Ricardo Viana Vargas's Blog, page 16

Conflict Management and the Project Life Cycle

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about managing conflicts. Are conflicts always bad? Listen to the answer of this question and know the different types of conflict that can arise during a project.

Building Highly Effective Teams – Part 2 of 2

In this podcast, Ricardo continues to talk about Highly Effective Teams, subject of his new book. He comments on the trust between members, effective decision-making, conflict management and how to recognize the work and create opportunities for the team and for each member.

Building Highly Effective Teams – Part 1 of 2

In this podcast, Ricardo gives tips on how to transform a group of people in a highly effective team, a subject he addresses in his new book, in partnership with the author Michael Nir. Stay tuned for continuation of this podcast next week.

Project Director, Manager, Coordinator or Leader: Who am I?

In this podcast, Ricardo raises one question and makes assumptions about why some organizations sometimes provide different titles for whom is responsible for the project management.

The Danger of Multitasking in Projects

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the danger of performing multiple tasks without understanding the implications. He explains that we must always consider the residual time between tasks and the real time (or Takt Time) of each task. The Takt Time concept, according to the www.businessdictionary.com, is an adjustable time unit used in lean production to synchronize the rate of production with the rate of demand. Computed by dividing available production by the number of items to be produced, takt time provides a precise rhythm to run an entire process sequence that maximizes efficiency whereas minimizing wastes. Although popularized by the Japanese, takt time is a German term which refers to rhythm or beat of music.

Directly from the PMI Global Congress North America 2014 in Phoenix – USA

Ricardo comments on the PMI Global Congress North America, held in October 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. He highlights the more informal approach of the event and the inspirational talk by former basketball player, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. He also gives an overview of the main topics presented by project managers from all over the World.

The Responsibility Assignment Matrix – RACI

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the responsibility assignment matrix – RACI, a very useful information tool in Human Resources, Communications and Stakeholders management. This matrix associate tasks and the people/functions responsible for them using the categories: Responsible (R), Accountable (A), Consulted (C) and Informed (I).

Dealing with a Weak Sponsor/Sponsorship

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about when a project has sponsorship issues. He explains how to proceed in two scenarios: when there is a sponsor with little interest in the project or when the sponsor does not have enough power to fulfill his role.

Understanding the relation between the Scope size and the associated Risks

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the relationship between the risks and the project scope. Not just the clarity of the scope, but also its amplitude, contribute to the amount of risk that must be managed.

Understanding the Milestones Trend Analysis (MTA) – Part 2 of 2

In this podcast, Ricardo continues to talk about the Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA), a very good graphical tool used in executive reports. Today, he explains how to analyze the graphic you built last week, understanding the evolution trends of your project.