Author Archives: Scott Holmes

When to communicate an issue

Try forgetting to put one little lug nut on a race car during a pit stop.  Accidents happen and nobody is perfect, but a good PM will instantly communicate critical faults and seek to rectify them immediately.

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Presentations 101

Rule #1: Presentations should not be boring. Rule #2: See rule #1. Nobody like to sit through a boring presentation.  I admit that a few of mine have been boring in the past, but I turned over a new leaf … Continue reading

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Small Details Matter

While cost, time and quality are all factors in implementing any system, forgetting the small details are often what customers remember most.  I will always work with the team and learn any system to make sure we aren’t leaving off … Continue reading

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Climbing the corporate ladder

Having heard all of the stories about climbing the corporate ladder, I realized that my career advancement philosophy might be fairly unique. My goal isn’t to be the senior executive of a company. It is to do the best job … Continue reading

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The measuring stick of a Project

Keeping the top two or three success factors in front of me at all times (posted on a whiteboard) helps me to focus myself and team members on the big picture. This is especially true during the executing phase when … Continue reading

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Respect is greater than Like

Teams want somebody they can trust and respect. I don’t aim to make everyone like me.  If they do then that is fine, but I really try to be the kind of project manager that people want to work with.

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Team cohesion as a unit

The best feeling for a project manager is when the team to become a single unit.  It is a finely tuned race car team; putting the disparity and blame behind it.  When the effort of the team is channeled in … Continue reading

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The two most important words for a PM

Becoming overwhelmed with information is easy to do as a project manager. I learned a few years ago that I can either manage the influx of information or it will manage me. The two words that I was taught which … Continue reading

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