Author Archives: Sandie Kimball

Learning Lessons about Lessons Learned

Recently I attended a DFCI Project University project management class. I worried a little about what people might think about a staff member in the PMO attending a class on project management, especially since I teach several of the Project … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

I Hate Change

I Hate Change Every weekday morning for as long as I can remember, I’ve gotten up in the morning, made coffee, toasted a bagel, put peanut butter and jelly on it, and placed it in a plastic container so I … Continue reading

Posted in Knowledge Areas, Planning | 2 Comments

My Virtual Days at the Beach

I haven’t had enough vacation this summer. My week on the Cape just whetted my appetite for sunshine, sand, and seashells. But I also have a craving for food, housing, and a meaningful purpose in life. I don’t know of … Continue reading

Posted in Work Life Balance | 2 Comments

Death, Taxes, and Childbirth

“Death, taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them.” Gone With the Wind. I haven’t experienced death (yet) or childbirth (won’t happen), but like all of us, I have experienced taxes. Every year we receive a … Continue reading

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The pitfalls of British diplomacy (or “how to say what you mean but don’t be mean when you say it”)

As a project manager, I’ve learned that the average PM spends 90% of his/her time on communication. I’d like to think that over the years, my communication skills have improved. Whereas in past jobs I tended to speak in a … Continue reading

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Don’t Just Do Something; Stand There!

Last time I posted, I wrote about getting people to do things for you. Since then, I’ve been presented with some lessons about letting people do things for you. A few months ago I broke the wrist of my dominant … Continue reading

Posted in Productivity, Team | 3 Comments

The Currency of Gratitude

Do you ever find it difficult to get someone to do something for you? As a project manager, I find one of my greatest challenges is to get people who don’t work for me to do things for the project. … Continue reading

Posted in Communication, Motivation, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Breaking News

Isn’t your first broken bone supposed to happen when you’re a little kid doing something fun, like climbing a tree or riding a bike? Or at least when you’re an adult doing something worthy of bragging rights, like skiing or … Continue reading

Posted in Lessons Learned, Planning, Productivity | 2 Comments

A New Take on Old Habits

Most of us do things we wish we didn’t do (“bad habits”), and many of us leave undone things we think we should do (failure to develop “good habits”). Those many things crowd my mind every year when January 1st … Continue reading

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The Unrelenting Mobility of the Project Manager

If you look into my backpack on any given day, you will find a laptop, cell phone and chargers; ID badges for various buildings; an assortment of folders and notebooks; supplies for leading group exercises involving post-its, markers, and masking … Continue reading

Posted in Communication, Productivity | 3 Comments