Project Management made easy

D. Keith Robinson has this to say:

"The first thing you should know about project management is that it doesn’t need to be complicated. Don’t be fooled by thick books or year long certification courses. The basics of project management — the important stuff — is pretty easy and mostly common sense."

And I like it :)

More at:
http://www.dkeithrobinson.com/entry/project_management_made_easy/

Does your Contact Center work this way?

Shameless "share and reapply"* time.

"Companies don’t engage emotionally with their customers—people do. If you want to create a memorable company, you have to fill your company with memorable people. How are you making sure that you’re filling your organization with the right people? And how much are you willing to pay to find out?"

So true. Your customer - especially if you operate mostly in the metaverse - has his one and only contact with you over the phone, e-mail, your Voice Portal... Either a person he can't see on the other side of the line, or a "soulless" machine. He builds his impression based on his experience there, so you need to work really, really, really, reaaaaalllly hard to make sure it's one he remembers, finds "enjoyable" and leaves him satisfied.

Enter Zappos. They probably have the best Customer Service Agent training idea ever. After a week or so of their initial Agent Traigning,it’s time for what they call “The Offer.” The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: “If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you’ve worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus.”

Commitment? I has it.

More at Harvard Business Publishing.


* Share and Reapply: Procter and Gamble speak for "Steal something which another country already did and use it in your country."

$0.00 Is the Future of Business

Wired strikes again. For all of those in the US, you can get this months edition of Wired for free. For all those not - it's on-line, as usual. However, I'd like to share this gem of a marketing idea with everyone:

"On a busy corner in São Paulo, Brazil, street vendors pitch the latest "tecnobrega" CDs, including one by a hot band called Banda Calypso. Like CDs from most street vendors, these did not come from a record label. But neither are they illicit. They came directly from the band. Calypso distributes masters of its CDs and CD liner art to street vendor networks in towns it plans to tour, with full agreement that the vendors will copy the CDs, sell them, and keep all the money. That's OK, because selling discs isn't Calypso's main source of income. The band is really in the performance business — and business is good. Traveling from town to town this way, preceded by a wave of supercheap CDs, Calypso has filled its shows and paid for a private jet."

Business 2.5. :) There's always a point in "giving" away things - in Projects, sucking up some freebies that you'd normally charge to the customer can - and usually does - result in a very happy customer, one that asks for more changes, and those you can charge at your going rate. It's about building credibility, about creating trust and about "leading the way" (Sorry, that's a rip-off of an Avaya saying ;)) to where you want to go.

Don't be afraid of doing things for free. Just know what you want to get out of them


More at [Wired].

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Spaceship Captains. Err... Project Managers.

You find good hints in the most unlikely of places.

For the record, I'm a bit of a Sci-Fi buff. No, not that kind, the good kind! HONEST! (Actually, it's worse, I like Hard Sci-fi and Military Sci-Fi, with a dash of Space Opera...)

Anyway. Embarrassing confession for the day - done. The folks over at io9 (a Gawker Media Sci-Fi themed blog) came up with a list of "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Spaceship Captains".

Right, so it's a bit tongue-in-cheek to apply this to Project Management, but hey, read them yourself. (I stripped them of the Sci-Fi comparisons, but if you're really interested, click on the link above to read the whole text):

1. Rules are made to be broken.
2. Show your crew that you're willing to take a bullet for them, and they'll do the same for you.
3. A good leader has to get laid once in a while, and she shouldn't be ashamed of it.
4. True leaders do not ever make decisions alone.
5. It's not the tools; it's what you do with them.
6. A little subversion goes a long way.
7. No matter how in control you are, always be ready for something for which you're completely unprepared.

Now... Don't take them all completely seriously - use your judgment, man! (or woman, we're not sexist here)...

I like 1, 2, 4 and 7. How about you?

[Annalee Newitz at io9]

How to start projects you'll actually finish?

More link-love! If the kind reader (I know there's one of you out there!) would click over to the blog of Scott Young, she/he/it (a.k.a. Sheit) will have the pleasure of reading a post that discusses how one really should be fully aware of what you're getting into when starting something (well, we're speaking about Projects, but let's be honest, it applies to most everything in life...). A quick snapshot of what you're going to be reading:

"Feature creep is dangerous in projects because your initial three-month endeavor quickly becomes a multi-year odyssey. Projectitis, or recklessly jumping from project to project without completing everything, is also a common disease. The best way to control these two problems is simple: know what you’re buying into before you pay for it."

Good solid advice - and don't forget what I talked about yesterday - keep in touch after you're done. It does wonders for good customer relations and your up/cross sale opportunities!

[Scott H. Young]

In Uncertain Times, Do Certain Things

Right. I'm a thief! :) No, not really - I'm going to borrow something from our corporate blog, which I think is good advice for the season:

"The events in the financial markets these last few days certainly bring to mind one metaphor – a rollercoaster – as actions by the US Federal Reserve and other global entities target the current volatility.

Still, the uncertainties of the current financial markets provide an excellent opportunity to focus on the certainties we do know.

Conditions like these frequently result in a “hunkering down effect,” and a focus shift toward cost and efficiency that can overtake the top-line aspirations of a company’s business cycle. It’s clear that there are only two routes to a better bottom line – reducing costs or improving customer satisfaction and retention. Or even better, a combination of both.

A widely accepted constant is the value of the retained customer. And these days, a positive customer experience is considered the more powerful indicator of customer retention. The confluence of the current externalities, the rise of social networks, and numerous technology innovations make it an opportune time to take the counter-strategy of "leaning into the wave." Invest in an improved customer experience, and you just might emerge with a better bottom line than ever."

Forgetting for the moment that this is meant to sell more of our Contact Centers and IPT solutions (which I live from, so BUY THEM!), it's good advice to any Project Manager out there - your job doesn't always end when the project closes down. Pay attention to your customer. Even if you're not officially assigned to them anymore, let them know every couple of months that you're still around, still care, and are still willing to help them. After all, it was you and your team who gave them something of value - you're always the one with the quickest answer to their questions. Care about them, and they'll care about you.


Source: Zack Taylor on the Avaya Corporate Blog