Vacation is over

Vacation is over and the work starts again.
During my 3 weeks holiday in Italy I evaluated my professional career.
It can be enhanced if I improve myself and execute more ideas. Normally you think 'I should do this or that' and then you leave it. Main excuse for that is 'I have many other obligations and have no time for it'.
Well,.. manage these 'other obligations' in a proper way, organise it, and give yourself time to do things you think are good.
See what happens.

Have fun!

Friday I had a baseball training together with several other 40+ people. I realized that my condition was not that bad and that I really liked the game.
I enjoyed it very much and thinking of making it my second sport activity next to badminton.
When having fun and meeting new people, it stimulates the mind and gives you more than you expect.
Fun in a project at your work is also very important. Sometimes when things are evolving not the way you want it is good to make a joke out of the situation (take into extreme) or/and involve complete new people in the project (for a short term).
The latter is a famous management trick, but it works to keep people alert.
Have fun!

Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander seems to be a famous baseball player.
I will try to play this game on Friday.
As kid I always liked the game and now I'm 46 I will try to play the game for fun.
I'm looking forward to it, and hope to become a relatively good player.
I realize that I will never be as good as Justin Verlander.
A shame.
When I should follow my feeling earlier and started to play the game when I was 18, maybe I was now (stil) playing in the USA????
We should follow our dreams and interests immediately.
It would change our lives.

Managers, managers, who's doing the job?

In lots of organizations a lot of people are afraid of doing the job.
There are many excuses for not doing the job. You can imagine yourself.
But, in some circumstances it is efficient and good for your leadership to do a job yourself. Especially when nobody wants to do the job.
In those cases you give an example to the rest.
And that's what managers need to do!

Ask questions

Always ask questions!
When a project is not progressing or an employee does not perform....,
ask questions, direct questions.
We (the Dutch people at least) have the habit to find out through others and trough circumstances to identify what the problem is.
But it is much easier just to ask the person or the project leader what the problem is. If you get an unsatisfactory answer, appeal to the higher goal, and demand that you want to know.
If you got further resistance appeal to your function and responsibilities and his function and responsibilities. Do not threat but push a bit and give it a day to react. Do not come to a situation that you say 'if you do not deliver it, then....'. That is only a very last solution. In that case you can say goodbye to the loyalty of the employee.

Lou Knickerbocker died

Lou Knickerbocker seems to be a famous person in USA.
On the 24 of April he died.
It seems strange, but also for famous and rich people counts that simple things really matter. Especially when you die just the immaterial things passes by in a few seconds as a complete film of what was important to you.
During our professional life we do not take any time for valuable moments, we are only focused on results and production.
What should it cost to spend some time on valuable moments in our professional environment. Say that you appreciate that someone is there and does a job for you. Ask from your hart about how someone feels (in his/her life) etc.
Remarkable things can happen, expect the unexpected...
Curious to know what really mattered to Lou.
God bles.

When someone dies

The mother of a friend died a few days ago and the funeral is today at 14.00 hrs in Paris. Unfortunately I can not go there, but maybe more honest, I do not know the women. Still I had an idea to go there, only to comfort my friend. Because of the costs and time involved I decided not to go. Then, as a moment like now (when it's too late) I realize the following.
'What is more important, friendship or time and money?????'

We live in a very selfish community where an excuse of distance, time and money is an acceptable excuse.
I think that the only person who can answer the question if it is a valid excuse or not, is you yourself.
Feel your own answer and act accordingly.

Then you are yourself.

You can feel your answers on every question, if you act accordingly you shall enjoy it, you receive positive responses and you shall feel much better!
Try it!

For me it's too late to go to the funeral, but I did send a warming e-mail.
That felt relatively good!

Development process models

To create a perfect development process model you need to collect the requirements, study the environment and look at the available means and people. Using that as bases for design of new development process models is the best way to go. If you are not restricted many more development process models can be created. Lots of time will be spilled then.
At this moment I start with the collection of requirements by interviewing different key-stakeholders.

back to business

Today is back to business, and is dedicated to work on the open source project.

Day off ?

Normally this Friday after Ascension Day is a day off.
Not for me, I enjoy to work in a quiet environment and take the opportunity to do things which always were set aside. I use these days also for restructuring and cleaning. I love these days..

Searching for a new assignment

I'm searching for a new assignment at this moment due to the fact that this job ends at the end of June. My job is taken over by internal staff and this makes myself redundant.
Now I'm searching for a new job and I'm thinking of what I want.

I spent a long time thinking of that and came with 3 possibilities:

- new freelance assignment as programme manager or project manager.
- permanent job as a country manager or managing a large project or department.
- work on one of my visions, but get paid by the government or an investor.

Time management

Time management is as good as the user's decipline.
When you have not enough time for your family or you spend to much time on your work you can think of using Time management.
For some people it will help but for the bigger part it won't.
Reason is: if you mess up without Time management, you also mess up with time management.
It's your own bright mind and your will who plans the agenda and executes cf the agenda.

Just do what you like

Just do what you like,
do non let you be influenced by your environment
or opinions of others.
When it comes to your private activities.
Partly this is also true for the business time.
When you are happy in your work, ie you can do what you want to achieve the targets, then this is good for the business, your boss and the clients.
But keep in mind that this is not private time.
You have to think from a business perspective.
When you do that, You are good!

Motivation

When a person in a project is motivated, more can be achieved.
How do you motivate people?

Pay attention to the subject,
Emphasis the positive things
Explain what it means for the organization (the big picture)
What does it deliver to the company, department, team and to the person
Give metaphors (examples)
What if we do not do this.....negative results, negative spiral... etc
Repeat this in different ways

But most important is 'be enthusiastic and motivated' yourself!

Is anybody out there?

I'm writing this blog for my self, but I share it with the internet community for the reason that someone can react on it, advise me, can learn from it, have fun out of it, spent time on it etc.
I expected to receive now and then some reactions.
But nothing yet.
Wonder if it starts today when we have a reunion of 'The New Managers' (De Nieuwe Managers) this evening.
Have fun

Ready to go

The 2 projects I started are ready to go. Waiting for the project board to approve the PID. In the meantime I concentrate on Open Source Change management Tool selection.

content is the world

'Content is the world' is an important statement when you are involved in Internet marketing. The search for content which is attractive for the big public or a specific population is difficult. The chief editor needs to be aware of the spirit of the time (trends of what people preserve as important and interesting) and the actual developments (news) in the world.

In my current job as projectmanager I experience my job also a bit like the chief editor. You must be constant aware of the actual situation and the 'news' items and must be aware of the 'spirit' in the organisation. With these tentacles, you can manipulate project leaders and project members to perform better.
Basic technique is to feed them with proper and new information where they can work with.
So, maybe I should say 'Information is the world'

Back on track

After a very warm and pleasant holiday I am back on the job.
Today picking up the issue's of last week which were not handled (82 unread messages) and starting the projects.
AZ lost the final from Ajax unfortunately.

Holiday till 7 May

My blog discipline is just growing and now I'm going on holiday.
Today I work till 14:00 hr. and will fetch the caravan from the stable. Tomorrow morning we leave for Reims or... somewhere in Germany.
Women...
Lots of positive reactions on my idea to replace Windows desktops with LINUX desktops.
The project board of my project must have a meeting for an official start. In the meantime I already started.
Today I will continue doing so and have one important meeting to speed-up my project assistant.

Meeting with principle director ICT

This morning I was invited for a breakfast meeting with the Principle Director of ICT to talk about my ideas of LINUX on desktops (6000) within the office.
I had the opportunity to express my ideas. It was well received. The PD's reaction was nevertheless withholding. The company's users do not like change. And moving to Linux on the desktops (workstations) would mean a drastic change. The 3 Million annual saving is peanuts in comparison to the risks of failure at the migration time.
Open Office however is to be investigated as an alternative for Microsoft's Office products.
Today marks as start for the tool selection project which I will lead.
I hope the project members to be able to work during my holiday.

Reims ....prepare for invasion of the Dutch!

Wednesday

Today a bit of doing everything....what's new?
Definitely finalise the PID's (some changes to be made due to remarks of the programme mananger). And then start the projects.
Video instruction was perfect. Only positive responses!

second day of the week

Just a few days before I leave on holiday.....
Yesterday I finished the Open Source outline for the company (6000 PC migrating to Linux)It will be discussed in the IM board.
The information exchange for updates in the Change Management tool (video mail) are finished too.
And, it was a busy day, Yesterda, I created and sent out the guide line for the next period in the Change Management Procedure, to come to a high Level Release Plan.
Before creation of this blog I already encountered opposition, by one of the team leaders. It seems that I need to organise an (extra) information session......

It was a fantastic weekend!

It was a fantastic weekend, nice warm, I was able to schoot some video and visited my parents. This week will be the week of initiation of projects. I finished one of the two PID's.
Today is finishing the second one, initation of one project and write a memo on Open Source desktops with StarOffice or OpenOffice.
I start quickly, lots to do.

Friday, still a lot to do

New issues poped up for creation of the High Level Release Plan. Total focus on that. It has high priority because of the time pressure what the product managers will encounter. They need to produce the HLRP per product before 18 May! I will discuss my latest proposal with the director this afternoon.
If time left this morning the video presentation need to be finished (last changes in CTS forces me to redo the video capture session). Other wise this will be Monday. Also the PID's need to be discussed with the director for approval (nearly finished)
Hope to end early for a beer (or two).

Thursday already

Not finished the 2 PID's due to the fact that I could not discuss it with management. I will try today. However Yesterday managed to create an instruction movie which can be used as webcast for about 100 people within this organisation.
From my point of view this is more efficient way of informing that many people. Initial idea was to organise 2 big meetings of 1 hour....
See what the reaction is .....this is new here.

So finishing the PID's today and broadcast the instruction movie.
have a nice day!

Plans for today

My plans are to finalise the PID's for 2 projects which we are running in the comming weeks.

For the first project, a product selection I will plan some interviews for the coming days to start with.

Next to that I will handle budget requests for 2008 which are out for sync with the reality (more money required). The developments planned for 2008 are much more then expected earlier because of the extra demanded requirements by the countries wich ought to go life soon.

Privately I will go for badminton again this evening... I think.

Today / Vandaag

Today on April 17th this blog is created.
I do not know if I create my blog in Eglish or Dutch.
We zien wel...