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4 Key Ingredients to Organizing Your Project

In November 2006, I changed the course of my career. Curious to learn the inner-workings of the company, I took on a project management (PM) role in operations. Today, I’m still flexing my PM muscle but in a different industry.

One thing that has remained constant are 4 key ingredients that keep most of my projects organized. I have found success with these items in both a healthcare and media/news setting.

  1. Project Schedule – All projects should have a start and an end date. It’s the job of the project manager to make sure the project gets from point A to point B. A detailed schedule outlining tasks and milestones is crucial to overall project success.
  2. Decision Log – As the project progresses through the schedule, decisions, large and small, will be made. I have found recording decisions to be very helpful, noting what decision was made, who made it and when it was implemented. Project changes are inevitable but knowing why the project went down a certain path can be very helpful as the sails change direction.
  3. Issues Log – We all know that things don’t work as they should so we keep a Rolodex full of smart people to call for help. Projects can be loaded with unforeseen issues. Tracking these hurdles will keep a finger on the pulse of the project.
  4. Project Team Roles – As a project manager you can’t do it all. That’s why you have a team of individuals who specialize in focused areas. Team member roles broken down into a matrix can help shed light on which seat your people should be sitting in.

Talking is one thing but doing is another. Have a look at this sample Excel file which contains all 4 elements as listed above.

Project Master Excel File Template

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Articles

Watch Out Knoxville, Here Come the Millennials

Respect. Positivity. Flexible Schedules. Money.

Millennials, or Generation Y, want a lot. The aforementioned traits are just a sampling of what America’s newest workforce demands.

Born between 1980-2000, Millennials are starting to invade the Knoxville employment landscape full-swing. Michael Silence, a writer/blogger for the News Sentinel, published a local story today on bridging the generational gaps that are set to plague regional businesses, both big and small.

Silence states that Millennials and Traditionalists (otherwise known as Veterans) share many common traits. More so than the other two generations currently in the workforce, Baby Boomers and Generation X.

I couldn’t disagree more.

Veterans were raised during hard times and were shaped by events such as the Great Depression, WWI and WWII. They have and most likely will remain after retirement very loyal to their institutions. Vets tend to manage with a military style, enforcing rigidity.

Millennials on the other hand were raised during prosperous economic times. Technology has always been readily available which has gifted many the ability to multitask; I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Veterans were faced with being shipped off to war. Millennials are faced with terrorism invading their own turf. Lastly, Millennials could be the most disloyal generation when it comes to their employer. You did read the word ‘money’ in my opening statement didn’t you?

As this new generation takes over the workspace, I can only hope that Knoxville businesses are ready. Office space should be designed so that Millennials can openly share ideas. After all, this is a group that loves some Facebook. Mentor programs should focus on older generations reaching down but businesses could find another edge if they implement reverse mentoring. Anyone interested in explaining Twitter to a Baby Booming CEO?

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Articles Knoxville The Web

Knox’d: The Best of Knoxville

Knoxd.com Logo - Red

Before the next round of March Madness begins, I am taking a time-out to plug my latest venture, Knoxd.com.

Knoxd.com (officially Knox’d) lets you see the latest headlines from the best media outlets in Knoxville. For free of course.

Knox’d pulls news and information from over 50 sites and on one page, gives the reader a quick glance at the Knoxville web.

Get Knox’d!

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Articles Sports The Web

Find a Tennis Court in Knoxville


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Being an avid tennis player, I’m always looking for a good court. Using Google Maps, I made this map displaying all public tennis courts in Knoxville, TN.

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Articles

When Your Idea Crashes and Burns

Being fashionably late to the party is often a good thing. Your Joe’s Jeans are on, your car is gleaming and you’re set to make your grand entrance. Only to find out the party is over when you get there.

During the past year, myself along with two other local guys have been hard at work on an idea we knew would be a hit. We didn’t need market research or focus groups. We had “that feeling” that I’m sure the experts will frown down upon us for trusting in the first place.

We acquired the name, pushed the paper towards an LLC, developed the wireframes and started probing the market for content. This morning, I stumbled upon a brand new site – by new I mean not even two days old – that has the look, feel and smell (not really) of our idea. Ughh. Even worse, a few people we exposed our idea to are now working with the “new site”.

So, what’s a guy to do? Get defensive? Nope. Get even? Not a chance. There are two options as I see it: 1) Push forward and take a now unoriginal idea and make it remarkable or 2) hibernate the idea for a while.

For now, I’m going to sleep on it. What would you do?

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Articles Food

Pal’s Sudden Service at 36,000 Feet

Having been raised in the Tri-Cities area I am more than familiar with Pal’s Sudden Service. I even have a few extra pounds as proof. But the 52 years of Pal’s existence spreads beyond the borders of Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City.

Earlier this week I found myself on a plane returning from the Boston area. As I took my aisle seat I was greeted with a friendly face seated next to the window. Conversation quickly kicked up a little known fact about my plane neighbor: that she gives thanks each day for Pal’s.

At 36,000 feet in the air high above the state of Kentucky I could not believe my ears. The young lady had never lived in the Tri-Cities area nor did she know many people there. But she did know one thing and it was Pal’s Frenchie Fries.

It has been over 8 years since I lived within reasonable driving distance of Pal’s so I sure do miss it. But what I never expected was to meet a complete stranger who shared my love for the most known unknown of fast-food restaurants.

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Acura TSX Articles

My Take: The ’09 Acura TSX

January 30th marked the two year anniversary of ownership for my ’06 Acura TSX. Having spent over 730 days in and out of the car I can firmly say it’s the best vehicle I have had the pleasure of owning.

As the auto industry serves up their 2009 models, my excitement is building to see what Acura will offer as their ’09 TSX. Thanks to a careless administrative assistant, I now know exactly what the 4-door successor will offer.

According to Acura, the new TSX will continue to sport a 2.4-liter engine with only 201 hp. Come on Acura, couldn’t you have at least made the 2.3-liter turbocharged RDX motor an option? Don’t fret though, you can still win my praise back if you so much as consider tossing the i-DTEC diesel engine into future revamps of the TSX.

The official press release also makes note of an increase in width of the car, stretching 3.0-inches wider. Can I get an applause please? When looking to buy my ’06 TSX, the only complaint I could find was the upright stance the car portrayed. Wider is good, really good.

For now, that’s all I got. I’ll await many more photos to surface from the NY Auto Show to see if a trade is in my future.