Visions and plans

April 10, 2008 at 7:52 pm · Filed under news

Tag-Cloud zu Intranet.days
Originally uploaded by Frank Hamm

I’m in the middle of leading a project at work that reaches it’s first major delivery point next week. We’ve taken good time with key sponsors to ensure that we’re clear on their vision — and our delivery plan meets that vision.

Salient lessons learnt this week though and if truth be told, it’s a lesson that I’d prefer not to have learnt. My internal customer has placed a new demand on the project which, in my view, jeopardises the rest of the deliverables. Privately, I fume but as a professional, I’ve just got to get on with it.

A great vision overlayed with strong direction helps define the plan. Spend good time to work with that vision and make sure it’s all emcompassing – cover every base. Be flexible if you need to, but ensure that your sponsors understand and own the consequences every much as they will bathe in the glory of the finished article.

Gah. Leaders!

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Conference Calls

April 10, 2008 at 6:58 pm · Filed under life

Conference Call Number 5
Originally uploaded by jonthegeologist

Every working day, I spend a good few hours in conference calls with colleagues in the US and Europe. In general, they are not terribly productive as much of the side conversation and nuances of the points are lost to those who can only listen in.

It takes a special skill to chair a conference call and make it productive. In a face-to-face meeting, you can see when someone is thinking through a point or is trying to interject.

I find them frustrating — they’re fine as checkpoints, but not where action is needed and decisions need to be made. Take good notes, circulate the minutes, make sure people know what they’ve gotta do!

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