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A good salon management can improve your business as management is the key of any business. Salon management is not an easy task it includes stock control, maintaining customers account, and staff scheduling also. You need a system that can manage your customer’s accounts, stock and product inventory and your staff’s schedule. For that purpose you can use a salon management system. Blond is a salon management system that can provide you all these facilities rather more and that too at one place. You can access stock details, manages customer’s accounts and product inventory and can also access staff schedules.

This salon management system can be used by businesses concerned with managing business operations such as stock control, marketing plan other administration purposes. Whether you are a hairdresser, a beautician, receptionist or a manager, salon management system is capable to serve your needs you can visit www.positive-idea.com

being a busy beauty or hair specialist sometimes it may be very difficult to manage your business. As your focus centers on your customers and bringing out the beauty of your customers you need one who can help you about your salon management.

These salon management systems are the solutions for large business with enhanced security. By using blond salon management system you can know about your clients more quickly. You can also keep details about there style and preferences. You can also view your staff’s schedule to know whether they are at work or not. You can easily customize your reports and worksheets and invoices. By using online booking feature you can get more and more customers.

Salon management system with a window based interface can allows you to work more conveniently even if you are new to computers. Due to window based interface it also allows you to open many windows at a time. On the left hand side of the main window there is a tree structure that allows you to fast access the various functions of the software. In the salon software there are different forms for different users with various privileges.

There is also built in help available in our salon management system which can give you help for the software and there is also a tutorial and a start panel to help you learn all the basic features and functions very fast and easily.

Salon management software also provides you a way to manage your customer data. By using this software you can review the history of the discount you have offered to customer or the services that you have provided to your customer or visit www.change-ur-mind.com This salon software also organize the products in a tree structure that allow you to perform various functions easily such as to add a product under a product category or to change the product group.

For a better salon management you can use a better salon management system such as blond management system which can take you’re all the worries about managing your salon. By using its powerful features you can make your business more and more manageable day by day.

Choosing the Best Project Management Training

To be successful in today’s competitive world, managers must manage change effectively, and also deliver results on time and within budget. Project management gives you the structure and tools to do this

If you want to add project management skills to your skill set, or you want to move into project management, you will want to know which is the best training to get you started in project management?

You may also want to achieve a recognized project management qualification at the same time

Listed here are introductory courses for project management which are suitable if you are:

• New to project management • Have some experience and want to understand the principles • Are looking to move into project management • Have worked on projects but haven’t received any formal training

Find more details on project management training at the Focus website

On all courses, no previous knowledge of project management is required

1-day and 2-day Introduction Courses

These courses typically introduce the concepts and approaches of project management, and touch on the main project techniques such as planning, risk and quality management

APM Introductory Certificate (2 days)

This training course was developed by the Association of Project Management, the largest independent professional body for project management in Europe.

The course is designed for anyone looking to start a career in project management or wanting to understand the principles of project management, and covers topics such as planning, communications, quality management, resources and risk management

No previous knowledge in project management is needed, and courses include a 1-hour multiple-choice examination

PRINCE2 Foundation Certificate (3 days)

PRINCE2 is the most widely used project management methodology worldwide. PRINCE2 provides a structured method which can be applied to any type of project in any business sector. PRINCE2 can be used on a huge range of project sizes, from small projects such as office relocation up large projects such as major construction or infrastructure projects.

PRINCE2 provides improved delivery of objectives and greater project control through a common project structure and terminology.

The PRINCE2 Foundation course teaches the principles and terminology of PRINCE2 and also provides a recognised qualification. It will enable you to take part in a project team using the PRINCE2 method

There are no formal pre-requisites; however some exposure to project management would be helpful

Good luck in starting on your project management career!

There are many reasons that corporate executives turn to external consultants to provide project management support for their projects. The challenges that organizations face include: sub-par project performance, the potential for lost credibility, lack of experience with a particular project type, and a lack of internal project management practitioners. Project management consulting firms can supply experienced practitioners that offer high-quality solutions to the complex issues facing project teams.

The following are six ways that project management consulting firms are making a difference with leading organizations.

ADDRESSING PROJECT-RELATED ISSUES

Often times it is the highly visible, at-risk project that drives management to recognize that a better project management approach is required. Frequently, project management consultants are brought in to address various project-related issues including: poor on-time performance (key dates being missed), unsatisfactory financial results (unnecessary expenditures to meet deadlines), dysfunctional team dynamics (poor communication, team in-fighting, and misdirection), and complicated team composition (multi-locational, language barriers, external partnerships, etc).

By providing the right combination of methodology, training, resources and technology, project management consulting firms can help executives determine how to most effectively focus the resources they have available. They can also help preserve the integrity of project deliverables by ensuring that issues are identified in a timely manner and key dates are being consistently met. These tools and support solutions help improve overall project metrics, while enabling project teams to work more effectively and efficiently in high-stress environments.

PROVIDING ADVANCED PROJECT ANALYSIS TO UPPER MANAGEMENT

In many cases, upper management has difficulty evaluating project performance and making the best decisions because they lack visibility to key project information. A project management consulting firm can provide the necessary reports and analysis to equip managers with key information on upcoming obstacles, possible project pitfalls, and potential resource constraints. When this type of information is incorporated as part of a more encompassing project management approach, the consultant can convert standard project data from a reactive snapshot of historical information into a predictive project analysis tool.

FILLING AN EXPERTISE GAP

Projects are sometimes launched without regard for the expertise and experience of the project teams working on them. Also, a project’s complexity, magnitude, and uniqueness may be a significant concern even for the most experienced teams. Finally, the project management proficiency required to lead major a project initiative may be unavailable or in short supply. In these instances, a project management consulting firm can provide the required expertise necessary to drive the project to a successful outcome.

ESTABLISHING A PROACTIVE APPROACH

Many projects, by default are managed using a reactive approach to problem solving. This style of project management creates an environment where “fire fighting” is the norm and the latest project emergency demands the attention. A proactive project management approach enables project teams to identify obstacles earlier in the project, which allows them to make better decisions and provide more cost effective solutions. By implementing the right mix of training, consulting and advanced tools, a project management consulting firm can establish an early warning system that provides management a forward-looking tool to ensure their project will be executed as-agreed.

OFFERING SHORT-TERM SUPPORT SOLUTIONS

The lack of qualified personnel to support a congested project pipeline is an ongoing concern to many organizations. Hiring and training full-time resources and mentoring them in the intricacies of an advanced project management approach can require more time than organizations have available. Project management consulting firms can fill the gap between the immediate need project management support and the organization’s current capabilities.

PROJECT ASSURANCE

Some projects are so critically important to the success of an organization that failure is simply not an option. In some cases, a past project may have been so poorly executed that management wants assurance that future projects will be more successful. A project management consulting firm can assist in this scenario by helping to deploy advanced risk mitigation tools and providing expert scrutiny of existing project schedules.

CONCLUSION

Project management consulting firms can bring a combination of experience, knowledge and advanced tools that are not readily available in most organizations. By combining those capabilities with an understanding of best-in-class project management practices it is easy to see how the benefits realized from using a project management consulting firm can far outweigh the out-of-pocket investment.

About Thomas P. Stevens, PMP and PMAlliance, Inc. – Thomas P. Stevens, PMP is the President and founder of PMAlliance, Inc. and holds a master’s degree in Business with a focus on Decision Science and is a registered PMP (Project Management Professional). PMAlliance is an international project management consulting firm that helps Fortune 1000 companies improve the execution of their mission-critical projects. For the second consecutive year, Inc. magazine has ranked PMAlliance Inc. among the fastest growing Project Management Consulting companies in the United States. Through its Duration-Driven® methodology, PMAlliance enables its clients to successfully complete their most important projects—on time, within budget and to the intended level of quality. Please visit their website at www.pm-alliance.com.

Nobody stays in one career all their life nowadays. Some go from teaching into law. Nurses enter the police force. Actors become politicians.

Project Management offers the greatest opportunity for a career change. Demanding and rewarding in equal measure, it draws on transferable skills rather than industry specialisation.

Do you have the skills to be a Project Manager? How can you prove these skills to your new employer? What do you have to do to make your career transition as smooth as possible?

Are you already a Project Manager?

You don’t need the words ‘Project Manager’ on your contract in order to have project management responsabilities.

The basic role of a project manager is to organise staff and resources to achieve a long-term goal.

Have you ever organised a fundraising marathon or the introduction of fair-trade coffee into your department? Were you responsible for setting up the Secret Santa or the office trip to Brighton?

If so, then you have worked as a Project Manager. The more experience you can demonstrate, the greater your chances of securing a high-level Project Management position.

Key skills required by Project Managers

• Communication

You must be able to present your Business Case, write progress reports and maintain clear communication with project staff and stakeholders at every level. If the Project Manager fails to communicate, then everybody will have different expectations and understanding of the project’s goals and status.

• Organisation

Are you obsessively self-organised? Do you write lists for everything, even lists of your lists? Do you schedule your Saturday mornings so that not a minute is wasted?

If so, Project Management and you could be a perfect match. Only with solid organisational skills can a Project Manager keep a tight rein on project planning and progress.

• Analytical Thinking

Things will go wrong on your project. As the Project Manager, it is up to you to sort them out. Can you come up with the solution that nobody else could quite reach? Are you up for the challenge of dealing with every obstacle and risk before it arises, without even a blip in your project progress report?

What opportunities are there for you?

Moving into a Project Management role could mean leaving your current industry and developing your project management skills as an independent specialisation. To succeed in this, you need to have demonstrable project management experience and abilities.

Alternatively, you might be seeking a project management role within your current industry. Advanced specialist knowledge of your subject off-sets a lack of project management experience, although awareness of formal project management methods is essential for getting that first job offer.

What should you do?

A Project Management qualification is essential. PRINCE2TM is currently the most popular project management method used by organisations in Europe, and is government standard in the UK.

The Foundation level qualification demonstrates awareness of the PRINCE2 project management method, and it is vital for anybody wishing to work on a project team.

Becoming a certified Registered Practitioner is an excellent move for anybody seeking a Project Manager position. The qualification demonstrates analytical skills and Project Management capabilities.

You might also consider getting some work experience, either with a voluntary organisation or through a secondment opportunity within your current organisation.

Remember: the more experience, qualification and dedication that you show, the more valuable you will on a Project Manangement team.

PRINCE2™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce. “PMI” is a service and trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. which is registered in the United States and other nations.

Think about the managers you’ve admired in your life. It could be some one you have had the pleasure of working with or may be some one you have admired from afar. It may be some one you met on a management training course or it could even be the trainer of the management training course as they explained real life situations they had been involved in.

It is likely that this person you are thinking of displayed certain characteristics as a manager, probably the characteristics were a mixture of getting the result they need, but also at the same time being good at managing people.

It is likely that the manager showed ability in training and developing others and was passionate about improving the team and individuals skill level by providing ongoing training courses. Perhaps they were excellent and keeping focused on the vision and being able to communicate this to the team. One attitude that most successful managers have is that of enthusiasm, it is often said in management training courses if the manager can not get enthusiastic about the team and the objectives nothing will happen.

The word approachability is also a term often used in management training courses. Today’s managers have to be approachable, and there is more to being approachable than just leaving the office door open. Integrity and keeping calm under pressure is also a characteristic of todays successful managers.

Words like creative open and honest are also used when describing successful managers. The ability to understand and show empathy to the team and individuals, as well as listen also need to be part of the ingredients needed for managers and management training courses.

Very few people will disagree that a manager must be effective and able to make decisions and I suppose if you look at the core skills of management, making decisions must be number 1 or thereabouts. However good managers are those who can listen understand question and then make the decision even if it is unpopular. Teams and individuals generally do not mind unpopular decisions as long as they feel they have been treated fairly.

The modern manager is also willing to take risks and if things don’t work out as planned they do not beat themselves up, but rather learn from the mistakes. Recognising positive behaviour is a must in management and dealing with negative behaviour in a timely manner is also important. When dealing with negative behaviour management must remember to be clear and specific and work on factual incidents. There are numerous books and management training courses that talk about the importance of feedback and it is a vital component that every successful manager must work on.

So when you look at some of the words above and relate them to the manager you admire you should see that there will be certain characteristics that the person you admire possesses. You should also see that you probably possess a certain number of these characteristics as well.

When people ask me the question what would I be like as a manager? It is difficult to answer but if you display most of the characteristics above, you are on the right track. If you could then harness them characteristics and attend successful management training courses and develop the necessary management skills to display these characteristics to achieve getting results through your team, you could be on a winner.

Anyone who has paid attention to the mounting credit card crisis afflicting modern Americans should not be surprised by the sudden explosion of debt management firms in the last decade. The debt management industry has grown exponentially over the past few years, assisting any number of borrowers with their financial burdens, but, as with any new business that concerns itself with debt and credit cards, a breed of predatory debt service ‘professionals’ seek only to exploit the economically desperate households by promising savings they could never deliver and sometimes even defrauding them altogether. Scam artists are an unfortunate consequence of any profession, and the debt relief industry is no better or worse. However, since word of mouth and a reputation for honesty and competence can make or break a company – especially a finance company – these nefarious loan workers don’t last long. However, just in case you’re unlucky enough to meet one of the less reputable debt management workers, here are a few tips to identify the worst sort.

Since debt consolidation loan programs are the most popular form of debt management, let’s start with loan officers and how they can trick unwary homeowners into borrowing more than would be advisable upon their property. Essentially, this sort of debt consolidation depends upon home equity. Credit ratings (above 700 FICO scores, ideally), debt to income ratios (less than forty percent of gross months income should go to home mortgage payments and revolving debt payments), and employment histories (clients most likely to be approved should have worked the same job for two years as provable by W-2 tax returns) are, of course, important. However, the most important element for mortgage debt consolidation will be the amount of home equity the homeowner currently enjoys.

Now, not only is home equity a tricky subject at present with property values falling all over America, but this drop in values is largely the fault of mortgage companies themselves. With an absence of regulation somewhat absurd in retrospect, criminally negligent loan officers and mortgage brokers (together with processors that looked the other way and appraisers that exponentially bumped up home values) gave loans to borrowers that should never have deserved them. The resulting mortgages proved more than the homeowners could possibly afford, and the glut of foreclosures (which should have been expected) drove down home prices which only worsened the potential refinance and debt management solutions homeowners would ordinarily presume to be available. Furthermore, these same foreclosures cost the original mortgage lenders (within a debt industry dependant upon constant cash flow for their bottom line) tens of millions of dollars and a previously inexplicable number of mortgage companies simply faded away. Though many of these businesses deserved to go under, the sudden failure of so many mortgage companies had a dire effect upon the American economy and our newly skyrocketing unemployment is but one consequence.

This is not to say that all of the mortgage refinance options are to be avoided. While it is much harder to take out a mortgage loan under current conditions, some homeowners – facing adjustable rates or balloon payments – simply have no choice. On the other hand, it is NOT necessary for them to include their credit card debts within their refinance no matter what the more aggressive loan officers would try to convince them of. Home mortgage refinancing is a form of debt management, of course, and making sure that what will be the average American consumer’s largest lifetime debt falls under acceptable (and formally fixed) interest rates should be of the utmost priority. However, what trustworthy mortgage professionals will explain is that the longer the term the more money you pay with even a locked prime interest rate. That’s just the way compound interest works. For that reason, mortgage professionals attempting to explain debt management should do whatever it takes to make borrowers have the lowest terms that would be comfortable for their household budget.

Not, you understand, that they should try to find the lowest payments for borrowers (obviously, it would be rather the opposite), but rather the fewest payments that they would have to pay over the course of the loan. A fifteen year term, if applicable, should be advised before the thirty, and biweekly payment programs that add up to essentially thirteen months of payments every year with accompanying years off the loan pay-off should also be strenuously encouraged. Perhaps most importantly, the loan officers should always ensure that the lender did not include some provisions against early pay-offs. Prepayment penalties, though technically legal, are the most underhanded strategies of less than trustworthy mortgage brokers. Anyone who tries to force through a prepayment penalty on unsuspecting homeowners or tries to convince them of the merits – often they’ll knock a few hundred dollars off the loan fees – should be avoided no matter their (evidently overstated reputation).

While all of this should be fully recognized by homeowners before they start talks with any mortgage lender or broker, your authors are aware that debt management this day and age primarily concerns itself with credit card debts. There are many other sorts of financial burdens for consumers to worry about, but the average American’s greatest worry tends to be the overload of credit card bills. Student loans, for example, generally boast the lowest interest rates of all types of debts. Hospitals and insurance companies, whatever their public perception, regularly work with their debtor clients to make sure that their medical bills are not an undue burden, even offering stays of payment. Auto loans, it is true, sometimes have higher interest rates, but they’re still rarely above those offered from mortgage loans or home equity loans. Nevertheless, even if there is a significant different between the interest rates (and, for credit card debts, there is almost always a steep drop once consolidated), the smart borrower has to remember the effects of compound interest. It is easy to see why loan officers would try to sugar coat the debt consolidation program, their pay is based around the overall size of the loans that are refinanced or taken out, but that is no reason to willfully ignore the borrowers’ true needs.

Not to belabor the point, but the worst suggestion that an unscrupulous loan officers can inflict upon their homeowner clients would be advising them to throw their credit cards debts onto a mortgage consolidation lasting decades. This is not debt management, this is debt avoidance. Borrowers will find that they are still paying their debts, but, after the interest continues to multiply, they will be paying their debts many times over. Worse still – especially in these trying times – homeowners are surrendering their ever more precious equity for only a temporary fix. Credit scores will fall from the sudden amount of credit card accounts now open, and, more to the point, how many consumers, once they have moved their debts over to a different loan source, would be able to resist the temptation to revisit their former spending habits and once again rack up bills through thoughtless purchasing. The key to any true and lasting debt management must be the debt professional working with the consumer to actually pay off their debts! Simply moving them to an equity loan that, for the moment, lowers their payments (however much longer and how much more they will inevitably pay) does nothing to assist the borrowers’ long term financial stability. Any viable program for debt relief must concentrate not only upon education to prevent such debt from occurring in the future but on actually eliminating the borrowers’ debts!

There are many other varieties of debt management, of course – not all debtors, after all, own their own homes. Consumer Credit Counseling companies have been exploding in popularity of late, but they contain their own string of suspicious activities each consumer must keep an eye out for. Since the industry does not tend to care so highly for certification, they attract more than their share of con artists and shady ‘corporations’. For this reason, borrowers must be incredibly diligent when investigating the bonafides of any business that they consider dealing with. Do not be fooled by flashy web sites or nice offices in well regarded areas. Debt management is about the people that you work with and many of the best debt professionals and debt management films, working in such a new industry, will not spend the time or money on advertisements while trying to make their way through a career or business with the best of motives.

Once again, though, even for those Consumer Credit Counseling companies that actually are legitimate, so much of the industry still depends upon credit card conglomerates (the very creditors that your debt management representatives are ostensibly fighting against) for half of their payments. Have you ever wondered why there are so very many Consumer Credit Counseling commercials on the television urging unsuspecting debtors to take a change at easing their financial burdens? As it turns out, above and beyond the sky high fees initially charged to the debtor clients themselves, the CCC firms get even more money from the various lenders. It is all part of a ploy by the credit card companies to prevent borrowers from attempting to declare bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection has been greatly lessened over the last few years of an unfettered congressional deregulation, but the option does still attract a number of desperate debtors, and, though the chances are slim to none under the newest changes to the bankruptcy code statutes, some may have even have a chance to successfully wipe clean their unsecured debts (though it would also mean basically erasing the entirety of their possessions).

Because Chapter 7 bankruptcies do still remain a threat to their eventual bill collection, the credit card companies help fund the Consumer Credit Counseling companies so as to convince hapless borrowers to maintain and try to repay their loans, albeit in a different form. There are benefits to signing up with the program, to be sure. Interest rates are lower (not that they could actually be higher) and many of the creditors will agree to waive some of the fees assessed from over limit accounts or payments that arrived too late. However, considering the amount of money Consumer Credit Counseling professionals would charge for the opportunity – and, also, keeping in mind how damaging the Consumer Credit Counseling approach would be to the prospective client’s credit ratings once entered – most every applicant should be able to search out a better route to debt management success.

Debt settlement is another form of debt management rising in publicity the past few years, and these types of companies have many similar features to Consumer Credit Counseling firms. Both industries, after all, ask borrowers to sign over their collected debts (once again, primarily those unsecured ones which would be affected by bankruptcy protection). The debt settlement industry, however, does have a national certification program with which borrowers may rely upon to ensure that the people that they are dealing with could be properly trusted. Furthermore, since the underlying principles behind debt settlement thoroughly guarantees that there will be no collusion between the debt management professionals and the credit card companies, consumers do not have to worry about their counselors serving two masters. With debt settlement, the specialists working upon the specific case maintain an adversarial (though, as you’d imagine, still friendly for business purposes) relationship with the credit card companies so as to negotiate a reduction of their clients’ total balances. The debt settlement representatives have no reason to ever do anything more than work for the debtors’ best interests. That’s the only way their careers and the industry as a whole will survive and thrive within the new economic realities.

No matter the foundations of the debt settlement industry’s guiding principles, however, there still exists (as always will, with any possible employment opportunity) desperate scavengers aiming to take advantage of their clients’ ignorance and neediness regarding complicated financial matters. As we have said, these few practitioners of economic scams are found sooner rather than later and let go, but borrowers must always be wary of any debt management specialist that insists upon his or her fees paid up front. Initial consultations, by industry standard, should always be free of charge. They are, after all, trying to impress the clients with their professionalism so as to win their business, and it is highly suspicious that they would ask for money before they have even begun to do their job. Debt management must garner the trust of both the debtors and the creditors. Do not take the advice of anyone that you believe would be purely out for the quick buck.

For that matter, there are also any number of less than legal financial ploys that may sound like normal business practices but, in actuality, would leave the borrower open to charges of fraud. In the same way the malfeasant loan officers may urge homeowners to go with appraisers promising to pump up home values to tens of thousands of dollars more than the properties are actually worth or fool with pay stubs and tax records to suggest greater gross incomes than the true earnings, some debt management professionals might even advice that their client ask for a different Employee Identification Number. The purpose of altering Employee Identification Numbers is purely to trick lenders into disregarding credit report information and would be thought of as highly fraudulent behavior punishable by the fullest extent of the law. Before signing off on any such activity, make sure that you contact an attorney or – at the least – read up on the consequences of such actions. Whatever minimal savings may result from these sort of tactics are hardly worth the legal struggles that may ensue.

All of these warnings are not meant to turn prospective borrowers away from the good that proper and law abiding debt management counselors could do for household dearly in need of debt relief. The overwhelming majority of specialists working in these fields obey the strict letter of the law and, even beyond that, the specific rules of their chosen field. Most debt professionals enter the industry because they enjoy helping borrowers climb through the thickets of debts and find a better life for themselves and their families. Do not assume, just because of a few bad apples, that debt management specialists should be considered suspicious solely because of the nature of their work. As with any profession – from mechanics to congressmen – there are always bound to be a few brigands only out for themselves, but, with careful study of their company and a close reading of precisely what they are attempting to do, it is not that difficult to figure out which ones you should trust.

One of the features of the ISO9001 standard is the requirement to monitor and measure process performance (Section 8). External auditors tend to simply verify the existence of such measurements and move on, while the attitude of internal auditors tends towards indifference. This article attempts to discuss the value of such measurement, and the pitfalls of using these measurements as a basis for managing the business. Essentially this is managing by results, and since results are the product of the system and the people employed, there is a danger that process performance is interpreted as employee performance.

Management by results has a long history, and from the title alone it is difficult to raise an objection to the general principle. Organisations large and small have in the past adopted such a management approach and apparently profited by the experience. But does this system of management, some might call it a system of direction, best serve the stakeholders of the enterprise?

To manage by outcomes requires the organisation to set up numerical targets, not in itself a difficulty for the organisation as a complete enterprise, but when channeled down through the processes of the business, the sub-sets of the corporate target eventually become performance goals for the employees, and management against these goals follows. The problem with such a practice stems from their source as the corporate objectives. As corporate goals they are presumably fine, but as individual performance indicators they are frequently divorced from the reality of daily business life, since when applied to the processes of the business ( as with ISO9001) they bear little credible relationship to the capabilities of the business processes or the employees.

Despite managerial efforts to manage the organisation utilising occurrence based data, the reality of the position is one of supervisors and staff working to seem to have a satisfactory performance through creative data manipulation - commonly called ‘fudging the figures’ - where personal and group well being predominates over corporate benefit.

The consequences of managing by results lead to staff playing a numbers game of their own in order to appear driven by the imposed target regime. It is usual across industry for production goals to be created for a particular element of time - say a month. Equally common is the delivery reality where a large proportion of the monthly quota is delivered during the final days of the month, and only then by working excessive hours or through a diminution of standards. This is clearly not in the best interests of any participant in the delivery process. The strategy tends to divert focus from what is beneficial towards the achievement of short term goals that may even endanger the future integrity of the business processes.

These and other adverse consequences of the Management By Results strategy bring about one overriding effect, the fear of the consequences of failing to meet the declared targets or failing to follow precisely the executive instructions that surround the corporate goal setting. Fear of a missed promotion or even a demotion, maybe even the loss of a job. A Management by Results system inevitably generates fear, not simply because of the existence of the numeric objectives that are set, but also because of the nature of the people who are the instigators of such ‘management’ tools.

Management by Results should not be confused with management FOR results, which is clearly the necessary activity of any management team. Managing for results requires a totally different thought process on the part of management. Most of all it requires the managers of an organisation to realise that their staff are most likely better informed about the details of the operation, that advancements in the system of work require managers to interact with that information, and that to do this productively requires managers to acquire the trust of those whom they are delegated to manage. This will require a quality of Leadership, that management by results advocates do not have.

In our life especially for those moving up their career ladder, at some point in time, one will invariably being called upon to lead and manage a project. Depending upon the nature of the work and the industry one is in, the size and magnitude, the intensity and rigor required of the method of project management may differ. At the simplest, it may just be the simple identification and definition of the various activities and tasks with assigned roles and responsibilities together with clear timelines and key delivery milestones. At the extreme, it may involve the full rigor of project management best practices utilizing robust Project Management (PM) methodology (such as those propounded by PM Institute, US or PRINCE, UK )and adoption of the various automated tools (eg Microsoft Office Project, complete with recruitment of fully qualified full time project manager or director to manage the complex process.

While one can avail himself to the variety of tools available in the market, does this guarantee project success. Detailed information on many PM Methodology tools is widely and freely available to all. Yet I must say that the mere adoption of such tools does not guarantee the project will be completed and implemented successfully. There have been far too many major projects that have gone wrong, unable to be salvaged. You can read many in the News.

What then is successful and how does one define that the project is considered completed and successful. Is completion of a project say done within budget and within timeline, consider success. I believe many would say so, after all, to the business, the project is implemented and to the supplier, he gets paid for the work done. Is this the sole criterion to determine success. What if the projects are completed, but never being used or worst still being shelved after a short while and ended up a white elephant. How do we account for the investment in this? The work done and delivered, irrespective of whether the project is used and serving its intended purpose. Ultimately, irrespective of which perspective you look at, if the project is completed on time and within budget, and adding value to the organization and indirectly also value to the society, then it is successful.

In the course of my career, I have undertaken numerous projects from small to major ones involving tens of millions and more particularly in the technology industry. While the key criteria to gauge the success or failure is determined by the order of the Management at that point in time, I must say that it is a very fine line largely dependent on the immediate stakeholders and users who stand to gain or lose by the project. And it is usually this group of people who determine the fate of the project, which may well be managed very properly and professionally. How qualified and knowledgeable is this group of stakeholders, I can only say appalling in most times, due to tendency to delegate to lower level staff.

I think the key requirements to ensuring successful projects are easily identified and obtained. Requirements such as getting right personnel, adequate time, adequate budget and so on, and with that, the assigned project manager to adopt a methodology. But despite the availability of such information and so-called tips and tricks or best practices, many projects still fail, and I mean real big projects. And maybe a professionally certified Project Manager will by no means guarantee the success. Perhaps a higher probability of success, but never a guarantee.

Here, I do not intend to delve into the key planning activities that a good PM tools will provide. Picking and standardizing one good, not necessary the most expensive and most elaborate one to suit your industry, organization and project is important for training, awareness and continuity of usage and support along the way. For continuity within the organization, there must be control on standards and not left to individual to pick his own due to familiarity. So the key consideration is like having the right people, the right tools and the right costs.

However, there are few focus points that I would like to emphasize that requires constant check and re-evaluation to ensure the success.

a) Select the Project Manager – At the start of the project, the assignment of the Project manager is critical. This is not a position that is offer to someone that happens to be available, with time to spent, or maybe senior enough. Blending this together with one that has good background knowledge of the business and industry as well as being able to see a holistic view is key. One that is handpicked by Project Sponsor for political purpose and although is willing to listen, to support and be advised by him is bound to fail as the Project Manager is ultimately the key person who shoulders the full accountabilities..

So if there is a need, one needs to hire one from outside the organization on contract basis, to be free from internal politics.

b) The Plan – Suffice to say, in any project, to be successful, it must be planned out first. As the saying goes, anything that is not planned is doomed to failure. So a typical plan as outlined in decent project management methodology such as the PMBok of PMI from the US, or PRINCE from UK will adequately identify and require the plan to include activities encompassing aspects such as Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communication, Risks, and Procurement. Due consideration must be given to each aspects to have adequate resources, time, cost and not just to suit top-down directives.

Planning must be done on participative basis with assistance from all stakeholders. Eventually, this has to be reviewed, confirmed and sign-off, and periodically used to monitor progress.

c) Define the Scope – The project manager can played a key role here to maintain what I call a fair and reasonable scope. While all stakeholders are involved and given time to define the scope and requirements, someone must be able to control the stakeholders to prevent runaway scoping. Firstly, unreasonable requirements such as requiring the project to provide the ideal leads to doom. One can talk about the ideal, but will never get started as they will be caught in analysis/paralysis syndrome causing repeated changes and delays. I say the PM plays a key role here to signal showstopper as to align perception of everybody, to avoid unreasonable expectations from this start point to avoid the need to raise issues at the final stage, if not arrested at this point. The final document must be reviewed and eventual sign-of by all key personnel. Mind you, this document will be the reference, when old stakeholders leave the organisation and new one replacing them will see no need to continue with the project and create problems to kill the project. Sometimes, I wonder, is the project undertaken for the person or for the organization. If it is for the later, why would new stakeholders so eager to kill of the project.

d) Regular and periodical review of Plan against status – There must be factual reporting, no trade-off, with sincere and concern for inactions. Here the PM’s job knowledge and confidence is very critical as it will call for the questioning of the various stakeholders roles/responsibilities and inadequate effort and performance in partaking this project. The challenge is how to expose all such deficiencies and yet maintain a working team.

We are sometimes governed by own internal politics where the project sponsor knowledge and trust of his Project Manager is important. Ultimately, the project will be guided by and advise arising from his knowledge or perhaps the lack of it. Solid real life experiences and foundations as an all rounder will place the PM in good stead to make a project successful. One must be able to call a spade a spade without tradeoff. The PM ability to see a holistic view and identify hotspots and to raise them at an early stage, is important, to ensure and keep everybody’s perception in tune.

e) Decision Making – Many a time, I find that too much of discretion is given to the business or users and not the supporting function. But they only have the view of their own functional areas. I always use the example of being efficient for the Department but inefficient for the organization as a whole. Of course, every Department will take care of their own interest, but when this goes against the company as a whole, the PM must be able to spot it and escalate for a “force” decision. How often we see the loudest voice rules, and the organization suffers?

f) Over demanding business/Users – When there is one over demanding person who occupy key position, but lacking the knowledge, the project is doomed to fail. Imagine what happen when there is indecisiveness or frequent change of decision can have on a project. While proper sign-off of the Scope Document may signify completion of the process and time-line as a formality, there is no guarantee of quality and completion, if the so-called key personnel has the overall say of acceptance and eventual payment. A weak PM would have succumb to such threat only to live with the problem that comes up when there is repeated delay after delay at later stage. A good PM needs to manage this, enforce strict change management and yet maintain the working relationship at all level.

g) Maintaining and keeping tabs of progress of all related activities. – As in doing up the Plan, the Project Manager must include all activities to have a dashboard of all the activities. Several times, I have come across Plans that are handled by a supplier, but did not capture the Activities and Progress of those handled by the buyer company. For example, the supplier could be involved in the supply of a computer system solution. So the plan only capture the part on completion of the system, while the part on getting ready the computer room, getting the necessary statutory approval, User Training etc are not capture. While such activities maybe undertaken by the buyer company and remains the responsibilities and accountabilities of the buyer organisation, nevertheless, a good PM would have capture such key milestones to track progress at high level. While it may be the fault of another party not fulfilling their part, it is the lack of full visibility of all key activities that cause projects to slip and then argument starts to follow.

Different people view success differently. It is hard to say whether a project is eventually successful. Many projects are completed and in use, but is the project delivering good value. Like I said, this is a fine line. Who eventually do we listen to whether the project meets the needs. After all , a truly successful project is one where the project is embarked to do effective things in an efficient way. Equally possible is when someone in power, in position embarks on an project based upon ineffective strategies and premises, but yet can be completed efficiently and therefore perceived as successful.

The point here is not the knowledge about project management, the industry, but the subtle qualities of the person put in charge, to lead the project and apply such qualities against the respective activities and tasks to fruition.

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The ability of Project management to effectively deal with the management of change has made it of increasing importance to organizations. It is the not only the project based organizations but the other organizations too are beginning to realize that the traditional form of management cannot deal with the dynamics of projects. The chaos of today’s working environment cannot be dealt with efficiency with the traditional management. Even growing number of managers and academics feel that the project management process is best suited to handle the dynamic change that we come across in our day to day activities.

Time for Project Management has arrived, as the modern approach to handle projects and changes. Projects are more than ever becoming a fact for businesses and Project management a tool that spearheads success. With the projects becoming more complex, project management as a systematic approach provides a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific one-time effort. As projects often involve high costs and risks, it is imperative for organizations to have experts manage them. It is a clear cut fact that skilled project professionals get a competitive edge for taking the project to a successful closure.

PMP® certification amongst the project professionals have gained popularity as it has a created a benchmark wherein organizations consider certified project managers apt to manage projects. Getting PMP® certified by PMI® is a good career choice leading to numerous advantages. PMP® Certification offered by Project Management Institute (PMI®), addresses the requirements of project managers in communication management, integration, quality, cost, human resources, risk and time. PMP® Certification Preparation and training as in other professions is required and demands rigorous preparation.

With the changing role of Project Managers and project professionals the importance of PMP® certification and Project Management training has gained a lot of ground and popularity. Project Management is a skill that must be learned and today there are a myriad training opportunities and choices available but the need to identify the right one is important. A project manager needs to possess number of talents in order to achieve project goals and success.

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