Sunday 31 July 2011

Women, beware of your PC

Article from TechGIG.com.....
This, is the age of computers and digital technology. Where on one hand one does not mind spending time on our PC's, do we realize that this can lead to what is popularly known as 'computer face'. 
This has been an increasing phenomenon since a lot of women work on computer for long hours. A U.K study by British cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Michael Prager, has proved the same. 
Watch out woman! Sitting infront of your computer screens for long hours results in sagging jowls because of sitting in one position for a long time.Women do not realise that they are concentrating so hard that they end up frowning most of the times. 
Deep frown lines on their forehead or wrinkles around their eyes are what most women fear, bu then are they actually aware of the real culprit? Another common afermath of this is having a 'turtle neck' or a second neck because of looking down at the screen for long. The neck muscles start becoming short and saggy because of this, adding up to 10 years of a woman's actual age. 
No wonder women are rushing to cosmetic surgeons for a face lift or a neck lift. But living in a world of computers how can you actually save yourself this scary state? There are some common things one has to keep in mind while working on a pc: 
1. Do not stare at the screen for long. 
2. Try moving your neck muscles in every half hour. 
3. Get up from your chair and take a stroll around. 
4. Shift and adjust your body while sitting in your chair. 
5. Move your shoulders in regular intervals. 
6. Try not slouching infront of the screen. 
7. Move your face muscles if you feel if you have had the same expression for a long time. 
Expert analysis Cosmetic surgeon and consultant Dr. Anshuman Manaswi states that using a computer for long hours at a stretch will result in not only skin damage but a lot of other problems, "Women sitting in a particular position for long end up spoiling their pos
ture. 
Straining your eyes for long, no movement of neck muscles, no shoulder movement can be very harmful. "Exercising your upper body while sitting or taking short breaks in between is suggested by UK based cosmetic surgeon Dr Prager, which Dr Manaswi too agrees. He goes on to say," When we do not flex our face muscles they retain a shape which we least expect. In severe cases one has to go in for medical and surgical methods." 
Viewing this from a scientific point of view, Dr Mohan Thomas, cosmetic surgeon says, "The major reasons for change ion skin are expressions while working on a PC and the electromagnetic waves coming from the computer screen. 
These facial lines come because you are seriously engrossed in work that you tend to forget about your facial expressions. Secondly the electromagnetic radiation affects the pores of the skin. The best way to prevent this is to wash your face after using the computer and moisturise it accordingly with a gentle massage."

Monday 11 July 2011

Why Projects Fail?

There are a variety of reasons why projects fail. The good news is that they are often within your control. So read on, to learn the top 10 reasons for project failure and what you can do about them.
1.    Insufficient resource
The Project Manager was given insufficient resources and budget at the start of the project. If you don't have the level of resources or budget you need, then tell your Project Sponsor quickly.

2.    Impossible deadlines
The deadline for the project was always impossible to achieve. The Project Manager should have told the sponsor at the start of the project and fought to have the deadline extended. You not only need to have sufficient time to deliver your project, but you also need contingency in case things take longer than expected.
3.    Poor communication
The Project Manager fails to communicate the status of the project to the team and sponsor. So everyone thinks the project is going smoothly until the deadline is missed. You need to tell people early if its slipping. Don't hide it. By telling people you're running late, you give them the opportunity to help get it back on track.
4.    Lack of focus
The team don't really know what is expected of them, so they lack focus. They are given a job to do but not told what is required and by when. Everyone in your team should have regular goals to meet, they should have deadlines and you should be monitoring their progress at every step in the journey.
5.    Low morale
The project team lack motivation, so nothing is delivered on time. If you want someone to deliver within a set timeframe, then you need to motivate them to do it through reward and recognition. And you need to be highly motivated yourself. Only by being healthy, relaxed and truly motivated can you inspire others to be.
6.    Sponsor support
The Project Manager gets very little support from their sponsor. There is no-one available to help solve problems or provide further resource or money when it's needed. If you lack sponsor support, then you need to tell your Project Sponsor about it. Be open and frank with them. Tell them what you need and by when.
7.    Scope creep
The scope of the project keeps changing, so you never really have a fixed set of deliverables. Every time it changes, you lose time and resource, so Change Control is critical. The scope needs to be clearly defined and then a process put in place to ensure that change requests are formally approved.
8.    Lengthy timeframes
The project timescale may simply be too long. Over time your customer's requirements will change, so you need to break your project into smaller chunks and deliver each as a project on its own.
9.    Lack of tools
Not having the right tools to get the job done can also be a problem. Using good quality tools such as templates, processes and a project methodology will lead to project success.
10.   Customer involvement
Lack of customer involvement has proved fatal on many projects. You need to involve your customer throughout the project to ensure that what you are building will meet their requirements. Remember, only if your customer is truly satisfied will your project be a success.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Tips for Implementing Project Methodologies

"What is a methodology"?
A methodology is a step-by-step method for delivering projects. It describes every step in depth, so that you know what you have to do to deliver your project. By following the same steps for every project you undertake, you'll save time and effort on projects.


"How do I select a suitable methodology?"
The first step is to define your requirements. You need to think about what it is that you want from your methodology, the type of content it should contain and the way in which you intend to use it.
For instance, your requirements might be as follows:
  • It needs to contain a complete Project Life Cycle
  • Every step in the life cycle should be described in depth
  • Each step should have practical templates and examples to help to complete the step quickly and easily
  • It needs to be based on worldwide project standards
  • It should suit all project types and sizes
  • It should be easily customizable.
The next step is to review the methodologies used currently by your organization. Why reinvent the wheel if you have something that works in-house? Look at every methodology used and compare them to your requirements to see if there is a good fit.
If there isn't a good fit, then you need to look at purchasing a suitable methodology toolset. Start by searching the term “project management methodology” in Google and comparing each methodology you find against your requirements.
If you find a methodology that has an 80% fit, then that’s great. Just make sure you can customize the remaining 20% to meet your requirements.
Where you can’t find a suitable methodology toolset, your only option may be to develop a methodology from scratch. This will be more time consuming and expensive than adopting an existing internal methodology or purchasing a third-party methodology.
"How do I implement my selected methodology?"
Whether you've purchased or built your methodology, the next step is to implement it for your organization. This involves:
1.    Creating an Implementation Plan.
2.    Customizing your methodology for each project.
3.    Training your team to use the methodology.
4.    Making sure your team follow the methodology.
5.    Constantly improving the methodology.

And there you have it. By selecting and implementing a methodology for your projects, you can complete tasks faster and more easily.

Monday 4 July 2011

10 Tips for Project Success

1.    Starting out: Make sure that when you start out your customer defines their requirements in depth. You need to know exactly what it is that must be delivered, to who and when. Make it specific, write it up formally and get them to sign it off. This document will become the basis upon which to measure your success.
2.    Customers: Involve your customers throughout the entire project life cycle. Get them involved in the analysis and planning, as well as execution. You don't have to seek their approval, just keep them informed. The more you involve them, the greater their level of buy-in and the easier it is to manage their expectations.
3.    Timeframes: Keep your delivery timeframes short and realistic. Never agree to lengthy timeframes. Split the project into “mini-projects” if you need to. Keep each mini-project to less than 6 months. This keeps everyone motivated and focused.
4.    Milestones: Break your project timeframe into "Milestones" which are manageable pieces of work. Add delivery deadlines to your milestones and try to deliver on every deadline, no matter what. If you're late, tell your customer about it as early as possible.
5.    Communications: Make sure you keep everyone informed by providing the right information at the right time. Produce Weekly Status Reports and run regular team meetings.
6.    Scope: Only authorize changes to your project scope if there is no impact on the timeline. Get your customers approval to important scope changes first and then get their buy-in to extend the delivery dates if you need to.
7.    Quality: Keep the quality of your deliverables as high as possible. Constantly review quality and never let it slip. Implement “peer reviews” so that team members can review each other’s deliverables. Then put in place external reviews to ensure that the quality of the solution meets your customer's needs.
8.    Issues: Jump on risks and issues as soon as they are identified. Prioritize and resolve them before they impact on your project. Take pride in keeping risks and issues to a minimum.
9.    Deliverables: As each deliverable is complete, hand it formally over to your customer. Get them to sign an Acceptance Form to say that it meets their expectations. Only then can you mark each deliverable off as 100% complete.
10.  Your team: Great projects are run by great teams. Hire the best people you can afford. Spend the time to find the right people. It will save you time down the track. Remember, good people are easy to motivate. Show them the vision and how they can make it happen. Trust and believe in them. Make them feel valued. They will work wonders.
And that's it. With these 10 tips you can boost your project success.