Do you want to know the 5 words that are the secret to really effective #communication and connection? No, you…
“I, and I alone, am responsible for everything I think and feel.” Naval Ravikant. This is something I believe in,…
A Consulting Partner needs to really only do two things well: 1. Deeply understand requirements. 2. Execute well. Any Partner…
“I’m only being paid a fraction of what I’m billed out at. It’s not fair. I can run my own…
“What’s your definition of success? What do you want to get out of this business of yours?” For me, the…
“I exercise 5 days a week.” (but I live on junk food and sweet treats all the time). “I never…
“Um… John always made sure things like that worked automagically.” They couldn’t figure out why the financial records weren’t coming…
We were asked to audit a system that had been built by another company years ago. It was a MONSTER.…
“This is sh*t! We are being treated like kids! How do they expect us to perform when they pull stunts…
When I hear about CRM projects that are so badly designed and implemented, it makes me want to poke my…
“You must try this restaurant, it’s got the most delicious pad thai – they even made me a non-peanut version…
When I run a big team, I can tell those who’re on a smooth progression up the consulting career ladder.…
If you had to rate your day, every single day, with a score from -2 to 2, what would the…
I was talking to a seasoned Project Manager who felt trapped. While she was extremely good at her work, she…
What happens when you don’t manage expectations properly? Anger and disbelief. And #Tier4. That press conference yesterday definitely provoked a…
Historians are really Big Picture people. They have such a macro view of world events, and can see how things…
“A great class requires the hand of a master sculptor. The details at the margins. The choices about what not…
Solutions Architect vs Project Manager. To become super expert at a special skill, or to become really good at a…
I love games. In fact, I was once addicted to World of Warcraft. I can wax lyrical about how it…
High performing teams helps company move quicker, faster, and more efficiently. However, team dynamics can be complex and can be…
What do you call a consulting partner who misrepresents their internal capability and competency to the client and signs them…
“But what if I don’t get another contract? I still have a mortgage to pay.” I was just speaking to…
Sometimes I wish I could do the Vulcan mind-meld. 🖖🏻 The ability to directly connect my mind to yours, and…
Agency. The control you have over your life, your work, your circumstance. There is a difference between what control you…
“Vagueness is a salesman’s friend.” D, who heads up Delivery at a Salesforce platinum partner said to me today. This…
You know when you get into such a deep flow that time disappears? When the only thing that is in…
In Dec, I am giving away 12 courses on The Art of being an Excellent Salesforce Consultant (all sessions from…
It’s ok for relationships and friendships to be temporary and transient. If we’re lucky, we meet that person who just…
Pet peeve – bad subject lines! I swear I spend half my time ‘tidying’ up subject lines because the email…
My secret superpower: The ability to unlocking resourcefulness and creativity in my team with humour. As a Project Manager, managing…
Many of us walk around unconscious, without seeing, and without hearing. I asked my current batch of trainee Samaritan volunteers…
Systems thinking and critical thinking rank right up there with emotional intelligence in terms of skills that makes a consultant…
A process diagram should be so good that you can hand it to someone who has never seen one before,…
The consulting life is demanding. Back-to-back projects, and if you’re good at what you do – you’ll be in demand.…
How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb? One. But the lightbulb must want to change first. Self…
The one Super Power that is key in navigating relationships and communicating effectively? Social awareness. It’s the ability to tune…
“You don’t have a billable project code against the pre-sales activity? Sorry, not interested.” Be careful what you wish for.…
In situations where consultants go into project as the solo team member, they typically have to handled the end-to-end engagement,…
I am very protective of my team. Each member of a high performing team needs to be able focus their…
So a mistake was made. Through a series of miscommunications and misundertandings – the instance was installed in the wrong…
When mistakes happen, it is usually due to poor communication, and sometimes lack of the right resources. Sometimes it’s due…
Technical debt. It’s when you build software in such a way that will require re-work in the future to “put…
My “happy wall”. It was the wall of my home office where my lovely husband had put up a large…
I was talking to a senior architect who was incredibly frustrated. Due to cost cutting, the main project manager was…
Many people don’t understand that signed off requirements in a software delivery constitute a contractual agreement. It’s what you say…
There are many ways to get to an end point, a successful project go-live. There are some amazing project managers,…
“Why are you doing this? You’re not making any money out of giving away free courses.” I’ve also been coaching…
You don’t become a great project manager by learning how to plan and schedule projects. You don’t become a great…
“What are the qualities of a good consultant?” I was asked this last week. I can only answer from the…
When you start a Role-Playing game like Dungeon & Dragons, you roll a dice to determine your attributes – strength,…
Fight, Flight, or… Flow. What do you do when you’re imprisoned in an Auschwitz Concentration Camp with a future that…
My next round of Consulting Masterclasses will be running in a couple of weeks. If – you’re an #awesomeadmin –…
Those of us in the consulting industry will know that preparing proposals and working in Bid Teams is generally far…
Hang on. You’re changing my numbers so that they look better when you present them to the committee? My poor…
I believe that the secret of happiness is failure, pain, betrayal, disappointment, and loss. Of course, it never feels like…
“I disagree with your post – You can’t say failure of a project is down to the PM. There are…
When I perceive that someone is attacking me or my work, the first thing I do is reach inside me…
“I’ve got such an awful Project Manager! She’s always asking me to do the impossible! Build that functionality in two…
I’ve just come across a poorly written Statement of Work from a vendor, and there are so many red flags…
“Follow your passion.” That’s quite idealistic. “If you don’t like it, then it isn’t meant to be. Just leave it.”…
“My job as a Project Manager is to schedule meetings and workshops (maybe do the minutes), and get info from…
Keeping promises is so important. Do what you say you will do. Extend this to aligning the internal with the…
I am running my 3rd free Consulting Masterclasses on 28th September where I provide training in Consulting skills, project methodology…
Being totally comfortable and secure in knowing who you are, is such an under-rated super power. No one can hurt…
One of the key qualities of a highly competent consultant is self-awareness. It’s the ability to – listen and accept…
Managing expectations is a key part of my job as a Project Manager. From Project Delivery, to Life in general……
Covid has taken many casualties – people’s lives, health, jobs. The consulting world has not been spared, and employee consultations,…
Utilisation targets. The necessary KPI for a consultant. Yes? Or No? The dark side of having targets. Sales targets, for…
Having a great team to work with is amazing. Which is why flying solo can be a bit tough sometimes…
Walking into a lion’s den. That’s what it feels like sometimes, if you’re a solo consultant, managing and implementing a…
As a consultant, you’ll be expected to communicate well. Such as in your verbal face-to-face/zoom interactions, presentation, documentation, emails, writing…
“Are you saying I am going to get 3 weeks of FREE training, and you’re going to get me a…
No catch. I’m offering 3 weeks worth of absolutely FREE Consulting Masterclass training, covering: – Consulting Engagement & Delivery –…
Writing solid requirements is an artform. Whether it’s a biblical tome of a Business Requirements Document (a la Waterfall), or…
Executing the process design and requirement gathering workshops remotely is much more challenging than doing it face to face. A…
What do you do when you’ve been engaged on a new consulting project, and you can see that the client’s…
Communication is _so_ important. It’s not just knowing the language. It’s the study of nuance and context. It’s the study…
In small or medium sized Consulting Partners, there may not be luxury (and budget) for a PM to help manage…
Role models are so important because they help you set a benchmark. I think what makes me a good PM…
When you’re in the midst of “go-live”, the long hours, the blood, sweat and tears will be all worth it…
Detail or Big Picture? Ideally both. The ability to focus on the roots and the trees, and the biodiversity around…
Nothing annoys a Project Manager more than a team member who is unreliable. It peeves me. I operate on honesty…
Meetings need not be an hour, or half an hour. I can have a very to-the-point meeting in 10 minutes,…
The other reason why Agile approach are not suitable for Consulting Projects is because most companies underestimate the amount of…
There is a fine balance between stretching yourself so you can grow, and taking on so much that you become…
Life is a marathon.Software Projects are like (non-Agile) sprints. In Life – there will be up and downs on the…
Worklife balance shouldn’t really be the focus of the young. When you’re young and inexperienced – in the new world…
What’s an opinion worth? Not much, unless you’ve been asked for one. Not much, unless you’re a stakeholder. Not much,…
“You’ve got two grads on your new team. Remember not to work them too hard. Treat them with kid gloves.…
Drama = Excitement. I think a lot of people believe that. That’s why I see friends courting drama in their…
I think I am most excited about the start of a project, where we get to shape it and prime…
What do you do when a remote team member is AWOL for ages, takes _days_ to respond to emails, misses…
All my interactions with offshore team in India have been outstanding. Every. Single. One. In all the companies I’ve worked…
On the topic of managing expectations, I think that agile came about because waterfall was so rubbish at that. You…
I don’t think I can ever find happy, if I lost my child. I cannot think of anything worst, as…
Getting expectations right is the key to happiness. Why do you want to join a Tier 1 Salesforce partner and…
I’ve been ruminating about ‘standards’ and ‘goals’ and I think the main difference is in the phrasing.* Standards is the…
Discussion in my comments have made me think a bit more about the definition of personal “Standards.” It is the…
The results that you see in life is dependent on: 1. Luck – the randomness of life, and the only…
1. I compare. What I’ve achieved, and what I _should_ have achieved. 2. I can be disciplined about what I…