February 9, 2009 - "PRIDE"-PM INTRODUCTION

"PRIDE"-PM - PROJECT MANAGEMENT - INTRODUCTION (SPECIAL)

This is Part XXVIII in our series on the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. In this edition we describe the underlying concepts and philosophies of "PRIDE"-Project Management (PM).

The full text for this section can be obtained by clicking: HERE.

NEXT UP: "PRIDE"-PM - Project Planning.

If you would like to discuss this with me in more depth, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.

Keep the faith!

OUR BRYCE'S LAW OF THE WEEK therefore is...

"Manage from the bottom-up, not just from the top-down; this creates personal commitment and accountability."

eBOOK: THE BRYCE IS RIGHT

Folks, be sure to check out our eBook on management entitled, "The Bryce is Right! Empowering Managers in today's Corporate Culture." This is a frank and candid description of the state of the art in management and includes essays on the problems in management today, along with some pragmatic advice on how to deal with them. Basically, this is a condensed course in management. As such, it is suited for managers, either those aspiring to become a manager or for those who need a refresher course. It will also be of interest to young people entering the work force, and is excellent for college curriculums.

The price is just $20 plus tax.

We have also produced a one-day training program of the same name. For more information on both the eBook and course, please visit our web site at:

phmainstreet.com/mba

While there, look for our MS PowerPoint presentation describing both the book and the training program.

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS"

Not long ago I was asked by a young man about what he should be thinking about as he started his career in the business world. We talked about a lot of things, but more than anything I emphasized the need to network with his professional contemporaries. I recommended he join some industry groups, attend conferences, and basically start to interact with different people in his industry. But I tend to believe young people shy away from such personal interaction and instead prefer the anonymity of the various social networking facilities on the Internet, like Facebook, MySpace, and others. Most young people are familiar with these facilities from High School and College and use them to send messages, flirt, spread humor, rumors and spam, and harass people. You need not accurately identify yourself with such facilities, which means you can cause a great deal of trouble for others if you are so inclined.

There are also several social networking tools for professionals, such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, PerfectBusiness, ZoomInfo, and many others. They may not have the same robust facilities as found in Facebook and MySpace, nor the popularity, but they tend to attract the more serious minded person interested in their career and profession. People tend to more clearly identify themselves as well and, as such, there is less shenanigans associated with them. Nonetheless, anyone can register as a user and create false identities if they want to and abuse the system. Thanks to the cloak of anonymity as provided by the Internet, clods tend to disrupt the harmony of such Internet groups, thereby diminishing their usefulness. As an aside, I find it interesting that people will say things on the Internet they would never dare say to you face-to-face, which is why I no longer engage anyone on the Internet who doesn't properly identify themselves. No, I don't want to hear from anyone with a bogus handle for a name, particularly those based on some medieval nonsense. Like I said, clods.

These Internet services may be nice for sending messages and disseminating news, or for bringing people of common interests together, but they are certainly not a substitute for eye contact, a handshake, and the spoken word; they are most definitely not a substitute for personal interaction. As I have mentioned for quite some time, due to our heightened emphasis on technology I believe we are seeing a decline in the socialization skills of our young people. Instead of meeting and interacting with others, they are more inclined to hide behind a keyboard which I consider rather unfortunate. It's difficult, if not impossible, to get to know someone's interests, ethics, integrity, knowledge, and personal background by computer. To this end, I discussed with my young friend such things as how to properly do an introduction, how to make light conversation, how to develop contacts, how to dress for industry functions, even table manners and how to socially drink at such functions. Basically, I encouraged him to brush up on his people skills, not his computer skills.

Such is my Pet Peeve of the Week.

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

"BRYCE'S PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK"

Folks, a couple of years ago I started to include my "Pet Peeve of the Week" in these "Management Visions" podcasts. They have become so popular that I now syndicate them through the Internet and they are available for republication in other media. To this end, I have created a separate web page for my writings which you can find at phmainstreet.com Look for the section, "The Bryce is Right!" Hope you enjoy them.

Also, if you happen to be in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, be sure to stop by and check out our new Palm Harbor Business OASIS, a new business venue offering local business people a place to meet, work, network, and relax. Why pay a lot for leasing office space when you can become a member of the OASIS for as little as $100/month? For more information, visit our web site at: http://www.phboasis.com/

AND FINALLY...

I received the following e-mail regarding my Pet Peeve on "Our Sense of Humor":

A J.S. of Skidway Lake, Michigan wrote...

"I agree. Comedy has deteriorated and often tears and bites at public figures and even God. The language is crude, disrespectful and even blasphemous. I have a good sense of humor, but some "comedy" just isn't funny. There are some comedians whose speech is so loaded with expletives that it's nearly all beeps on TV and too annoying to watch. When I do see an act that actually nothing objectional, I'm amazed...and amused. I like Jeff Dunham and his puppets, although I wouldn't recommend it for kids. Bob Hope was funny and the whole family could watch him and not be shocked."

I received the following e-mail regarding my Pet Peeve on "Guilty until proven Innocent":

An L.T. in Fall River, Massachusetts wrote...

"People who have a bit of power in their positions allow that power to rule them far too often. I have seen families pulled apart and ruined because a young social worker saw a chance to make a name for herself using the system and false accusations to guide them."

Again, thanks for your comments. For these and other comments, please visit my "Bryce is Right!" web site.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

MBA is an international management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management. We offer training, consulting, and writing services in the areas of Enterprise Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Base Engineering, Project Management, Methodologies and Repositories. For information, call us at 727/786-4567.

Our corporate web page is at:

http://phmainstreet.com/mba/

Management Visions is a presentation of M. Bryce & Associates, a division of M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. The program is produced on a weekly basis and updated on Sundays. It is available in versions for RealPlayer, Microsoft Media Player, and MP3 suitable for Podcasting. See our web site for details. You'll find our broadcast listed in several Podcast and Internet Search engines, as well as Apples' iTunes.

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Copyright © 2009 by M&JB Investment Company of Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. All rights reserved. "PRIDE" is the registered trademark of M&JB Investment Company.

This is Tim Bryce reporting.

Since 1971: "Software for the finest computer - the Mind."

END