#359 – SMALL COMPANIES OFFER FASTER PROMOTIONS BUT HIGHER STRESS – JOHN AYERS

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Based on my career experience as a project manager, I have observed that promotions can come quicker in a small company compared to a large one. This is especially true after you have gained several years’ experience. For some reason, many large companies are slow in giving promotions unless you are a rising star.  If you are not a rising start and want to get a promotion, I suggest you look for opportunities in small companies to get the title you want (e.g., project manager). Continue reading

#358 – FUTURE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSION – JOHN AYERS

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What does the future of any profession mean? Underdetermined future events (e.eg. COVID-19)? Future proof job? Work /family balance? Health at a later date? Secure retirement?  It is all of the above and that is why you need to choose the right profession for you.

The future of the project management profession is bright and strong for a long time to come. Continue reading

#353 – RISKS OF HIRING THE WRONG PROJECT MANAGER – JOHN AYERS

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Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book called Blink. It is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant-in the blink of an eye-that actually aren’t as simple as they seem.  In the book (and I am paraphrasing), it states you can learn more about a potential hire by visiting their living quarters for 5 minutes than you can get by interviewing the person for a couple of hours. Why?  You can see how organized he/she is. You can see how neat he/she is. You can see what reading material he/she does read. All of these attributes help define the person. Continue reading

#352 – HOW TO RELIABLY DESIGN FOR A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE – JOHN AYERS

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Reliability is designed into a product.  Poor reliability is long term, difficult and expensive to rectify because it is woven into the fabric of the product. That is why high reliability products require complete and accurate analyses, simulations, and models to be successful. High reliable components are essential as well. Single point failures are taboo but, in some cases, there is no way to avoid them. Continue reading

#350 – PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ARE A RISK – JOHN AYERS

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Some common reasons why requirements can cause risk to a project are:

  • To be determined (TBD)
  • Late requirements definition
  • Unclear requirement definition
  • Changing requirements
  • Late requirement flow down to subcontractors
  • Incorrect or poorly defined interface documents

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