Idea – Page 2 – Godinterest

February 20, 2016July 1, 2022

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 Ã¢”š¬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.

December 20, 2015March 20, 2019

20 Inspiring Leadership Quotes

The right words can engage the brain and bring an idea to life. History’s best leaders understood the importance of providing motivation and direction to achieve larger goals. The character, actions and thoughts of a leader, good or bad, permeate an organisation or country. Your goal should be to demonstrate the best qualities of a leader. These 20 quotes about leadership will help you think about and guide your actions.

It is impossible to imagine anything which better becomes a ruler than mercy – Seneca
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves – Philippians 2:3
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently – Henry Ford
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless – Mother Teresa
Treat others the same way you want them to treat you – Luke 6:31
Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first 4 sharpening the axe – Abraham Lincoln
While a good leader sustains momentum, a great leader increases it – John C. Maxwell
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires – William Arthur Ward
The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things – President Ronald Reagan
Always do what’s right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest – Mark Twain
A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit – Arnold Glasow
Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader – George S. Patton
Earn your leadership every day – Michael Jordan
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity – George S. Patton
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower – Steve Job
Where there is no vision, the people perish – Proverbs 29:18
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power – President Abraham Lincoln
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way – John C. Maxwell
Don’t just delegate tasks to the next generation. If you delegate tasks, you create followers. Instead, delegate authority to create leaders – Craig Groeschel
You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader – Henry Ford

November 3, 2015July 1, 2022

Top 10 Project Management Myths Debunked

Since the dawn of time, mankind has used myths to make sense of the uncertainty that surrounds us. In the early 1990s a lot of people believed that project management was the best kept secret in business. However, because project management was not seen as a prevailing profession at that time, it suffered from a lack of awareness which was in a sense, a double edged sword. Those who were knowledgeable in the practice of project management became extreamly valuable to organisations and pioneers for the profession.

These early adopters were able to convince organisations that project management practitioners were needed. Myths around project management began to form in the business community and as the role of the project manager was unclear, questions were raised as to what project management was and what it could offer organisations.

The definition of the word myth is a “widely held, but false belief or idea.” Here, we’re going to examine 10 of the most pervasive PM myths that have emerged.

Myth #1 – Contingency pool is redundant

This is one of the most ‘mythical’ myths that has plagued the industry for a long time. Coupled with the tendency to presume that ‘real work’ is tantamount to implementation or building something concrete and you have the perfect recipe for project disaster. The thought pattern behind this approach typically originates from budget constraints and/or having unrealistic expectations. As we all know, or should know, the unexpected happens quite regularly. An effective contingency plan is important as it aims to protect that which has value (e.g., data), prevent or minimise disruption (e.g., product lifecycle), and provide post-event feedback for analysis (e.g., how did we fare? did we allocate funds correctly?).

Myth #2 – Project Management software is too expensive

If your idea of project management software involves purchasing servers, and purchasing a software application from a major vendor for a small practice with 10 practitioners then, yes, it is too expensive. If, however, you have gone cloud and elected to use a powerful web-based project management solution (such as Smartsheet), then you are likely to save thousands of pounds while reaping the benefits of a pay-as-you-go price structure. The present, and future, lie in cloud solutions that provide equal, or superior, functionality at a fraction of the cost.

Myth #3 – Project Management methodologies will slow us down

Project managers have a reputation of using process-intensive methodologies that favour ideology over pragmatism. In some instances this may, indeed, be the case when there is a mismatch between a specific project management approach and the organisation’s acutall needs (e.g., a process-driven method, such as PRINCE2, may not be appropriate for a slightly chaotic environment that favours an adaptive approach, such as Scrum). So, in sum, put down the paint roller (“Project Management isn’t for us!”) and take out your fine-bristled brush (“The Critical-Chain method may not be our cup of tea, but Agile on the other hand”¦”).

Myth #4 – Facts and figures are more important than feelings and perceptions

While facts are very important, projects are often derailed and sabotaged because of false perceptions. The PM must pay attention to both fact and fiction to navigate through turbulent organisational change.

Myth #5 – Project managers need to be detail oriented and not strategic in nature

While it is of the utmost importance for the project manager to understand how to read the details of the project, they must also understand how the project supports organisational objectives. Having a strategic perspective adds great value to the skill-set of the project manager.

Myth #6 Rely on the experts in everything that you do

It is true, we do need to rely on the experts but our trust can not be a blind faith. The job of the project managers in this area is twofold. First we must extract information and second we must verify that the information is accurate. A good example of this is asking a planner to provide an estimate on the effort required to perform a task. In some instances team members forget to include tasks which ultimately results in a faulty estimate.

Myth #7 All the battles have to be fought and won so that we can succeed

Project managers sometimes make the assumption that they need to stand firm to get the job done, however, coming to compromise on a particular issue is often a better course of action in order to win the war.

Myth #8 Project Managers can wear multiple hats

Wearing different hats can be extremely confusing. This is especially true if the project manager is asked to be a business analyst or technical expert on top of serving in their PM role. They end up doing both roles with mediocrity. When we “wear two hats” we essentially tell ourselves that both hats fit on one head at the same time. However, what happens if the demands of two roles conflict and what assurances do we have that we’re managing the inherent conflict of multiple roles and the risks the roles introduce? Sadly, multiple roles become more common as we move up the management hierarchy in an organisation, and that’s exactly where potential conflicts of interest can do the most harm.

Myth #9 Once the risk register is created, it’s full speed ahead

Risk management provides a forward-looking radar. We can use it to scan the uncertain future to reveal things that could affect us, giving us sufficient time to prepare in advance. We can develop contingency plans even for so-called uncontrollable risks, and be ready to deal with likely threats or significant opportunities. Too often, it’s not until a catastrophic event occurs and significantly impacts project progress that ongoing risk reviews are conducted.

Myth #10 Project managers can not be effective in their role unless they have specific technical expertise in the given field that the project falls within

You don’t need to be an engineer to manage a construction project or a IT technician to manage a software development project. All you need is a fundamental understanding with strong PM skills to manage the team. Experience in the field helps but does not guarantee success.

Project management is challenging enough without the myths. The profession has come a long way since the 1990s and some of these myths are fading. However, we still see remnants of them in one form or another. Great projects cut through false assumptions and confusion, allowing their teams to make smart decisions based on reality.

These are just 10 project management myths, what are yours?

October 20, 2015July 1, 2022

The Hard Side of Change Management

Change management is an approach to transition individuals, teams, and organisations to a desired future state. For over three decades, academics, managers, and consultants, realising that transforming organisations is difficult, have avoided the subject.

My Way or the Highway

Major organisational change is profoundly difficult because the structure, culture, and routines of companies often reflect’s persistent and difficult-to-remove ways of working, which are resistant to radical change even as the environment of organisations change.

What started out as a financial buzzword in the early nineties has become fundamental business practice, with executives recognising the need to keep abreast with the competition in a rapidly developing corporate new world.

Navigating change

Globalisation and the constant innovation of technology result in a constantly evolving business environment. There is an ever-increasing need for Change Management Lead’s / Senior Managers who can help organisations successfully navigate change in today’s business environments. The focus of this movement to date has been on how to partner with organisations to define education, training and communication platforms that help to support the change initiatives and concerns of company employees. The critical aspect is a company’s ability to win the buy-in of their organisation’s employees on the change initiative.

While a project team is important for success, a senior level advisor is invaluable and can work with an organisations leadership team to avoid common pitfalls that change management projects often fall into. There are four key areas where an Advisor should act as this resource as follows:

1. Defining A Strategy

Executives should start by asking themselves what exactly needs changing and why? Organisational change directly affects all departments from entry level employees to senior management and must be aligned to a companies strategy. Too many programs are heavy on the jargon and light on the substance. Executives are often sold on an idea only to realise as the change initiative begins that they need a different outcome, tool or process to be successful.

In this situation the strategy for change needs to be re-aligned with the organisation and its goals.

An outside senior advisor with a unique perspective of the organisation will play an important role in helping an executive to explore and shape the strategy they are defining and highlight whether it will truly create the outcomes they desire. This upfront partnership can save money on the back end of a project, by avoiding costly re-scoping of initiatives.This relationship between senior advisor and executive should therefore begin as early as possible in the process.

2. Coalition Building

Its important to give people multiple opportunities to share concerns, ask questions, and offer ideas and to make following up with answers and updates a top priority. Executives must reach out across their functional work streams to build a large cohesive team to support the project once the correct strategy has been set and the urgency for the project has been established. A good senior advisor will be able to guide an executive though these interactions.

As a senior change management professional, it is important that you help leaders of the organisation craft the correct message. While leaders often know what it is they want and see the urgency for themselves, the outside view that a coach provides can support the development of a team around the initiative and help to navigate the strategic and political interests in linking the change to the interest of multiple team members.

The more people are involved in the process, the fewer will be acting as internal saboteurs.

Communication Is Key to Successful Change Management

3. Communication

Don’t confuse process visioning, planning and endless powerpoint presentations with communication.

Change is uncomfortable, and adapting to change is messy. A Gantt chart can not capture the hard side of change management. Why? Because tasks are easy to list, but behaviour and long-held habits are not easy to change. Gather outside information, solicit perspectives, and adapt the approaches for your organisation and group.

The importance of communication within an organisation around the change cannot be underestimated. Executives often fall short on communication in two main areas, not communicating the right message and not communicating it frequently enough across an organisation. It is often thought that everyone else in the organisation is on board and understands the change, however, the reality for an executive is not the reality for another worker who may have lost a job because of a well intended change initiative. A senior advisor can apply consistent pressure to the leader of the change around the need for communication and its messaging.

Quantity Is Fine, but Quality and Consistency Are Crucial

4. Share Relevant Information Quickly

Most CEOs and managers are quoted as saying, “You can’t communicate too much,” Part of the communication will be the support the urgency in messaging. “My way or the highway” is often used, but is not an effective communication strategy. Senior Advisors can work with executives to tailor their message to each area of the organisation in order to define content that is important to them.

A study by Towers Watson shows that “only two-thirds (68%) of senior managers say they are getting the message about the reasons behind major organisational decisions. Below the senior management level, the message dwindles further to (53%) of middle managers and 40% of first-line supervisors understanding reasons behind major organisational change.

The forwarding and cascading of information does not work as consistent communication around the change will be necessary at all levels of the organisation using a variety of communication pathways and vehicles. As a trusted advisor it is important to encourage executives to lead by example in both their messaging and communication of the change agenda.

Only 25% of Change Management Initiatives Are Successful over the Long Term

Maintaining The Change

Many leaders and managers underestimate the length of time required by a change cycle. It is paramount that as the change effort reaches its completion that leaders of the change recognise that the process does not end there. The role of a Senior Advisor will be to guide them to the idea that work must be undertaken to maintain the change over time. Maintaining change does not mean that an executive must own the initiative forever, just that they take the necessary steps to ensure that change has a lasting impact by integrating the change into the corporate culture and measuring the benefits and highlighting areas for future improvements.

The outside unbiased view is that a Change Management Lead is crucial to the success of a change management program.

This article provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organisation or situation. Please use it mindfully.

October 18, 2015July 1, 2022

29 Awesome Quotes on Risk Management

If you treat risk management as a part-time job, you might soon find yourself looking for one ’- Deloitte white paper (Putting Risk in the Comfort Zone)
I have learned that nothing is certain except for the need to have strong risk management, a lot of cash, the willingness to invest even when the future is unclear, and great people ’- Jeffrey R. Immelt
Thoughtfully assessing and addressing enterprise risk and placing a high value on corporate transparency can protect the one thing we cannot afford to lose trust ’- Dale E. Jones, vice chairman and partner with Heidrick & Struggles
We have no future because our present is to volatile. Will only have risk management ’- William Gibson
Risk management is a culture, not a cult. It only works if everyone lives it, not if its practiced by a few high priests ’- Tom Wilson
I think the rise of quantitative econometrics and a highly mathematical approach to risk management was the obverse of a decline in interest in financial history ’- Niall Ferguson
There is no doubt that Formula 1 has the best risk management of any sport and any industry in the world ’- Jackie Stewart
Stronger regulation and supervision aimed at problems with underwriting practices and lenders’ risk management would have been a more effective and surgical approach to constraining the housing bubble than a general increase in interest rates ’- Ben Bernanke
If you don’t invest in risk management, it doesnt matter what business you’re in, it’s a risky business ’- Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn
Adventure without risk is Disneyland ’- Douglas Coupland
Risk and time are opposite sides of the same coin, for if there were no tomorrow there would be no risk. Time transforms risk, and the nature of risk is shaped by the time horizon: the future is the playing field ’- Peter Bernstein, Against the Gods
As population susceptibilities are better understood, we will be in a better position than we are in today to make informed decisions about risk management ’- Samuel Wilson
Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash ’- General George Patton
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger, but calculating risk and acting decisively ’- Niccolo Machiavelli
Total enterprise risk management is critical, but implementing it is both expensive and easier said than done. Even the most sophisticated financial institutions are still basically silo risk managers ’- Danny Klinefelter, Professor and Extension Economist with Texas AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M University
Playing it safe is the riskiest choice we can ever make ’- Sarah Ban
The question of whether or to what extent human activities are causing global warming is not a matter of ideology, let alone of belief. The issue is simply one of risk management ’- Malcolm Turnbull
Business people need to understand the psychology of risk more than the mathematics of risk ’- Paul Gibbons,
Risk comes from not knowing what your doing ’-Warren Buffett
You have to take risks. You will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen ’- Paulo Coelho
Risk is a function of how poorly a strategy will perform if the ‘wrong’ scenario occurs ’- Michael Porter, Competitive Advantage
Risk management should be an enterprisewide exercise and engrained in the business culture of the organisation ’- OSFI Superintendent Julie Dickson, June 1, 2011 (courtesy Ethidex)
Risk is our business ’- Oswald GrÃƒ¼bel, CEO at UBS
When our leaders accept the status quo, we run the risk of disaster ’- Max Bazerman from “Predictable Surprises”
The concept of ‘inherent risk’ is impossible to measure or even define. The idea of looking at risk absent all hard controls, soft controls, or mitigations, provides little or no useful information in most cases ’- Todd Perkins (from Journal of Applied Corporate Finance – volume 19 number 4)
It’s important to take risks but it’s idiotic to take them blindly ’- Terry Levine
Fail to identify the strategic risks and you fail as a business, no matter how well you manage your operational and project risks ’- Keith Baxter
Business as usual is business at risk ’- Deloitte white paper
Risk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritisation of risks ’- Wikipedia

October 10, 2015July 1, 2022

Are Women Better Project Managers Than Men?

September 25, 2015July 1, 2022

Why Do Projects Fail?

September 23, 2015July 1, 2022

From Outreach Ideas to Action in Three Easy Steps

A good idea is great. A good idea that’s executed perfectly can change the world. But a simple idea alone is useless.

A Good Idea That’s Executed Perfectly Can Change the World

There’s an idea that flops and an idea that becomes the next biggest thing. It’s all about how it’s executed. If it doesn’t come with a plan, or if it appears too difficult to introduce, someone else will do it, leaving you with a has-been idea that can no longer be implemented. This is why every ‘brainwave’ ‘eureka’ moment idea needs to be teamed together with a worthy execution”¦if not, don’t expect much.

Pushing an innovative idea forward into something else remains one of our biggest challenges. Admittedly, it can be a super exhausting process, which is why it’s always a great idea to invite the crowd to not only come up with the wonderful ideas, but to also help develop them as well.

There are a few key stages that need to be followed when it comes to getting your crowd in on the idea decision-making and development game.

1. Create a Unique Team

Almost anyone can research and refine new innovative ideas. However, you can take it a step further and invite the crowd to join in the fun and be a part of your team. This will give your idea more validation. It will also decrease any potential risk, and at the same time it could be a huge timesaver when it comes to marketing and finances.

In short, each and every idea should be unique enough to sway people to join a team that supports the idea.

2. Fine Tune that Idea

They say that behind every great idea catapulted onto the market, there was an equally great plan. Every idea requires some sort of plan. It could be just a basic one that briefly outlines the various possibilities connected to it, or it could be a more complex plan that delves into the intricacies of it.

A good plan should include a business plan. This might seem like a given, but you’d be surprised as to how many people don’t have a good business plan to back up their ideas. Plans should also include target audiences, marketing ideas and much more.

You need to approach every idea in a methodical way. You’ll need a unique set of criteria that pertains to one idea – it’s not a case of one-size fits all. You’ll need to answer any question that arises, and until this is done, you can’t move forward and successfully turn your idea into reality.

Use and involve your crowd. Ask them to research various aspects of the idea, and then have them report back and share their ideas and findings with the rest of the group.

3. Don’t Stand for Mediocre

There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of okay ideas. There are even hundreds of great ideas. But, an average or good idea is not enough, which is why it’s absolutely essential to select only the best of the best ideas. It doesn’t matter if it’s only one mind-blowing idea because as the old adage goes, quality is better than quantity.

Quality Is Better than Quantity

The good and even the great ideas might struggle. Such ideas are difficult to get funding for, and it’s more challenging to prototype and deliver them. If you want to make your idea come alive, you need to have defined criteria, which allows for choosing the best idea to follow up on. After the criteria has been established, it’s time to use the crowd again aka Christian community. Ask them to respond accordingly and honestly – does the idea meet all the listed criteria?

If yes, that’s great, you’re moving towards success. If not, it’s back to the drawing board to get it right.

You need to act now and remember this: it’s okay to simply start by putting just one outreach idea into action.

What kinds of challenges do you and your team face when trying to develop your ideas further?

September 16, 2015July 1, 2022

Manage Your Project More Effectively Now

There are a few who get project management right from the outset, but for many it’s a minefield. In theory, project management seems easy, but it’s not as straightforward as it seems. If you’re like the majority of people, you follow what seems like a simple project management process. You start by setting your budget, you choose the right people to join the team, and hope the project gets completed without too many hitches along the way.

But, realistically speaking, project management is nothing like this – it’s hardly ever so straightforward. Mistakes are made. You might choose the wrong people to complete the project. Your team might have no idea what’s expected of them or what the project goals are, or in some cases they might even receive conflicting information, which puts the whole project in jeopardy. Sometimes the scope of the project changes, and because of everything else that’s going on, your team is unable to fulfill the requirements and meet the project deadlines.

It happens, and you’ve got to be prepared for any situation while working together towards the common goal – successfully completing the project.

Don’t throw in the towel just yet. It might seem daunting, but there are few surefire tricks of the trade which businesses and project managers can implement to better their chances of successfully completing a project on time and within budget.

1. Know the Project Details Well

Before starting, you need to create a thorough project scope that outlines every single thing. This then needs to be approved by every stakeholder involved.

Your scope needs to have as much detail as possible such as the short-term milestones, deliverable dates, and a budget outline. It makes sense really. The more detail it includes will improve your odds when it comes to completing the project successfully.

What’s more, you’ll also improve your relationship with your client throughout the whole project process from the beginning right through to the end. Of course every project will encounter a few changes along the way – this is the norm, but having a detailed plan will help you manage your client better when something is off course.

Choose your Project Team Members and Size Wisely

2. Choose your Project Team Members and Size Wisely

Naturally, if you want your project to be a winner, you need the right people for the job, which includes having the right project manager on board. Keep your team as small as possible – size does matter; so don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

The smaller the team, the better the communication. It also eases the stress and takes the pressure off the project manager. With a smaller team made up of the right people, the project manager will be able to organise their group without losing sight of all the details and work that’s needed doing. So, if you really want to have an effective project, limit your group’s size and only use those people and their skills that can benefit the project.

3. Highlight your Expectations from the Outset

You need to outline what you expect and what the client expects, which includes all the milestones, from the very beginning. Setting more milestones more frequently will allow you to follow the project’s progress more effectively. This way you’ll be able to jump on things quickly when they begin to go off scope, allowing you and your team to remain on target and on time.

Setting frequent milestones in a project will also allow you to review your spending and the investment thus far, which in turn will help you stay within the budget.

Milestones remove any ambiguity. They allow people to stay on target and there’s less risk of derailing the project.

Milestone setting should be a team effort. Everyone should be on board, so there won’t be any excuses later on down the line.

4. Does your Team Know what They’re Doing?

It may sound like a given, but it’s really important to be crystal clear from the beginning regarding people’s roles in the project. In other words, you need to highlight who is responsible for what, and what their deadline or deadlines are.

Things can get complicated with many people working on the same task. Sometimes things get misinterpreted or lost in translation. Avoid anyone being confused by clearly stating who should do what right from start, and make sure you enforce accountability.

You don’t need to worry about manually managing such tasks, as there are plenty of easy-to-use online task management programmes that can do this for you, so embrace technology and ease your pressure.

You may think it’s a waste of time spelling it all out, but this ensures that the full scope of the project is understood, people are clear of their role and individual and collaborative timelines. This is the key to keeping people on task and motivated.

5. Stop Micromanaging

It’s important to constantly touch base with your team members. However, there’s a fine line between supporting them and breathing down their necks. Give them space instead of micromanaging. Empower your team, trust them, and you’ll get their best work.

6. Use a Reliable System to Manage the Project

Communication is key. Most people rely on emailing, but when it comes to managing a big project with a number of different people working on it, this can hinder the project’s progress. Constantly referring back to old emails and previous correspondence is only going to waste precious time. Use software that keeps everything in one place from communication to any project information and updates. This will save you and your team a lot of time and money.

Motivate your Team

7. Motivate your Team

Everyone works better with positive reinforcement. Set milestones and reward when they’re reached. Your milestones will keep all people on track. Celebrate milestones together, but be sure to also recognise those who can’t meet them.

8. Frequent Short Meets to Stay on Track

It’s a project with many people collaborating, so holding regular meetings is a must. This is the only way to ensure that everyone and the project are on track. But you need to keep it short and sweet. Don’t meet for the sake of meeting. Have an agenda and stick to it. If you’re doing your project virtually, it’s even more important to touch base on a regular basis, so keep those communication lines open.

People do tend to go on at times when given the floor, so give everyone a set time to speak and make sure you all stick to it.

9. Allow Time for Change

No project ever runs 100% smoothly and specifications do change along the way. So to avoid the unnecessary stress and running around frantically, do some forward thinking, and set aside a certain amount of time for any changes in the scope – you’ll thank yourself for doing so in the end!

May 4, 2014May 4, 2018

You’re Possessed, Now What?

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

“And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.

“Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24-26

Demonic spirits are constant – their existence does not change just because the times we live in have changed. While many Christians may believe that demonic possession is not possible for them and may not even be a reality for others anymore, the forces of darkness still continue with their rampage through the earth to take as many souls as they can before Jesus comes again. Instead of burying our heads in the sand, we should arm ourselves with GOD’S Word and remain vigilant because our LORD is fast approaching.

In warfare, it is advisable that each side learns as much as they can about each other. Many a time a spy will be sent to learn secrets that could have one gain advantage over their enemy. With the gleaned information, they can launch an attack that will either defeat their opponent or at least temporarily put them out of action. Based on Scripture, we know that, as Believers, we are in open warfare against “… principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). Some Christians may say that this Scripture is not as relevant today as back then, but they would be in error. In Matthew 24:3-28, Jesus speaks of the Last Days. He tells us that wickedness will increase upon the earth in various ways, whether it will be a lack of love, false prophets etc. 2 Timothy 3:1-7 also describes these Last Days, how the condition of man will be and what to watch out for. What is behind this wickedness? Do you think that it is just man taking greater liberties in deciding what is right and wrong and even blurring those lines? Perhaps this Scripture will give you an idea: “We know that we are of GOD, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Did you catch that last part of the sentence? The world is under the influence of the wicked one, the wicked one is Satan.

Seeing as how the world is being influenced by Satan, how is he doing it? Fallen angels, beloved, demon spirits. Their handiwork is open to your viewing pleasure, just check out the latest movies, the decrease in morals, the increase of hatred (especially towards Christians), popular music and their artists… they are everywhere! Still in doubt? Just go to Youtube and check out what is going on- people are constantly posting about the influence of these fallen angels. Some may not be credible, but I assure you that there are many truthful videos available. Make sure to pray about what you are watching, you wouldn’t want to be deceived into believing the wrong things now would you?

These demons are affecting the world through people. Demonic possession does not always mean that you’re going to levitate in the air, change your voice, become supernaturally strong etc. It just depends on the situation really. These demons are intelligent- they have been around far longer than you have (obviously), and they have been studying mankind all of this time. They have been essentially monitoring you-possessed or not. Being possessed is different with all people because each person is different. It still all boils down to the same thing really, but the circumstances are always individually influenced. Some people do not realize that they are possessed, they may feel something odd about themselves, but other than that they just don’t know.

There are demons for everything! Lust, hate, addiction, covetous, idolatry, adultery, murder, destruction, witchcraft, unbelief, death- you come up with the rest. Not only are there demons for everything (of an evil nature), but through these demons, you can receive counterfeit gifts. You know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, right? Prophecy, healing, wisdom… read 1 Corinthians 12 to find out what the others are (by the way, each Believer has a gift/s, it’s a matter of prayerfully finding out what they are). The dark kingdom also has their version of these gifts, thus counterfeit gifts. Remember when Paul and the other disciples had that one girl following them around and proclaiming them as servants of God (Acts 16:17)? The Scriptures tell us that she had a spirit of divination and earned her masters a living by fortune telling. This would be a counterfeit gift of prophecy. Well, Paul became quite annoyed with her and eventually commanded the spirit to come out. Boy, were her masters mad!

The counterfeit gift of tongues is often mistaken for the true one in many churches. Instead of communing with GOD, they are uttering curses down on the church. It’s sad really, this kind of atrocity can be prevented if only people adhered to John’s words in 1 John 4:1-3 and Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14:27.

Let’s tackle a more taboo subject among Christians: demon possession of a Believer. You might say: Oh come on now, Steph, that’s not possible! When we accepted Jesus, those evil spirits had to go! Okay then, perhaps they did, but did you close your doorways? Doorways are the openings that you give the demons to dwell within you in the first place. Some doorways are through your own sin, some come about through dreams, others through traumatic events (eg rape, molestation etc) and others are hereditary.

Okay, you’re born again now. You have been freed from bondage to sin and the works of the devil. Perhaps for a few weeks, everything is okay, but suddenly all hell breaks loose. What could have happened? Read Luke 11:24-26 again. That demon/ s that were cast out of you, they roamed about, looking for somewhere to dwell. Well, they couldn’t find anything and decided to come back to you, just to see if they could try their luck. It turns out that you’re available and there is ample room for them to bring in seven more demons, more wicked than the first lot. Now your situation is worst off than when you began. They came into your house (your body), through the door (your doorway). This doesn’t mean that you’re no longer Christian- salvation doesn’t work that way. It is by grace that you have been saved, not through what is going on with you. But guess what? According to Luke 10:19, you’ve got power and authority over these spirits and you can rebuke them and cast them out of you. If you’re not certain about doing it yourself, rather find true Believers to help you. Repent of the sin, ask for forgiveness from GOD, and finally, close that doorway in Jesus’ name, praying the blood of Jesus to seal up that door.

Some Believers are probably up in arms because of this, but I’ll explain this demonic possession a bit further- with Scripture of course. Look to Ezekiel 8:1-18. There were abominations in the temple of GOD, while the glory of GOD was there! So how does this fit in with us? We are the temple of GOD (1 Cor 3:16 & 1 Cor 6:19), the Holy Spirit dwells within us. So, if the abominations could dwell in the sanctuary of GOD while He was there, why wouldn’t a demon dwell within us if we commit a sin that opens a doorway for them or, through lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), we neglect to close the doorways already present? Instead of shying away, examine yourself. Were you involved in the occult? Did you dabble in occultic games? Were you raped, whether as a child or adult (please, I am not seeking to lay blame on rape victims, but this doorway is a major one), had an abortion? There are others, but I would advise you to please pray about this and get others to be in agreement with you. You are a child of GOD, you do not have to suffer alone. You can walk around, pretending that everything is okay, or assume that whatever problems are befalling you are trials sent by GOD. Often times certain sicknesses have demonic origins, some traumatic events happening (losing a loved one) have been caused by demons- there are just so many things caused by them because of their possession of you. And they have the right to- you didn’t close the door. Throughout the Scriptures, examples of spiritual laws are given- how the spiritual world operates, etc. That is why GOD has commandments in place, they are to protect you! When He says do not do something, He is keeping you from harm.

I’m not saying that all sins lead to demonic possession, of course not! But there are sins that do and you need to be aware of them. Please, study the Scriptures- the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is mighty indeed. There is life in the Word of GOD, and you need it amidst all this evil.

Ending Thoughts: “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death, I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is a sin, and there is a sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:16-17).