Systems thinking Impression of systems thinking about society[1] A system is composed of interrelated parts or components (structures) that cooperate in processes (behavior). Natural systems include biological entities, ocean currents, the climate, the solar system and ecosystems. Designed systems include airplanes, software systems, technologies and machines of all kinds, government agencies and business systems. Systems Thinking has at least some roots in the General System Theory that was advanced by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the 1940s and furthered by Ross Ashby in the 1950s. Systems thinking has been applied to problem solving, by viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific parts, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences. Systems science thinking attempts to illustrate how small catalytic events that are separated by distance and time can be the cause of significant changes in complex systems.
Effective Project Management for Web Geeks "Project Management" has always been a term more likely to elicit a groan than a smile. Nevertheless, the use of project management skills is often what distinguishes an easy, successful project from a painful and unsatisfactory one. In a world where clients and business partners increasingly want a full solution, rather than just the component pieces of design and code, having basic project management skills, at least, is quickly becoming a requirement for web professionals. In this article I’ll talk about what project management (PM) is and what it isn’t, introduce you to the basics of the project lifecycle, and provide you with an arsenal of tools that you can use to make your projects run smoother, faster, and easier, starting from today. So, what IS Project Management? The Project Management Institute’s definition of PM is: "… the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements." The Generic Project Lifecycle Figure 1. Closure
The Fifth Discipline The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (Senge 1990) is a book by Peter Senge (a senior lecturer at MIT) focusing on group problem solving using the systems thinking method in order to convert companies into learning organizations. The five disciplines represent approaches (theories and methods) for developing three core learning capabilities: fostering aspiration, developing reflective conversation, and understanding complexity.[1] The Five Disciplines[edit] The five disciplines of what the book refers to as a "learning organization" discussed in the book are: "Personal mastery is a discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively Senge describes extensively the role of what it refers to as "mental models," which he says are integral in order to "focus on the openness needed to unearth shortcomings" in perceptions. The Learning Disabilities[edit]
Project Management – What are you waiting for? | CreativeExecs This is the third of a 3-part series on Project Management: I’ve had fun pontificating about my favorite topic, Project Management. In previous blogs, I outlined how project management can change the world and talked about the squishy stuff a la morality lessons learned from my Octogenarian Mother. In this third, it’s time to speak to CHANGE MANGEMENT – possibly two of the most hated words in the English language (so I hope you’re excited about that.) In the first blog, I identified why Project Management can be an effective tool for your team (or it could be a dismal failure) The trick? It has to be embedded in your culture and process. What resonated with you as you read that post? That place between where your group is now and where you want to be is the bridge you need to cross. In the follow-up blog, I identified common sense approaches identifying some key tactics to your long-term plan: Identify the roadblocks (e.g., Time!) You now have the key tools to *manage* your change process.
How Does Your Project Portfolio Stack Up? -INNOTAS From day one, we are conditioned to compare. Whose baby has the cutest smile, who had the most hits in the Little League game, and what is your GPA and SAT scores? As we grow older the comparisons shift and the stakes increase – how am I doing vs. my peers, is my company performing well vs. my sector or industry, and how can I beat the competition? Project management professionals – PMOs, CIOs, and IT Management – must focus on how the project portfolio stacks up. 1) Over 50% of organizations say their projects and resources are not well aligned with business goals I once heard someone say a successful project that is not aligned to business goals is like a doctor saying, “The operation was successful, but the patient died.” 2) Resourcing is the #1 challenge for most organizations Organizations reported that resourcing is less of a challenge than in 2014, but it maintains the top challenge heading into 2015. 5) 45% are investing in a project portfolio management (PPM) solution
Everything I know about Project Management I learned from my mother… | CreativeExecs I promised in my last post to illuminate the masses how to create an effective Project Management process… not talk about my octogenarian mother. However, before we can get to that step I need you to come to terms with “the squishy stuff”—the attitudes, ideas and perceptions that could be roadblocks on the journey to a successful Project Management function. Growing up I heard these old sayings so much they make me wince even as an adult, but that’s the way it is with common sense… sometimes it hurts. And moving your studio from where it is today to where you want it to be is all about common sense in the long run (but we’ll get to that shortly.) “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Moral of the story: You know where you’re at and you know where you need your studio to be. Champion your three issues every chance you get—especially when people say they don’t have time for a new process. “If a person shows you who they are, believe them.” Boy, this one made me mad as a kid!
The Promise of Project Management | CreativeExecs If you’re to the point where you are considering building a Project Management team within your organization you are, most likely, experiencing the high-class problem of organizational growth. Typically project managers are needed when there’s too much of a good thing—sales are booming and the account people can’t handle business development and oversee project requirements; your creatives are doing what they’re supposed to be doing—creating—and they don’t have the time or skills to handle Project Management either. And, of course, operations needs someone to help them hound the studio about tracking time so you can collect all the dollars that should be flowing into your shop. This is usually the time when Project Management begins to seem like THE SOLUTION TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS. And you are right—an effective Project Management team can be key to department’s success: Clients are happier, deadlines are met, and projects come in on budget… This is a happy place!
Important Metrics for the Creative Production Process | inMotionNow In today’s competitive business environment, it’s more important now than ever before to measure and demonstrate a department’s productivity and the value it brings to the business as a whole. But the work of a creative services department can be difficult to measure. So what metrics does a creative team need to track to know if they’re running efficiently? If you’re leading a creative team, here are some metrics you may want to analyze: Time to MarketThis is the total length of time a piece of content takes to go from strategy to implementation. Whatever your project tracking methods, getting detailed records of your creative production process – particularly the review and approval process – is a smart first step if you want to assess your efficiency. Comments are closed.
Marketing Workflow Project Management Software Solutions, On-Demand – AtTask Here's a marketing story you can probably relate to. Marketing projects usually start out simple enough. Somebody upstairs has a vision and you get to make it come to life. The ball gets rolling, but the inevitable happens. One project turns into sixty and loosely defined work processes quickly snowball into pure chaos. Before you know it, simple turns into simply crazy. Everyone gets caught up in a debilitating storm of random email requests, meetings, re-prioritizing, and a lack of visibility. In the end, frustration reigns supreme. Deadlines and budgets get missed and people are left reconsidering their career paths. Is there a solution to the madness? Yes. AtTask is the on-demand solution that will bring visibility, communication, and harmony to your marketing workflow. Get the right work done. Marketing teams are constantly bombarded with new work requests and everyone thinks their request should be “top priority.” Prove your team’s value. Keep the details in one place. Get the real story.
Tips and Tools for Becoming an Integrated Project Manager – Part 2 In my first post on this topic, I gave you a little background info on my PM journey, and then gave you some homework to do before we moved along. This post is going to pick up right where we left off, so let’s start talking about schedules. In addition to a strong personality and a thick skin, an accurate status report compiled from all work currently scheduled, is a necessity to establish and keep order in what could easily become chaos without a PM. Assuming we all come from Print, when we create schedules we need to know a few basic things – 1. If you were doing an interactive project, in this example your client is a Resort and asked for eight versions of a banner ad for their latest promotion, you can use the same Print scheduling guidelines to create a timeline. The point here is that none of this should seem unfamiliar to you. Now let’s tackle a cross media project with both Print and Digital components! Comments and especially questions about this topic are most welcome!
RE: Master Services Agreement Revisions - mafong - Temple University Mail Project Manager Job Description | Paladin Staffing What is a Project Manager? Project managers are the glue that helps keep projects — and people — together. They are responsible for planning, organizing, managing and executing projects from beginning to end. The project scope can vary from single pieces of collateral to multifaceted, multichannel marketing campaigns. These professionals commonly work under the direction of brand managers or creative directors from whom they collect project information — deadlines, objectives, budgets, etc. Another critical function that project managers play a central role in is risk analysis. At Paladin Staffing, we specialize in helping project managers and other candidates combine with great companies throughout the country. The Project Manager’s skill set Related job titles: Project Manager (Level 1, 2, 3, Assistant, Senior), Director of Project Management, Creative Operations Manager, Creative Project Manager Education Two types of Project Managers In-House Project Manager Agency Project Manager
How Good Are Your Change Management Skills? - Change Management Training from MindTools Find out which change management skills you need to improve. © iStockphoto/alexsl For most organizations, change is inevitable. Because of this, you'll most likely be involved in managing a change project at some point – be it a simple change to the way your team deals with customer complaints, or a major change in organizational policy or strategy. When you manage change effectively, you can move your organization into the new "business as usual" state swiftly, and you'll find that other people are quick to accept change. The quiz below helps you assess your change management skills. We then guide you through the key areas of change management, and give links to resources that you can use to further develop your change management skills. How Good Are Your Change Management Skills? Instructions: For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Score Interpretation The questions you just answered relate to four key areas of successful change management. Tip: