Issue 5 | Volume 1 | August 2010

How �green� is my Project?

Going Green The Medhira Way

The Medhira Way In this day and age, when the world economy has take a downturn, companies are facing slower growth potentials, world resources are shrinking, green has emerged as a color of hope and future growth. A substantially large portfolio of projects is building around the concept of conservation, green technology, and renewable energy as compared to the days when growth meant being larger, bigger, and more excessive. The concept of �going green� will not only reduce the world�s pollution rates and our dependency on nonrenewable natural resources, but also aid in the reduction of companies� bottom lines, thus helping companies attain stronger profit margins.

Project Managers

Although all of us may not manage a green technology or renewable energy-based project, we can all contribute by being green in our planning, executing, and the monitoring and controlling of our current projects and day-to-day lives.

WAYS TO GO GREEN
    Use PMBOK terminology
    • Miscommunication is a huge barrier in attaining project results and success. One of the ways to reduce miscommunication is to use standard terminology for communications. The PMBOK� provides a great source of standardized terminology that is specific to project execution and documentation. Using standard terms reduces rework and sets the right expectations.
    Use project management templates
    • Templates serve as a glossary, provide project/product structure, standardize requirements of a process/technique, provide ease of use, and ensure consistency and uniformity. They also act as a checklist, making it easier to review/audit, and ensure that quality is built-in. Another big advantage is that they reduce the learning cure across multiple projects. Ultimately, template use results in cost savings, time savings, and resource savings while improving quality, reducing rework, and improving morale. A good recommendation is to be clear and concise in content, reduce margins to eliminate extra sheets. In many cases, where appropriate, a good template need only be 1 page!
    Use project-specific templates
    • Project communications are essential for managing stakeholders. To create an instant familiarity, use project logos, signature files, and structures to expedite the communication process across project stakeholders.
    Use project archives
    • Keeping good records of past and present projects means not having to recreate documentation repeatedly. Use of prior documentation reduces time spent for reviews, planning projects, reestablishing scope and quality parameters, thus reducing energy, time, and resource cost.
    Use environmentally friendly materials
    • Recycle paper which has been printed on one side as scrap paper. Buy paper with at least 50% recycled content. Use white boards and vegetable-based pens and ink. Stock your office with environmentally friendly cleaning products and supplies (light bulbs, energy saving computers and machines). Use sustainable furniture. Reduce waste by purchasing supplies in bulk containers.
    Donate excess supplies
    • Unused materials, old computers, promotional items from conferences, old office furniture can be donated to charities, schools, and other needy organizations
    Use common sense conservation
    • Turn off computers, lights, and other electronics when leaving the room/office
    • Think before you print � and if you do, print double-sided
    • Reduce the number of handouts
    • Use heat, air conditioners, and fans conservatively (open a window if possible!)
    • Request that colleagues use mugs/reusable cups while in the office
    Personal tips
    • Lose weight and feel great!
      • Take the bike to work � build up those calves!
      • Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalators
    • Give away leftover food and decorations from office meetings, parties, etc
    • Design a GREEN REWARDS program for your project

Who knows � maybe the next PMBOK will include a �green� responsibility requirement for project managers!

Considering PM templates?

Need to improve your skill set, visit www.medhira.com to learn about our workshops

Small Business Management PM Strategies:

Why Using Project Management Techniques is Essential to Small Business Success

- Luke Luckett, PMP

Any small business owner knows the familiar struggle between creating the newest and best products and services, and keeping core business offerings intact � an idea commonly known as �The Innovators� Dilemma�. Finding the balance between the newest and the safest can be a tricky task, but many small businesses have discovered that project management can, and does, help in this way. Whether your staff count is 2, 8, or 10, your team members should use proven best practices from the field of project management to enhance daily meetings and tasks.

Establishing a customized project management system can help in many areas, especially with regard to project communication and project scope. This includes creating standard forms and using change requests to document what�s been moved, added, or deleted.

Understanding the basics around the sender-receiver model, feedback, and the differences in delivery between formal and non-formal communication is essential for anyone in a professional setting. Employees of small businesses should be encouraged to understand these tools of communication, which will allow them to make their ideas known and their questions answered.

The perception that large businesses have too much �red tape� and requirements to obtain approval is a common one, but the reasons behind such �red tape� are inherently good. Paperwork that clearly states objectives, challenges and opportunities, mission and goals, timelines, and cost parameters will help to keep stakeholders on the same page for both large and small businesses.

If your business has 5 full-time employees, chances are that they are each busy working on different functions each day. Establishing a standard set of forms and templates for all projects, such as a charter, change request form, and performance report for regular distribution can encourage an environment where tracking is adhered to and planning comes naturally.

Small businesses are often faced with a number of �top-priority� projects for a small staff to focus on. It is essential to make sure that projects that receive the most attention are also the projects that meet strategic goals. By understanding the importance of scope from a business owner�s perspective, a project manager can quickly evaluate a project�s requirements, business needs, and strategic importance to the company�s overall goals.

In the end, common project management techniques establish good communication practices, an understanding of a project�s strategic importance, and form the basis for business success.

Medhira Enterprises helps business of all sizes with project management consulting & training services � let us know what we can do for you!

Fun With Project Management

The Perfect Team Member?

1 Bob Smith, my Team Member, can always be found
2 hard at work at his desk. He works independently, without
3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never
4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and always
5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended
6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
7 breaks. Bob is a dedicated individual who ha absolutely no
8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
9 knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be
10 classed as an asset employee, the type which cannot be
11 dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be
12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
13 executed as soon as possible.

Addendum:
That idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly re-read only the odd numbered lines.

Teamwork: Painting the Swimming Pool

The computer says I need to upgrade my brain to be compatible with its new software

Man Questioning

Buzzwords for Managers

COLUMN I COLUMN II COLUMN III
--------------------- -------------------- ---------------------
0. integrated 0. management 0. options
1. heuristic 1. organizational 1. flexibility
2. systematized 2. monitored 2. capability
3. parallel 3. reciprocal 3. mobility
4. functional 4. digital 4. programming
5. responsive 5. logistical 5. scenarios
6. optional 6. transitional 6. time-phase
7. incremental 7. projection 7. synchronized
8. compatible 8. third-generation 8. hardware
9. futuristic 9. policy 9. contingency

The procedure is simple. Think of any three-digit number; then select the corresponding buzzword from each column. For instance, number 257 produces "systematized logistical projection", a phrase that can be dropped into virtually any report with that ring of decisive knowledgeable authority. No one will have the remotest idea of what you're talking about, but the important thing is that THEY ARE NOT ABOUT TO ADMIT IT!

Medhira�s Latest Offering:
Products to improve your knowledge

PMP�/CAPM� Exam Readiness Kit:

Need materials to help you prepare for PMP� / CAPM� Exam? The first 50 ho mention MEPMPSet1 in the request for 200 PMP�/CAPM� Question Solution Set will get the materials Free

Free Webinar:

"Different People, Different Strokes: The Power Use of Communication Styles", August 31st, 2010, 9PM, US Eastern Time, 1 PDU

Message From The President

Eight Years And Beyond

Dear Colleagues, Business Partners and Friends,

This fifth edition of Project Medhira is dedicated to my team. They helped bring to life a goal that I had long considered and that my mentors, Edward Bobrow and Walter Vieira, had urged me to manifest: To publish the tools that I had been working on for many years. We have successfully published our first set of 200 PMP�/CAPM� Questions with Solutions and a grading system, which is especially designed to provide exam readiness insights. Another set is on the way. Our plan is to publish three sets this year along with my �way� of learning the practice of project management which also supports the effort to pass the credential exams.

I also dedicate this newsletter to Rita Mulcahy, PMP� who is an inspiration to me and so many others. Her passing away earlier this year was a shock for me. It has increased my determination to write and to live a purposeful life.

We started our business in 2002 during the last recession and now as the world is recovering from another recession, the need for project management is stronger than ever. Project managers are micro-level CEOs who can turn their company around by managing their resources effectively, efficiently, and ethically.

We, at Medhira, are ever ready to help you with your career and business needs. Individuals and companies from around the world seek us for project management and operational excellence expertise that adds value to the bottom line. We appreciate your trust in our abilities and thank you for your continued support.

Our workshops are offered in New York, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Port Louis.

We appreciate your calls, referrals, and especially your requests to collaborate for success.

Anita Dhir
CEO ⁄ President
August 2010

PMP®/CAPM® Acknowledgements Got my PMP!

� Aruneesh Salhotra, PMP�
� Jaechan Yang, PMP�
� Kristin Grimm, CAPM�
� Luke Luckett, PMP�
� Manuel Lopez-Tarre, PMP�
Congratulations

Did you take one of our PMP® Exam Prep Courses? Have you achieved your PMP®/CAPM® Certification recently?

Tell us about your success. Visit www.medhira.com and provide us with your information.

Join our growing number of certified project managers!

MEDHIRA�S PM MODEL FOR SUCCESS�

Project Management: Is a systematic, disciplined approach to attaining success for yourself, your company, and your clients.

Approach: Is as simple as following the steps laid out by Medhira�s PM Model for Success.

Traits: Remember to be realistic, visionary, dedicated, creative, loyal and appreciative of success.

MEDHIRA’S PM MODEL FOR SUCCESS

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Medhira Enterprises, collaborating for success

Medhira Enterprises, a New York based firm with presence in India and Mauritius, provides consulting and training service in project management and operational best practices. We collaborate with our global clients to strategically improve their overall business performance. Our customized solutions are based on innovative and proven best practices highlighted in PMI (R), ISO 9000, and SEI CMM guidelines that are targeted towards achieving your growth and excellency objectives.

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Contact us at: info@medhira.com or +1 (718) 340 8465
or +91 9920394438

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