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Articles by John Reiling

• CPA CPE: How to Survive Continuing Professional Education
  Let's face it. Continuing Professional Education is work. And it is required to stay current and to raise your skill level.
  Published 09Oct2009, viewed 82 times

• PMP Exam Prep Strategy: Learn By Distinction
  There are lots of strategies for preparing for exams, and PMP exam prep is not exception. However, more often than not, the strategy stressed is to learn prepare for the PMP exam by looking at the subject from different angles.
  Published 17Sep2009, viewed 108 times

• Now You're a PMP! What Next?
  Congratulations! You have earned your PMP certification and reached a career milestone. While it is an accomplishment worth celebrating, after a short time, the question becomes "What's next?"
  Published 31Aug2009, viewed 270 times

• The Ups and Downs of Strategies for Earning PDUs
  Many of us PMPs struggle with just how to earn our required 60 PMP PDUs (Professional Development Units) every 3 years. I will not repeat the strategies for personal PDU management as listed in prior articles by me - see Earning PDUs and Maintaining PMP PgMP Status Is Easy and 6 Things to Consider in Your PDU Planning - and others, but I will talk a bit about aligning your current career strategy with your PMP PDU strategy.
  Published 31Aug2009, viewed 141 times

• Project Management Training: So Many Options!
  Project management training comes in many types, sizes, and flavors. Project Management is very popular topic at the organizational as well as professional level today, and thus project management training has become ubiquitous to support both the organizations and individual professionals. Choosing the right project management training among the plethora of options has thus become a challenge - and project - unto itself!
  Published 31Aug2009, viewed 350 times

• Project Management Training Courses: So Many Options!
  Project management training courses come in many sizes, types, and flavors. As Project Management is very popular topic among professionals today, there are many PM training courses out there to help Project Managers advance their skills and careers.
  Published 23Jun2009, viewed 350 times

• Project Management Courses: So Many Options!
  Project Management Courses exist in my sizes, types, and flavors. As Project Management is very popular topic among professionals today, much project management training is available to help Project Managers to improve their skills and advance their careers.
  Published 23Jun2009, viewed 225 times

• Project Management Training Course Opportunities Abound
  Project Management is broad and popular among professionals today, and it is not hard to find an appropriate Project Management Training Course to help build your project management skills and advance your career. This article outlines some key considerations for finding the best project management training course and how to get the most out of it personally and professionally.
  Published 08Jun2009, viewed 150 times

• 3 Important Financial Concepts for Project and Program Managers
  Projects and programs result when a decision has been made to spend the money. More often than not, expenditures are based upon the desire to earn a good rate of return on the investment. This article talks about 3 important concepts and approaches for evaluating projects from a financial standpoint.
  Published 16May2009, viewed 208 times

• Project Managers and PMPs - It's Time to Play!
  Today's world is full of pressure, and this is no less true for Project Managers than professionals in any other area. There is always a serious problem, a fire to put out, schedule pressure, constraints, stakeholder challenges, and more that can keep us in a pretty serious state. One of the best anecdotes for this pressures is free! We need to laugh and play!
  Published 16Apr2009, viewed 163 times

• Effectively Selling Feature, Function and Benefit To Project Stakeholders
  As project managers, we often "inherit" projects once they have already been sold to and accepted by stakeholders. A sales force in a consulting organization, for example, typically sells a project that is later assigned to a project manager. A similar situation exists within organizations, where a project has been "sold" to upper management and other stakeholders.
  Published 24Feb2009, viewed 278 times

• Certification Crazy?! Check the 'Other Side of the Coin'
  Undoubtedly there are some frustrations and challenges with certifications today, as there are processes, procedures, and rules to consider. However, I think that is only 'one side of the coin'. Yes, you have to work hard to get certified, and you need to make the effort to remain certified. You also need to five careful consideration and identify which certification(s) make the most sense for your career.
  Published 16Feb2009, viewed 308 times

• Project Management as Related to Task Management
  Project managers manage..projects! Or, do they? Actually, I put forth that, at the end of the day, all project managers do is manage tasks. In fact, in a final analysis, all any manager does ultimately is manage tasks. This premise is based on the idea that, again in the final analysis, all that matters is action, and action comes in the form of performing tasks.
  Published 17Jan2009, viewed 314 times

• Redefining Oneself in Turbulent Times: Whitewater Or Ocean Liner?
  As times change, professionals need to adapt. This is relatively easy for some, but very difficult for others. So the challenge for all is to determine the most appropriate strategies for dealing with turbulent times. One framework for consideration is to think in terms of the "whitewater" approach versus "ocean liner" approach, as these can provide good analogies for work environments today.
  Published 13Jan2009, viewed 215 times

• Barack Obama's Impact On the Project Management World
  With the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States and his coming inauguration in January, many are predicting his impact in specific areas. While his priorities are shifting, and will probably continue to in the face of current critical needs, there are likely to be some continuing themes that remain consistent throughout his time in office, and they can provide some guidance as to what to expect.
  Published 06Jan2009, viewed 246 times

• 6 Levels of Understanding: Evaluating Readiness to Take the PMP or CAPM Exam
  When preparing for the the PMP or CAPM exam, or any certification exam for that matter, the top challenge that everyone faces is evaluating personal readiness to take the exam. How does one assess readiness? This article discusses a cognitive framework for evaluating readiness to take the PMP, CAPM, or any other certification exam.
  Published 04Jan2009, viewed 387 times

• Putting the Short Term and Long Term in Perspective
  In these lean times, cutbacks, scarcity of funding, and the need to streamline are symptoms of a tough environment. However, many of these management practices should really be occurring in both good times and bad. In portfolio management, especially, it is important to manage a healthy balance between short term and long term considerations.
  Published 28Dec2008, viewed 177 times

• 10 Goals for Advanced Project Management Training
  Often professional project managers find that when they go for a certification, such as the PMP certification, they are surprised at how much they learn in the process. While experience is very valuable, especially in feeling more than comfortable with the basics, there is always a great deal of improvement available to studying a structured and comprehensive approach.
  Published 24Dec2008, viewed 343 times

• Environmental Consciousness For Project And Program Managers
  For many years, the debate over global warming and environmental consciousness has raged. This debate has become deeply embedded into the political consciousness, in most places around the world. This debate will surely continue for a long time to come, and it will be a long time before any claims are proven to be indisputably accurate.
  Published 20Dec2008, viewed 181 times

• 4 Ways for Project Managers to Build Stronger People Skills
  It has been said many times that people skills are the most important to career success. However, we do see a great emphasis on "tools", whether it is in project management frameworks, or MBA programs, or Six Sigma, or any other approaches. How can a project or program manager hone these skills, as they are so important to continued career success?
  Published 17Dec2008, viewed 148 times

• Surpassing Customer Expectations Without Gold-Plating
  If one were to undergo project management studies, they will initially tell you that you must avoid gold-plating. Overall, it is not of the company's best interests.
  Published 16Dec2008, viewed 191 times

• Start a Project and Find Inspiration From Within
  Starting a project entails quite a few dilemmas. One either lacks the idea or has an idea but has no clue on how to get it started. In professional situations, more often than not the professional project manager is simply handed a project. In any case, having a good level of conviction about the project is a key enabler at the outset of a successful project.
  Published 06Dec2008, viewed 213 times

• Leverage Upper Management Perspective To Survive Tough Times
  In times of crisis, such as the current worldwide recession , the role that project or program managers perform is critical. The dramatic changes in the economic situation has led to quite a few people losing jobs as companies cut costs or restructure their organization. Many projects and programs have been canceled due to severe crisis. How can project and program managers cope with this crisis?
  Published 30Nov2008, viewed 248 times

• 7 Tips Toward a More Effective Virtual Team
  Virtual teams, software program outsourcing, and projectization are fast becoming quite common in organizations. With new advancements in technology, these have enabled companies to broaden opportunities and create more possibilities for some people to work remotely. At the same time, these offer special challenges for both project managers and members of these virtual team.
  Published 29Nov2008, viewed 222 times

• ITIL and Project Management: Where's the Fit?
  It is always good for professionals to combine the right sets of expertise. For someone involved with IT infrastructure projects, ITIL is a great complementary certification. What I find is that often the specialty knowledge drives the PRODUCT of efforts, but the project management skills drives the PROJECT that produces the PRODUCT. On solid technical teams, that second mindset is often missing.
  Published 19Nov2008, viewed 178 times

• Documenting Your Project Management Experience for the PMP Application
  One of the challenges in becoming a PMP is successfully filling out the application! The most time consuming part is documenting have the minimum experience required at professional project management experience leading and directing project tasks: -3 years/36 months/4,500 hours with bachelor's degree -5 years/60 months/7,500 hours without bachelor's degree The challenge is digging up and organizing the information for the PMI.
  Published 07Nov2008, viewed 270 times

• Making a Plan to Pass the PMP Exam
  Passing the PMP exam is challenging, but several hundred thousand people have done it! What is the secret? One of the keys is to put into practice the discipline, practices, tools, and frameworks that are the subject of the exam by building a plan, and sticking to it! This article discusses some keys for building an effective project plan to pass the PMP exam.
  Published 27Oct2008, viewed 587 times

• Lean versus Six Sigma: What's the Difference? What's the Controversy?
  Many professionals ask "What is Lean?", some ask "What is Six Sigma?", and of course still others ask "What is Lean Six Sigma?" As it turns out, these approaches address similar problem sets but attack them differently. Here is a look at what they are, the difference, the similarities, and the synergies.
  Published 09Oct2008, viewed 328 times

• How to Satisfy 35 Hours of Project Management Training for the PMP
  Project Managers who aspire to take the PMP exam need to have 35 hours of documented training in the area of project management. However, many believe they must take specialized and expensive courses, and some are not aware that some of the training and education they already have may qualify. Others think they need to acquire a single 35 hour certificate. Here is a survey of the ways PMP aspirants can satisfy that requirement.
  Published 07Oct2008, viewed 1880 times

• Earning PDUs Is A Breeze
  Many Project Management Professionals (PMPs) find it challenging to earn the 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) required every 3 years. This does not have to be so daunting as many think! It is actually quite easy and can fit into the regular routine as well as professional and personal goals that most professionals have. Here are some ideas on how PMPs can easily gain the required 60 PDUs in the natural course of business.
  Published 19Sep2008, viewed 1720 times

• Portfolio Management and Six Sigma Projects
  Six Sigma projects are derived from organizational strategy, in the same way that organizational strategy drives the selection of all projects and programs in an organization's Portfolio. So, how do the business drivers that are at work result in some projects being Six Sigma projects, and others not?
  Published 13Sep2008, viewed 665 times

• Which is Better: PMP or MBA?
  I have seen many posts out in the forums and blogs wondering whether it is better to go for a PMP or MBA. I think there is great value in both, but I think they serve 2 different purposes. Having earned both a PMP and an MBA, I have some definite thoughts on this, but of course in the end it is a personal decision.
  Published 06Sep2008, viewed 605 times

• Projectization and Project Management Essentials for Non-Project Managers
  Professional Project Management is becoming more pervasive. Like "electrification", when electricity was becoming pervasive, "projectization" is becoming pervasive throughout the workforce and organizations. Most people will not be professional project managers, but rather will be team members, support personnel, subject matter experts, department managers, and C-level executives.
  Published 17Aug2008, viewed 271 times

• Project Management Intersects With Business Analysis
  Business Analyst skills are important to have on the project team, and not a bad thing for a Project Manager to have! In either case, the business analysis function is one that needs to be managed with care and the wisdom of experience. This entails putting the business analysis function into perspective.
  Published 08Aug2008, viewed 247 times

• Distinguishing Portfolio Management, Program Management, and Project Management
  There is often a misunderstanding, and hence a mixed and overlapping use of terms, when it comes to program management. Sometimes a program is called a project. Sometimes a project is called a program. In addition, sometimes project portfolio and program are mistakenly used interchangeably. This article is intended to clarify the main differences and to distinguish the unique aspects of project portfolios, programs, and projects.
  Published 24Jul2008, viewed 423 times

• 2 Keys to Reduce Project Risk in the Requirements Process
  Gathering and managing requirements are important challenges in project management. Most projects succeed or fail based upon the quality of the project requirements. The Project Manager needs to assess and understand the uniqueness of the requirements gathering process for his/her individual project.
  Published 18Jul2008, viewed 304 times

• Driving Project Success with Effective Project Integration Management
  Project Management involves discipline in making sure that "all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed'. A product focus - or focus on the WHAT - helps drive priorities, and Project Integration Management helps drive the HOW. This article explores the keys to driving the required results, and also how to effectively manage the project management process using the Project Integration Management framework.
  Published 12Jul2008, viewed 1327 times

• How to Projectize People and Adopt a Project Culture
  Many organizations are "projectizing" and developing a strong and effective project management infrastructure. Changing the culture to be aligned to formal project management involves aligning people, one by one, by empowering them with formalized project management knowledge. To accomplish this, organizations can do well to develop a granular approach to empowering their people through this projectization process.
  Published 04Jul2008, viewed 1267 times

• Use Organization Strategy to Drive Project Portfolio Management
  Business or organizational strategy is intended to drive all decisions within an organization. It provides a direction, a rallying point, and a litmus test for decisions at all levels. The best organizations make sure their initiatives are in alignment with their strategic plan, so becoming familiar with the strategic plan is invaluable to project, program, and project portfolio managers.
  Published 03Jul2008, viewed 568 times

• PMP Mentors: Indispensible Help for PMP Certification Prep
  There are many methods for preparing for the Project Manage Professional (PMP) Exam. In all cases, it is very helpful for candidates to have a PMP Mentor, or someone who is PMP certified and can assist on a moment's notice with nagging problems. A mentor can provide a higher level of comfort and assurance that a candidate is on the right path to passing the PMP certification exam.
  Published 27Jun2008, viewed 706 times

• 8 Top Places for Project Managers to Network
  As professionals, project managers know it is important to network. It helps to keep up with the profession, to be aware of developments and new opportunities, and to find chances for career growth. It can also be very helpful to solve project management problems that other colleagues have already encountered. In this era of social networking, here are some top project management networks.
  Published 26Jun2008, viewed 878 times

• Project Portfolio Management: Close the Loop!
  Project Portfolio Management lies between strategy formulation and implementation of the actual projects. The challenge in implementing projects and measuring results is that there can be disconnects at the transitions among these phases, and the most important thing is to develop a project portfolio management feedback loop.
  Published 24Jun2008, viewed 862 times

• What Professionals Want from Online Project Management Training
  PMP exam prep training is available from many sources, but many candidates are seeking online, web-based PMP prep training for its cost and convenience benefits. However, online training can mean different things to different people, including: web-based classroom training, reviewing visual material online, collaborating with other students, interacting with training, downloading printable material, and much more.
  Published 17Jun2008, viewed 762 times

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