What is the right dress code in business for project managers?
Every now and then I have the luxury and may fall back on a student for support. I like to do that, because such an internship helps both sides. The student gets to see first hand how project management is lived on a daily basis and I learn new trends and what is taught at the universities. In addition, a fresh, young look at our topics is always very helpful. After all, we have been involved since 2004.
Recently, my intern came to the office and asked for advice on dress code in business. This resulted in an interesting discussion, which was repeatedly checked by Google. I found out again that there are actually two groups:
- unofficial dress codes
- official dress codes
E-mails for project managers
Yesterday was another one of those days… 250 e-mails in my inbox. Yes, in one day! Of course 75% of it was spam. And even if you use Mail.app's spam filter – which actually works very well – you will always find that a mail slipped into the wrong folder from time to time. This triggered an interesting discussion: Is the e-mail still relevant for the project manager, or have Slack & Co. already taken over all the tasks? But first let me take a closer look at the subject of e-mail.
How is email written correctly?
One of my favorite discussions ;-) When I skim our website, I find at least two versions: eMail and e-Mail. But what is correct? Internationally it is a bit difficult. Here the use of email or e-mail is roughly balanced. As usual, the Duden has a clear opinion for the German-speaking area: E-Mail.
Read more...Kanban in Organizations Part II
Kanban Core Practices
This article provides managers in service companies with an insight into how to use the Kanban method to tackle organizational difficulties. In the previous article Kanban in Organizations Part I you got to know the values and basic principles of Kanban. The basic principles describe how you should approach change in companies. Kanban's six core practices show you how to continuously provoke change. They also define important activities to manage and improve Kanban systems.
The basis for this article are the books „Essential Kanban Condensed“ by David J. Anderson and Andy Carmichael and „Kanban from the Inside“ von Mike Burrows.
What project managers can learn from Pixar
A book review on Ed Catmull's "Creativity, Inc."
Toys who were magically brought to life, a rat cooking in a French restaurant and monsters that scare children for a living. In their movies, Pixar has introduced the world to a plethora of creative characters. While keeping an extraordinary level of creativity, the company does not lack in terms of financial success either. Its most recent animation film, Incredibles 2, sold more tickets in the first week than any animation film has ever before. No other company in the film industry has even come close to the same level of constant success that Pixar, as a part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, is having since the release of Toy Story in 1995.
Read more...Kanban in Organizations Part I
The values and foundational principles of Kanban
This article describes the basic idea of Kanban based on its values and foundational principles. The Kanban method is regarded as the human start with what you are doing now approach to change. It should be seen more as a management method constructed around a value system than as a pure productivity tool. This method helps organizations to work better for their employees, customers and stakeholders. The basis of this article is the book "Essential Kanban Condensed" by David J. Anderson and Andy Carmichael.
Read more...