If you stumbled across this article thinking that this was going to be a technical synopsis of the art of critical chain application, then you would be dead wrong.

I would rather like to think that it is a large chunk of common sense applied to an innovative technique.

You see, up until now, project managers would determine the activities, their sequences and dependencies, in the form a project schedule with the focus on the time-critical aspects.

So far so good.

But here is the thing.  This schedule was the plan, and a good project manager would track what has actually happened, compare this to the plan, and based on any variance, take corrective action and forecast the future.  This still works.

The main problem with this approach was assuming that all resources were just robotic sheep.

Whereas critical path analysis focused on task duration and their scheduled start and finish dates, critical chain method for more emphasis on the resources - those are required to execute the plan, and also their availability. 

The ‘peaking’ of resource levelling is seen as a problem, and the focus is on levelling down while being flexible in their start times while being able to quickly switch between tasks to keep the whole plan on schedule.

So far still so good.  The secret all along was something that I had already learned many years ago from smart project managers.

And that was to keep some ‘time and effort fat’ up your sleeve as a contingency in times of need.

It turns out that at the heart of critical chain is the use of ‘buffers’ in the form of extra time that is kept secret from the specialist team.

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What is predicted to be the next big transformation of projectized work within an organization will likely surprise you.

Organizations often have many projects from small to large at any one time, but the impact of these is dwarfed by the hundreds and thousands of tasks, activities and work assignments that must be carried out every day! These assignments are the real jet-fuel that powers your corporate benefits and profits...

Which of these statements turned up problems with your past assignments?

There were many good rerasons for me to live on one of the three Montepego mountains in the mediteranean Spanish costas, lifestyle, climate and the views for a start. But the micro-climate that engulfs the mountains seems to atract it's own share of celebrities too...

A few doors up from my villa is the amazing comedian Dave Spikey, and yet further up the mountain lives the music producer who introduced the UK to reggie via the likes of Desmond Dekker.

But I want to talk about my near neighbour buddie the sculpter Gareth Knowles who was born with  an incredible talent, and with the very recent passing of Steve Jobs has created a sculpture bust of Steve. He started by taking a bite out of an apple, and built the sculpture around it.

I couldn't believe my luck when I discovered that Garth had been time-lapse videoed as he sculpted Steve Jobs 'back to life' via his iTribute creation.

You really should check out Gareth's website at http://www.garethknowles.com, but first enjoy his video here:

I'll be brief.

Amongst the first activities a project manager will normally be focussed on with a new project, is determining what its scope and objectives are. And this is usually the first point at which confusion arises - mainly because different folks have different opinions, but also because your customers/users will not have thought this through.

Typically in the world of IT, the project will have been based on a pile of requirements or functionalities. This is fine and good as these will lead to determining the design, but they are downright dangerous if used alone.

A good mental approach here is to use the "So What?" test. For each specification or requirement, ask 'so what?' This is lead to articulating what the end game is for each. Take for example a system needing a certain speed of response. Asking 'so what?' repeatedly, will lead to an understanding of why such speed is critical.

But what I really want to talk about is the nest step. Writing S-M-A-R-T project goals and objectives (these also work brilliantly to develop you as an individual too!).

So for each project goal or objective, you write down clearly:

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Many folks fail to achieve their own full potential because they don't set themselves goals. Others drop the baton because they don't draw up an implementation plan.

But the biggie for me, is failing to take the FIRST STEP. The old saying "how do you eat an elephant?" is answered by "one mouthful at a time". Now, I don't recommend you actually eat these magnificent animals, but the analogy is a good one...

Take improving your project management career as an example. No, not asking the boss for a raise, but getting the best education you can - and that means becoming a Project Management Professional (PMP). Just think how those letters after your name would make you feel?

But you've got to take the plunge and put aside time to study in the first place. And I'm talking about real commitment here, not just 'best efforts'

So what's the first step you ask? Well, it's investing in a training program.

Stay with me here...

You're thinking, how do I know if it's a good PMP training program - what if I don't like the materials? What if the instructor can't teach? and a million other reasons why you are still procrastinating (I'm assuming here that you have the usual human foibles like the rest of us do!)

Fear not, for I am giving you a FREE one hour Video Module from my world-beating PMP Primer course. That's right, you don't have to buy anything or pay anything. I'm so confident that you'll love it and want to get the rest of them that I'm willing to give you a free lunch...

CLICK HERE to get your FREE PMP Video download, just scroll down the page and enter your details.

Funny thing computers, they start out as pristine towers of high-tech...and end up as a pile-of-files glory hole. It's normally about this time that they start to slow down due to all the junk you've collected, and you start thinking about getting a new one...

So there I was a few days ago, trying to stop the rot by having a bit of a tidy up (aren't those 'duplicate file finder' applications cool!). When I came across an old JPG that a delegate had taken of my PRINCE2 Roadmap while I was delivering one of my training seminars. Okay, so it was hand-drawn live and would not win any prizes for neatness, but delegates usually tell me later that it was one of the most useful and important sessions in the course.

So I've spent the last few hours making a proper PDF out of it, and added my talkthrough text - the result is quite a useful PRINCE2 preparation product. And you can have it for FREE!

Just hop on over to THIS link and fill in the form at the top left of my website.

Enjoy!

Someone once quoted "I don't want to run a country - just put me in charge of the banks" The point here is that the banking industry within a country get to control ALL the money. It's based on something called the 'fiat' system (nothing to do with the car-maker!)

In the USA we have the Federal Reserve, and in the UK we have the 'Bank of England'. Both are misconceptions because they are private limited companies put in control of the supply and demand of the relevant money-system. They make a percentage on every paper bill they create, and the fiat system enables that the printing of new money can be loaned by the banks at as much as ten times the actual amount of new money printed. It's a more complex system than I'm describing here, but that's the principle.

What triggered this rant I hear you say? I was watching the troubles of Greece and their imminent economic bailout on TV last night...

Most folks would think 'good old European union, they won't let Greece fail' That's not so far from the truth, but not for the reason you may think. You see the 0.01% of the worlds richest people own most of the money and that includes bankers. Without debt, the banks could not loan money, and therefore could not get rich at the expense of you and I. There is nothing they like better than a war or an economic meltdown (which they started in the first place).

There is strong evidence to suggest that Twin Towers was orchestrated by the American government to assist in their wish to invade Iraq. Now they can print more new money and make a financial killing in the process. Folks like you and I are the gullible taxpayers who 'mortgage' our futures. Why is it that a person works for some 50 years, pays a reasonable amount into their pension pot, yet finds retirement a penury?

Inflation is NOT caused by cost of living increases or wage rises - these merely follow in the wake of inflation. Inflation itself is caused by the printing of new money - the more dosh that slops around the world, the less an individual bill is worth. The banks then lend up to ten times more that the amount that was printed and the coins in your pocket are now worth a little less than before. It's not even a cyclic phenomenon - it's exponentially increasing. The pint of beer I bought when a teenager costs much more now - but my earning potential has roughly kept pace, so drinking beer as an example is still as affordable...inflation has done it's deadly work of course because the difference in prices have gone into the pockets of the banks.

It's making me angry just writing this stuff down. So that's why you spend a whole lifetime paying into a pension, only to find that you don't have enough to live on in retirement.

No wonder old folks (myself included), are so disillusioned with governments. Take a 24 hour day. When in your working life, you spend approximately 8 hours at work, 8 hours personal time, and 8 hours sleeping. When you retire, you spend 16 hours personal time and 8 hours sleeping - but you have to do it on a reduced income.

So you have twice as long average time to spend, but on a dwindling pension pot than when you were working..don't have a go at Granddad because he watches more TV these days - he's just saving money!

How can this happen? Why do the rich get richer - well they pay little or no tax, and their wealth gives them access to investment opportunities that are withheld from the normal guy or gal. But that's not my point here. If an individual gets rich due to their own hard work and talent - Well Done! I too, like to think of myself as an entrepreneur in a small and humble way...

So the citizens of Greece are having the rest of their lives 'mortgaged' as a result of this bailout - while the banks get richer. And it's not just Greece of course - if you happen to live on Earth - and it hasn't already happened - it's coming your way soon...

As you might imagine, I get a lot of emails on various aspects of project management training, and in particular, stuff for preparing for the PMP exam.

I remember back in the 1980's or so, local newsagents had many regular monthly magazines on some specialist topic or another. For example, gardening, sewing, model making, collectors stuff, and so on. Each month customers would shell out hard cash....fast forward many months later, and they found out that they have paid several hundred pounds on a topic that could have been purchased in a bookstore for a tenth of the price!

Now price is not everything I know, and I'm sure they got lots of enjoyment and anticipation waiting for the next installment...but... take preparing for your PMP exam as an example. I got this in my inbox this morning:

 The "Project Scope Management (PMBOK® Guide - Fourth Edition-aligned)" training bundle consists of the following three courses:

•  Project Requirements and Defining Scope
•  Create Work Breakdown Structure
•  Monitoring and Controlling Project Scope

Online Access (Single User) : EUR 175

OUCH!

This covers just one of my 21 PMP Video Modules, and doesn't even include practice exam questions and answers (like mine does).

Now 175 Euros is around £158 or $250 USD - which puts the total cost of this training up around the $5000 USD mark... It seems a tad expensive to me, so what if you could get the whole $5000 course for say just $92 USD - that's £57 GBP.

What's more, YOU can download it immediately -  to find out more, just jump on over to HERE

Okay, so I'm in a reflective mood - in particular thinking about the soft skills of management. No, not team building or leadership - something more fundamental.

What triggered this blog, was having a business meeting with a business project partner tonight. You see, he has a photographic memory - yeah, I know, how many times have you heard that phrase - but it's true in Darren's case. He really is amazing. His skills are built-in. The rest of us have to struggle.

But I remember some 10 years ago, I was watching a programme on TV that featured memory skills - but went a step further than the usual techniques you may have already heard of...

Now I tried some of these, and although would not call myself a 'memory man' by any measure, I did find that they worked - spooky Eh?!

So try this if you dare:-

Think of a part of your house that you are VERY familiar with - it might be your hallway or your kitchen for example. Maybe even your office space. Whatever.

Now concentrate. I want you to initially close your eyes and remember particular features/objects of that area. If it's your hallway, enter by the front door, and LOOK to your left to your left and right - what do you see?

Pick out particular items - the hall mirror, the picture by the stairs, the cupboard, the ornament...etc....find about 10 or 12 objects that you are VERY familiar with. Got Them?

The human brain is a powerful database isn't it? See how vividly you have remembered these familiar objects?

Okay, so here's the transition you have been waiting for...