BPM made simpler
Posted in Change Management, Process Discovery, Process Improvement, Project Management on Dec 15th, 2011
Benefits of reflective listening: Lets the other reaslize he or she is heard, understood and supported and thereby helps the other stay in touch with others on the project. Gives the other feedback on what he or she said and how it came off. Lets the listener check the accuracy in hearing what the other [...]
Posted in Process Mapping on Nov 21st, 2011
At this time of year in the north east, I get ready to put the skis on again, as I have a weekend job as PSIA instructor. The ski industry in recent years, has become dominated by lessons for children and young adults, 80% of lessons are given to that group. So each year, at [...]
Posted in Change Management, Legal processes, Process Analysis, Process Improvement, Project Management on Nov 5th, 2011
Yesterday I had a long lunch with a great friend of mine from Sweden. Over the years we have set up new companies together, skied the slopes of New England, seen our families grow together. We have also been through some ups and downs, but have always stayed in touch. We have one of those [...]
Posted in Change Management, Compliance, Legal processes, Process Analysis, Process Discovery, Process Improvement, Process Mapping, Project Management on Nov 3rd, 2011
My mother used to chide me “Michael, self praise is no praise at all!”. When I congratulated myself on achieving something as a child; or if the truth be known, also as a adult. Well at the risk of invoking her comments from heaven, I will congratulate the team and myself on our first full [...]
Posted in Process Mapping on Oct 24th, 2011
I spent a good deal of time today on a support call to a company that had provided us with a USB based graphics controller which stopped working on Friday. I was down to 2 displays and was amazed at the impact on my personal productivity. When you do a lot of process work, or [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Oct 20th, 2011
I recently was at a meeting where someone outlined how we sometimes get off track and react negatively to situations. The presenter was talking about was Dorothy Day and a book called Tools Matter; while not in the arsenal of most Project Managers, I liked the way the information was presented. How thoughts affect us [...]
Posted in Project Management on Sep 29th, 2011
On occasions, I get to do some volunteer work in Prison. I visit a facility weekly in Massachusetts and have recently been running a Setting Goals program. There are always nuggets of wisdom that I come to expect come from these sessions; and this week I am running a workshop one improving our personal performance.
Posted in Org Charts in Visio on Aug 25th, 2011
Creating org charts can be a challenge, and it doesn’t take long before products like PowerPoint run out of steam when building and maintaining organizational charts. However, with a little preparation, charts can be created with Visio 2010 that are good looking, easy to maintain and can even be updated in Excel. Starting out We [...]
Posted in Process Mapping on Aug 18th, 2011
Naming your document collection guidelines Once you have gathered the relevant documents to a single location, or have created an index so everyone knows where they are, spend some time reviewing the naming conventions in use. Over many years of setting up new process centric document collections, our best practices for naming include: Be consistent. [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Analysis, Process Mapping, Project Management on Aug 15th, 2011
Last week’s blog had a number of interesting topics, from web publishing with Office 2010 to the use of SWOT analysis techniques in your BPM project. Hope you had a great weekend. Mike Cunningham Using the SWOT technique in your BPM project Posted in Change Management, Process Analysis, Project Management on Aug 12th, 2011 To [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Jul 19th, 2011
Most Wednesday evenings, I facilitate classes in at the local prison. This week we are introducing a new 4 hour class on Setting Goals. Because we do this frequently at the beginning of every BPM project, it’s been interesting to simplify this process for those that may have never done any systematic goal setting. In [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Mapping, Project Management on Jul 12th, 2011
To ensure that your BPM project is going to be a resounding success, or at least reduce the risk of failure as much as possible, use this check list. Ensure the business goals and benefits are agreed by management. Engage executive sponsorship for the project and keep them involved. If a budget is needed, make [...]
Posted in Process Analysis, Process Discovery, Process Improvement, Process Mapping on Jul 7th, 2011
Process maps have a lifecycle of their own, but is often not recognized by those authoring, reviewing or receiving them. Here is the cycle as we see it. For each step of the Lifecycle you may want to increase or reduce to the amount of information available to the audience involved. For example: Discovery of [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management, Uncategorized on Jun 30th, 2011
Someone recently made me ponder the difference was between being undefeatable and undefeated. Few of us go through, I could say none of us, go through life undefeated. We lose a battle, mess something up, come second in a two team game. It happens. Observers smarter than me, and all historians and psychologists I know [...]
Posted in Project Management on Jun 29th, 2011
Time keeps on ticking …ticking, ticking … into the future. A line from a Steve Miller song in the seventies. We look at time many different ways in our lives, quality time, down time, time management. There often seems like there is either not enough of it, or it’s poorly allocated. When we don’t have [...]
Posted in Project Management on Jun 22nd, 2011
Sometimes things just get out of hand. Often it just a series of mishaps or new and unexpected deadlines; at other times it appears that evil forces are at hand in the workplace. If you get really unlucky, some personal issues will add themselves in to the mix, a broken car, accident at home, or [...]
Posted in Project Management, Uncategorized on Jun 20th, 2011
Article first published as Obama IT Czar leaves D.C. for Harvard on Technorati. Will his successor follow his ambitious 25 point plan? After two and half years on the job, Vivek Kundra has resigned as Chief Information Officer of the United States government. No reasons were given, but the Harvard fellowship must have been attractive [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Mapping, Project Management on Jun 2nd, 2011
One of my favorite phrases to get people thinking is: There are only two variables in life: Time and How you use it But enough of the philosophy, we need a little more practical advice when it comes to time management. It is really irritating to see how some managers seem to be able to [...]
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