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Project Manager based in Manchester UK

The Right Stuff….remembering Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong will forever be remembered for his unique achievement of being the first human being to set foot on another planet. His famous quote ” that’s one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind” is burned forever in our collective memory and recalls a seemingly simpler age of great optimism and opportunity when anything could be achieved given the right determination. Armstrong had that “right stuff” is spades and was an inspiration  to millions of scientists and engineers the world over.

His lifestyle after his momentous Lunar achievements and his decision to deliberately shun the limelight stands in sharp contrast to that of lesser “celebrities” who’s achievements paled in significance next to his but who crave attention like spoiled children.

Let us remember Neil Armstrong as his family wish……

Next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down on you, think of Neil and give him a wink

Is Intellectual Property killing #innovation

You only have to follow the News to find out who’s suing who in the Intellectual Property wars, Apple,  Samsung, Microsoft, Nokia – they’re all at it – but is the whole intellectual property industry an anachronism of the past ?

Most technical innovation takes place at such a rapid pace, & product life-cycles are so short,  by the time the dispute get’s to Court the product is obsolete.

Geography also plays its part with some countries immune to International legislation.

There is also a strong argument that resources currently deployed pursuing & defending IPR could be better & more effectively deployed in innovation itself.

What do you think ?

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Diamond geezer #business

The news today that Barclays CEO Bob Diamond has resigned has been greeted in many areas with unbridled euphoria. Those who blame “greedy bankers” for the current crisis are rubbing their hands in glee.

They may, however, be missing the point. All the talk about a culture of greed and lax morals is no more than politicians & moralist’s hot air.

If you put the kids in charge of the sweet shop then pull the blinds down and let them get on with it it’s not much of a surprise when you return much later all the sweets are gone & the shop is in disarray.

The current legislative framework is a result of persistent deregulation since the early 1980’s presided over by Labour & Tory and is the root cause of the Banking Crisis.

The system is broken & needs to be fixed.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Helping you to juggle sand #pmot

Sometimes Project Management can be like “juggling sand”, tasks to complete, schedules to meet, requests to be met etc etc

If your job seems like are constantly juggling sand here are some simple tips to help you cope:-

  • Keep a notebook – it doesn’t matter how good your memory is you will NEVER remember everything.
  • Make a TO-DO list and prioritize it.
  • Say NO – if you can’t do something by a certain time don’t pretend you can.
  • Offer an alternative, if you can’t do A could you do B instead ?
  • Delegate – if you have a team delegate tasks effectively.
  • Communicate – if Management asks you to do something keep them up to date with progress.
  • Be PROACTIVE, rather than reactive.
  • ANTICIPATE problems before they present themselves.
  • Manage your time – if its simpler to phone rather than visit someone then do that.
  • Follow up verbal requests with an email so you have a traceable record.
  • Be Assertive, don’t swallow more than you can chew.

If you have any more suggestions please share them by commenting below.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Jaguar Land Rover has a taste for Chinese #automotive

A new sales record of over 314k cars and profits of 1.5 billion GBP illustrate the success of British car maker Jaguar Land Rover and it’s innovative new products including the Range Rover Evoque which is selling like “hot cakes” at the moment particularly in China. In fact Jaguar Land Rover is opening a new dealership in China every week. China sales now represent almost 20% of the companies sales.

There is, however, another less publicised side to this story.

Since 2007 the British Pound  has devalued against the Chinese Yuan (or RMB)  by a whopping 56% as a direct result of the U.K Governments policy of Quantitative Easing. In March 2009 75 billion pounds was created electronically followed by another 200 billion pounds later that year. Further episodes of Q.E pumped a total of 325 billion pounds into the U.K economy, devaluing the pound & increasing exports.

It also goes a long way to explaining why foreign ownership of London property has increased 20% since 2009 & conversely why imported foodstuffs & other goods now seem outrageously expensive.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Great #design brings great results….#engineering

quashqai Recently released results from Nissan the Japanese automotive manufacturer illustrate how good product design leads to improved financial returns.

Nissan’s Net Profit was up a whopping 7% at 341.43 billion Yen and Turnover was also up 7.2% at 341.43 billion Yen.

This was largely based on sales of the distinctive Quashqai SUV in Europe.

Quashqai’s design team was  headed up by Stephane Schwartz who conceived the distinctive ‘bone line’ styling whilst thinking about Lean & Athletic images at his home in London. Nissan’s European design studio was put to work on the Quashqai at its base in Paddington London and the results are reflected in Nissan’s financial performance despite a strong Yen.

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Management by walking around…

Are you a Manager ? Do you spend all day glued to your screen ? Are you stuck in your “Ivory Tower” ? Are you far too busy to leave your office to walk around ? Think again….. In the book “In Search of Excellence” by Thomas J. Peters, Robert H. Waterman, Management By Walking Around or MBWA is described as “Getting management out of the office”. At United Airlines, Ed Carlson labeled it Visible Management or management by walking about. The Hewlett-Packard (HP) version of management by walking around” describes this technique as “marked by personal involvement, good listening skills and the recognition that everyone in an organization wants to do a good job.” Simply walking around is one of the most significant Management techniques you can employ, people feel valued that a Senior Manager has taken the time to get out and listen to her staff. “If you wait for people to come to you, you’ll only get small problems. You must go and find them. The big problems are where people don’t realize they have one in the first place.” – W. Edwards Deming Tomorrow get off your butt and have a walk around, you won’t regret it! chris@projectsguru.co.uk www.projectsguru.co.uk Follow projectsguru on Twitter View Chris Robinson's profile on LinkedIn

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Candid Camera………….#pmot #innovation

1st digital camera

1st Digital Camera

The recent news that Eastman-Kodak had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy created much derision around the fact that Kodak invented the digital camera back in 1975 but failed to exploit this achievement.

Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing & perhaps we should consider that back in 1975 Kodak had 90% market share of the conventional film market & the vast expansion of digital technology was difficult if not impossible to predict. In 1975 only a handful of hobbyists had a computer at home & most of these were incapable of displaying a decent colour image.

Innovation isn’t easy. Companies have to decide very carefully what to invest in & can spend many millions backing the wrong “horse”

One way to make this process easier is to capture the “Voice of the Customer” by carrying out carefully worded customer surveys, engaging the customer in online conversations via Social Media, having effective call centers  & by analysing customer return data. All of these activities can help organisations predict market trends.

The closer the supplier can get to its customers the better the chance of  Innovation success.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Dealing with difficult customers……..

angry customer

angry customer

Do you have to deal with some really “difficult customers” ?

The first question you should ask is “why is this customer being difficult ?”

Most customers are “difficult” because they are not getting what they want

in terms of product quality or delivery.

So here are some tips for Managing those customers:-

1) Understand what the customer wants – EXACTLY. Get them to spell it out in detail in a product spec.

2) Ensure that your product matches the customer spec.

3) If you hit problems which affect customer delivery or quality you need to be pro-active by:-

a) Keeping the customer informed – don’t take the ostrich approach & bury your head in the sand – arrange a regular conference call on a regular basis until any issues are resolved.

b) What is the contingency ? – is there any alternative you can offer the

customer until you resolve the issue.

c) Give them a timing plan detailing all activities associated with fixing

the problem – and keep it up to date.

d) Don’t bullshit the customer – maintain integrity by being open & honest,even if it feels painful doing so.

Taking a pro-active approach to managing customer expectations will pay off

in the long run as they realise that everyone has problems & the above approach demonstrates you are going the extra mile to solve their issues.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Why YOU need a Project Manager #pmot

project managersSome organizations think they can run projects without a Project Manager

They believe that they can save money by having an engineer or administrator do the project managers tasks.

Here are some reasons why they are wrong:-

  • All projects need managing.
  • Project Management is a skilled profession which requires years of learning and development.
  • A professional Project Manager understands how a project should be structured to ensure success.
  • She will plan the project to minimize overall timescale.
  • He understands how to get “stuff” done.
  • A Project Manager makes team members life “easy” by scheduling activities & dealing with the politics & administration of the project.
  • He understand conflict resolution and mediation.

So what is the likely outcome of trying to manage projects on the “cheap” :-

  • The project will be structured poorly if at all.
  • The timeline will be extended extensively.
  • The inexperienced individual trying to manage the project will become completely overloaded & unable to cope with their own tasks.
  • Rather than being cheaper costs will escalate out of control.
  • Key deliverables will not be met.
  • Customers expectations will be compromised.
  • The business will be irreparably damaged.

If you really want to save yourself money hire the best project manager you can get.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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