the structure that we have and how best to work within it.

 

Priority Management can help you to be become a more proficient Project Manager.

 

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Project Management | Using Work Breakdown Structures to Speed Up Project Plan Creation

 

One common barrier to using project management techniques is the time it takes to create the project plan. By using Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) templates, you can dramatically reduce the time it takes to create the project plan and improve the quality of the projects.

What is a WBS Template?
A WBS template is the generic section of a total project plan that includes all tasks in a specific area only, for example the tasks related to holding an employee training session. It is generic enough that it can be used as a starting point for any project that includes that area of tasks. It may be a simple list of tasks (sometimes called a checklist) or a linked set of tasks that clearly defines the dependency relationship between the tasks.
What are the Benefits of Using WBS Templates?

• Helps ensure that the same tasks are done each time a project involves that particular area. This gives the organization a consistent approach, helping to make sure things don't fall through the cracks.
• Subject matter experts do not waste valuable time going over the same set of common tasks for each project; they invest their time once, and the organization gets a payoff on that investment in each project. The experts need only to customize the template of common tasks to the situation faced in each project.
• Project teams can create project plans faster because they don't have to spend time identifying and organizing common tasks; they can focus on the tasks required just for this project and on getting better estimates of cost and duration.
• One can use the template approach at an individual, department or organizational level via a Project Management Office.

How is a WBS Template Created?
The first step is to focus on an area of tasks that is usually required in many of your projects -- it may be training, communication to clients, project management tasks, etc. Gather the experts in that area and explain that by investing some time up front, they will create a generic template that can be re-used and will save them from having to brainstorm the same tasks for each project. If you have previous project plans that cover the area of focus, use those, as a valuable input to the process.
Have everyone brainstorm a list of tasks and then organize the tasks into groupings of related tasks. Sequence the tasks within each grouping to help identify missing tasks. If useful, link the tasks to indicate dependency relationships. When looking at the area of focus, remember to include all of the potential sub-groups of tasks or activity options that relate to this area. It is better to have more options than leave one out. When documenting the tasks, use generic language that will relate to all projects. Capture the template of tasks in a variety of electronic formats -- word processor format, spreadsheet format and project management software format. Have the experts review the whole template once it has been input and make any necessary revisions.

How should a WBS Template be Used?

The WBS template is a starting point for the project team for the particular area of tasks. The team reviews the tasks in the template and removes those tasks or groups of tasks that do not apply to this project. Missing tasks specific to the project are then added. Each task can then be given an accurate duration and cost estimate. Task linkages are then reviewed or added. Finally, the tasks in this template are linked with tasks in other parts of the plan (which may have come from other templates). This work can be done electronically in software or the tasks can be printed out and each task cut out and arranged manually.

How can WBS Templates be Shared?
When one group creates a WBS template, they should share it with others so that the benefits are realized quickly. It is easiest to post the template file in a read-only format to a shared drive that all project teams can access. The group should appoint a "keeper" who is responsible for controlling all changes to the template. In an organization with a PMO, this role is usually taken on by the PMO. The organization should also track who has used each template in order to get feedback on the usefulness of the information and get suggestions for improvement. Set up a regular schedule (ie. semi-annually) for updating the template with suggestions from project teams that have used the template. Make sure that the location and guidelines for template usage are communicated to all project managers and project teams so that awareness is built.

Real Benefits from the WBS Template Approach

Using a WBS template approach can provide measurable benefits to your organization. A leading financial services organization created a template for launching new products. Prior to the template development, product introductions caused much stress in the organization and there were many "last minute" items that were required. Since the firm started using the template approach, product launches have gone much smoother, and it has allowed the organization to be more competitive by being able to launch more products each year than before the template was created.
If you are looking for a way to speed up the development of project plans and increase the quality of the plans, consider how you can use WBS templates to help achieve your goals.

 

Priority Management can assist you with all of your Project management Training requirements.

 

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