Three Habits of Effective Project Leadership & Six Keys to Successful Project-Based Work

Three Habits of Effective Project Leadership 

For any organization doing project based work, the need for leadership and collaboration is critical. Unfortunately, for many organizations, developing leadership is a challenge—there are never enough leaders in an organization and getting people to collaborate is often a challenge. 

Here are three leadership principles that can help you effectively manage project teams in today's complicated business climate: 

1. Lead Yourself First. My colleagues and I used to call this walking the talk. If you don't practice what you preach, how can you lead others. 

2. Encourage Ownership. The more people feel of sense of ownership, the more responsibility team members will feel for the outcome. Identifying what a positive or negative outcome means to the team will encourage a sense of ownership. 

3. Follow-Up. I don't think it's any secret, but leaders get the behaviors they reinforce. 

It really doesn't matter what type of project based work you do or your particular work management methodology, project managers who spend time learning and implementing leadership skills are more successful than those that don't. As more and more organization turn to project and portfolio management best practices to make their organizations more efficient, the need for skilled project managers—those who know how to lead people as well as manage process—will continue to grow. 

What are you doing to improve your leadership skills? 

Six Keys to Successful Project-Based Work 

"Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breath in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important." 

In the 1984 movie The Karate Kid, Mr. Miagi, an apartment complex maintenance man, becomes an unlikely karate teacher for Daniel Laruso, a high-school kid in trouble with a bunch of local karate-bullies. With an unorthodox teaching style, Daniel-san's first karate lessons includes waxing Mr. Miagi's cars—all four of them. 

So what does this have to do with project based work? 

Without giving a play-by-play of the whole story, Mr. Miagi taught Daniel the basic techniques and skills that would allow him to defend himself. I've observed that there are some basic project management fundamentals that are common to any successful project and portfolio management methodology. 

Successful project managers focus on what matters most. Here are six suggestions: 

1. Make sure the project has a strong sponsor. Every project needs a sponsor who will evangelize the value of the initiative throughout the life of the project. 

2. Make sure the project is adequately funded. The temptation is to take whatever funding is offered, but without adequate funding—it's usually the project manager who ends up in hot water when the project fails for lack of financial resources. 

3. Pick the right team. Make sure the team includes all the skills that will be needed for success. Just because someone is available, doesn't always mean they are the best to work on your project. 

4. Plan. Planning is more than just preparing to deliver the final product. It should involve a continual process of evaluation and adjustment. 

5. Know the end before you begin. Make sure you know what the outcome of a successful project is before you start. What does "done" mean? Financial experts call this an "exit plan." 

6. Prepare for change. The very nature of projects create change. Whether it's a new product or an improvement in process or technology. Makes sure to prepare for the change.

How To Choose Free Web Hosting

Free web hosting is something that a lot of people will benefit from. It might just be the perfect choice for anyone with a small site who doesn't want it to make them rich overnight. 

You may find that some free web hosting options are really asking for too much in return for the service, and these should really be avoided. The following tips are great for anyone who wants to choose free web hosting. 

- If you are setting up a website for a small business then you may be able to apply for free web hosting from the government. This type of deal can be well worth checking out because they offer professional web hosting without it costing you a penny. The aim is to encourage small business owners onto the web to help the economy. This kind of service should be the first thing that you consider if you have a small business, and you want to set up a website. 

- Free web hosting is never actually really 'free' because most of the providers will expect something in return. Free advertising space is what is normally required of the customer. If providing this space is not what you want then you may find it difficult to actually get free web hosting. 

When it comes to these advertisements you may find that some of the free web hosting providers really do take advantage while others are much fairer and do not really intrude on your site. What you should really do before signing up is to have a look at the website of someone else using this service to see how it has impacted on their site. 

- All the different free web hosting options will have different packages in regard to the amount of disk space and bandwidth they will offer. You are advised to check around to see who will give you the best deal in this regard. 

Driving Tests And How To Impress The Examiner

If you have a driving test coming up, then you may be wondering about how you can impress the driving test examiner. By impressing the examiner, I mean doing things that are going to be relevant to the actual test, and what would impress the examiner enough to pass you; I am not suggesting that you sing a song for the examiner or do a stand up routine before you set off. Here are just a few ideas about how you can impress during your test. 

- Try not to show your nerves if possible; it is natural to be nervous, but it would be better to hide this if possible. If you want to impress the driving examiner you will need to show that you are safe; very nervous people don't tend to seem safe behind the wheel. Keep in mind that the examiner is not there to fail you, but they are probably looking for reasons to pass you. Confidence is something that you definitely want to show. You will feel much more relaxed if you can take a few deep breaths before you start your test. 

- Make sure you do all the preparatory procedures before driving off. Adjust your mirrors, put on your seat belt, adjust your chair, and so on. Some people manage to fail their test even before they turn on the car ignition don't let that be you. 

- Ensure that you listen to the instructions that the examiner is giving to you. They are not going to be trying to trick you, but you will need to be able to follow instructions. It would be a good idea to make a point of getting someone to give you a practice test before the actual day. 

- Make sure that you use signals correctly and follow all the rules of the road. 

Don't lose your confidence if you make a mistake. You need to keep calm and remember that what is done is done. 

HOW TO READ A SEED CATALOG

Long before the first daffodils of the year come into bloom, seed catalogs are delivered to our mailboxes to herald the arrival of Spring. A good seed catalog contains so much information, it can sometimes be overwhelming for a novice gardener to decide which seeds to buy for their garden. Today I’ll explain how to interpret catalog descriptions for vegetable, herb and flower seeds.

Let’s start with vegetable and herb seed descriptions, since they’re fairly straightforward. A typical catalog listing for these seeds will look something like this description for lettuce seeds:

“Black Seeded Simpson (45 Day) Crisp, tender and sweet. Heat resistant. Pkt. $1.25”

In this description, “Black Seeded Simpson” is the name of the lettuce variety. “45 Day” refers to the average length of time from when the seeds germinate until the plant matures and is ready to harvest. Keep in mind that this number should be used only as an estimation. The actual maturity time will vary slightly with your particular growing conditions and the weather. This number is a rough guide and should be used mostly as a comparison with other varieties and when planning when to plant successive crops.

That’s pretty simple, right? But catalog descriptions aren’t that cut and dried for every vegetable.

Take sweet corn, for instance. The catalog description may indicate the length you can expect each ear to be at maturity, and even how many rows of kernels to expect on each ear. But you may also see some odd letters after the names of the corn varieties offered in some catalogs. EH, se, sh2, su…it’s like a secret code. Actually, these letters tell you a little about the flavor you can expect long before you ever bite into the first sweet, tender ear.

First of all, when you see any of these designations after the variety name, you’ll know you’re looking at a hybrid corn variety. These hybrids have been developed for certain desirable characteristics, such as flavor, tenderness, or durability for shipping.

An “su” hybrid is a normal sugary hybrid. They tend to be creamy and sweet, but they don’t store well. An “su” hybrid should be eaten within a couple of days of harvest. This would be a good choice for a home garden, but a poor choice for a commercial corn grower. They tend to not cross pollinate with the neighbor’s corn.

An “se” variety is a sugary enhanced hybrid. These varieties have a smooth, butter texture, very tender kernels and a longer harvest period. Sugary enhanced hybrids also tend to not cross pollinate readily, and need not be isolated from your neighbor’s corn.

Supersweet hybrid corn is designated as “sh2”. These varieties have a gene that enhances their sweetness and produces firm, crisp and juicy kernels. The texture is not as creamy as “se” or “su” varieties, but supersweet varieties do hold their flavor for up to ten days after harvest, making them a good choice for commercial growers. Supersweet corn will cross pollinate readily with other corn varieties, resulting in starchy kernels, so it’s best to plant supersweet varieties at least 25 feet from other corn in your garden.

Now let’s talk about flower seeds.

Flowering plants are categorized as either Annuals, Biennials or Perennials. Annuals will complete their entire life cycle in one growing season. Their seeds are planted in the spring, the plant grows rather quickly and blooms that same season. Marigolds and sunflowers are examples of flowering annuals.

A biennial plant will spend its first growing season establishing itself and storing energy. But it’s not until the following growing season that a biennial will bloom. Foxgloves and hollyhocks are biennials.

Perennials are plants that will continue to grow year after year without being replanted. They typically go dormant over winter and grow back from their roots the following spring. Astilbe, hostas and daylilies are examples of perennials.

Before choosing seeds from a catalog, you’ll need to know which growing zone you live in. Growing zones, also known as hardiness zones, are based on the average minimum temperatures for each zone. A growing zone map is included in every good garden catalog, making it quite easy to identify your garden’s hardiness zone. Growing zones with higher numbers are in warmer climates, while growing zones with lower numbers are in the north.

For all perennials, biennials, trees and shrubs, catalogs will indicate the range of zones in which the plants will perform consistently. For instance, Blue Fountains delphinium is listed as hardy in zones 3-7. This plant would not be likely to survive a long, cold winter in zone 2, nor would it tend to grow well in the heat of zones 8 or 9.

For best results and the most satisfaction from your gardening efforts, always choose seeds for plants that are hardy to the growing zone you live in. Buy seeds from a reputable company and avoid discounted seeds left over from the previous year. Most seed companies print planting instructions for each seed variety right on the back of the seed packet. By following these instructions carefully and choosing your seeds wisely, you’ll be well on your way to having a terrific garden.

Buying Breakdown Coverage

It can be difficult selecting which breakdown policy is for you, mostly because of the amount of variations available. Policies can offer coverage from one, two or more people and the pricing of the plans may even differ based on the vehicle itself, with age, condition and mileage all playing a part in the breakdown cover providers determining the cost of the coverage. It is usually the older cars that are most likely to break down, but the providers know this and so they raise their prices accordingly. 

Generally, accidents or vandalism aren’t covered by the breakdown cover and there are also other things like the extent of the cover that you should consider. For example, the more expensive options will include things such as towing your car where necessary or cover at home (as the standard breakdown cover is only roadside - meaning if you broke down whilst out driving and were stranded). 

You can buy breakdown cover from a range of companies the most well known of which are Green Flag, the AA and the RAC. More recently, the supermarkets such as Tesco and ASDA have entered the breakdown cover market, which is good for buyers as the more competitors the lower the prices. However, it does make it harder to decide which breakdown cover provider is right for you. One tool to help you make this decision is the internet, with numerous breakdown cover quote comparison sites available you can view all the quotes available after inputting your details and requirements meaning you are able to view the cheapest quotes or the ones that are most right for you. 

When it comes to the end of your pre-agreed breakdown cover contract, many will automatically renew so if you are wishing to cancel your plan or switch over to a new provider, it is important to contact your original breakdown cover provider in order to ensure they have terminated your agreement. The benefit of this is that some breakdown cover providers actually offer a partial refund to customers who cancel their policies without having had a single call-out.