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Words of Wisdom
Useful insights I have read or found over the years.
by Deming
- Inadequate project manager authority.
- Lack of project team participation in planning.
- Lack of project team participation in problem solving.
- Improper structuring and use of status and progress reports.
- Use of superficial status and progress reports.
- Inadequate project manager human skills.
- Inadequate project manager technical skills.
- Inadequate project manager administrative skills.
- Unrealistic project schedules.
- Unclear project goals.
by Woolfolk
Defining and clarifying the Problem
1. Identify central issues or problems.
2. Compare similarities and differences.
3. Determine which information is relevant.
4. Formulate appropriate questions.
Judging Information Related to the Problem
5. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment.
6. Check consistency.
7. Identify unstated assumptions.
8. Recognize stereotypes and cliches.
9. Recognize bias, emotional factors, propaganda, and semantic slanting.
10. Recognize different value systems and ideologies.
Solving Problems/Drawing Conclusions
11. Recognize the adequacy of data.
12. Predict probable consequences.
I don't recall where I read this but I had cut it and saved it off.
"Have patience, maintain a balance between the drive to achieve results and how those results were achieved. Ensure that our actions are consistent with our purpose. Give staff a few simple things: a sense of mission, an intellectual challenge and time. Time to contemplate, time to innovate, time to make the inevitable mistakes and recover without penalty or recrimination, and time to deliver as good a finished product as possible. Tell them why, don't tell them how, they will tell you when. When a manager appreciates his/her employees, actually listens to their ideas and encourages collaboration, they will want to stay. Retaining good employees is the key to productivity and profitability."
