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

This month's download is our Project Change Request template. This template can be used to request and track the changes that have been requested for your project. The template includes check boxes for the most common reasons for project changes. Thus, the project manager can capture the rationale for changes, track trends and better understand the environmental issues that are serving as the catalyst for project changes.

A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age by Daniel H. Pink

Since it's inception, Mindavation has professed that leadership and project management are "left and right brained" exercises. In this book, Daniel Pink discusses the trends in business that indicate a shift away from the biases towards "left brained" dominant employees to those whose strength is the utilization of both hemispheres of the brain - thus the "Whole New Mind" title. Arguing that purely left brained activities are the ones most subject to outsourcing in today's business, companies and employees that are poised to thrive and grow in today's competitive environment are those that provide both utility and outstanding design.

Pink discusses six "senses" that need to be honed as part of engaging a whole minded approach to business. Each of these senses - design, story, sympathy, empathy, play and meaning - are discussed in depth, followed by an excellent resource section where there are references to online evaluations, websites and trends that indicate where each of these senses is being employed (and growing) in today's world. This book can provide valuable insights for leaders, demonstrating the value of a whole brained approach to the working world. The assessment references are relevant and can steer the way to improvement; the stories and trends presented in the book are valuable to understand, and there are many valuable nuggets that can be employed immediately. (Do you know how to spot when someone is engaging in a "fake smile" versus a legitimate "from the heart" smile?)

June 8-9, 2006 Colorado Springs, Colorado "Critical Judgment"

June 19-21, 2006 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania "Complex IT Project Management"

July 20-21, 2006 Denver, Colorado "Managing Integration 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 Bob McGannon, PMP

In past articles, canine knowledge has provided us with insights to project management as a whole and helped us navigate the world of business analysis. We will now take a look at how our faithful friends can teach us about project sponsorship. Effective sponsorship is critical to the success of a project - and certain characteristics show up consistently with good project sponsors.

Dogs constantly demonstrate their priorities, care for what is important to them, and always find time for the things that matter. Sounds like a good sponsor, doesn’t it? So, once again, through extensive empirical research, interactive testing and a number of years of direct observation, compiled below are the “best of the best” techniques for project sponsorship I have learned from my dog. Open your mind, reflect on the dogs you have encountered and see if you can learn from these canine traits as well.

Mindavation offers 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 2000 (and Adobe). Modify each template to suit YOUR business and project needs.

Price (including shipping & handling): $100