Times are changing, and so are the ways people work and collaborate. The idea of being a leader can be daunting.
When you consider the word “leader who and what comes to mind, perhaps your Pastor? The BBC show the Apprentice? Your manager? A colleague at work in another team perhaps or an individual who literally has “Project Leader” on a business card or email signature?
Well, it may not be part of your job title, and you may even struggle to find the words in your job description, nevertheless, the call to follow Christ is a call to leadership.
In the Oxford ditionary a project Is defined as “an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim”
When you think “project”, you typically think about big things, such as:
Church building developments
Developing a new product
IT system integration
Writing a tender
But actually, many smaller activities can also be classed as a project, such as:
Creating and delivering an internal training course at church
Creating and sending a church e-newsletter
Creating new team processes
In fact, according to David Allen, pioneer of the productivity system Getting Things Done (GTD), a ‘project’ is any multi-step action. In other words, creating a new ad campaign, outreach planning, feeding the poor initiative, even buying a new car or making a 3-course dinner for your significant others are all differenttypes of daily projects you manage.
What does this mean for people not called project leaders?
Well, failing to realise this could mean that you are missing out on important lessons that the people with the ‘project leader’ label on their business cards know only too well.
If you approach your daily tasks and projects with the mindset, “I can do this in a structured, organized way,” then the outcome will substantially improve. Additionally, it may seem glaringly obvious, but someone needs to own a project, and not every church organisation or team has a certified project leader to call upon.
1. Change your approach
“Stake Your Claim That This Is Now a Project You‘re Managing”
Professional project leaders have formal training on the best way on approaching a project and use methodologies which take time to master. However, this just isn’t appropriate for people who are juggling the role of unofficial project leader alongside many other tasks.
Simply changing your mindset can make a difference in how you approach the work.
2. Create an action plan
“Make a List of the Actions It Will Take to Get You to the End Goal”
It’s very easy to jump straight in and get moving on a project. Spending time planning can seem like wasted time, but in fact, without good planning, you could be wasting your time and energy on things that just aren’t needed. In other words, skipping the planning phase of a project is a sure-fire way of encountering problems down the line. The basics of what you’ll need to establish include your project vision (or guiding light), what your project will deliver, the risks to the project as well as your budget, resources, and timescales and don’t forget to pray before you start. Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the Enemy and to all his ploys against you. Pray in the Spirit at all times and at every stage of the project.
3. Set a realistic deadline
Without a Deadline Your Project Will Sit at the Bottom of Your To-do List and Will Go Nowhere
When it comes to assessing your timescales, you need to figure out what is realistically achievable, while not padding out your timelines too much.
4. Communicate regularly
Developing a Project in a Bubble Will Result in Problems Later On
Regular communication is vital. Meetings, emails and even a quick trip to your colleague’s desk are all needed to make sure you have not missed anything important and that everyone in on the same page.
5. Faith is not a spectator sport.
The Opportunities are Endless and Harvest is Plentiful.
Finally, please remember aside from managing projects that faith is not a spectator sport. It’s easy to come to church to be entertained and not invest time in serving the church community. But Jesus isn’t here for our amusement. He didn’t die so we could experience cool sermons alone. The Christians we remember throughout history were the men and women who did not wait on the sideline when there was work to be done.
There are many places to lead. The opportunities are endless and harvest is plentiful.
Some of the most inspirational quotes ever uttered to stir you and get you moving through the day. Whether you feel stuck or just need a good dose of inspiration from great minds. Be sure to feed your brain inspiring quotes and phrases daily.
For the wise person, there are only two types of experiences on life’s road: winning and learning – Greg Henry Quinn
Successful people are EXTREMELY self-disciplined. When they set their mind to something, they do it. No questions asked – Jacob Reimer
To those who retain their zest, old age has much to offer. From them the world has much to gain – Lord Beaverbrook
You must be the change you wish to see in the world – Gandhi
Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm – Winston Churchill
Dream big and dare to fail – Norman Vaughan
Make each day your masterpiece – John Wooden
Once you choose hope, anything’s possible – Christopher Reeve
Every moment is a fresh beginning – T.S. Eliot
Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear – George Addair
A year from now you may wish you had started today – Karen Lamb
It is never too late to be what you might have been – George Eliot
There are no traffic jams along the extra mile – Roger Staubach
If there is no struggle, there is no progress – Frederick Douglass
If you can’t outplay them, outwork them – Ben Hogan
The best way to predict the future is to invent it – Alan Kay
Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you – Arnold Palmer
If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all? – Joe Namath
Choosing a goal and sticking to it changes everything – Scott Reed
Conflict is part of our working life and is often used as a way to work out our differences and reach a conclusion. It’s usually the approach you take that tends to exacerbate the issues and cause undue stress. How you deal with conflict reveals your character.
The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions — Claude Lvi-Strauss
A crisis is a turning point — Anne Lindthorst
Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional — Max Lucade
Don’t be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against, not with, the wind — Hamilton Mabie
There is no way to peace. Peace is the way — AJ Muste
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment — Dorothy Nevill
The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them — Ralph Nichols
The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war — Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong — Joseph Chilton Pearce
A man convinced against his will”¦is not convinced — Laurence J. Peter
My problem is I say what I’m thinking before I think what I’m saying — Laurence J. Peter
Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of emotion – Robert Quillen
You can’t influence somebody when you’re judging them — Tony Robbins
Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side — Duke François de La Rochefoucauld
It is astonishing how elements which seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens. How confusions which seem irremediable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard — Carl Rogers
If it’s mentionable, it’s manageable— Mr. Rogers
Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today — Will Rogers
The best way to persuade people is with your ears, by listening to them — Dean Rusk
The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution — Bertrand Russell
It is with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye — Antoine de Saint-Exupry
Human beings love to be right. When a person is willing to give up being right, a whole world of possibilities opens up — Pete Salmansohn
The test of a successful person is not an ability to eliminate all problems before they arise, but to meet and work out difficulties when they do arise — David J. Schwartz
Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is? — Frank Scully
Before you speak, ask yourself: Is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve the silence? — Shirdi Sai Baba
When things are not working for us, instead of fighting and struggling, we need to say, “What’s happening here? How am I not being true to who I am? What is pulling me away from my purpose?” — June Singer
The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you — John E. Southard
It takes two to quarrel, but only one to end it — Spanish Proverb
The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn— Source unknown
Confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions — Earl Gray Stevens
Life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it — Charles Swindoll
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow — Carol Tavris
Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict—alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence — Dorothy Thompson
Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness — James Thurber
A good manager doesn’t try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If you’re the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong, that’s healthy — Robert Townsend
Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put to good use — Mark Twain
People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes — Abigail VanBuren
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any — Alice Walker
It isn’t a mistake to have strong views. The mistake is to have nothing else — Anthony Weston
I’ve found that I can only change how I act if I stay aware of my beliefs and assumptions. Thoughts always reveal themselves in behavior — Margaret Wheatley
I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum — Frances Willard
When you’re at the edge of a cliff, sometimes progress is a step backward — Source unknown
Generous glazed areas and therefore naturally lit apartments with fine views out are an extremely desirable part of the modern home. A common misconception and criticism of prefabricated modules is that they offer little opportunity for large glazed facades. Atelier One have proved this is clearly not the case on previous projects such as the rooftop extension to The White Cube Gallery in Hoxton Square and on their work on the Piper Building, Fulham. The key to glazing prefabricated modules is to provide enough stiffness to eliminate movement when the modules are transported.
Modular Penthouse, Wandsworth High Street
Architect: Martin Markcrow Architects
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold
Quantity Surveyor: KMCS London
Model Photography: Andrew Putler
This new two-storey penthouse is located above an existing four-storey building on Wandsworth High Street, London, within a Conservation Area.
The 2,400 sq ft apartment for private clients was pre-fabricated in Slovenia, and transported as five separate 12.0m long modules to London, where they were craned into position over a 2-3 day period, before connection to the existing services and stairwell. The steel framed structure minimised the load on the existing building and afforded strength during transportation and lifting. A modular construction route was chosen primarily to avoid disruption, noise, and dust pollution to the clients who occupied the top floor of the building. In addition, a conventional construction route with scaffolding and temporary shelter on this constrained site proved particularly difficult and costly.
Most project managers know the importance of requirements management. Without a solid foundation and grounding in the subject, requirements management quickly turns towards the complex and difficult side.
Why Manage Requirements?
In the final analysis, all projects are completely driven by requirements. Requirements are usually not cast in stone. Stakeholders gather insights and more knowledge of their true needs with time. This means that they can change their minds about requirements, no matter how late in the game. Requirements should therefore be managed proactively in anticipation of change.
However, if requirement definitions are not set up properly in the first place, expect that the quality of delivery will suffer, along with more schedule delays than imagined, anda big drain on the budget.
Broad project requirements help to establish a baseline for objectives. Subsequent change requests would thus require approval by the right authority; a change control board is usually set up to investigate and approve changes to requirements. The objective of baselining is not to prevent or discourage changes, but to ensure that approved changes are relevant and deserve the priorities assigned to them.
The simplest way for project managers to reduce the probability of missing critical requirements is to hold requirements review sessions to ensure that stakeholders understand the requirements and that any ambiguities, inconsistencies and omissions are identified and addressed to facilitate requirements approval or sign-off.
However, when inaccurate requirements are in play, team members end up reworking those activities multiple times. The only sensible course of action is to deliver requirements up front in an accurate manner. That way team members will be able to immediately identify any missing components early in the project lifecycle.
It’s vitally important to employ tools designed to assess requirement quality at the beginning of the project. These tools will help to identify any requirements that are vague or missing early enough to improve the changes of success for the project. Even simple tools like guidelines and checklists can solve major problems later on. You may also consider automated tools, depending on your level of technical expertise.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Requirements Management
Good Requirements
Requirements that meet the “good” standard are ones that anyone can easily evaluate to quickly and clearly determine that all the needs have been accurately met by the project.
The common criteria used by project teams to properly evaluate requirements is as follows:
Verifiable: Ensure that all deliverables are able to be evaluated to ensure they have met all necessary requirements. Verification techniques such as modelling, analysis, review by experts, simulations, and demonstrations or testing.
Testable: Requirements are able to be assessed using the most basic of all criteria. This includes quantitative measurement like “pass or fail.”
Traceable: Requirements should be tagged to specific sources. Examples are compliance requirements, best practices, industry standards, and use cases.
Clarity: All statements should be presented in unambiguous ways so the cannot be interpreted differently by different team members.
Bad Requirements
Bad requirements are marked by their incompleteness and lack of clarity. They are hard to understand and implement. They generally possess these characteristics:
Inconsistency: Without clarity, you’ll find requirements that are in conflict with other requirements! This is very frustrating because there’s no way that either one will ever be satisfied.
Non-valid: These are requirements that team members simply cannot understand. They will never be able to accurately assess or approve non-valid requirements.
Non-ranked: These requirements have not been correctly prioritised. Without proper ranking, it’s difficult for team members to be able to assess them properly.
The risk to the project not meeting the clients expectations is not something that will ever be entirely removed. However, having a specific criteria upon which to benchmark a project is a great way to reduce this risk.
Risks fall into two main categories. Systemic risk is inherent to the nature of the work and cannot be avoided. The non-systemic risk is a bit different and relates from the activities in the project itself. One of the greatest of all non-systemic risks is that of bad requirements management.
Teams that wish to reduce the risk of the project not meeting the clients expectations substantially are best served by establishing specific requirements in the initial stages. Common goals like being “on time and on budget” while maintaining a high level of quality will require dedication from teams members who have eliminated as much non-systemic risk as possible.
When you’re next involved in a project where requirements come up in a discussion, always pay careful attention to the good, the bad, and the ugly that could result without proper due care and attention.
The importance of hiring the right project manager cannot be overstated enough. Whenever senior managers are asked to identify outstanding project managers, they almost always have a hard time doing so. What’s most concerning about this is that almost £2 trillion pounds are spent on these projects across the globe, according to Gartner.
There is no doubt that it takes a lot of time and effort to become an outstanding project manager. This isn’t a job for the faint hearted.
A great project manager has leadership traits that should be easily recognised in allsteps of the hiring process.
Things like psychometric testing and method certificates can only provide so much information on potential employees. To find the best candidates for your position you need to ask them real questions about their experience, such as how they dealt with and recovered from a failure; what methodologies they use to manage projects and deal with sponsors; or their creative process when coming up with original ideas for strong team building. An awesome project manager is able to answer these questions easily.
Successful project managers should have experience in dealing with both failures and successes to gain the skills they need to build a strong team that delivers results consistently.
Here are five strong indicators that the person you have hired as a project manager is likely to be successful in their new role:
You Can Catch More Flies with Honey than with Vinegar
1. People like them!
Project managers who are difficult to get along with or have unlikeable personalities are not likely to be great motivators. Awesome project managers aren’t afraid to listen to the ideas and feedback of their team members for the best overall results.
They should be friendly and have respect for everyone they are working with at all times.
2. They don’t blame others nor take credit for successes.
It can be hard not to get involved in the “blame game” when something doesn’t go exactly as planned. It can be equally as challenging to not “glory grab” when a project goes off brilliantly and without a hitch.
A strong project manager will shield their team when criticism is raining down by passing the message down in a constructive way, so it can be addressed and fixed promptly. In the event of a project success, great project managers make sure the people who were key to the assignment are rewarded for their work. When they speak of a successful project, they highlight the strength of their team and not just themselves.
3. They involve the entire team in planning.
A great plan is usually always the result of a “mastermind”, or the combined effort of one or more people working towards a common goal. Strong project managers encourage everyone on the team to contribute their thoughts and feedback in the planning process. While not everyone will be actively contributing to the campaign design, they listen to the opinions and ideas of people who the project will affect, such as the CEO, and the marketing department.
A strong project manager should foster a productive, creative and enjoyable work environment. By doing so, they maximise the time they work with their team so they deliver a great end product.
4. They’re serious team builders.
A great project manager understands that a major key to their project success is the team that stands behind it. Successful project managers take the time to select from the talent that is best suited for the job they need to complete. Instead of settling for just anyone who can join the team because they’re free, a skilled project manager is willing to do what it takes to onboard and recruit the people they think will bring the most to the table.
5. They’re strong managers.
A strong manager knows how to take the lead. They understand what it takes to lead their team. They know how to motivate those working with them. They realize that they are a part of something greater. They’re not afraid to take responsibility for all aspects of the project, regardless of whether it’s failure or success.
As a project director or hiring manager, it can be a challenge to find a powerful project manager, but once you connect with the right person, you’ll know it almost instantly. A strong project manager absolutely loves what they do and they’re not afraid to tell you about how excited they are about their past, present and future endeavours.
They strive to be the best leaders and always respect the ideas and positions of others who present them with questions that need solutions. They go the extra mile to make sure that all details of their projects are addressed and fine tuned. They speak positively of their peers, their team and anyone else who is involved in the project.
What are your thoughts on what makes a project manager shine? What do you think makes the cut between being an average project manager and an awesome project manager? We invite you to share your thoughts and experience.
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $3.7 million to a University of Maine-led to further research and development of offshore wind technology.
The Money Will Help Finance Further Development of Floating Turbines That Could Lead to a Lucrative Clean-energy Industry in the State.
The DOE found enough promise in the project’s progress to spend the additional money, bringing the total investment to $6.7 million and allowing the consortium to complete engineering and design work to address technical concerns.
Habib Dagher, leader of UMaine’s offshore wind research team, said “the DOE was impressed by the Maine project’s low cost. It’s also the only project with a power purchase agreement in place.” Dagher also said “the project will be financed using a combination of public money, private investment and borrowing”.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy passed over the Maine Aqua Ventus project for a $47 million grant, but provided $3 million to keep the project alive. The winning proposals in Virginia, New Jersey and Oregon are currently behind on project milestones, creating the opportunity for Aqua Ventus to lead.
Aqua Ventus, plans to place a two-turbine, 12-megawatt project off the coast of Monhegan Island and is the only project of its kind that proposes the use of concrete for the floating platforms.
The DOE is impressed by the design because it holds the potential to drive down costs while moving construction closer to project sites, spreading out the economic impact, Dagher said, “the technology can be used to access more than half of the offshore wind resources in deep waters within 50 miles of the coast, and will create jobs”.
UMaine has already tested a smaller 65-foot-tall turbine deployed off Castine, Maine, which performed as engineers expected, even as waves reached the equivalent of 75 feet.
Hopes for an offshore wind project are pinned on Aqua Ventus after Norwegian company Statoil spiked its plans to put four three-megawatt wind turbines 12 miles off Maine’s coast.
UMaine, which was selected as an alternative, is waiting in the wings if any of the winning proposals fail to meet milestones by May 1. Those programs with the greatest likelihood of success will be selected to move forward after May 31, Danielson wrote.
As part of the effort, UMaine will unveil a $13.8 million expansion of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center next week. The new structure will allow scientists to produce wind and waves of varying intensity, recreating the fury of the North Atlantic in a controlled setting on campus in Orono, Dagher said.
Since the beginning of recorded time, construction projects have always been a major part of history. In fact, grandiose construction projects to erect the architectural visions of Pharaohs, Kings, Rulers, and Monarchs was used as a way to put the wealth and power of leaders on display for all of the people their lands to see.
Not surprisingly, all of these projects came at a great cost to the leaders that initiated them.
The Great Pyramid at Giza is one example of a grand architectural vision. This massive structure was built under the leadership of Egyptian pharaoh Khufu in the 26th century B.C.E. By the time work on the structure was completed, Knufu spent a great deal of his kingly fortunes on the project. According to sources, it is estimated that this project would cost more than $5 billion dollars to duplicate today.
Since then, there have been many other building projects that have cost significant amounts of money to build, some that were so grand in their scope they effectively broke the bank.
We will examine more of these projects here.
The Three Gorges Dam
1. The Three Gorges Dam
This massive Chinese construction project took place over the Yangtze River in the Hubei province of Central China. This scope of this project was enormous and came with quite a bit of controversy due to the changes to the environment that were needed to make the project become a reality. When this project was approved in 1992, the Vice Premier at the time, Zoa Jiahua quoted the project cost at $8.35 billion to complete. In 2006, when the project was officially ended, the total cost ended up being closer to $37 billion dollars, or roughly four times more than the original estimate.
The Ryungyong Hotel
2. The Ryungyong Hotel
The ground broke for this 105 story luxury tourist hotel in 1987 in North Korea, despite the country being closed off to foreign visitors. After investing approximately $750 million dollars in the structure, the project came to an abrupt end when the Soviet Union, North Korea’s major economic supporter, collapsed. Today, the building remains unfinished and is recognised as being the tallest unoccupied structure in the entire world.
The MOSE ProjectThe MOSE ProjectThe MOSE Project
3. The MOSE Project
This building project was originally intended to help control flooding in Venice. However, it primarily served as a project to sink money into. The original budget for the project was $1.7 billion dollars but jumped to $8.1 billion over time. None of the work that was completed did anything to prevent flooding. Many people involved in the initial construction were arrested on bribery and corruption charges in connection with the project. Venice continues to have problems with flooding and sinking.
The Mirabel Airport
4. The Mirabel Airport
This airport was originally opened to serve Montreal, Canada inmid-1970. The Government seized 100,000 acres of land and displaced thousands of residents from their homes for the land that was needed to construct the airport. The cost of the land was $140 million dollars. This amount was eight times more than the costs that were originally projected. Once construction on the airport began, the price skyrocketed to a total cost of around $276 million dollars. Adding further pressure to the Mirabel Airport project was the fact that the Montreal-Dorval International Airport was located within a short driving distance away. While this airport did operate for a number of years, it ceased operations in 2004. In late 2014, demolition of the site began which added another $15 million dollars of cost to the failed project.
The Sagrada FamiliaThe Sagrada FamiliaThe Sagrada Familia
5. The Sagrada Familia
There is no doubt that building a Cathedral is no small undertaking. For the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, it is a project that has advanced at a snail’s pace and with a hefty price tag that can not even be calculated due to how slow the project has been to finish. Construction on the house of worship began in 1883. In 2015, it still needs to be completed. In 2011, the President of the Building Committee said that it might be completed in 2026 – 143 years after construction originally began.
The Millennium DomeThe Millennium Dome
6. The Millennium Dome
This is a London based project that has a happy ending, despite a shaky, and very expensive start. When construction of the Millennium Dome began in the 1990’s, the original budget of 758 million pounds was exceeded when it ended up costing 789 million pounds, so it lost money from day one, even without including maintenance costs. However, in 2007 the structure was sold to AEG and renamed the 02 Arena, so some of the initial investment money was recouped. This site is now a top venue for sporting events and concerts in the London, UK area.
The Channel Tunnel
7. The Channel Tunnel
Sometimes referred to as the “Chunnel” is a tunnel in the English Channel that links the United Kingdom with France. It’s not surprising that a project of this scope would cost a lot of money and time to complete successfully. In total, it took six years of work and $21 billion dollars to finish. In financial costs, it ended up being 80% more expensive than originally forecast. This privately funded project caused many of the initial investors to lose most of their investment due to over run costs. Today, their diligence to the project has made it widely successful. Hundreds of millions of people use the Chunnel trains to commute between France and the UK, with a travel time of around 35 minutes.
The Central Artery Tunnel ProjectThe Central Artery Tunnel Project
8. The Central Artery Tunnel Project
In 1991, Boston began construction of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, also known as the Big D, to provide commuters with an alternative to using the main highway through the City. This project is one of the most expensive construction projects in the history of the United States with a ‘real’ cost of $22 billion dollars once interest on the funding for the project is paid off in 2038. The Central Artery/Tunnel Project included the construction of roads, bridges, and even a tunnel that was built under the Boston Harbor. While this project did have the original effect it was supposed to have by alleviating traffic congestion in parts of Boston, overall traffic in the areas where the Big D serves has also increased.
Panama Canal, Centennial Bridge
9. The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is another example of a building project that came with many personal and financial losses during its construction in the early 1900’s. The project was hexed with obstacles including outbreaks of deadly malaria and mudslides that, according to hospital records, resulted in over 5,600 labourers deaths. Today, the Panama Canal remains a key part of the shipping industry between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. In 2014, work at the Canal ground to a halt after a dispute between the Panama Canal Authority and a conglomerate of European construction companies disagreed who would pay for a $1.16 billion overrun in costs. All parties involved in the dispute agreed on stop-gap funding that put the project back in action. In 2015, expansion work on the Panama Canal continues and the overall costs of the project continue to rise.
