Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Reality Some Projects Will Always Fail

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Reality Some Projects Will Always Fail Most people with project management experience are familiar withCobb’s Paradox. The term was coined when Canadian Martin Cobb was serving as secretary of the treasury board in the mid-90s and famously asked the question: “If we know why projects fail and we know how to prevent their failure, why do they still fail?” In his recent article forExecutiveBrief.com, director ofRisk Doctor and PartnersDavid Hillson commented: “This sounds good, but is it really possible? And is it even desirable? Do we want to limit the scope and ambition of our projects to only those that we are certain can succeed? Or will this reduce innovation, creativity and appropriate risk-taking? A spectator at a recent Cirque de Soleil performance was heard to say:‘I want to see them do things that they can only do half the time.’Isn’t this what everyproject sponsoror portfolio manager should be saying? In fact, this is exactly what I’ve always claimed abouttrue innovators. They throw a bunch of ideas against the wall and watch to see if one sticks. They fully expect that most of their projects will never see the light of day â€" it’s just part of the process. But then when one does stick, it’s wildly successful, so it’s worth all the failures it took to get there. Hillson said that understanding how to prevent failure cannot and should not prevent it from happening. In addition to the innovation argument, he mentions several rationales that I’ve paraphrased here: All projects are risky Uncertainty is built into every projectbecause each one is unique and complex, based on assumptions and dependencies, and involves fallible human beings. Although the degree of risk might vary, the zero-risk project does not exist. This means that the probability of success for any project is less than 100 percent. Most projects include unmanageable risk We aim to manage risk in our projects, but risk management can never be 100 percent effective. As a result, some unmanageable risks will occur on every project, challenging our ability to meet schedules, budgets or performance requirements. While obviously not the ideal scenario, on some projects, the effect of unmanaged risk will be so significantthat these projects will fail. For more on why some projects will always fail, check out the full post on Intuits Fast Track blog.

Tips On How To Write A Music Resume

Tips On How To Write A Music ResumeWriting music resume is quite easy if you follow a few guidelines. To be able to write music resume, you need to know the elements that you should put into the required fields. It is very important to write it using a structured format.In order to write music resume, the first thing that you need to do is to decide what kind of music you are interested in. You can have a variety of musical backgrounds, but each background has its own significance. If you want to write music resume for your passion, you will have to put music education as one of the items that you need to include. Music education might include the following types of courses, which are necessary to be covered on the resume:An online music degree may also be included on the music resume. You can submit the music degree you have earned from an accredited school or university. It is important that you do not include courses that have been completed by correspondence. The objective of you r music resume is to highlight your accomplishments and give a brief history of the music industry.There are many web sites available where you can find some examples of music resumes. You can visit these sites to help you in writing music resume. These sites can be helpful in giving you ideas of the things that should be included in your music resume. They also give examples that you can use in your music resume.If you want to be sure about the validity of your music resume, you should always use a professional writing service. You can ask someone from a professional writing service to help you in writing music resume. Professional writers know how to write a music resume. These services usually charge some fee for their help.Some people who are having trouble with writing music resume do not bother trying to hire a writer. For them, the best way is to get help from a tutor. The tutor can provide you with examples of music resumes and help you in writing it. It is up to you to choo se the appropriate one.Writing music resume is not an easy task. You need to make sure that you cover all the required information. Make sure that you put in all the required information. You need to make sure that you stick to the requirements of the resume that you are writing.This article has given you some tips on how to write a music resume. Always try to avoid using any loopholes in writing music resume.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese What We Can Learn From the Miami Dolphins Debacle

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese What We Can Learn From the Miami Dolphins Debacle The story surrounding the Miami Dolphins and whether Richie Incognito bullied rookie teammate Jonathan Martin has more drama than seven years of Sex and the City and may drag out in the tabloid magazines for just as long. But underlying all the accusations, rumors, opinions and jokes about the Miami Dolphins isa leadership lessonthat all organizations should heed: When leadership loses control of the culture, it erodes trust, commitment and positive results. Sounds fairly simple, but the Dolphins arent the only ones to get it wrong. So, its time for another play-by-play of how such debacles can be avoided at other organizations: Dont hand off the culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening, says Edgar Schein, professor at MIT Sloan School of Management.Former Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smithskewered the toxic culture of the company in theNew York Times, calling it destructive and saying he could no longer in good conscience say that I identify with what it stands for. Martin reportedly sent Incognito a text after the controversy erupted that said, Its insane bro but just know I dont blame you guys at all. Its just the culture around football and the locker room got to me a little. As former IBM CEO Louis Gerstner said, The thing I have learned at IBM is thatculture is everything. This may be something the Dolphins leadership needs to think long and hard about. Deliver a consistent message.There are reports that other football teams didnt believe Incognito to be leadership material, but thats not really important at this point. What is important is that once leaders choose someone to help them deliver the cultural and leadership message, they must always ensure that the message is (read the rest here)

3 Resume Secrets Worth Stealing From Da Vincis CV

3 Resume Secrets Worth Stealing From Da Vincis CV Back in the middle ages you still had many of the same career challenges that you have today. You could have been the worlds finest painter, mason, or philosopher, but you still had to convince someone to pay you for it. After all, the Duke of Buckingham was probably busy knighting lords and you didnt have the luxury of sending him a link to your online portfolio. Oh and dont even think about hauling over one of the statues you sculpted in his image, those things are heavy. So what could you do to get a job back then? The same thing you do today, write the good old trusty, centuries old resume. And if you dont believe thats what they did, then heres a picture of Leonardos resume for your own eyes. Why Would Leonardo da Vinci Need a Resume? Ill share the translation in a second but I thought, now might be a good time for a little history lesson as to why Leonardo was even writing a resume in the first place. Its common knowledge that Leonardo had a lot of talents.   But one of the talents he made a living off of was designing weaponry for the noble folk.   Think of him like a medieval Tony Stark.  And so it came to pass that Leonardo came to writing the resume depicted above.   Which was his resume to become the weapons artificer for the Duke of Milan. Leonardo da Vincis CV Translated Heres what his resume translates to. “Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below. 1. I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy. 2. I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions. 3. If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock, etc. 4. Again, I have kinds of mortars; most convenient and easy to carry; and with these I can fling small stones almost resembling a storm; and with the smoke of these cause great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion. 5. And if the fight should be at sea I have kinds of many machines most efficient for offense and defense; and vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes. 6. I have means by secret and tortuous mines and ways, made without noise, to reach a designated spot, even if it were needed to pass under a trench or a river. 7. I will make covered chariots, safe and unattackable, which, entering among the enemy with their artillery, there is no body of men so great but they would break them. And behind these, infantry could follow quite unhurt and without any hindrance. 8. In case of need I will make big guns, mortars, and light ordnance of fine and useful forms, out of the common type. 9. Where the operation of bombardment might fail, I would contrive catapults, mangonels, trabocchi, and other machines of marvellous efficacy and not in common use. And in short, according to the variety of cases, I can contrive various and endless means of offense and defense. 10. In times of peace I believe I can give perfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings public and private; and in guiding water from one place to another. 11. I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may. Again, the bronze horse may be taken in hand, which is to be to the immortal glory and eternal honor of the prince your father of happy memory, and of the illustrious house of Sforza. And if any of the above-named things seem to anyone to be impossible or not feasible, I am most ready to make the experiment in your park, or in whatever place may please your Excellency â€" to whom I comment myself with the utmost humility, etc.” via Business Insider Unlocking the Da Vinci Code One of the beauties of reading Da Vincis resume is to see how a genius marketed himself before templates, photoshop, and other tools were created to craft the perfect resume.   And what would a resume look like, if we stripped it bare of all the handed down practices that have led up to the fairly typical modern CV? Lets find out. Secret #1 Market Towards Your Dukes Needs Before ever working for Ludovico il Moro, the Duke of Milan, Leonardo was already well accomplished. He had painted the altarpiece for the Chapel of St. Bernard, he was a qualified master at the Guild of St. Luke by the age of 20, and had already crafted several works of art and war that were well renown. So why doesnt he mention any of this?   Because it wouldnt serve the duke. Sure, all those accomplishments make Da Vinci look impressive, but how would it help Ludovico? So instead of talking about himself, Leonardo spoke about what he could do for the duke.   And he didnt just do this in a simple prose fashion. He made a list.   Like what you would read on the magazine stand while checking out groceries. And if you were a duke of the Renaissance period, wouldnt you like   mortars that fling stones resembling a storm, vessels which will resist the attack of the largest guns and powder and fumes, and weapons that engulf smoke causing great terror to the enemy, to his great detriment and confusion? Lesson: Instead of just listing your accomplishments from all of your previous job experiences, consider listing how you could use those skills to help your future employer. Secret #2 Whats Your Peace Time Strategy? Today we live through times of economic boom and decline. The medieval equivalent were times of   peace or war. So how could a weapons artificer convince a duke to keep him employed during times of peace? Leonardo Da Vinci didnt want to fall victim to the Renaissance equivalent of a recession, so he made a case of how his talents could benefit the duke in peacetime as well. In times of peace I believe I can give perfect satisfaction and to the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings public and private; and in guiding water from one place to another. I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may. Lesson: Businesss are likely to require more from employees these days.   What assets can you provide a company in slow or fast times?   Are your services only useful if they are busy?   Or can you help them do more even in slow times? Secret #3 End With A Demonstration These days its hard to take a resume for its word.   And Im sure many people may have felt the same way about what Da Vinci was capable of. So to ease any concerns the duke might have, Da Vinci left him an offer to demonstrate his services.   If Ludovico wanted a trebuchet built in his park to test Da Vincis skills, Leonardo would be there. Lesson:   What can you do to prove yourself to a potential employee?   Designers, photographers, and artists often put together a portfolio of their work online.   Could you do something similar?

Writing a First Resume: Everything You Need to Know

Writing a First Resume: Everything You Need to KnowWriting a first resume is not difficult to do, but there are several things that need to be taken into consideration. First of all, it is important to understand that most employers will go through the process of making sure that the resume that they are hiring has been written correctly. They want to make sure that the person applying for the job is able to write a resume that will benefit them in their decision of hiring someone for the position. It is also important to know that people with previous employment experience can use their previous employment experiences as a great way to get hired for a new job.The next thing that you need to consider when writing a resume is your name. This is important because if the company or the employer gets a resume that has incorrect spelling or incorrect names the first impression could be very bad. This is why you need to take some time to learn about how to write a professional looking resu me. There are a few ways that you can do this and they include using a spell checker or a spell check.There are a lot of people who do not have a lot of experience and their resumes can be riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes, but the fact is that this is not going to be seen by the potential employer. Therefore, if you are new to the field then it would be a good idea to get some practice in writing a resume. By practicing your resume and using a spell checker you can build up your skills in this area and will be prepared when you actually need to present a resume to an employer.Another way that you can get practice in this area is to use a particular service on the internet. This type of service is called an online writing service. By using this service you can send a resume for free. All you have to do is put in your information and the site will help you find the appropriate resume.Writing a resume that is right for the company is something that you should think about if y ou are going to apply for a job. You should write a resume that is professional looking and one that are going to give the company a good impression about you. It should be able to show that you have knowledge of the job and can show that you are professional. There are a lot of skills that you can show by writing a resume and these include not only knowing the company, but knowing the job that you are applying for.The reason that the resume needs to be professional is because it is going to be the first thing that the potential employer sees. It is a very good idea to make a good first impression because this can help to establish that you are professional. Remember that there are a lot of people who do not have a lot of experience in the job market. For them it is essential to try to get a good impression about themselves before they even think about sending out an application.If you are thinking of trying to use an online service to write your resume then make sure that you first check to see if they allow students to submit resumes. If they do allow you to submit your resume online then make sure that you use a professional website. While writing a resume using a personal website can be okay, you want to make sure that you choose a professionally written resume. This is because using a resume that is not professional is a real danger to the job applicant.Lastly, when you are writing a resume that is going to be used by an employer to determine whether they want to hire you or not you want to make sure that you focus on your strengths. Do not try to cover anything that is not going to serve you well at your future job. Instead, focus on what you have done right and what you can do to help the company.

Writing Resume For a Registered Practical Nurse

Writing Resume For a Registered Practical NurseWriting a resume for a registered practical nurse is not as difficult as you may think. This type of job requires a great deal of research and preparation.The person that you are looking to apply to the medical field has a number of requirements. One of the most important is to be able to prove that you have had training in nursing. Since this is a profession that is in need of qualified people, it makes sense to demonstrate what you have been taught during your education. Some basic coursework can do the trick.While it is still important to have at least some course work and training, you should be working towards getting licensed before you start thinking about applying for jobs. You will also need to make sure that you meet the requirements for being accepted into a specific program. There are a few places you can look for when it comes to completing your education. You can take classes through a community college or vocational school . If you are self-motivated, you may wish to consider an online course, where you can meet other like-minded people.While completing your course work is a good idea, you should make sure that it is taught by an accredited institution. The degree from a university will usually be recognized throughout the country, and this will make it easier to find employment. Many schools offer continuing education credits, which are intended to help prospective students achieve a higher standard.It is a good idea to complete some internship and/or volunteer work. You will not find as many openings in the nursing field as you would in other fields, but there are a number of organizations that do need people to work in the field. The association has several different types of organizations that offer various types of employment, such as: Rotary clubs, civic organizations, health clinics, the military, and others. Mostof these groups will offer a formal internship in exchange for volunteering time.Y ou should also take some time to complete your personal life. Since you will be dealing with patients regularly, it will be in your best interest to include any achievements, either professional or personal. You can discuss the achievements on your application and include a work history that will help you land that dream job.Because the job description for RN requires you to work in a variety of settings, it is beneficial to list all of your skill sets on your resume. Remember that the most important thing to do when preparing a resume for the RN career is to keep it as concise as possible, while providing enough information to help you get the job.The most important aspect of a resume is your communication skills. Being clear and concise in your speech is essential to the success of your application. Look online for tips on how to write a resume for a RN.

Beware the Chip on Your Shoulder

Beware the Chip on Your Shoulder Are there certain questions you hate being asked? Or comments that set you on edge and make you feel defensive, angry, frustrated or all of the above? Maybe it’s “How’s the job search going?” or “When are you going to get married?” or “Did you work out today?” Or perhaps it’s “How’s your business doing?” or “I’m surprised you weren’t invited to the offsite too.” For me, they started out being questions like, “Are you the younger sister?”, which made my 16-year old self upset for seeming less mature than my little sister. And “Are you going to be a doctor like both your parents?”, which out of rebellion was the one career path I was never ever going to take. These days, I’d love to be mistaken for the younger sister, and the questions that make me defensive are ones like, “Are you ready for Christmas?” which makes me feel like a Grinch and a bad mother because I’m not good at gift-giving. Everyone has a chip on the shoulder about something Whether it’s about age, status or something else, we all have a chip on our shoulder about something. It’s usually about being underestimated in some way and often centers around something you fear may be true. That’s what makes us so hyper-sensitive about it. So, while the specifics of what puts us in this defensive state will be different for each person, once we’re triggered, our basic instinct is the same â€" to protect ourselves from what we perceive as an imminent attack. The problem is that other people see the chip on your shoulder even when you don’t. We give ourselves away in what we say, how we say it, our facial expressions, and our body language. All of this can hurt you in at least three ways. How the chip on your shoulder can hurt you Vulnerable to detours When others can hijack your emotions, whether by design or by accident, it distracts your focus from your goals. It takes time to get over the emotion of being upset, and this acts as a detour that delays you from achieving your goals. Less effective When people know that you’re going to be defensive about a particular topic, it makes you less effective. They may avoid including you in the conversation if they know you’re going to be a roadblock on a particular initiative. Or worse yet, they’ll bypass you and isolate you from the decision-making. And if they’re afraid to talk to you because they don’t think you can have a rational conversation about the topic, your views won’t be heard and your perspective won’t be considered. Less credible Going into defensive mode can cloud your judgment and make you seem less than rational. It can also lead you to make poor decisions based on emotion and assumptions rather than good business judgment. Decision-making and judgement become more important as you grow in your career. So a perceived lack of credibility can prevent you from getting that next promotion or new responsibility. Three steps to change the situation The next time you sense yourself getting upset at a question or comment, take a moment to run through the following steps before you react. 1. Notice Notice when you start feeling defensive. Identify the first sign that you’re about to be triggered to react. Catching yourself in the act is the first step to managing your reactions. 2. Question Ask yourself “what’s making me feel this way?” and “will this serve me well?” Inserting this bit of rational thinking helps defuse the situation and acts as a circuit breaker so you can have a chance to choose a better response instead of reacting emotionally. 3. Replace Then, replace the defensive reaction with a more effective response of your choosing. It’s about reframing the situation as one that is not a personal attack, and allows you to look at the situation without feeling under threat. Then you can decide whether a more effective response could involve humor or greater rationality and logic. You could even decide that emotion is the right choice. But you’d be using emotion on purpose, not on autopilot. What does it reveal about you? The questions and comments that put you on the defensive are revealing. They highlight the areas where you feel vulnerable and uncertain. Where your emotion doesn’t match the situation, it’s time to get to work. When a question or comment puts you on the defensive, embrace it as an opportunity to learn about yourself. It’s like a giant neon arrow pointing at that topic that says, “dig deeper here”. Then use the steps above to learn and grow out of the vulnerable spots that will otherwise limit your progress. To truly get the most out of life, to enjoy it fully, and to fulfill your greatest potential, pay attention to those areas of vulnerability and treat them as growth opportunities. What’s the chip on your shoulder that’s worth working on, and how can you manage it better next time?

The Beauty of the Big Ole Brain Dump (or, How I Decided What to Take Off My Plate)

The Beauty of the Big Ole Brain Dump (or, How I Decided What to Take Off My Plate) Im finding my way, originally uploaded by knottednes found via kind over matter Even though yesterdays Tough (Question) Tuesday (What can you take off your plate?) was an easy one (compared to Do you believe in passion? Whats your definition of success?), it totally stumped me. I looked at it looked at it, hoping the answer would jump out of the screen show itself to me, all spooky word-jumble-by-a-ghost-style (like the letters of What can you take off your plate? suddenly form can of pea that would somehow tell me something). But nope. The Otherworld did not send my messages via my 7 year old computer (thats getting upgraded this week! Hurry up for spooky things, Ghosts. I know youre in here). Instead, I knew a Big Ole Brain Dump was gonna show me the way. Yup, Im about to share my process everything thats on the said daily/weekly/monthly (!) To Do list (despite the fact that maybe I shouldnt!). Hence, the Big Ole Brain Dump along with the estimated time that goes with each task, as I think itll help me sort through things: 7 group coaching sessions: 15 hours/week for sessions back end work 13 private client sessions (email phone): 15 hours/week for sessions back end work rewriting my Services copy with new packages pricing (forcing Luke into) updating it to go live (Note: Once it does, Im gonna be charging $99/session instead of $79. You better contact me now if youre thinking of working with me, cause theres no going back once that babys updated): 3 hours weekly Skype Boozin Brainstormin meetings with Jess Swift (for our top secret project!): 2 hours/wk because we force ourselves to stop gabbing. Otherwise, 84 hours/wk. writing copy for said top secret project: 3 hours/wk, ideally. monthly newsletter: 5 hours/month Spring all that goes with it (monthly calls, taping videos, communicating with collaborators, writing publishing posts, etc): 20 hours/month (approximately) 2 new written exercises/wk for group coaching sessions: 3 hours / wk Taking Flight content: 3 hrs/wk Running 3 mornings/wk: 3 hrs/wk weekly business building check-in/updates: 90 min/wk monthly finance reconciliations: 90 min/month daily Hootsuite/Twitter communication: 30 min/day blogging 3x/wk answering comments: 4 hrs/wk This doesnt include the project to do list that contains the e-book I wanna write researching/buying a scanner   going back to tag every blog post rolling over my 401K from my previous employer writing a Go Here First page on my blog you get the point. OK, so, this equals about 247 hours/month, or over 60 hours a week. Holy guacamole I never thought of it like that! No wonder Im overwhelmed! Not that Im looking to slack off or nothin, but having 30 hours/week of committed projects (sounds like Im in the nuthouse!) then about 15 hours/wk of uncommitted projects to work on along with about 10 hrs/wk of business building exercise stuff feels like the perfect balance. Right now Im at the committed peak just with my clients, not to mention Spring, this blog, my newsletter, Twitter, my Top Secret Project with Jess. Sigh. Those all seem equally as important, or just a notch of importance below my clients. I hafta interrupt this regularly scheduled program now to say how awesometastic this problem is. Its the bestest problem in the world because hallelujah it means that Im working. Amen kiss the ground. I dont want to look that gift horse in the mouth or be unthankful for it, so let me say it now: Thank you. If youre one of my fantabulous clients, Im grateful for you. If youre thinking of being one,   Ill make time/room for you. I think now its all about finding sticking to! my Life Design, whether its inspired by Heddy Lamar or not. See, there are Vampires in my head now, telling me that, if I block off my calendar limit myself to, say, only scheduling consultation calls on Fridays or only scheduling 3 client sessions per day that Ill never make it. Ill lose my audience, my clients, my livelihood my passion. Hes also telling me that Im supposed to be working hard now, super overtime, since I just started my business this is the only way to make it happen. But at the same time, theres a devil on my shoulder telling me to take time off, take care of myself, leave it all by the wayside. Why its a devil not an angel, I have no idea but there he is, all red fiery horn-y taunting me with self-care. Huh. The angel tells me to find the gray area. Keep up the hard work, but set the boundaries enforce them. Stop scheduling time to talk to people who want to be coaches (its so tough to say no to them!), and some other friends that clog up the calendar. Give yourself an hour a day of exercise or business building, but dont stress about doing both. Schedule your Me Time back into your calendar hold it tight. Remember youre setting this up to pull back in a year or two, but nowyou have the time the energy the enthusiasm use it. But keep that Wall in sight know when youre about to hit it, walk away. Its alright. Be your own best friend. There, there. I guess I didnt come up with 1 Concrete Answer of what to take off my plate, but I know what I want to keep on it: working with as many clients asll have me, but not extend myself more than 4 sessions each business day (and lets be honest waiting lists are cool) 90 minutes of Me Time each week an hour each day of exercise /business building/ journaling / creative time keeping up with Spring, the Top Secret project, my blog, newsletter twitter for 2 hours each day, but keeping it as a lower priority than my client commitments being nice to myself if I cant get to it working on uncommitted projects one by one (prioritize - pick one - finish it) for 2 hours each week This is about 40 hours/wk. No doubt Ill be working more than that, but Im definitely breathing easier with a clearer head. Aint that Big Ole Brain Dump a beaut? ************************************************************************************************************** Im gonna be workin hard on my July newsletter over the long weekend, with a super awesometastic discount, a brain busting article about passion, other goodies. Make sure youre on the list by subscribing here get my 21-page digital workbook for free! Get Danielle LaPorte’s Nuggets of Genius in your own home, on your own time.   The Digital Firestarter Sessions from my “cult leader” have launched! What’s your Joy Equation? Find out with Molly Hoyne’s Pay-What-You-Can-Afford Program!