Each month Mindavation will offer a template from our Project Templates CD free of charge. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

The Communication Plan template is HUGE - but don't let the size overwhelm you. It's a compilation of several communications plans from large programs and complex projects. Take the pieces of the template that are most useful to you considering your project scope and stakeholder mix.

Blink by Malcolm Galdwell

Although this book was a bestseller in 2005 after a re- read, you may find that its applications are even more popular today than ever before. Blink delves deeply into the theory of what the author calls "thin slices," the power of using just a little knowledge, coming from intuitive thought process to make decisions quickly and more accurately, rather than heaps of data. Project management requires multiple decisions, some which need to be made very quickly and without lots of data, to keep our projects moving along within the limitations of our triple constraints. That is the reason we recommend reading, or re-reading, this book; concentrating on how its applications directly can affect the outcome of our project success!

Galdwell compares the intuitive decisions we make in both our personal lives as well our professional lives against the decisions we make after gathering data and performing analysis, sometimes to point at which we find ourselves in "analysis paralysis". His findings indicate that overwhelmingly more often than not, our intuition can and does help us to make to best decisions quickly and on target.

This notion can and does help us to be more effective, efficient and successful project managers. When working on projects we often only have a very "thin slice" of information and a huge "gut feel" relative to decisions, issues, risks, and solutions that need resolution. It is amazing how many times our intuitive processes take over and we end up reaching the goals without even realizing why.

How many times as project managers do we spend an inordinate amount of time gathering data, when intuitively we know the right thing to do? Check out the book with your project management hat on and will gain some valuable insights on how to handle those "thin slices" of information when faced with decisions!

July 19-20 Denver, Colorado "Critical Judgment"

September 12-14 Denver, Colorado "Complex Project Management"

September 20-21 Richmond, Virginia "Recovering Troubled Projects"

Looking for a class to attend? Would you like to meet us face to face? If we are in your area, feel free to contact us to schedule a meeting.

By Denise DeCarlo, PMP

In honour (yes - we'll be using the Queen's English for this article) of the new Canberra office Mindavation recently opened in Australia - we thought we'd discuss the similarities between those oh-so-cute kangaroos and project management. So...let's hop to it!

1) Have weapons, but rarely if ever use them.
Kangaroos are typically docile animals. However, if provoked or attacked, they can be deadly by using long sharp claws on their hind legs to wound their attacker. As a general rule project managers are also very effective and we also are docile. Over reacting to typical day-to-day "fires" is usually not favourable and certainly doesn't help the team remain focused and content. However, if your project is being "attacked" by a key stakeholder - it's our obligation to defend the project and our project activities. General rule of thumb - be docile - but defend your project with passion.

Mindavation offers more than 30 customizable project templates and tools to make your life easier! The CD includes full project lifecycle templates and tools.

Documents are in MS Word, MS Excel, MS Project 2003 (and Adobe). Modify each template to suit YOUR business and project needs.

Price (including shipping & handling): USD$100

Jayne Gnadt conducted an all day workshop for the PMI® ISSIG annual PDS conference June 2, 2007 in Scottsdale, AZ. Jayne's workshop, entitled "Intelligent Disobedience: The Difference between Good and GREAT Project Managers," examined the ability to successfully counter the directions of management. Imagine that! This requires the project manager to challenge, pushback, and make suggestions to management that defend the integrity of your projects against the expectations of your key stakeholders. This highly interactive, workshop allowed participants to experience how Intelligent Disobedience is pivotal to true success as a project manager.

Jayne engaged the group emphasizing the need for courage, solid presentation skills, political awareness, and a sense of humor! The workshop was deemed a true success and the feedback was so positive that Jayne was asked participate as one of a four member panel discussion later in the week at the conference.

Please contact us via the web or at 866-888-MIND (6463) if your organization is interested in a keynote presentation from a Mindavator.