Tag: Direction

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I’m Restored

God wants to restore everything that’s been stolen from your life. He wants to restore your joy, your peace, your health and your finances. We serve a God of restoration! You may have had some disappointments or unfair things happen in your life; but don’t dwell on the past and live in defeat.  

Restoration comes by intentionally choosing to focus on His promises like today’s verse. Here’s the key: you have to believe you can be restored and have that vision printed in the forefront of your mind. You have to get your hopes up and decide to get your thoughts and words in sync, going in the right positive direction. 

Today, choose to focus on the future and release past hurts through forgiveness. Draw a line in the sand and say, “I am a child of the Most High God, and I’m not going to live my life negative and defeated. This is a new day, and I’m taking back what belongs to me. I will have  a restoration mentality!”

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” (Joel 2:25, ESV) 

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for restoring my life. Father, thank You for the truth of Your Word that sets me free. Almighty God, fill me with Your power right now, so that I can stand strong and move forward on the path You have for me, in Christ’s Name! Amen.  

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My Steps Are Ordered

This week one of my prayers has been that God would give me direction and a renewed vigour. When we encounter difficult situations, we can be tempted to wonder if we are on the right path for our lives. And yes, sometimes we make poor choices that get us off course.  

If your heart is following after God, if you’re determined to stay in faith and put Him first in your life, you can be confident that you are right where you are supposed to be in God’s will! You might say, “that couldn’t be right. I’m uncomfortable. Somebody isn’t treating me right.” God will not allow a challenge to come into your life unless He has a divine purpose for it.  

Today, remember when God is in control, things don’t happen to us they happen for us. Hallelujah! In other words, God uses those difficult things to grow us and stretch us and take us to another level. He orders our steps. So stay in faith, keep a good attitude, and let God lead you into the righteous plan He has for you! 

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23, KJV) 

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for ordering my steps and directing me. Father, I trust that You are at work in my life, even during the times when I don’t understand what’s happen in my life. God, please give me the strength and courage to do what is right in Your sight. I bless You today and always, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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More Hope Than Optimism

Talking to some of the youth at school yesterday, amidst their optimism, there also seems to be a lot of hopelessness. It’s time to set our hope on God so we are not easily swayed by the trials of life.

Setting our hope on God means we set our lives in the right direction. One translation of today’s verse says, “look forward to more and more of God’s favour.” God wants to pour out His goodness and grace on you. He wants to help you get ahead in this life. He wants to lead you to the right job. He wants to lead you to the right relationship. But here’s the key: we have to be on the lookout for more and more of God’s favour. More and more of God’s hope. More and more of God’s grace. That tells me that we can’t get stagnant.

Today, meditate on the truth that God wants to do more than you can even ask or think. It says in Ephesians that He wants to show us the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing greatness of His free favour. In other words, God wants to go above and beyond what we’re used to! He wants to show you favour in unusual and extraordinary ways. Set your hopes dynamically higher today, and increase your expectations of what God will do in your life!

“…set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favour) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.”

(1 Peter 1:13, AMP)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for Your abundance in every area of my life today. Father, I will set my hope on You, knowing that You want to do more in my life than I can ever imagine. God, by faith I receive more of Your favour, grace and hope. God, teach me to be a vessel used by You, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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What To Do When Your Best Friend Leaves The Church?

I have a best friend. That alone is a shocker statement, as a lot of people I’ve come in contact with have fickle or fake “friends” that they maybe talk to once every two weeks. But my best friend and I talk to each other almost every day and see each other at least once a week. If we know that plans are going to change and we won’t see each other when we normally do, we try to plan a different day to hang out just so that we won’t have a week without physically seeing each other. Texting is great, but I wanna see her reaction every time I say something stupid that I think is funny.

Both of us had gone to the same church, and that’s actually where I met her. We both served in the Youth Group, and we both attended Bible study together. But one Friday night, we were out shopping for our Easter dresses when she broke the news to me; she and her family would be leaving the church. Three more Sunday’s and she wouldn’t be the first person who greeted me at the door. Three more Sundays and we would no longer serve in ministry together. Three more Sundays before I had to wonder, “is church just going to be super lonely now that pretty much the only one I talk to isn’t going to be here anymore?” Obviously, that’s not what the church is about, but for that entire time before the final Sunday I was missing her, and she hadn’t even left yet.

She and her family are starting a new church, and so entering a new season means leaving the old one behind. I understood that, and of course, I wanted her to do what God called her to do, but that didn’t mean my heart wasn’t broken. Eventually, the day came when neither she nor her family was there to give me a hug just before service. Honestly, walking through the doors knowing that things would be different was gut-wrenching. I didn’t want to talk to new people, I didn’t want to pretend that I could just move on so easily, but somehow I got through that first Sunday and sure enough, I and her went out to celebrate her bother’s birthday right after the Pastor concluded. It’s not like she’s moving away, this is just a new season and she’s doing great things for the Kingdom.

If something like this has happened to you, I’d encourage you to read the book of Acts. This book has a lot of instances where Paul had to leave people that he loved and considered family in order for him to go where God was calling him to go. It’s okay to mourn the changes ahead, but just as God’s Word says, “In your anger do not sin,” in your sadness, do not sin. This is a difficult time for your friend too. He or she does not want to leave you, but obeying God’s call for their life is first and foremost. Encourage them, talk to them just as much as you normally would. Especially in an era of Facetime and social media, there’s no reason why you still can’t be best friends.

Be grateful to God for the new opportunities; for you and for them. Change is hard, but in time, things will settle into place. It’s okay to make new friends at church, and you never have to stop being someone’s best friend just because God took them in a different direction. God works all things together for good.

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Hamilton and the Life Altering Power of Encouragement

Hamilton, An American Musical, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre

Can you remember a time when someone saw potential in you and called it out? A time that someone encouraged you, believed in you, and cast a vision for your future? These moments have the power to alter the entire direction of our lives.

In my upcoming book, God and: Spiritual Themes From the Life of Alexander Hamilton & the Broadway Musical He Inspired, I highlight different themes found in Hamilton that engage and challenge audiences in their own spiritual journey.

The first chapter from my book talks about the grace given to Alexander Hamilton when some local businessmen in the Caribbean read an essay he wrote, recognized the intellectual potential within Hamilton, and raised money to send him to America to get his education.

The resources given to Alexander represent a gift of grace that he could never have earned for himself. Everything that Hamilton would become in America was built on the foundation of this grace.

Recently, I recognized that an entirely different grace existed in this moment as well, in addition to the monetary gift. These businessmen offered a grace to Hamilton by encouraging him – by seeing the potential and calling that potential out of him.

I like to imagine the conversation between these businessmen and Alexander, and how deeply their words impacted him. Living as an impoverished orphan boy, with no one caring about him or his future, these words were quite possibly the most meaningful words ever spoken to him.

“Son, we read your essay. We see great potential in you.”

“Alexander, you have a rare intellectual gift. We want to help you develop that gift.”

“We expect great things from you Alexander. You are going to America. Never underestimate what you can accomplish there.”

I like to think that these words shaped Hamilton’s entire future. Certainly, the money given opened up a new world of possibility for Hamilton. But what if the words were spoken to him we just as important as the money donated? What if their belief in his potential inspired Hamilton’s belief in himself, and propelled him into his role in shaping our country?

God and Hamilton

The Book of Ephesians says that we should use our words “for building people up and meeting the need of the moment.” Never underestimate the power of your words. When you call potential out in someone else, your words contain the power to change the entire direction of someone’s life. Just like they did for Alexander Hamilton.

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Top 11 Qualities That Make A Great Leader

There are different styles of leadership and they can (nearly) all be good.

1. Be Authentic

The important thing is to be yourself: know your own personality so that you can be authentic in the way you engage with other people and the way you use your authority. Understand how you as an individual can best have positive impact and influence with others and try to understand how they perceive you. Always be clear in communicating your values, what you care about and what you stand for – through your behaviour as well as your words.

2. Boost Your Confidence

If you want to be a leader you have to be prepared to lead. It does require self-confidence. You have to be able to judge when to listen, when to think and when to decide. When you make decisions you need to stick with them through adversity if you are sure they are right, and to see them through. People like continuity. If at some point you conclude that you were wrong, you need to be big enough to change and to explain why. The best solution is to make the right decisions! It is more important to make good decisions than fast decisions.

3. Display Emotional Intelligence

But you can only lead if other people are prepared to follow. That means you have to win and retain their respect, not just for your position but for you as a person, for your experience, skills, and competence. A leader has to have a strong rapport with, and understanding of, the organization and the people he or she is leading: what they want, and what they will accept if they can’t have what they want. Emotional intelligence and intuition are important in forming these links.

4. Motivate and Inspire

In leadership, people and relationships are more important than tasks. Tasks do matter, but the main role of a good leader is to motivate and inspire other people to do the tasks well. You need to know how to delegate and be the leader of other leaders. The leader is the conductor of the orchestra, not the first violin. But you also need to know when to step in and take responsibility. Don’t be afraid to say ‘stop’ or ‘no’ if you think things are going wrong. And don’t let other people push you into a decision which you are not comfortable with.

5. Set the Vision

You have to set a vision. That requires a clear sense of purpose, a clear sense of direction and a clear picture of the destination. You need to be able to explain in terms that people understand and support what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it, how you will go about it and how everyone will know when you get there. That is what I have been trying to do with Diplomatic Excellence.

6. Be a Good Communicator

Good leaders are good communicators. You have to do it all the time. It means thinking about what other people know and how they are experiencing what you are doing, especially change. It’s important to communicate in a way other people can relate to and engage with. And you have to make it easy for people to remember what you are saying: make it simple, clear and coherent.

7. Lead the Delivery

Once you’ve set the vision and engaged other people through communication, you need to lead the delivery. That’s where a clear understanding of the end goal, and metrics and evaluation to demonstrate outcomes, are important. It’s a good idea to stay ahead of the delivery curve, setting interim goals along the way which are stretching but attainable. Much of what I’ve just described in the last three points is encapsulated by Steve Radcliffe in the model he discussed at the Leadership Conference last year: future, engage, deliver.

8. Manage  Your  Energy

It’s important to manage your energy. Leaders are constantly on display and under scrutiny. You need to have energy in reserve so that you can manage your mood and the image you project, and have something in the tank when crises happen (as they inevitably will). Learn to recognise when you are tired or stressed, and how that makes you behave. Watch out for the signs. Learn also to recognise where your positive energy comes from and what takes it away.

9. Build the Right Team

A good leader will put a lot of effort into building the right team around him or her. You need people you trust, who are on your side, who challenge and are honest with you and whose judgement you respect. You need to be able to depend on their support when the going gets tough. Being a leader can feel lonely and exposed: so you need to have your support systems in place to help you through the harder times.

10. Trust Your Instinct

If it doesn’t feel right, the chances are it isn’t right. I’m a great believer in the power of the subconscious, given time, to steer us to the right answers. That’s why I often prefer to have a couple of discussions before taking a difficult decision, even if that slows down the process. It helps give me certainty about what I think, and it helps the wider leadership group understand each other’s point of view and build consensus. The end result is a better decision with better buy-in.

11. Make Mistakes

Finally, accept that we all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. When you do, try to learn the lessons, but don’t be destabilized. Someone told me once: “don’t chew the cud”. Keep moving forward, be resilient, remember that things will get better. And smile.

Author

Lee Glynn is a dedicated individual with over 18 years experience & knowledge within the wonderful world of recruitment. Having held roles as a Managing Director, Non Executive Director, Director, Leader, Business Adviser, Mentor, Strategist and Trainer to the Recruitment, Staffing, Professional Industry. Lee has extensive knowledge and experience for all frameworks and business models inc (Crown Commercial Services, London Procurement Partnership, NHS Collaborative Procurement Partnership, HealthTrust Europe & NHS Shared Business Service that are used by the NHS & Private sectors. Lee Glynn is currently helping the NHS & Private hospitals reduce their Agency and permanent spend. This article has been published on Linkedin.

 

 

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Which of These 5 Types of Project Managers Are You?

The outcome of a project largely depends on the behaviour of the manager as their actions will directly influence the behaviour of the team. Even with all the efforts, employees may put forth to salvage a once positive work environment, at the core of every toxic working environment is the bad manager. There are different types of managers, and each one has their own characteristics that determine how employees will react, the working environment and overall production.  Five common types include:

1. Laissez-Faire

‘Laissez-Faire’, is French for leaving things to take their own course without interference. These types of managers tend to leave subordinates to get on with the work on their own and have little to no communication with them. They fail to provide regular feedback when supervising. Though this form of management may seem irresponsible, it requires a lot of trust. Highly experienced and capable employees need very little interference, as they are trusted to do the task to the best of their abilities. However, when it comes to employees with limited experience, this form of management means there will be low production value as these employees feel they do not have to do any work due to the lack of authority they have over them. It can also make these employees a lot harder to control and since work is not being done, resources, money and time are wasted, which in turn increases the costs of the project.

2. Autocratic

This form of management is most suitable for places such as the Army as it gives the manager complete power. These types of managers make all the decisions with very little or no input from the subordinates, and since they have total authority over them, employees find it hard to challenge the manager. This can create an atmosphere of fear and because of this quality of work and production may increase, however, retention rates might increase along with it, as employees may feel threatened and begin to resent their job. Nonetheless, this form of management might be suitable for employees who need close supervision as they need to be told what to do and when, but creative employees will find it hard to work in an autocratic environment.

3. Participative

This type of manager values every member of the team and listens to whatever input employees may have. However, the manager ultimately makes the final decision. This form of management will increase morale as employees make contributions towards the decision-making process and they feel that their opinions matter. With this management style, the employees easily accept changes in the company as they played a role in the process. As morale increases, production will increase along with it, making this a very effective management style.

4. Transactional

This management style is used to give out either rewards or punishments to employees depending on their performance. The manager along with the employees set goals together and agree on rewards or punishments depending on whether or not they reach their goal. The employees then follow direction and instructions set by the managers in order to achieve the goal. The manager has the power to analyze the results of the project and either give out rewards and praise the employees or train the employees depending on the outcome.

5. Transformational

This type of management is used to increase the morale of the employees and is normally used in situations where employees feel discouraged. There are high levels of communication between the manager and the subordinates to reach their goals. These leaders motivate the employees and enhance efficiency and production using communication. These types of managers delegate smaller tasks to smaller teams and focus on the big picture to achieve their overall goals.

Conclusion

There are many different types of managers, and some are used specifically to adapt to certain situations. Some management styles are more effective than others however it depends on the type of employees they are supervising, the task at hand, and the goals that are set.

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33 of the Most Inspirational Leadership Quotes for You to Live By

We’ve all seen quotes designed to motivate or inspire us.  Well, according to a new study, people who post these ‘inspirational’ quotes also have lower levels of intelligence. However, Godinterest disagrees, and see’s some quotes as  universal nuggets of wisdom. You know the ones – those quotes that give you “Aha!” moments of inspiration or meaningful insights into  your personal and professional lives.  These are the ones you  want to print out and place on your fridge  so you’ll see them  every day.

This collection of inspirational quotes features some of the all-time classics you may know, as well as some lesser-known  ones  you’ll love too. If  you have any quotes you would have added, feel free to share in the comments section!

  1. “The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable.” – Denis Watley
  2. “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” – Stephen A. Brennan
  3. “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” – Fitzhugh Dodson
  4. “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” – Diana Scharf Hunt
  5. “You must have long-term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.” – Charles C. Noble
  6. “Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence, determination, and disregard for obstacles and other people’s criticisms, carry out your plan.” – Paul Meyer
  7. “The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” – Benjamin Mays
  8. “Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.” – Unknown
  9. “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  10. “Goals help focus you on areas in both your personal and professional life that are important and meaningful, rather than being guided by what other people want you to be, do, or accomplish.” – Catherine Pulsifer
  11. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” – Zig Ziglar
  12. “It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.” – Brian Tracy
  13. “The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
  14. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Horne, Lena
  15. “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William E. Channing
  16. “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” – Henry Ford
  17. “It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up again.” – Vince Lombardi
  18. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” E- Eleanor Roosevelt
  19. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun
  20. “Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes.” – Kenneth Hildebrand
  21. “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” – Andrew Carnegie
  22. “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer
  23. “The surest way not to fail is to be determined to succeed.”  – Richard B. Sheridan
  24. “A determined person will do more with a pen and paper than a lazy person will accomplish with a personal computer.” – Catherine Pulsifer
  25. “There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
  26. “It was courage, faith, endurance and a dogged determination to surmount all obstacles that built this bridge.” – John J. Watson
  27. “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino
  28. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer
  29. “We will either find a way or make one!” – Hannibal
  30. “That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Unknown
  31. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
  32. “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather
  33. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

 

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35 Powerful Quotes That Will Inspire You to Be Successful

Being a both a Christian and a leader can be an emotional ride, with ups, downs, joy, and disappointment. Words have power and these inspiring and motivating quotes are guaranteed to challenge the way you think and perhaps even change the way you live.

We  hope they resonate with you as much as they have with us.  Sometimes a little piece of advice or wisdom from a brilliant mind can help you motor through even the most difficult of times.

  1. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ’- Maya Angelou
  2. It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it. ’- Lou Holtz
  3. What happened, happened, and it wouldn’t have happened any other way. Lewis Carroll
  4. Choose a job that you like, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ’- Confucius
  5. Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. ’-  Proverbs 29:11
  6. Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. —Vince Lombardi
  7. Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. ’- Napoleon Hill
  8. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ’- Mark Twain
  9. The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. ’- Ralph Nader
  10. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. ’- Proverbs 27:17
  11. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. ’- Napoleon Hill
  12. What is not started will never get finished. ’- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  13. When you cease to dream, you cease to live. ’- Malcolm Forbes
  14. Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs. ’- Farrah Gray
  15. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. ’- Unknown
  16. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. ’- Vince Lombardi
  17. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. ’- Unknown
  18. Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. —Charles Swindoll
  19. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand  and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. ’- Vince Lombardi
  20. Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes. ’- Maggie Kuhn
  21. It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently. ’- Warren Buffett
  22. Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. —Eleanor Roosevelt
  23. When someone tells me “no,” it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them. ’- Karen E. Quinones Miller
  24. If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. —Booker T. Washington
  25. You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do. ’- Henry Ford
  26. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. ’- Unknown
  27. I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. —Stephen Covey
  28. Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. ’- Unknown
  29. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. ’- Unknown
  30. I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. —Jimmy Dean
  31. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on. —Sheryl Sandberg. —  Proverbs 15:1
  32. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger
  33. Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. —George Addair
  34. The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. —Amelia Earhart
  35. A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. —  Proverbs 22:1

Bookmark this page and come back to it when you need some inspiration and motivation.

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66% of IT Projects Fail

Is Britain a nation of slient Christians?

Only one in three software projects will turn out to be successful. According to Standish Group’s 2015 Chaos report, 66% of technology projects (based on the analysis of 50,000 projects worldwide) end in partial or total failure. More surprisingly, these statistics have been the same for the last five years, the report shows. Furthermore, 17% of large IT projects go so badly that they can threaten the very existence of  a company.

On Average, Large It Projects Run 45% over Budget and 7% over Time, While Delivering 56% Less Value than Predicted

Despite such failures, huge sums continue to be invested in IT projects and written off. For example the cost of project failure across the European Union was ┚¬142 billion in 2004.

It Projects Always Come with an Element of Risk, but There Are Huge Gains to Be Had If We Can Just Avoid Some of the Factors That Contribute Frequently to Project Failure

What makes a IT project successful, though?

According to the Standish Group, a successful project is on time, on budget and has satisfactory results (value, user and sponsor satisfaction, and meets target requirements). Other measures of success are widely known and accepted as true such as getting requirements right, providing effective leadership, and having full support and engagement from sponsors and users. Without these, it’s unlikely that any project would succeed.

But there’s more to success than what is widely known and, apparently, rarely followed. To reduce the risk of failure for your tech project, here are  six key actions to take on the road to success.

1. Executive Vision and Involvement

Without a Executive Senior Sponsor Its Easy for Projects to Fail with the Organizational Resistance That Accompanies Large Change

Executive involvement is a primary variable in predicting the success of an IT project.   Having a leadership team aligned across an organization articulating the purpose, value, and rationale for a project goes a long way towards getting stakeholders and end-users pulling the proverbial rope in the same direction.

2. Have a clear view of scope and timetable

Oftentimes, a tech project flops because its developers fail to plan and rush forward with  an idea. However, some project  managers plan so meticulously that they end up falling behind and lose momentum. The best approach is somewhere in between.

Interviewing team members, documenting requirements, prioritizing what is “mission critical” versus “nice to have,” getting agreement across stakeholders can feel like a never-ending cycle.   As a result, requirement gathering has fallen out of fashion with many organizations  in the past few years.

However, the ideal starting point for a successful technology project is to have a set of fundamental requirements with sufficient detail to develop against.

Requirement Gathering Is Labour-intensive and Challenging but Remains the Roadmap and Measuring Stick for Software Projects

This approach allows you to maintain sight of the business benefits as well as engaging stakeholders and responding to their feedback.  In combination with a  clear business case, a  well-defined set of requirements also simplifies design and testing, two areas where projects tend to go  sideways.

Ensure that requirements for the project are clearly defined and agreed upon among stakeholders and that you have a way to track, measure, and manage changes in requirements as appropriate during the project.

3. Define how you will deliver

When it comes to delivering a major project, one size does not always fit all. All products are customizable to some degree, so what might have worked  in one company may not work in another company.

That being said, why reinvent the wheel if it’s already proven successful?  Sometimes it  can be more beneficial to  use an existing  off the shelf solution. Whichever direction you take,  choose the delivery mode that works best for your company.

4. Risk Identification and Management

Every project has risk and  there are many  factors out of your control. People leave the organization, for better or worse, leadership changes,   budgets get cut, however, many risks  to projects can be mitigated or even eliminated with some forethought and on-going management.    For example, do you have the resources you need to deliver the project (resource risk).   Are project goals clearly understood and requirements clearly defined (scope risk).   Do you have a realistic project plan and timeline (time risk).

Mitigating Risk Is a Combination of Science and Art, and Always a Balancing Process

5. Test your product again and again

A technology project is something that should overall support your business. It should not be something that dictates and forces you to  change your operations. If this is happening, you should shift gears and focus on tweaking the technology, rather than lowering expectations and adopting less ideal requirements.

Adequate testing is a must for any tech project. While some features may be fine with automated testing, the best approach is to have a dedicated testing team. Testing activities should mirror those with the development team throughout the project’s lifetime. With thorough testing, a project should deliver with less design flaws or missing requirements.

6. Prioritize simplicity and performance

Developers often leave the external look and feel of a product to the wayside thinking these things are not necessities for the consumer to enjoy. However, user experience is absolutely critical to the success of the project.

Developers must consider things like storage, network requirements, processing speeds and overall performance in order to satisfy the customer. If users are going to have to wait for an extended period to allow information to load, there must be a good reason for the wait, otherwise they won’t return for future products.

Simplification and Improved Efficiency Is What Adds Value

Ultimately, using the product should be a smooth and intuitive experience. Additionally, tools and alternative routes must be placed logically without being intrusive. The process can be complicated, but the finished product should emit simplicity. After all, that’s what makes companies like Apple so successful. Simplification and improved efficiency is what adds value.

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How to Raise a God Fearing Child?

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

It’s every parent desires to raise up their kids in a Godly way and for them to follow and love Christ passionately. It becomes a tragedy when you as a parent does not have any idea on how to. What a hard nut to crack if the children decide to be rebellious and as a parent or guardian you are not rooted in the word of God?

This pushes me to ask this annoying question, “Are you living a life your child would love to emulate?” Live as an example and whatever principles you set he will follow them wholeheartedly.

Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Children are a blessing from God and it’s a joy when they are following the footsteps of our Lord Christ Jesus and doing things according to his will. As we were all born sinners, children aren’t an exception and unless you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in parenting, I tell you this is not for the faint-hearted but I’ll take you through ways on how to help you raise Godly children and for them to learn His attributes.

Pray for wisdom

James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Praying, reading the word and exercising wisdom as you wait on God unlock many puzzles which the enemy can use to draw your children far away from his love. It doesn’t act like magic but takes the grace of God which will always sustain you. Implementing on what you learn from God’s word is highly recommended.

Protect your children

In this generation we are living in, children are surrounded by perverts, ungodly media and all negative influencers. As a parent, you need to take full responsibility to ensure that your children are protected from all vices. It’s your mandate for the Lord has entrusted them to you.

Control your children

Parents allow too much freedom to their children and it turns out to be very difficult to withdraw that freedom while they are older. You have the right to supervise what they’re watching, sites they log into to protect them from cyberbullying and to avoid technology controlling them. Monitoring whom they spend their time with is advisable. Teach them to walk in the “fear” of God and make them understand that there are boundaries. Be firm but with a lot of love.

Trying to turn children away from their wayward behavior comes with a lot of emotional burdens that takes massive effort to heal.

Have commitment and determination

Amos 3:3 says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”

It’s obliviously a no! As parents, you need to agree and purpose on how to raise your children in a Godly way and with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit you’ll definitely emerge victoriously. Determination comes from within and the higher the commitment; awesomeness will be experienced by all.

Bless your children

Speak positively concerning your children. Bless them and speak to their future. The tongue has the power to curse and bless and you may not wish your child to live in resentment for the rest of his life because of the choice of your words.

Proverbs 12:18 says, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Sieve every word that comes out from your mouth. Children can be rebellious at times and no matter how irresponsible they are, thank God for blessing you with that child. Talk to them about how their behaviors are weighing you down and at the same time appreciate them for their best part. Dwelling on the negativity will tear both parties down. Be wise.

Proverbs 23:13-14 says, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from the death.

Children are bound to be rebellious and little spanking is allowed as long as it won’t cause bodily harm. Do it with a lot of love though. Involve your children in daily prayers and set family devotional times.

 

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