March 9, 2009 - "PRIDE"-PM PROJECT REPORTING

"PRIDE"-PM - PROJECT REPORTING (SPECIAL)

This is Part XXXII in our series on the "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM. In this edition we describe Project Reporting as defined by "PRIDE"-Project Management (PM).

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

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

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...

"Without an effective way to record and verify the use of time, all other project management activities are useless."

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

MY "PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK" IS "OUR RIGHT TO FAIL"

As a youngster, one of the things I learned early on was that winning and losing was a natural part of any game I played, be it baseball, football, hockey, Monopoly, cards, you name it. Somebody wins, somebody loses. Nobody likes to lose, but as I have written in the past, there is nothing to be ashamed of if you have tried your best, but still failed. In fact, I have more respect for the person who valiantly tried and lost, as opposed to the person who won by cutthroat tactics.

The point is, failure is a natural part of life and an inherent property of evolution (see Charles Darwin). It is a strong message telling us that what we are doing is not working, and we can either learn from it and change or ignore it and perish. It's nice to have a safety net, but where would we be if nobody took a risk? Without failure, life stagnates. We cannot make progress if we are not allowed to fail. Entrepreneurs, adventurers, and other Type A personalities understand in any venture there is a certain element of risk, whereby they will either reap the rewards of success, or taste the agony of defeat. They weigh the risks carefully, then work overtime to assure success, but they clearly understand there is no such thing as a guarantee for success.

There are people today who want to eliminate our right to fail, that nobody should experience the pain or embarrassment of defeat. This is why I have a problem with the bailout plans our government has devised for the banks, automotive industry, and other financial institutions. I contend the bailouts will only be a temporary fix, and the companies will not make the severe and necessary changes to survive in the years ahead. Only failure will cause them to make the required changes. To my way of thinking, the government bailout plans are only delaying the inevitable.

All of the greed and corruption we allowed to creep into our business practices have finally come home to roost. Consequently, companies are no longer maintaining a competitive edge in business, and are losing money due to unscrupulous self-centered interests and just plain stupid business decisions. The companies are all sorry for the problem and promise to never allow it to happen again. Hell, an accused murderer or rapist couldn't say it any better. They all want redemption without having to worry about paying a penalty. I'm sorry, but that is not how the game is supposed to be played, but then again there are those who want to change the rules so that nobody loses. This is just plain wrong.

If you believe companies will make the necessary changes in their policies and operations, simply because the government is going to bail them out, you are taking it in the arm. Like it or not, failure is the only real catalyst to invoke true changes. Nothing is more powerful to truly change someone, than failure; ask anyone who has experienced it.

Nobody likes to take their medicine, but I'm afraid it is time to pass out the Castor Oil and tablespoons. It may sound silly and I don't expect a lot of people to jump on the bandwagon, but it's time to "Protect our right to fail!"

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 "Bicyclists, The Tour de Farce":

An M.O. of New Jersey wrote...

"Tim, I agree with you totally. Also stopping and starting to get around the Tour de Farce uses up a lot of gas. They should not be on the roadways. They have the bike trails and, if not, they should look for them and use them."

An M.B. in Clearwater, Florida wrote...

An M.B. in Clearwater, Florida wrote... "One thing you probably already know is that Florida has the highest bicycle accident fatality rate in the nation. One cause that I can see, compared to where I come from, is that we have no road shoulders here in most places. So those TdF guys are not showing much in the way of basic smarts and self-preservation instincts. One thing you may not know is that the TdF types are slowly but surely taking themselves out of the gene pool with those hard, narrow, pointy bicycle seats they use. There is a direct association between riding on those and male infertility. If you think I'm kidding, look it up! Therefore, if wanting to be a TdF guy is genetic, you may have far less of a problem with them in the future." ;-)

I received the following e-mail regarding my Pet Peeve on "Conservative Stereotypes":

A C.L. of Louisiana wrote...

"Tim, what a wonderful article to read this morning. I wish you would update and resubmit this article every month, plus post it in every political discussion board out there in cyberland. I am so tired of the finger-pointing and double standards of the liberals. I'm an independent, conservative, fairly moderate in my views. Yet I'm called a neocon (a liberals favorite slur), a religious wacko, and if I even mention the bible or religion (which I usually do not, in fact I am very private in my religious beliefs) I'm suddenly Jerry Falwell, and evangelist and a proselytizer. Oh, I almost forgot warmonger and hater of America. I am so tired of all of this. Thank you for standing up for us neocon, warmongering, little people hating, money grubbing, proselytizing, unimaginative people. You're a brave man! (Which, according to liberals here, you couldn't possibly be a conservative!)"

A C.C. of Allentown, Pennsylvania wrote...

"Thank you. Every so often, it is nice to know someone understands."

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:

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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