Free Funding for IT Startups in Nova Scotia

Innovacorp has announced that it is offering up to $5,000 in funding for training for IT startups in Nova Scotia. The training needs to be incurred by March 31, 2018.

If you are interested, check out this link: innovacorp.ca/acceleration-initiatives/training-funds-it-start-ups.

Will Working on Projects Help You Be Less Stressed?

I was talking with a business manager the other day about organizing a presentation for her group. She said, "It's always so hectic around here, people aren't so organized. Let's see if they have time to attend the session."

I replied, "Well, there you go. Project management can help with that!"

How can working with a project mindset help with organization?

First, there's the defining of the project itself and its scope. What are we doing and not doing? Clarifying that will help keep focus and eliminate unnecessary efforts.

Then there's the schedule. What has to be done next? Can someone else do part of the work concurrently to save time? Knowing what is to be done when can help reduce the running-around-with-the-head-cut-off routine.

And there's risk analysis. What should we take care of now and what money can we put aside for in case uncertain events occur? Then we can rest assured we have taken care of the what-if's and what-may-happen and get on with the job.

These are just a few examples of how organizing work into projects can reduce stress. But let's not forget communications – lack of proper communications can cause many headaches in a project. That's why identifying who is interested in the project, who can affect it positively and negatively, and how the stakeholders want to be communicated with, is so important.

If we can define these things at the beginning of the project and keep an eye on them as we go along, we will have a stronger project.

Where's the Wizard?

The movie, The Wizard of Oz, tells the story of a girl and her dog who were picked up by a cyclone and transplanted to the Land of Oz. There she met a scarecrow who wanted a brain, a tin man who wanted a heart, and a lion who wanted courage. The girl, Dorothy, wanted to get home.

Then they hear there's a wizard who can give them these things.

When they get to the wizard, they discover he is a small man behind a curtain. But, along the way, they have found what they were looking for: they had it inside themselves all along.

Training is like that. You know you want to know something and you seek out how to learn it. But, you wouldn't have even known to look if you hadn't had the inkling of the concepts within you.

Training helps you discover what you already know. Things are unveiled to you.

BrenDaniel provides individualized PMP training, as well as classroom training. Ask us for an assessment of your own or your organization's project management capabilities and needs.

The Emperor's New Clothes

My friend Amy was telling me about a project she was on. Being new to the industry, she had asked her project manager (PM) for more information on a term. The PM blustered through an explanation. My friend left the conversation, still not understanding.

The next day, Amy decided she would go back to the PM and ask some more questions. Amy told the PM she just didn’t get what the term meant. With that, her PM admitted she didn’t really know either. They decided to look into it together.

When Amy told me about this situation, I thought of the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Sometimes we are afraid to admit we don’t know something because we are supposed to be the expert. (In the story, everyone can see the Emperor has no clothes but the only one who will say this is a young child.) However, admitting to not knowing something is really a sign of strength. After all, who knows everything?

Probably even more importantly, the manager admitting her lack of knowledge built more trust with Amy. Only by admitting we don’t know can we grow, both personally and professionally.

Grow Halifax with Project Management Skills

We are very pleased to be partnering with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce to promote the value of project management in Nova Scotia through the Grow Halifax initiative.

To support you, we are offering these different project management programs in Halifax.
(dates updated June 26, 2017)

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
This course is 10 half days and designed specifically for people who intend to obtain their PMP certification.

• September 21 - November 23 (8:30 AM to Noon each Thursday)

The Project Management Fundamentals
This course is for people interested in applying project management concepts immediately to their work. It is recommended that participants interested in taking the PMP Certification course take this course first.

• July 24-26, 2017
• September 25-27, 2017
• November 20-22, 2017

Navigating Project Success: Applying Project Management

This program is for business owners and those who work for them on projects. It is especially useful for those who have the responsibility to ensure their projects are completed on time and on budget.

• December 4-8, 2017

Please express your interest at brendaniel.com.

How can you learn about Project Management?

There are many ways, including learning from role models at work, from internet articles or books and, of course, through training classes. That’s where BrenDaniel comes in. We offer several types of learning opportunities in project management, including online, classroom-based and individual coaching.

We specialize in project management and project leadership training. We have helped thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations develop and implement their project management skills and processes.

If you're considering taking the next step to get your Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification, we have several options to help you prepare.