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Author Archives: Arneson, MBA, PMP, MCTS
Free Meaningful Use Training and Certification
Yes, it really is a free certification and training for meaningful use thanks to the people at www.HealthITCertification.com. Granted, it may not be the most distinguished certification, but still, it does show a good knowledge of the complicated meaningful use laws and requirements that are currently being worked on by Hospitals and Providers.
I found this to be very educational, especially since I have been assigned the meaningful use project for our organization. There are 114 pages to study, so be sure to have some time to dedicate.
Here is the link to get started!
Also, I reviewed and studied until I got 100%, I expect the same from all of you.
Posted in Healthcare IT
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MindView Software with MS Office
At the latest MPUG (Microsoft Project User Group) Tampa Bay meeting we had a demonstration of the MindView 4.0 mind mapping software. Talk about some wicked cool stuff. I only say that because the sales rep totally looked like and sounded like a smaller Mark Wahlberg.
Anyway, they software is great. You can download a demo of MindView 3.0 here http://www.matchware.com/en/downloads/default.htm
Another great feature is not every single person needs a license to view the files, they have free viewers http://www.matchware.com/en/downloads/default.htm#freeviewers (Hint hint to MS Project)
Here is the full sales pitch from MatchWare about MindView http://www.matchware.com/en/products/mindview/default.htm. I can tell you I was fully impressed. Full integration with Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and of course Project. You can also create images, jpg, png, or pdf.
I personally love the export to Word, which displays a picture of the entire mind map, and then has a linked table of contents outlining your entire map. The export to MS Project is slick as well, as expected. You can edit either the exported document or the original mind map and sync your files. Wow. It’s hard to explain why it is so cool, but download the demo and export your mind map to all the different Office formats to view the coolness that results.
Posted in MPUG, MS Project
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Using What We Know: Turning Organizational Knowledge into Team Performance
Now this is the kind of paper I want to read! If you are not familiar with the Harvard Business school working knowledge papers, start reading them now. http://hbswk.hbs.edu The level of writing and thinking will keep your mind sharp and help you raise your game. The latest, Using What We Know: Turning Organizational Knowledge into Team Performance, http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6525.html?wknews=101210, addresses a problem everyone has experienced in the workplace, utilizing organizational knowledge. The paper examines the use of stored organizational knowledge and the affects on team performance. I’m not going to butcher their work by trying to recap, but it is a must read for all team members, project managers, and managers. Really, if you have a job you should read this and apply it to your situation.
Thank you to the authors, Bradley R. Staats, Melissa A. Valentine, and Amy C. Edmondso for all your hard work.
Posted in IT Culture, Lead Article, Leadership, Project Management
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MS Project Groups vs. Filters
The difference between groups and filters in Microsoft Project 2007 was a little confusing for me, so I’m providing the next Internet searcher with the answer. A group is a way to view all your project data, but it is grouped together, hence the name. There are a variety of characteristics you can group by, the example below is grouped by Duration
Where groups display all the rows, filters actually hide rows of data from the view. See example below where I filtered the tasks based on critical tasks
I hope this helps you out
Posted in Lead Article, MS Project, Project Management
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Regional Social Web Sites
I signed up for a local Tampa Bay technology social web site called http://tmpby.com. It was nice to be able to browse through the 130 other people who have signed up, and I did get a few more people to follow on Twitter. My question is, are these locally driven sites going to make it? Is it too much to ask people to visit and update the major social sites, and contribute to a local scene? I will be curious to see how much happens, and I hope for the best. It’s nice to talk to people across the pond" about project management, but a local group of people will interest me more.
Posted in IT Culture
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MCTS 70-632
So, thanks to some Obama grant $$$ we have just completed a class at work for the Microsoft Project 70-632 Exam, Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007. The training has been based on the book from MS Press, found here on Amazon. Overall I think this book does a wonderful job of teaching and walking you through all the depths of MS Project. The practice exams are great, and included with the book. Of course the real test will be next Friday when I take the official exam. Bonus: the book had a 15% off voucher, so test price was $106 instead of $125
PS – If you want this book I will sell you mine for less than you can buy it on Amazon. Includes practice cd and trial of MS Project 2007. Catch: I used the test discount voucher.
Posted in Lead Article, Project Management
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Project Managers are change leaders, and people hate change
As a project manager our entire job is change. We Initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close changes, but instead we call them projects. By the very nature of people, they are resistant to change! The question then becomes, how can we overcome irrational fears and people clutching to the past? Continue reading
Posted in IT Culture, Lead Article, Project Management
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Free online MS Project view and share with Ami Project
I just tried out this new service, www.amiproject.com, @amiproject which found me on Twitter.
Here is the quick scoop, you can upload and share Microsoft Project 2002, 2003, and 2007 files online for free. It’s quick and easy. I uploaded a mpp file, went to File > Share and they provide an URL to share.
Two immediate uses I can think of, I can upload and share my mpp files.
More importantly, users who get a mpp emailed to them and do not have Microsoft Project or Project viewer installed can simply upload and view the MS Project.
My only complaint is they have the entire MS Project menu on the screen, when only a few of the menu options are actionable. Not a big deal, but it could be much cleaner and provide more screen real estate by removing disabled buttons. As they add features, then can add buttons.
Overall I love it, and I look forward to using www.amiproject.com as they grow it into a more robust product. I’ve already begun sharing my MS Project files.
Posted in Lead Article, Project Management
Tagged Microsoft Project, mpp, MS Project, pmot
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Curiosity from Donald Trump
Trump is one of the few blogs I always pay attention to and read every single word. No skimming. No Mark All as Read. None of that, I will leave them as unread until I can dedicate time and pay attention. When one of the most successful business men on the planet takes the time to write something for free, I read, absorb, and try to comprehend.
One of Trump’s posts I’ve been saving is Curiosity. An excerpt:
Curiosity also provides a starting point for discovery. It’s a bit like research–once you find something of interest, the natural inclination is to learn more about it. Sometimes it may not have anything to do with your current endeavor, but it can broaden your understanding. I don’t believe any knowledge is wasted. My interests are diverse largely because I’m curious, which has certainly helped me as a businessman.
Now, on to how we can apply this while you are sitting in a cubicle. Find something at work you are curious about and follow the path. My PMP certification started this way. When I began project management I knew that was what I wanted to do. I searched for the industry certifications, requirements, etc. Let’s face it, there are times when work becomes mundane and you need a change. Little adventures of curiosity can give you that spark to keep you going and drive your career further.
Think about what skills you will need in your future jobs…what skills does a PMO need? CIO? CEO? Start working on those now to give yourself an advantage in the future.
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