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Following the news, there are three segments in today's episode: Harry Fisher (author of Microsoft Visual Basic.Net) recounts his experience and success in implementing a workflow tool. We'll take a Tour de Project Management Methodologies and I give you my review of The Vision Thing Podcast [Update: The web page is no longer available so we removed the link.].

Project Management in the News

- Project Management Methodology soon to be released
- Swedish Railway Administration, Banverket, Selects IFS Applications
- NASCIO Releases Findings From State IT Project Management Survey
- CSIRO tames project management risks
- Survey: States need tighter project management practices
- Time and project management course for Maltapost staff [Update: The web page is no longer available so we removed the link]
- AADO convenes, discusses IT project management

Episode Transcript

Below are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:10):

[inaudible] you are listening to the project management podcast. We bring project management topics to beginners and experts. Find us on the web at pmpodcast.blogspot.com or send your emails to pm This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Hello, and welcome to show number 11. I am Cornelius Fichtner. Now this is the project management podcast for the 12th of November, 2005. And today we are going to be looking at an overview of project management methodologies to start out. The show is every week, here are a few announcements and just things I want to get off my chest. First of all, reader feedback. Many of you have been writing to me over the past few weeks and making suggestions to part towards possible topics that I could talk about here. Theory of constraints, critical chain, how to balance several large projects simultaneously. You name it. I can promise you that I am going to try and get all of your requests into the show into time, but please remember that project management is a very vast field and there is a lot that I can cover here and that a lot that I want to cover.

Cornelius Fichtner (01:31):

So I will not be able to get to your subject within the next one to two weeks. Give me some time. And I'm sure that we are going to cover here. The topic that interests you. I also wanted to mention again, that this is not a PMP exam preparation podcast. If you are listening to this podcast and you are currently studying for the PMP exam, and you're trying to pass the PMP exam, please don't listen to this show and hope to learn something that will help you to pass. You see, in order to pass the exam, I really suggest that you attend a PMP preparation seminar that is offered by either your local PMI chapter or by one of the many, many professional or for profit. Shall we say training organizations out there? There are also quite a few excellent online training courses and self study books that you can use, but this podcast, however, is definitely not the way to go.

Cornelius Fichtner (02:41):

It's not going to help you and not going to give you any support in passing the PMP exam. Some of you have also been writing to me and ask whether or not listening to the project management podcast is a qualifying activity to gain professional development units, stats PDUs. And if you are a PMP, you know that every three years you have to gain 60 PDUs in order to maintain your certification. And of course the best way to do that is to get trained. Well, I don't know. So what I did is I got in contact with the people who should know, I wrote to the PMI and they're working on it and they're going to let me know. So keep your ears open and I will be able to hopefully tell you in a few weeks, whether or not listening to this show here will be helping you with gaining your PDUs.

Cornelius Fichtner (03:43):

And while we are talking about the PMI here is announcement and announcement from them. And the announcement is the fact that the registration for the PMI global Congress, 2006 in Asia, Pacific is now open. And they write that the project management institutes global congresses are created with the goal of providing project managers and team members with the highest quality learning experience needed to stay ahead of the project management pro fashion. And this Congress, uh, the PMI global Congress, 2006 Asia Pacific will take place from the 27th of February to the first March, 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. And of course, Bangkok, Thailand that brings back that good old song from Murray had Oriental sitting in the city. Now the city is the creme de LA creme of the chess world and a show with everything. All right? And before we move on to the news, here is a word from our sponsor. This episode of the project management podcast is sponsored by project load. Project load is a web based project management and time tracking tool, project load, lets teams maintain and forecast their own tasks helps project managers track their projects, gives PMOs one place to you, all projects and provides executives, valuable insight into exactly where their organization is spending their time. You can find project load at projectload.com.

Cornelius Fichtner (05:38):

I once again have several very interesting news items for you here this week. The first one is from November 8th. It comes to us from Sweden and it's titled the Swedish railway administration bank. Vericut selects ifs applications. They write bank Vericut industrial division, which supplies, railway systems and related services in Sweden and other parts of Europe we'll implement the ifs applications. The business software will enable bank of America, industrial division to streamline management of a range of internal and external processes. I am now not mentioning this because I like this ifs application. I don't even know it, but I'm mainly mentioning this because of what they say, why they are implementing this particular application or a particular application. They say since 2001, the market we operate in has been fully open to competition. So efficiency is crucial to the development and survival of our operations. And that's a Ingamar fried shallots who set that he is a project management manager at the bank.

Cornelius Fichtner (06:59):

Vericut industrial division. He says the implementation of ifs applications is part of a major change program. The solution will give us the tools we need to streamline our processes. For example, it will be easier to plan and control our complex entrepreneurial projects. And he continues our core business consists of complex entrepreneurial projects, but we also weld rails and manufacturer signaling equipment and technical cabin in a traditional industrial environment. To me, this means that the Swedish railway administration realizes the important part that project management plays in an ever changing and extremely competitive marketplace. They are embracing project management and pardon the pun are moving full steam ahead with it.

Cornelius Fichtner (08:00):

Our next news item is along the same lines as the one that you have just heard. It is from Thursday, November the 10th. And it comes to us from multi-car, which is an Island just South of Sicily in the Mediterranean. It is titled time and project management course for multiple hosts staff. And you can read that the human resources department of the multiple most recently organized a short training course in time and project manager, project management for its senior staff and the project management module provided the participants with the awareness of appropriate tools and techniques for planning, organizing, scheduling, and controlling of projects. And of course also the critical people management skills for achieving a project result. And they write here that a total of 32 line middle and senior management staff attended to this training course, which was held at the multiple post training center.

Cornelius Fichtner (09:07):

Okay. Big deal. You might say. So 32 people from multi-hour went to a project management seminar. Well think again, these were not 32 project managers. These were 32 line, middle and senior managers. And if you go back in a about two weeks ago in my show, then I had an announcement or a news item from Russ Archibald. He was at the seminar that they had in Moscow, and he had predictions for the year 2010. And what he said then is that project management will merge into the general management practice. And project management will become a required competency for executives. And this is exactly what's happening, or what's starting to show here in this news item, executives, managers taking project management seriously and actually getting trained on it.

Cornelius Fichtner (10:13):

Our next item is a survey that has just recently been released. This is from the November 9th, 2005, and it's titled NASCIO releases findings from state it project management survey. And NASCIO is the national association of state chief information officers, I assume by national, they mean U S a national of course. And this survey is the result of 34 state project management offices that had participated in this self-assessment, which happened between August and September of 2005. And throughout the report, as you can read, you will find that there are several core themes, which emerge as recommendations for success in initiatives, in it initiatives on a state level. And they are a, that there is a value in adopting an enterprise approach towards it investment. So take a look at your whole enterprise when you do 80 investments. They also say that given the complexity of implementing it projects both within and across state agencies clarifying the governance structure during the initiation phase of the project is, is essential.

Above are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks. A human-generated transcript is available to Premium subscribers starting with episode 136.

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This show is sponsored by:

In today's show you will get to hear: Listener Feedback. Apple podcast tip. Project Management News. An interview with Diane Altwies from Outercore Inc. on project management training. And finally my cookbook on how to deliver advanced training to PMP® credential holders in your area.

Project Management in the News

- New Jersey Excellence in Technology Awards
- Dallas PMI Chapter Adds 444 New PMPs In September
- BLM project uncovers secrets of ghost town [Update: The web page is no longer available so we removed the link]
- A view into Google's inner workings

Episode Transcript

Below are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks.

Speaker 1 (00:10): [inaudible]

Cornelius Fichtner (00:11):

You are listening to the project management podcast. We bring project management topics to beginners and experts. Find us on the web at pmpodcast.blogspot.com. All send your emails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cornelius Fichtner (00:30):

Hello, and welcome to show number 10. I am Cornelius Fichtner. Now this is the Project Management Podcast for the 5th of November, 2005. And today you are going to get some training, but before we move on to the main section of the show as usual few announcements and things that I want to get off my chest, and we start out with a word from our sponsor. This episode of the project management podcast is sponsored by project load. Project load is a web based project management and time tracking tool, project load lets teams maintain and forecast their own tasks helps project managers track their projects, gives PMOs one place to view all projects and provides executives, valuable insight into exactly where their organization is spending their time. You can find project This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Now the announcements that I have today are first about the sound quality. Those of you who have listened to show number nine and show number nine and a half in particular, you may have noticed that the sound quality wasn't really up to what it was or what it used to be.

Cornelius Fichtner (01:42):

Well, I tried a new microphone and I wasn't really all too happy with it. So I went back to my old microphone here and I hope to upgrade to a better microphone sometime down the road. Then I'll also notice that because I put out two shows so quickly after each other, that some of you may have missed show nine. So here's a little trick. I know that most of you are using iTunes to download the show. So go to iTunes, open up iTunes and select edit preferences. And then a dialogue window will open. And there you click on the podcast tab. And in the podcast tab, you have various selections that you can do. And there is one selection that says when new episodes are available and there you select download all in that way. When you set it that way, it will automatically download all the latest episodes of every show that you subscribe to.

Cornelius Fichtner (02:40):

It's quite handy. If you are like me, I subscribed to various science shows and they sometimes put out two, three, four on the same day and it'll download all four or five of them fully, automatically. Don't have to do anything on to your feedback. And man, there was a lot of feedback that I got from you this week. And let me start out with an it trainer. Well, this is a training show today. So this is from Christian J Mark Lee. He's an it trainer and he writes, hello, Cornelius. I have just begun project management practices at my company about three to four months ago. My plan is to create a PMO in the next two years. I've enjoyed your podcast as it helps me better understand the PM field. I would like to know if you might want, if you might have plans to discuss how a PM can balance several large scale projects going on simultaneously.

Cornelius Fichtner (03:38):

Good idea. Good idea. I will definitely go into that topic sometime down the road. I've been a implementation project manager and I've had to do exactly that. And I'll give you a few best practices on how I did that. It's difficult, but it's doable. The next one I got is from Harry Fisher. And this is an interesting one. Harry writes, I really enjoy your podcast. Thanks for contributing to the PM community. Here it comes last week, the ASQ quality progress magazine accepted an article, which he attached as well. And I was wondering if you might like me to record a short summary of this article. I read through the article I find, well, this is a good one. And I wrote back to Harry telling him, yep. Why don't you send over a sound file and we'll put it up right here on the show. Absolutely no problem right there.

Cornelius Fichtner (04:35):

Then when you go to my blog, that's pmpodcast.blogspot.com. You will be able to read the comment which Anne Babiak left and you left that in response to the PMO show. And it's a very long one, but, uh, the essence of this all is that the number one takeaway that they have had in terms of templates, they used was the, uh, meeting notes to document the meeting notes of the project management meetings. Because when there were problems, the committee that was mitigating these problems, they could go back and they could review these meeting notes. And thus the project managers were usually vindicated. And because these meeting notes help them to well cover their asses more or less, we put it, bluntly people in the future then began to actually use more and more of the templates that they provided for their PMO. So thank you N Babiak for this comment.

Cornelius Fichtner (05:45):

Very nice. I appreciate that. And folks, you can read the whole thing up on the website. Another one I got is from, uh, [inaudible] actually [inaudible] last name and he writes, I like your informal way of communicating about the PM topics. Sometimes this is taken way too seriously. I agree. I'd like to, I try to put a little bit of humor into what I do and, and I enjoy this one very much. I communicated the project management part cost to the Latin America project managers in HP, Hewlett Packard. Well, perfect. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Your helping me to get the word out here. I got, uh, I got one more here. This one is from Jeff Schmidt and he tells me that he's been listening to the project management podcast while he works out in the morning. So he works out both his body and his mind.

Cornelius Fichtner (06:45):

Your shows are a good way to get up to speed on the news in the world of project management and here, pardon me. And here are some real world application of the skills needed to be a good project manager and he wrote to us from Austin, Texas. Well, thank you, Jeff. I appreciate it very much as feedback from you here. Very nice. All right. Those of you who don't use a podcatcher software like iTunes or Doppler or one of the automatic downloaders, I'd just like to remind you that there is a new show notification that you can subscribe to just go to my blog and you will see on the left hand side, the little announcement that says never miss a show, just click on that subscribe. And I will send you a quick email. Once a new show is up and you will not miss a show, you will however, miss a show on Saturday, the November 26.

Cornelius Fichtner (07:45):

Actually everybody will miss that particular show because this is the Thanksgiving weekend here in the United States. For those of you outside of the U S this is the number one holiday here, and me and my wife, we will be traveling to Arizona, to our family and friends, actually friends in Phoenix, family in Tucson. And I will not be producing a show that week. So no show on Saturday, November 26th. All right. And, uh, there was a lot that was happening this week in the news. And here we go with our next segment, I got five items for you. Five, six, five, or six. Here we go with the news.

Cornelius Fichtner (08:36):

The first news item is called a view into Google's inner workings. And this comes to us from the October 25th vortex, 2005, where Douglas Merrill, who is the senior director of information technology at spoke and a quick overview of this one here. He told them that for Google information is enlightenment and not power. And the entire corporation is compelled to give information freely and learn from each other. That's a different approach. In most companies, information is kept tightly and close to your chest. I want to give it away. Um, also they talk about the innovative innovation strategy that they have at Google and the way they do that is they keep their employees challenged and they move them around from project to project. As an employee at Google, you only spend about 12 to 18 months in one area, and then you get moved around. Of course, that causes a lot of well movement and a lot of loss of information, but they do have a, what they call a Google project database at the center of the soul and note that they call it a reporting system and not a project tracking tool. That's also interesting and very, very different thing here is that everybody from engineering to sales, to sales, to folks who sweep the floors can read this Google project database and create commentary on anything within the database. So if you work at Google, you have access to their information database and you can input your ideas. Very interesting concept right here at Google.

Above are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks. A human-generated transcript is available to Premium subscribers starting with episode 136.

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The international project management day on November 3, 2005, is intended to encourage project based organizations worldwide or organizations who utilize project management methodologies to schedule some type of recognition event within their organizations or coordinated locally with others to truly demonstrate appreciation for the achievements of project managers and their teams.

Visit The International Project Management Day website.

Here is what you can do to support the day...
Individually:
Thank your project manager or teams by phone, email, card, or in person
Take a project manager to lunch
Ask how a project is going and show interest in results
Wear a t-shirt that reads "Kiss Me - I'm a Project Manager"

Organizationally:
Recognize the PMO for their contributions to the organization
Set up a scheme for project manager coaching and mentoring
Communicate and celebrate project successes
Sponsor a project management “coffee break”
Reach out to project managers in emerging positions such as those in the role of project manager in SAFe agile and bring them together into a community of practice
Share some news from social media for project managers that they would find relevant (what about something from our social media channels?)

Locally:
Attend a project management association meeting
Schedule a recognition event for project managers
Publish an article in a local newspaper or newsletter

Internationally:
Attend a special webinar hosted by The International Institute for Learning
Join a project management association
Observe and learn about international projects that impact your community or quality of life

Episode Transcript

Below are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks.

Speaker 1 (00:10): [inaudible] you are listening to the project management podcast.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:14):

We bring project management topics to beginners and experts. Find us on the web at pmpodcast.blogspot.com or send your emails to pmpodcast@gmailcom.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:28):

Hello, and welcome to the nine and a half show. I am Cornelius Fichtner. This is the project management podcast for the 1st of November, 2005. And all I want to do today is talk about the international project management day. Now you may say why an international project management day. No, let's change the question around. Let's ask why project management to start with what good does project management really do in companies? Most of my listeners here are going to be project managers. So I probably am not going to have to tell you what good project management does for your companies. You are aware of it. I mean, you know, that project management gives you repeatable processes, that it makes it measurable, that you will be able to learn. You will be come as a company, more mature as you move along the line because of project management. But what about management?

Cornelius Fichtner (01:37):

What about other people out there? Well, there are in fact studies out there that indicate that project management does in fact add significant value. An example for this is the study, which was conducted by the center for business practices, which is the, the research branch for PM Solutions incorporated. And this particular study States that out of more than a hundred senior level project management practitioners, which they asked 94 of the respondents indicated that project management did in fact add value to their organization in areas such as financial measures, customer measure, and process measures. So people at the senior level up there realize or begin to realize at least that project management has value, but there are also still many skeptics out there who think that project management is just something anyone can do. It's plain luck, it's smoke mirrors, fancy charts, Gantt charts, and everything that we project managers do.

Cornelius Fichtner (02:56):

And it's not really anything that lends value to the business. Well, we know that's not true, but many people out there still believe it. So therefore the dream from Frank P Solartis grew, Frank is the president of the PMI New York chapter. And here's what he says. The dream as conceived by the PMI 35 years ago has not yet been achieved until project management becomes accepted as a strategic necessity and perceived, and is perceived as the ultimate method to promote collaboration, improve productivity and increase efficiency. The work is not done and there is nothing more fun than doing that work. So that's what Frank said. It's actually a quote made by bill Gates, which he modified for project management. That's what he said. And based on that, he created the international project management day. He dreamed that up. Now the goal of the international project management day.

Cornelius Fichtner (04:10):

And of course there is a website it's called international PM day.org. It's one word international PM, day.org. And the goal behind it is the worldwide recognition of the many project managers and project teams in every industry, including nonprofit organizations and healthcare who contributes their time, energy, creativity, innovation, and plus hours to deliver products, services, facility, and provide emergency and disaster recovery services in every city and community around the world. The international project management day is intended to encourage project based organizations, worldwide or organization. We'll utilize project management methodologies to schedule some type of recognition event within their organizations to, or coordinate locally with others to truly demonstrate appreciation for the achievements of project managers and their teams. So there you go. That's the goal of it all. So in other words, do something, give some visibility to project management in your company, in your team, in your PMO yeah.

Cornelius Fichtner (05:29):

In your local practice national organization, but there is more of that they, right, because there is also a purpose. What they want to do is also to integrate crease the awareness of the value of project management within the large businesses, government, small business and social communities, and promote project management as a true profession and key business strategy. And to me, those two lost are really well key, promote them as a true profession. And as a key business strategy, project management today is not really recognized as a true profession. And it needs to be project management in some businesses is recognized as a key business strategy in some it isn't. And it really should because if you have a dream as a CEO of a company, how do you turn that dream into reality? Well, you call over a project manager and you say, here, this is my dream. Do this, implement the following. And the project management will go off and do it. So a highly important well profession that is needed. And of course this includes,

Cornelius Fichtner (06:52):

But the whole purpose includes all the industries out there. Construction information, technology, entertainment, government, aeronautics, healthcare, ecology, you name it, social disaster, recovery, community improvement, quality of life projects, you name it. Now what they did This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. is they organized various worldwide events. And one big thing is a webinar that they're going to have hold three times on the 3rd of November. Oh, by the way, did I mention

Cornelius Fichtner (07:36):

Until now? I don't think so. So

Cornelius Fichtner (07:39):

Let me state this, the international project management day is on the 3rd of November. Okay.

Cornelius Fichtner (07:47):

So

Cornelius Fichtner (07:50):

Should've probably mentioned that at the very opening when it is so 3rd of November, and that's when the international project management days happening. And that is also the day when they're going to have these various events around the world, we're going to get to that. And they're also having a, a webinar, which they're going to have three times during that day to accommodate all of us around the globe. So we can visit this webinar. It's going to be opened by a keynote speaker, and then there are going to be various presentations. And the whole thing is approximately 90 minutes in duration. And believe it or not, you're even going to get PDU for watching that. I will be putting a link up on my blog. And by the time you hear this, it's already up there. So go to my blog PM, podcast.blogspot.com, and you'll be able to just simply click and it'll take you right to this free webinar that you can watch and gain a couple of people use.

Cornelius Fichtner (08:50):

I think it's about one and a half or two PDUs for attending this particular webinar online. Now the participants, there are quite a few big names here. Uh, all pm.com is sponsoring this. I L Institute for learning incorporated is the international. Pardon me Institute for learning incorporated is, uh, also by a participant it's a sponsoring organization and the IRL is actually hosting the webinar. Then there is the PM forum where you can get lots and lots of good news about project management. And then there are various chapters, PMI, mosques, golf course sued Yugoslavia, Delaware, New York city, the PMI itself, the IPMA the international project management association is also joining in and a company. I do not know MTC integration is also a participant in this all now, what do they do? Well, here we go. The PMI Delaware Valley chapter is presenting a project management tools conference. On that particular day. MTC integration corporation is going to be sponsoring a reception for local project managers who live and work in the Frederick Maryland area. So you may want to get in touch with them. If you want to get involved with that particular event, the PMI Moscow chapter, they will be doing the project management is jazz reception, and I bet you they're going to have a live jazz band right there. And the PMI false'hood is going to do the [inaudible].

Cornelius Fichtner (10:42):

And it's going to be on the Theme of Lazarus, young days, excisions, which is if my French 'suffit la gestion des exigences'. So if you're in France, if you are in France sued, um, you may want to be joining in on that particular event. All right, what can you do? Well, if this is something that interests you, if you want to help promote the importance of project management, well, it's probably a little bit late, but there is still something that you can do. Let's start on the big picture here. Let's start international internationally. You can attend that very particular webinar that I just mentioned, or you can personally join a project management organization, easy you can observe and learn about international projects that impact your community or quality of life. I mean, so far on the web, look what there is. What kind of project management events are available, what project kind of project management is happening in your neighborhood in internationally, locally?

Above are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks. A human-generated transcript is available to Premium subscribers starting with episode 136.

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As always, I get a few things off my chest before the main section of the show. Today, we continue my "Dear Diary" and you can hear what went wrong on my projects this week. That's followed by Chuck Tomasi, who gives us more insights of a junior project manager. Then we discuss several useful and not so useful project management techniques. Furthermore, I humbly apologize to the PMO SIG, the Project Management Office Specific Interest Group, whom I completely forgot to mention during the last show before I finally review the Project Execution Cycle of Cygnet Infotech Pvt. Ltd.

Today's show links:

Project Management in the News

- Application Lifecycle Management - A Technology Evaluation and Comparison Report
- China’s Project Management Rules Have Foreigners Fuming
- Making IT Development Visible to Higher Business Management is Another Benefit of New Generation Application Lifecycle Management
- International Project Management Day To Be Observed Around The World
- Linn Wheeling Departs PMI For Applied Systems Client Network

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Good: [Links have been removed per request of Cygnet Infotech Pvt. Ltd]

Episode Transcript

Below are the first few pages of a computer-generated transcript with all its computer-generated quirks.

Speaker 1 (00:00:10): [inaudible]

Cornelius Fichtner (00:00:10):

You are listening to the project management podcast. We bring project management topics to beginners and experts. Find us on the web at pmpodcast.blogspot.com or send your emails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Hello, and welcome to the ninth show. I am Cornelius Fichtner. This is the project management podcast for the 29th of October, 2005. And today we have a nice mix of subjects for you at the center of today's show are a few project management techniques. Some are for you and some are for fun, and it's going to be your job figuring out which ones are for real, but we feel we do that. Uh, here are a few items that I'd like to get off my chest. First of all, a quick Gmail reminder, and the last show I offered to you that if you want a Gmail account, just drop me a mail and I will be more than happy to send you an invitation and I'm extending this.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:01:14):

So if you want an email, let me know, and I will invite you to email, uh, as long as my supplies last with these invitations that I have from Gmail themselves, then a quick followup on the very last thing that I said in the show. Number eight last week, if you listen to the show to the very end, you will notice that at the end, I put in a little bit of wisdom, the last golden nugget of the show, so to speak. And last week I said that you should never forget to communicate with your stakeholders. Well, as so happens this week, I have found that this is very true on another project. In my company, the project manager there let communication with the stakeholders, slide on his project, and then he sent out an email to them and, uh, you have to do communication, right?

Cornelius Fichtner (00:02:16):

He sent out this email with the subject line in all upper capitals. So big, big letters, and it read immediate response required. Well, that was not the right thing to do. The customer was very unhappy about that, especially because this email was sent to senior vice presidents. So, um, I have to amend my golden nugget there and it should now say something along the lines of, and don't forget to not stop communicating with your stakeholders. And when you communicate with your stakeholders, do it right. Then I also want know a little bit more about you. I am planning to put up a little survey within the next two to three weeks, and I would be delighted if you would take that survey, it's going to be a really short one maximum of 10 questions, a point and click so that I know who you are, where you live, and you will also have an opportunity there to tell me what you're interested in and what kind of subjects you would like to see on my show.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:03:32):

So look out for that. That's coming. And if you've been to my website lately, you will have noticed that there are Google ads on the left hand side of the website. And then occasionally I click on them just to see what kind of companies actually advertise on my site, so to speak. And I came across the website of expert rating, project management certification, actually the company's called expert writing, and they were pointing towards their project management certification page. Here's what they say because a certified project manager give you a career and job prospects. It's a boost, the expert, the project, no, the expert rating project management courses are well-researched 250 page online course that has been developed for people who would like to boss the science of project management. And they also say that it has been designed so that it's easily on the stood both by beginners, uh, by beginners and people new to projects.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:04:36):

So I looked at this for a little while thinking, Oh, this looks nice. And, um, as I moved on, I realized, okay, you know, this certification costs $99 and 99 cents. And it's an online certification. It's an online course. And frankly, I don't think that's a good deal because if you are new to project management, if you are a beginner, you don't want to sit at home at your computer and just read a few words on pages on a website. If you are new, you want to be able to ask questions. You need to be able to sit in a classroom with a teacher who goes through the basics of project management. So here's my a suggestion to you. If you are new to project management, if you're a beginner and you have $99 and 99 cents that you want to spend, I would spend it on an, on, not on online training, but on an in class project management, maybe try to find a community college in your area, but don't do something like this online certificate.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:05:46):

And just to make it clear, I'm not putting down the folks here at expert rating. I'm just saying that if you're new to project management, if you're a beginner, you don't want to do this online. You definitely want to do this in a classroom. That's my opinion here. All right, then I have a three quick project management Institute, PMI related items. If you are a PMP and your certification cycle ends this year on the 31st of December, then you have to make sure that you report your PDU by year end. So go online and report European news. Make sure that you don't let your certification lapse here. The PMI also announced that it is racing towards its 250,000 member. Wow, early this year, we didn't even have 200,000 member. And now we're already heading towards 250,000. That's just great. The PMI is also making the following announcement, the PMI educational foundation, 2006 student paper of the year award call for entries. And this is for graduate or undergraduate students who are also project managers. And the call is for them to hand in their papers for the 2006 student paper of the year award. And this one recognizes research and creative efforts directed to advance the concepts, tools, and techniques of managing project oriented tasks. All right, these were the items that I wanted to get off my chest this week. And now let's move forward with the news.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:07:52):

We'll continue with the PMI here with the first news item, just a quick one. It's from Thursday, October 27th, and it's titled Lynn Wheeling, departs PMI for applied systems, client network, Lynn wheeling. She's the a component and community relations department manager of the PMI. Uh, she joined the PMI in 2000 and has left them to become the executive director of applied systems, client network, A S C net, which is the user group for applied systems, agency management technology. I met Lynn for the first time at the 2005 leadership seminar until mom Toronto a month ago or so, uh, really liked her and absolutely sorry to see her go.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:08:45):

Second news item is from October 19th, 2005, and it's titled making it development visible to hire a business. Management is another benefit of new generation application life cycle management. That's a long one. This is all about a report that has come out and that's from research and markets research and marcus.com. And they have announced the addition of application lifecycle management, a report to their offerings. And this is a technology evaluation and comparison report. Let's see what they say. This report looks at the reasons why application development projects often go so badly wrong. That's a good thing. And why so many efforts to correct predictable problems also fail. One of the most important reasons is that there is an enormous gap between the developers who work on application projects and the managers who set the goals of the projects, regardless of how good the technology may be. That is being used.

Cornelius Fichtner (00:09:56):

If these two groups doing all talk to each other, Oh, wait, that's supposed to be the job with the project manager. Isn't it? Hmm. Okay. So if these groups do not talk to each other, the project is at risk of failure and most project managers. Oh, here we go. Most project managers seem to be at a loss, how to deal with this problem. Oh, okay. Best practices designed to manage the above issue along with other related problems along the whole application development life cycle are provided throughout this report. Well, sounds like an interesting report, right? Yup. Probably is. However, you're going to have to be willing to pay 1,495 euros for this one.

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