On the Critical Path

Changing Habits

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Meagan Turner

Each year I set goals for self-improvement; whether it’s fitness, education, work goals, etc. As the year progresses, I take time to assess the goals. It’s June, half way through the year, time to check in.

Let me start by saying that changing habits is difficult, but it is possible. Each day is a series of habits strung together: the time we wake up, our coffee runs, gym schedule, our communications, and how we move through our day. I’ve read a good deal on changing habits, and the one thing that is consistent is: start small.

I think the most important lesson is to keep it simple and make your goals attainable. Start with a small habit you’d like to change and make a plan on how you’ll achieve it. Another helpful piece of advice is to start with 30 days.

One of my fitness goals was to get better at pushups; specifically to be able to do 30 without stopping. My gym had an interesting approach to get everyone motivated. The goal was for everyone to do 1000 in one month! So how did we approach this goal? We started by making each other accountable with a spreadsheet of all participants. This engaged some of the competitive personalities and also had us encouraging each other throughout the challenge. Each day had a goal, ~30 push-ups. You could do more, if you were so inclined. 🙂 Each day, participants would record the number of push-ups they did. Admittedly, when we first started, I couldn’t do all of them without stopping. But as the month went on, my endurance got better. I also got in the “habit” of doing them each day.

Approaching such a big goal (1000 pushups!!!) in this way made it attainable. I was able to accomplish two things during this challenge. 1.) I got in the habit of doing off-day workouts at home, and 2.) I can now do 30+ pushups now without stopping.

You can apply this example to other non-fitness goals. I now follow these steps in identifying and approaching habit changes:

Start small.
Keep yourself accountable.
Make a plan.
Write it down.
Stay positive.

Remember that we are all a work in progress. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle

Posted in Accomplishments | 1 Comment

. . . and if by chance we find each other . . .

Posted on April 30, 2014 by admin

Where do I begin? I, Tidy Heidi, moved to Holliston nine years ago, a week before my wedding. It was quite the adjustment for me and my stepdaughters. I went from a clean, well organized, tastefully decorated bachelorette pad to clutter and chaos. Dirty dishes were piled high until there were no more clean ones. This was the catalyst to get someone to unload, refill, and rerun the dishwasher. I learned that my husband would occasionally bribe the girls with money to get them to clean the kitchen. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

I kind of knew what I was getting into, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t attempt to pressure my new family into adhering to my standards – I needed to accept them “as is” and not try to change them, right? However, I overlooked one thing – as soon as the movers had carried the last box into the house, change was inevitable. Things were different. Instead of three, we were four plus one shy cat. The girls actually wanted a home they could be proud of, and they believed that I would make this happen.

If you think it is difficult to get your own kids to do chores, try being a stepparent. You have little or no authority. Add to this the ambivalence and often raw emotions that are part of the stepfamily experience, and you might imagine that I was facing one of the greatest “management” challenges of my life.

I am a project manager. I am accustomed to assigning tasks with little or no authority. How difficult can this stepfamily management be? You may be thinking, “Come on, Deb. You’re a PMI-certified, PMO project manager. Why can’t you figure this out?”

There were excuses from my step team – I worked today, I am tired, I am lazy (yes, an admission of guilt), I slept late, I am super busy. And there were promises – I’ll try harder, I’ll do it later. My husband (the business owner) was of little help. He reminded me that not everyone’s standards and priorities are the same. Kind of brought to mind a poster from the late 60’s. . .

Ick! It would be an understatement to say that I was never fond of that poster.

So with my business owner not on board, I turned to my executive sponsor, if you know what I mean. I’ll let you use your imagination as to who this might be. I was just about at the breaking point, and then it came to me – an honor system with a “Chore Tracker” spreadsheet.

Those of you who have worked with me know that I have at least one spreadsheet for every project. I introduced it by explaining, “With this Tracker sheet you get recognized for your contributions.” I also said, “I respect that at times you do have other things to do or may not be feeling well. With this system, you are not assigned to any particular task on any day or week, but over time, you can make sure it evens out.”

So up it went – at eyelevel on the refrigerator. . .

This simple chart changed my life. My stepchildren actually like it. One came home from work and said that while she was driving home, she was hoping that the dishes hadn’t been done yet, because she wanted to get her name up on the chart. On more than one occasion, I overheard them explaining it to their friends. They were kind of proud of it (don’t ask me why).

When one of them was really slacking off and had no good excuse, I decided to pivot the data and graph it (yes, I am an Excel geek). I posted the results on the refrigerator.

It was great! Displaying the data this way helped kick things up a notch and evened out the workload again.

It has been nearly one and a half years since the first sheet went up and I am happy to report that it still works well for us. I am absolutely not advocating that we stop using project schedules with tasks, durations, and resource assignments. It actually makes me shudder to think what my projects would be like if we had to run them with my honor system Chore Tracker. I am saying that oftentimes, people need someone to step forward and lead, providing them with structure and direction, and very important, they may need recognition and appreciation. There could be times when we project managers need to be creative and find ways to motivate people, to elevate morale, to keep project work moving forward. And when you do, when you find that sweet spot . . . it’s beautiful.

Posted in Communication, Motivation | 2 Comments

Flying – Then and Now

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Ron Munroe

I’m preparing for a vacation next week in the Caribbean. In planning trips like this in recent years, I’ve noted how different the logistics of air travel are now than when I used to fly a lot, years ago. Back then, it was a familiar routine, but lately, I’ve been flying less and I’m rusty. But I’ve been happy to learn that technology has made some aspects of air travel easier.

When I used to travel a lot for business in the 90s, I’d call our in-house travel agency to plan the trip. For personal travel, I would usually call an airline. In either case, I’d provide specific travel dates and times, and the agent would search for flights and offer a few options. After booking, the agent would send paper tickets and boarding passes by US mail. If it was a rush, the agent would Fedex them overnight, or I’d have to visit a local airline office to get them. In any case, it was a multi-day procedure.

Today, the tools for travel planning allow us to be our own travel agents. Travel sites and mobile apps make it easy to explore potential destinations, find the cheapest or quickest flight, and choose hotels that have earned the best online reviews, or look the nicest in photos.

The multi-day ticketing process of old now happens in minutes. After booking flights, the tickets are either emailed immediately or appear on your smart phone app. To board, the attendant scans the printed barcode or the one on your mobile app. It’s quick and easy. (Oh, except for checking bags and going through security. I only said some aspects of flying are easier.)

Technology has also helped to manage “issues” in flying. For example, dealing with canceled flights. I recall my worst canceled-flight experience in the 90s. I was flying to L.A. via Denver. The first flight arrived on time, but when I got to the gate for the second leg, it had been canceled. The lines to rebook were already huge. I joined one, but started calling the airline from my cell phone to try to reach an agent sooner. It took several attempts to even get past the busy signal. When I got through, the recording warned of a very long wait. After interminable minutes on hold, my phone was almost out of power. Since the line was along a wall, I was able to plug in my charger for a few minutes at a time at successive outlets. That kept it alive for a little longer, but eventually the line advanced beyond the last outlet and my phone lost power within minutes. So I ultimately had to wait until I got to the customer service desk. When I did, 20 minutes later, the better flights were full. I had to take a flight 6 hours later than my canceled flight. It was frustrating.

Although I have not had such a bad canceled flight experience since, I’ve noticed the tools are much better for managing it. Mobile apps will send an alert when your flight is canceled, for the earliest possible warning. You can research alternatives across all airlines and book it online without waiting in a line or enduring on-hold music. And it can all happen in minutes instead of an hour or more… after the battery runs out.

Have you found ways to improve your flying experience?

Posted in Planning | Comments Off

You Want Me to Put My Hands in There?

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Deb Cote

A couple Saturdays ago, I spent the morning at a pastry class with my husband. This experience was out of my comfort zone. I grew up in a home with a mother who prepared all meals for our family, and I married someone who not only wants to do the cooking, but is good at it. The years in between were filled with a diet consisting of frozen dinners, cereal, and ice cream. But this was a gift from me to him – something to do together – so I was game.

As someone who didn’t know that cooking was different from baking (they both happen in the kitchen and involve the oven), I admittedly struggled. But it was fun, casual, and involved a patient pastry chef. We made different cookies, cakes, and breads. We used machines. We learned from the instructor and each other. And we went home with lots of delicious treats to eat and share.

When I brought some to work, one of my team members asked, “So, can you follow a recipe now?” After a brief hesitation, I said, “Probably not.”

It’s not that I can’t follow instructions. But what I realized in class is that the terminology and tools are completely foreign to me. Within the first five minutes of class, another participant asked if we were going to “proof the yeast”. Huh? Who knew that “cream” was a verb? How do you add ingredients “in stages”? What’s a “drying agent”? Should residents have “hotel pans”? What makes a good piping bag? When do you make the leap from a single boiler to a double? When we were making the bread, we had to knead it. Now THAT I had heard of, although I didn’t know the technique. The helpful chef showed me how to flatten, *fold*, push, pat, etc. Not too difficult… I was baking!

Later, we were making meringue. The recipe called for us to *fold* powdered sugar into the bowl of ingredients. Well, I had just learned how to fold dough. I looked into the bowl of goop and asked skeptically, “You want me to put my hands in there?”

My husband edged away, pretending he didn’t know me.

I can follow software installation instructions. Reading an article on scheduling techniques doesn’t leave me scratching my head. Teaching project management concepts is a natural exercise. I’ve been educated and immersed in technology and project management, so the terminology and tools don’t make me curdle like overheated milk. But it’s important to remember that everyone I work with may not be as familiar. Defining terms, spelling out acronyms, demonstrating tools, and introducing common industry methodologies is a valuable practice.

Take the time at the beginning of assignments to understand your colleagues’ language and tools, and share yours. What are common terms used by Communications staff? What tools do Materials Management folks use? Which approaches do Learning & Organizational Development experts consider? How does Finance define various budget items? Starting from a common framework on projects with these teams benefits everyone. Teaching and learning some profession basics can save time and avoid misunderstanding.

That way, you might not find yourself staring frightfully at a Kitchen Aid, not knowing how to turn it on, let alone knowing when your mixture is “frothy”, “emulsified”, and “light”.

Posted in Communication, Learning | 3 Comments

Breaking News

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Sandie Kimball

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 paragliding? Having recently experienced my first broken bone (wrist) through the simple act of stepping from a carpeted to a tiled surface, I feel really ripped off. Aside from the obvious jokes (“You should have seen the other guy” or “I was desperate for some time off”), I couldn’t think of a single way to make this mishap seem cool or exciting.

My only thought was “I NEED this hand!” (it was the dominant one, of course). And I didn’t think about the fun stuff I needed it for, like kayaking, cross-stitching, or guitar playing. I thought about work. How was I going to do my job without my right hand for six to eight weeks ?

The answers to this question were many and varied, but the underlying message was always the same: people are willing to help when I am willing to let them.

The first day, while still under the delusion of omnipotence and the influence of pain killing medication, I told my manager and project team members that this wouldn’t change my work schedule. All I needed was dictation software and the ability to conduct meetings from home for a couple weeks. I sounded so good that on the second day—the one known as “the day I hit the wall”—one of my project team members sent me a 26-page Microsoft Project file to edit. I had to say “uncle” and admit that I wasn’t fine.

This was a bitter pill to swallow for me as a project manager. Project managers are supposed to be in control. It’s amazing how out of control you feel when you are faced with less than full physical mobility and dexterity. You have to plan everything in advance, from deciding how to take a shower in the morning to figuring out what position to sleep in at night. I planned how to get to my medical appointments, open a cat food can, and get my arm through a sleeve. But I forgot to plan for being a fallible human being.

I had to send my team member to someone else to edit that document. I had to ask team members to take minutes for me, because recording meetings on WebEx was easy but transcribing them was hard. Even once I started coming back to the office, I had to allow teammates to get the conference calls going, pull up documents, and record action items. Occasionally I would reach for the mouse and realize I had literally given over control of the computer to someone else.

Did this mean I had given over control of the project? Not for a minute. Everything continued to get done. It turned out that asking for help (or in PM parlance, “delegating”) is an important part of planning and managing a project. I just hadn’t been forced into a position to learn that lesson before.

You don’t have to break a bone to learn how to delegate. Try asking team members to take turns taking meeting minutes, plan meeting agendas as a group, or make individuals responsible for certain documents. In most cases, the team will be happy to help and feel more invested in the project!

Posted in Lessons Learned, Planning, Productivity | 2 Comments

The Lemonade Stand

Posted on March 3, 2014 by David Pesta

Does anyone remember this episode of “The Office”? Oscar discovers a $4000 budget surplus and tries to tell Michael that they must spend it right away or lose it in next year’s budget.

After describing the surplus in standard business terms, Michael is confused. He tells Oscar, “Explain to me as if I were 10 years old.” Oscar gives him the same rundown, but with simpler words. Michael still does not understand. He tells Oscar, “Ok, now explain it to me as if I were a 6-year-old.”

Oscar then describes a whole scenario where Michael has a lemonade stand and his parents give him $10 for lemons, cups, and sugar. But he only ends up spending $8 on that stuff, and so on. Even if you have never seen this episode, you get the idea. After hearing Oscar’s brilliant lemonade stand metaphor, Michael completely gets it.

That is a really funny scene, but it also illustrates the power of metaphors. There is great potential to connect and communicate with people using tools like metaphors, examples, and analogies. As a trainer, I tend speak this way from time to time. It’s a habit that developed from watching learners struggle with a new idea or process that seems totally alien.

“This database is just a big toaster. The bread goes in, toast comes out, that’s all you have to worry about for now.”

By relating new concepts to something else learners already know, something familiar and not so scary, tensions ease, clear channels of communication open up. For the longest time, I thought this tactic was just a quirky but common sense way to help the folks I trained. But later I found out there is actual empirical research that supports this approach.

Cognitive Load Theory is an important recent development in the field of education. While in graduate school for Instructional Design at UMass-Boston, I studied this theory with great interest. Cognitive Load Theory describes how learning happens in the brain and in turn, how to maximize the effectiveness of learning. It suggests that true learning occurs when new information enters a limited Working Memory area and is successfully migrated to an unlimited Long-Term Memory area. One of the best ways to do this, according to Cognitive Load Theory, is to build upon existing knowledge.

That existing knowledge can take the form of lemonade stands and toasters. The advent of more sophisticated teaching mechanisms like case studies and practice examples are other ways to build upon what learners already know.

In some ways we are all teachers and we are all students, no matter what our job. So the next time you see someone having a Michael Scott moment, or have one yourself, think back on Oscar’s lemonade stand. And maybe you can invent a lemonade stand of your own.

Posted in Communication, Learning, Training | 1 Comment

Fail Lately??

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Meagan Turner

Samuel Beckett has a famous quote from his poem Worstward Ho that says:

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

What does that mean, fail better?

My interpretation is that without failure, without mistakes, you cannot grow. You will fail again but in a different way and that continuous learning process makes us better.

I made a mistake last week. (Gasp) I forgot to update an important piece of documentation to reflect a decision that was made in a previous meeting. It wasn’t a huge error, but it was large enough to cause a bit of confusion among some members of my team and we had to have an emergency conference call to alleviate any concerns. No one is perfect, mistakes happen. The first reaction to mistakes is often to find blame; to blame yourself or to blame others. Instead of finding blame, it’s better to acknowledge the mistake, find a solution, and recognize the lesson.

The key for me is to learn from those gaffes and find ways to avoid making the same errors repeatedly. Instead I make different (better?) mistakes and continue that learning process. My lesson from the above error is to be more thorough at updating my project documentation to better reflect our decisions, and to make those updates right away. Plus, if I dare to look for the positive side of this situation, I would say it proved that my project documentation is used by members of my team and they find value in it.

How have you failed lately? Want to share the lesson?

Posted in Lessons Learned | 1 Comment

The “Go-Live” Weekend

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Ron Munroe

Large IT projects often culminate in a step referred to as “go-live” in which the new or upgraded computer system goes LIVE, meaning the software is installed and working on the computers, and users start to actually use it every day. One of my projects just recently reached this go-live step after a year of preparation. Because it is a big computer system with hundreds of users, it required a 3-day weekend to perform all of the tasks needed to upgrade to the new version of the software and then go live on the Tuesday morning after the 3-day weekend.

Now that the weekend is over and the dust has settled, it strikes me how different go-live weekend was from the rest of the project.

For most of the project, tasks were measured in days or weeks. Go-live weekend, however, was much more tightly choreographed; tasks were planned and tracked by the hour.

For most of the project, resources worked on tasks that were typical of his/her role, and during 8-hour days and 5-day weeks. During go-live weekend, things were much less structured. People pitched in on whatever tasks needed to be done, whenever they were needed. For example, some radiation therapists helped to install software, and a director performed data entry and configured the software to get it working. For most everyone, go-live days were long; some worked from early morning to late at night.

For most of the project, communication was regular and targeted. Meetings were held weekly and status reported every 2-4 weeks. If a problem occurred, it was discussed with the few people who would be most apt to be helpful. On go-live weekend, communication occurred often and was broadcasted. Email updates were sent after key tasks were done, sometimes multiple times per hour. And if a problem occurred, people conversed via an email thread that went to EVERYONE working on the project, to everyone who could possibly help. (Between the vendor and us, over 100 people worked over the go-live weekend.)

For most of the project, the work is planned with the right amount of resources and executed at a sustainable pace over many months. For go-live, the planning is even more tightly coordinated, but with extra resources (just in case) and executed at a frantic pace because it all has to get done in that one weekend!

The average person does not look forward to go-live weekends because they are long, tiring, and stressful. However, the successful go-live marks the end of the project, which the team has been working toward for months. It delivers the result for which the project was designed and provides a great sense of accomplishment. But because it is also so very different from the rest of the project, with long hours, spirited collaboration, and selfless “pitching in”, it can also be exhilarating. That was my experience, and I will look forward to the next one – but not yet!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Requesting quiet . . .requesting quiet . . .

Posted on January 29, 2014 by admin

I live in a charming New England town in Metro West where on a good day my commute takes an hour and twenty minutes each way. The commuter rail segment takes approximately 50 minutes and I use this time to read or get caught up on work. It is “my time”, that is, if I get a seat. We riders of the commuter rail suffer many, shall I say, disappointments, but for me, it is usually better than sitting in traffic.

Gripe #1 Please forgive me, but I am using this morning commute of “my time” to blog about things that bug me about the MBTA. Okay. Here I go. I can’t understand how the MBTA can be so inconsistent with how they handle communications. Is it that difficult? You can subscribe to an alert system that sends a message to your phone if a train is delayed or cancelled. Seems like a great idea, however, often the message is late or never arrives. Why bother with the alerts? I know that I could unsubscribe, but I keep thinking it will improve.

Communication should be timely. “Oh. Hey. Look out for that hole! Oops. I meant to tell you sooner.”

Gripe #2 Typically, I ride in the “quiet car”. Occasionally, you’ll see a small card tucked where the tickets go. The card explains that you are seated in the quiet car and suggests that you should move to another car if you need to talk. Other times, an extra loud announcement at each stop says, “If you’d like to ride in the quiet car, please go to a car at the end of the train.” When a train is too crowded, sometimes the conductor will apologetically announce that due to heavy ridership, there will be no quiet car. Most often, they say nothing. I am sure that I am not the first person who has been shushed by a fellow passenger or even by the conductor.

Why can’t the MBTA be consistent with communication? Perhaps they spin a dial each day and depending on where it lands, they decide if, how, and when to communicate about the quiet car.

Gripe #3 There is another side to this commuter rail communication coin. I have learned to avoid sitting next to a particular woman who insists on chatting up a storm in the quiet car. As a matter of fact, there she is, across the aisle and three rows down and there she goes again. Hmmm. I see fellow passengers looking up from their reading, pausing, and then turning their heads to see who is violating the quiet car rule. I wonder how long it will take before someone tells her to pipe down.

A few weeks ago, I was unfortunate enough to sit next to Gabby Jo before I knew better. We started out whispering and I limited my participation to simply responding to her questions. Before too long, a woman in the seat in front of us turned and curtly reminded us that this was the quiet car. I was so embarrassed. Of course, I gave Gabby the benefit of the doubt and as we were getting off at Yawkey, I whispered, “I am so sorry. I should have told you it was the quiet car.” I was thinking that perhaps she didn’t know (see gripe #2 above). She stunned me with her reply – “I know it’s the quiet car. I just felt like talking.” I must ask – WHY ON EARTH DOESN’T SHE RIDE IN ONE OF THE OTHER CARS?! The fact is, I would have enjoyed chatting with her in any other car.

So this tells me that even if communication has been transmitted and received, it still may be ignored. What would you do? Would you say something to Gabby Jo?

Posted in Communication | 3 Comments

A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Deb Cote

I get A LOT of magazines. Last year I had a chunk of frequent flier miles that were about to expire, but not enough to earn a free ticket. I couldn’t bear to lose them, and the only thing the airline rewards program offered that I could use were free magazine subscriptions.

“You can’t even keep up with the 3-4 you get now,” my husband pleaded. But, I earned those miles. I wanted something for them. So now, our mailbox bows under the weight of the monthly and sometimes weekly issues delivered. And I have to read them all. Just as I didn’t want to waste the miles, I don’t want to waste the rewards of those miles.

One thing I’ve noticed is that January issues focus on simplifying and organizing. Note: I know this from previous years and from perusing the tables of contents. Because face it, with the number of magazines hitting my mailbox, I’m still catching up on how to frost Halloween cupcakes from the October issues.

Why do editors think we need organizing help in January? Do we have our ducks in a row all year, but once we flip the calendar page, we’re in utter chaos? Do our Christmas gifts not fit in our houses without restructuring? Does the physical mess the end of the year brings go way beyond pine needles left on the floor? Has our financial situation changed so much from December to January that we need to rethink our entire saving and spending strategy?

No matter what the reason, physical and mental clutter causes many people stress, myself included. So I’m in. I want to alphabetize my spices, shred paper until the recycle overflows, and label everything that doesn’t move with my P-Touch label maker.

Here are some general recommendations.

Start small. Cleaning out a spare closet can be so daunting that you never begin. Instead, tackle a junk drawer. I once spent over an hour cleaning out a BASKET! But I felt so good when I finished; it was like a burden had been lifted.
Don’t run out and buy storage containers and file folders. Although The Container Store is the Best Invention on Earth, you should start your organization project first, then decide what you need for storage. Otherwise, you won’t buy the right ones or the right amount, and they’ll become clutter themselves.
Have a party or just invite a few friends over. Nothing inspires me to clean and organize more than knowing people are coming over who might judge my piles.
Think about what you can do with the things you don’t want. Your trash really can be another person’s treasure. Can you sell it on eBay, Craigslist, or at a yard sale? Do you have a friend or family member who could use it? Can you donate it to charity? Can you post it on Freecycle? But remember, sometimes trash is just trash.
Consider organizing as a good habit instead of a chore that you need to do. Stop throwing things in that junk drawer. Avoid creating a file folder labeled ‘miscellaneous’. Don’t buy something just because it’s a good idea if you have no use for it right now. The piles won’t grow so fast and you won’t misplace as many things.
Make a plan. You knew I was going to say it! Think through why you want to get organized, what you want to tackle, when you want to start, how long it will take, who you need to enlist, how much it’s going to cost, and if you have any constraints. Maybe even put it down on paper. A good plan motivates and helps keep you on track.

I could list more detailed tips, but I’m interested in learning from others. Do you have any good organizing tips? Please share in the comments field. I promise to read them in between categorizing my magazines.

Posted in Motivation, Planning, Productivity, Time Management, Work Life Balance | 5 Comments