Daily Archives: December 1, 2010

Very simple – Do what you say you will do!

More specifically, , , Deliver projects successfully.

A bit more defined: Recommend only things that contribute tangible business value, that are always cost justified, , , and then deliver what you say you can do.

If you’ve read my articles, you should know I define “business value” in specific terms:

• Increase revenue
• Decrease cost
• Improve productivity
• Differentiate the company
• Improve client satisfaction

If your projects do not target one or more of these, you need to seriously consider whether you really need to spend time and money on it. It could be possible that you think your “pet project” is the right thing to do, but your business client doesn’t understand it at all. If that’s the case, there is a good chance it’s the wrong thing to do.

Managers who are tagged for promotion and more responsibility “get it”, , , they understand that all service organizations (IT department being one of them) are useful only if they compliment business operations and do things that helps the operations deliver the core products or services to the company’s ultimate client, , , those who buy from your company.

I have managed hundreds of projects in my career and even worked for a project management company at one point, , , but the company with the best and most practical resources I’ve seen is Tom Mochal’s company, TenStep, Inc. (www.tenstep.com)

I’ve known Tom since 2002 when we discovered one another writing articles for TechRepublic. Little did we know that we lived just 20 miles from one another in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. Thankfully, we met for lunch and got to know one another because not long after we would move “back home” to Tennessee.

Tom Mochal

Tom is one of those rare people that when you meet him, you know immediately he is someone you want to work with. Over the years I have gotten to know Tom quite well and invited him into my inner circle, , , we try to meet quarterly to discuss business issues and to collaborate as we strategize the future of our companies.

TenStep provides pretty much anything you want for project management, from training you to managing a project for you. Tom is one of the foremost authorities on PM methodology and Program Management in the PM space.

TenStep has an unbelievable amount of training for all levels of project managers including classroom, webinar, and e-Learning, , , probably as much or more than any company in this space.

TenStep also has international partners who carry the TenStep brand, , , you can find them on the TenStep web site at www.tenstep.com.

I’ve worked with dozens of project managers over the years, and Tom is at the top of the list. I’ve seen him in action on a few projects and no one handles PM issues any better, , , he is truly world class.

In looking back, I think Tom was absolutely the best choice to partner with when developing the 20 Minute IT Manager e-Learning series. He and I delivered 162, 20-minute sessions, , ,  a new session every week for 3 years. See the list at www.20minuteitmanager.com.