The last part of our monthly series on process optimization methods deviates slightly from the last three methods we have introduced. Systems theory or systems thinking is not the first thing that comes to people’s minds when thinking about project management. But it’s actually vital for PMs to understand system thinking in order to deal with the complexity of projects.

What is ‘Systems Thinking’?

Definition of ‘System’

A system consists of several interacting elements that are interrelated and interdependent and together form a whole. Every system can then again be an element of a larger system and so on. It’s important to keep in mind that each element of a system is important. Take away a part or rearrange the hierarchy between the parts and the system’s behavior and function can change fundamentally. The possibilities are endless and systems can be anything: biological systems (human body, DNA), economic systems, technological systems (computers, networks) etc. You can also distinguish between open and closed systems (or a mix of both). Open systems allow the exchange of information with the external environment (outside of the system), whereas closed systems don’t allow such an exchange.

Systems thinking is not something that comes easily to us, because our minds are trained to think linearly. We tend to try to find simple patterns in everything and often regard processes as a one way road. But in reality, not everything can be easily explained by a simple ‘cause-and-effect’ model.

5 System Elements

While every system has a unique function, they all share these five elements:

1. Objects

• All the parts that make up a system
• Can exchange information with each other and other systems
• Can be abstract

2. Attributes

• Features of a system
• Every system has specific properties that sets it apart from other systems

3. Relationships

• Relationship of system parts to each other
• Relationship with other systems

4. Boundaries

• Systems are restricted by boundary à scope
• In open systems: information can move through boundary

5. Environmental Influences

• All systems are part of a larger context
• Systems influence and are influenced by their environment

Visualization

Systems are often visualized in diagrams such as the ‘causal loop diagram’ (CLD). The diagram depicts a circular cause and effect ‘loop’. Unlike in linear thinking, where A has an effect on B, systems thinking assumes that A has an effect on B and this effect on B has in turn a ‘feedback effect’ on A. A causal loop is great for identifying what is the cause and what is the effect and what the relationship between them is. 

Causal Loop Diagram (CLD)

Systems Thinking in PM

So, how can we apply systems thinking in PM? First, we need to think of a project as an open system that consists of many parts, such as tasks and activities. All these parts are interdependent and their function and hierarchy within the project is unique and fulfills a specific purpose (achieve objective(s)). But PM does not only consist of task management, it is also about balancing scope, time and resources, managing risks and changes. All these parts of the system, or even sub-systems, are interrelated and interact with each other. For example, if there is a delay in the project, it will lead to higher costs, if the budget is insufficient, it will affect the duration of the project and so on. Project teams are part of the larger organization and thus, have to form relationships with other departments and exchange information with them. There are internal (project team) as well as external elements (customers, stakeholders etc.) that have an influence on the project.

As a project manager you have to keep all these things in mind. System thinking can help you address these complexities in projects by not losing sight of the big picture. It can also help you understand how feedback and delay processes work and how they can affect the project. However, systems thinking is not only useful for PM, but also helpful for solving complex problems in day-to-day life. 

Read more about other process optimization methods: 

Part 1: Lean Management

Part 2: Kaizen

Part 3: Six Sigma

So what are these retrospectives and how do they work? As one of the twelve principles in the Agile Manifesto states: “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” In the Scrum methodology this happens in so-called ‘sprint retrospectives’ which are held after the completion of an iteration. As many project team members as possible should participate in these meetings so that they can contribute different perspectives to generate a higher input. If it is about a very specific problem that only affects the sales department, for example, you can also limit the number of participants.

Goals of a retrospective

The purpose of a retrospective is to look back at what you have achieved and learn from your past experiences. Particularly the team and their bond among each other is of interest, which is why you should improve teamwork and strengthen that bond. In order to achieve that, an open atmosphere that is free from fear is an absolute requirement. Without trust between the participants, the retrospective can’t be completed successfully. It’s not about finding a scapegoat, but rather about the question why something happened in a certain way and how you can improve that in the future. Ideally, you should work on solutions right away. But you shouldn’t only concentrate on the negative things, but also highlight successes: what worked great and what should you keep doing?

Procedure

You should hold retrospectives regularly during the process of a project. You also need to set a time limit (‘time box’) for these meetings beforehand. In bigger intervals, you can also execute longer retrospectives, e.g. every two or three months. A neutral scrum master, who can be an external person, leads the event.  

According to Esther Derby and Diana Larsen, a retrospective consists of 5 phases.

Phase 1: Set the stage

• Make preparations
• Set the focus of the event
• Include context (e.g. “This is retrospective 5 out of 10, three months until the end of the project etc.)

Phase 2: Gather data

Give an overview of the events that lead to the finished iteration.

Phase 3: Generate insight

• Draw inferences from past events
• Suggestions for improvements

Phase 4: Decide what to do

• Decide what you want to implement
• Who takes on the new tasks
• What should you scrap

Phase 5: Close the retrospective

Summary of the main points discussed and decided in the retrospective

Retrospective vs. Lessons Learned vs. Project Audit

You might’ve stumbled upon the words ‘lessons learned’ or ‘project audit’ in relation to retrospectives. However, these three concepts are not synonymous, but represent three different approaches.

Lessons Learned

These are the insights you have gained at the end of a project and are part of the project closure report. Thus, they are not taking place during the project’s process like retrospectives. Lessons learned is a more traditional PM method which is why you won’t find them in many agile projects.

Project Audit

A project audit is also part of the ongoing project. It serves as an inspection or control of the project and, thus, often takes place when the project is in danger of failing or is in a crisis. It is always a neutral, external authority who performs the audit.

Tips

One of the goals of a retrospective is to strengthen the team, which is why you should be inclusive of anyone on the team. The scrum master should encourage exchange and communication so that everyone participates actively in the meeting. You can use different retrospective methods to create a relaxed atmosphere (examples here and here).For example, did you know that you could integrate fortune cookies and soccer into a retrospective?

(Text by Klara Obermair, translated by Linh Tran)

The job of project managers is quite demanding: projects are getting larger and more complex, time constraints are getting tighter, there is more competition and so on. So it is understandable that in stressful and high pressure times, it is hard to stay positive and focus on the human aspect of PM. However, a project manager not only needs hard skills, but also has to have soft skills in order to stimulate creative and innovative thinking and as a result lead the company to success.

Startups and new businesses are often full of passion and creativity, however, these aspects often lose importance as the company grows. Slowly, everyone is only working towards more efficiency disregarding everything else. This can be quite dangerous, because people are only working on making existing processes and ideas more efficient and forget that the world around them keeps moving forward. With that kind of thinking, a company won’t last for long (e.g. Kodak). If you want your business to grow and move forward, you need to consider implementing a positive leadership style.  

How to be a more positive leader?

Here are 8 things you should do if you want to be a more positive leader:

1. Have a positive attitude

Well, this is kind of obvious, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate the importance of having a positive attitude. You can start by choosing your vocabulary consciously. Instead of saying “this won’t work”, you should say “let’s make this work”. Or as Bob the Builder would say: “Can we fix it?” – “Yes we can!”. Replacing negative words with positive ones will help you keep a positive outlook. The same goes for delivering negative messages, if you do it with a positive attitude people will be more accepting of it.

2. Be present

As a leader it is also important to be present. This doesn’t mean that you should hover above your team and breathe down their necks constantly, but show them that you are always available to listen to their concerns. A simple “hello” in the morning can also go a long way.

Next to being a good listener, you should also ask a lot of questions. Interact and communicate with your team, be inquisitive and don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. But also be open to suggestions and comments.

3. Facilitate a creative culture

Even the most motivated and creative person will not be able to flourish if you don’t show them that their creativity is being appreciated and is of value to the organization. This can start with the work environment: a small room without windows probably won’t be conductive to creativity. Neither is a mere emphasis on making processes more efficient. You have to show your team that creativity and new ideas, no matter how outlandish, are welcome.

4. Encourage collaboration

A positive leader should also put an emphasis on collaboration. We often hear stories about the ‘genius founder’, e.g. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg etc., so it often seems as if they did everything themselves. However, all these men worked with other people to create their now multi-billion dollar businesses. Fun fact: collaboration is a very important aspect of the company culture of these organizations.

5. Give them freedom

This is also a very important aspect of positive leadership: don’t micromanage. Give your team members the freedom to structure their work load and work as they see fit. Nothing hinders creativity and innovation more than tight rules and regulations. 3M is famous for its policy to allow employees to use 15% of their time to pursue whatever project they want to. And this strategy really paid off for the firm in regards to innovation.

6. Have the courage to fail

Failure in and of itself is not a bad thing. It’s all about how you deal with it. You shouldn’t actively encourage failure, but you should convey to your team that it is OK to fail. Many very successful entrepreneurs have failed many times before they succeeded. How? By using the experience they have gained through failing and turn it into a learning curve and doing better next time.

7. Improve continuously

As a leader you should always strive for continuous improvement. Everything, every product and service can be improved, no matter how well it might work at the moment. You should also motivate your team to follow this mindset. It’s not about reinventing the wheel, but more about doing better than you did before, even if it’s just a small change. In fact, the Kaizen philosophy emphasizes exactly that: improve constantly by making small, continuous changes.

8. Show appreciation

The most important thing you have to do if you want to be a positive leader is to show appreciation. In our recent Work-Life-Balance survey, we found out that employees feel that a lack of appreciation from supervisors can cause more stress than a high work load or time constraints. As a leader you need to give recognition where it is due. A simple “well done” can motivate and encourage your team immensely. 

You can also turn it around and create a project plan from scratch directly in the planning directory and it will automatically synchronize with the Kanban and mind map view. The project plan is visualized in a Ganttchart, which is a horizontal bar chart that shows the duration and constraints of activities. Additionally, you can determine the dependency between tasks and display them on the critical path to see which elements are critical for the completion of the project. 

Gantt chart with critical path 

Watch the video here: How to Create a Project Plan with InLoox PM 8

Watch our other video tutorials here

What is a (Project) Portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of projects, programs, or financial assets that are managed together. The components of a portfolio don’t necessarily have to be related. They can include projects across the organization or only those within a department, or both.  Portfolios help the organization achieve strategic goals.

What is Portfolio Management?

Portfolio management is not just doing several projects at the same time, but it deals with the management of a collective of projects, i.e. one or more portfolios. Portfolio tools can be as simple as spreadsheets, or more sophisticated such as project management software. It’s less about the success of each project, but how all projects together contribute to the success of a pre-defined strategic goal. It looks at groups of projects from a bird’s eye view instead of concentrating on individual projects. The aspects of portfolio management are manifold and include activities such as prioritizing, selecting, monitoring and controlling the right projects, i.e. projects that offer strategic value for the business. It also helps managers improve their decision making and minimize risks.

The biggest benefit of portfolio management is clearly the alignment with strategic organizational goals, i.e. the bottom line. But it also improves resource and budget allocation in order to facilitate those objectives. In fact, a study from the PMI institute found out that many companies that are highly effective in portfolio management met or even exceeded their expected Return on Investment (ROI).

Implementing Portfolio Management

Now that you know what portfolios are and what the benefits of portfolio management are, how can you implement it?

1. Define strategic organizational goals/objectives

The first step, before you even start to select the components of your portfolio, is to define your company’s strategic goals. What do you want to achieve? Strategic objectives can be financial goals such as increasing your market share, reduce costs or increasing your ROI. But objectives can also be non-financial, such as improving customer satisfaction or increasing brand awareness.

2. Create project database

This is basically a gathering of all the projects in your company. It’s best to capture the data in a single database to keep it in one place. Include all relevant information (name, estimated cost, resources needed, ROI, benefits etc.) so that you can later select and prioritize the projects. Compiling a project inventory will also help you recognize redundant projects.

3. Use objective criteria to prioritize projects

After you’ve gathered all projects, it is time to use objective criteria to select and prioritize the right projects. The questions you should ask are: how does this project contribute to my organization’s strategic objectives? Will it have a positive or negative impact on it? Is the project performing well or not? Does a successful completion of the project automatically mean that our strategic goals are met? If the answer to all these questions is not satisfactory, then you should be ruthless and kill any project that does not meet the company’s goals. It sounds harsh, but it is necessary.

When prioritizing projects, you should find the right balance between low and high risk projects, as well as safe and unsafe projects. A big advantage of portfolio management is that you can actually take risks while balancing them with less risky choices.

4. Create project schedule

The last step is to create a project schedule according to the projects you have selected. This ‘master plan’ will help you see how much resources they require. It’s also important that you shouldn’t just let the projects run on their own, but have active review sessions in which you regularly assess their performance. 

Carola has many years of experience in the B2B online marketing branch and is passionate about communication – something she also passes on to her PhD students in her capacity as lecturer at the Leopold-Franzens-University in Innsbruck. Before she moved to Munich to work as Marketing Manager at mov.ad GmbH, she taught Business English at private learning institutions in Innsbruck, Austria. 

InLoox Blog: What was your motivation to join the InLoox marketing team?

Carola: I definitely wanted to use my previous experience in promoting software solutions, but what attracted me most was the international work environment.

InLoox Blog: What was your career aspiration as a child?

Carola: First I wanted to become a teacher, then, in senior high, I wanted to be a geologist but ultimately chose English and American Studies as a major and Film Studies as a minor and somehow ended up working in Marketing.

InLoox Blog: Do you have a motto?

Carola: Yes, actually its two classics: Learning by Doing and Take it Easy.

InLoox Blog: What is your favorite place in Munich, where you currently live?

Carola: I live very close to the zoo and am a proud owner of a membership card. I love strolling through the monkey world because there’s always some pandemonium.

InLoox Blog: Where would you like to live, other than Munich?

Carola: That’s a tough one. My top five would be London, Copenhagen, San Francisco, Vancouver, and after last year’s trip to Australia, Melbourne also joined the list.

InLoox Blog: What’s your favorite pastime activity?

Carola: I love going to the movies, especially action blockbusters, checking out new restaurants and in summer I enjoy hiking and in winter skiing.

You can reach Carola at +49 (0) 89 358 99 88 67 or moresche@inloox.com 

There have been many great mentor-mentee relationships in history, for example Socrates and Plato, Haydn and Beethoven or Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. And who can forget the great mentors in pop culture: Dumbledore to Harry Potter, Obi Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker and, of course, Mr. Miyagi to Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid. All these mentors have helped their protégés discover their strengths and encouraged them to be and do their best, and ultimately, succeed.

Finding a Mentor

Finding a person that is compatible with you and is willing to impart their wisdom with you is not easy. Mentors can be people inside the company, but they can also be external people. Most people choose someone whom they admire and who is good at what they do, but keep in mind that that does not guarantee that they can explain to you how they got to where they are. Choose mentors who have specific skills, but who are engaged and enjoy their work and take an active interest in, not only their own success, but also in the achievements of others.

Tips for Mentoring

In project management, effective mentoring can help prevent project failures and improve project management and leadership skills of participants. Of course, the stress here is on ‘effective’, because if done wrong mentoring can cause stress and employees might see it as a waste of time. Here are 7 tips for facilitating a valuable and successful mentoring relationship in project management.

1. Make a plan and document progress

Planning is a requirement for any project and it should not be excluded from mentoring. While you don’t have to establish a formal mentoring program planned from A to Z, you still need to determine what you want to achieve in your mentoring relationship. How often will you meet? What will you do during those meetings? These elemental questions should be answered beforehand. When the mentoring has started, you should also document its progress and any achievements of the mentee and the mentor.

2. It’s a two-way street

A typical mentoring relationship is usually between a senior project manager and a new project manager. It’s logical since the more established project manager can impart their knowledge and experiences with their new colleague and help them settle down into their new position. However, it is not only the mentee that can learn, but the mentor can learn from the ones they are teaching, too. So, remember that mentoring is a two-way street where both parties can learn from each other and that it’s a relationship between two equals.

3. Giving Advice

A mentor has much more experience than a mentee and thus, can offer advice on many subjects, such as how to turn around failing projects, or how to deal with clients. But it’s important that mentors keep in mind that they can give advice, but they should not expect their mentee to follow it. A mentoring relationship is not about the mentor telling the learner what to do, but to steer them in the right direction and if necessary, let them make their own mistakes.

4. Honesty

Honesty is of vital importance for a mentoring relationship. Mentors who treat their protégés with kid gloves are not doing them any favors. Sometimes it is necessary to give some tough love. It will help the mentee grow. As for mentees, they should not take it as a personal offense, but try to learn from it. On the other hand, the mentor should give the mentee the feeling that they can also be open and honest without negative consequences.

5. Listen and ask questions

Mentors should not just give out advice and keep talking about their experiences. A big part of mentoring is that the mentor listens to the mentee’s wishes and concerns. Active listening and asking (tough) questions can help both the mentor and the mentee grow personally and professionally. For example, if the mentee has to implement a particularly complex project or is faced with a failing project and doesn’t know what to do, instead of offering the solution on a silver platter, the mentor should ask the right questions to make their mentee think and come up with a solution themselves. Only then will they be able to learn and improve.

6. Commitment and availability

The schedule and to-do lists of project managers are usually filled to the brink and it can be hard to juggle your workload with mentoring. However, for the mentoring to be effective, the mentor as well as the mentee need to be committed to it. Meet at least monthly. But even in between meetings, the mentor should be available to spontaneous questions or concerns. Maintaining contact and communicating regularly will facilitate the relationship between mentor and mentee developing into more than just an obligation.

7. Confidentiality and trust

A mentoring relationship should be confidential. Unless either party specifically agrees to share it with others, everything said between mentor and mentee should stay between the two. This is important to build trust, because you might have to discuss office politics or the mentee might need advice on how to deal with a difficult supervisor. These topics are obviously delicate and only if the mentee feels comfortable enough and trusts the mentor, will they be able to open up.

The Story

One day the Chicken says to the Pig: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant.”

But Pig was not entirely sold: “I don’t know. What would we call it?”

After pondering for a little the Chicken has an idea for a name: “Hmm…How about ‘HAM-N-EGGS”?”

As an answer to that, the Pig replies: “No, thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved.”

The moral of story

Pig has to sacrifice himself if they want to sell ham in their restaurant. The Chicken, on the other hand, just has to provide the eggs, which does not require her to give up her life. Thus, the pig is much more committed to the project, while the chicken is only involved.

In scrum, ‘pigs’ are those who are fully committed to the project and take full responsibility for it (the product owner, the scrum master and the team). ‘Chickens’ are those who might make proposals or suggestions (customers and executive management), but who are not actively working on the project and thus, are only involved in it, but not committed to it. Even though these labels are not used anymore in scrum, this fable is a good allegory for the difference between commitment and mere involvement.  

The Science Side of Project Management

You’re probably a bit puzzled how project management could be ‘science’, and you’re right, it’s not science in the traditional sense like, for example, chemistry and other natural sciences. However, PM is science in the sense that you have theories and frameworks that you can apply (e.g. the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) PMBOK). There are best practices and tools through which you can measure the success of projects (e.g Scrum, Kanban etc.). The keywords here are ‘efficiency’ and ‘effectiveness’. A big part of creating business value and increasing the bottom line of a company is to find a balance between both of these aspects. Efficiency is doing things right (being on time, budget and scope etc.) while effectiveness is doing the right things (meet or exceed customer requirements). Furthermore, the job of a project manager requires the ability to plan, estimate budgets and costs accurately, anticipate and mitigate risks and tracking metrics. All of these are ‘scientific’ or rather ‘technical’ skills.

The Artistic Side of Project Management

Project management is also not an art form in the traditional sense. PMs do not paint pictures or create sculptures. But being able to find solutions to problems and navigating through unforeseen events and, in the end, delivering a project on time and on budget is an art form in and of itself. Project managers need to be creative and need to have the ability to communicate effectively and also to motivate people. Without soft skills, you can be an expert at tracking metrics and calculating risks, but you might still not be able to meet a project’s objectives, because you weren’t able to communicate with the project stakeholders or were too focused on the facts so that you missed other possibilities of solving a problem.

Conclusion: Project Management is a Craft

A successful project manager needs both, the hard skills and soft skills, to lead a project to success. In any given situation the project manager needs to utilize both skills to decide on the appropriate action for individual situations. It’s important to look at the data to guide you, but sometimes you also need to listen to your ‘gut feeling’ or intuition. A project’s process might be perfectly streamlined and running efficiently and effectively, yet neglecting the artistic side of project management can lead to stagnation and a lack of creative and innovative thinking. On the other hand, of course, only concentrating on being as creative as possible without any regards for ‘hard facts’ will have a negative impact on the project’s success and the overall success of the company.

PMs with only scientific skills or only artistic skills will run into a wall very quickly. As you can see, the key to successful project management is to be able to combine art (creativity, intuition, leadership etc.) and science (efficiency, effectiveness, controlling, measuring etc.). The ability to combine both these aspects and to apply them is what makes project management a craft.

The Role of Social Media

June 30 is National Social Media Day– though let’s be honest, for most people every day is social media day. The fact that this day exists, even only as an unofficial holiday, shows how important social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. have become in our daily lives. People don’t just use it for connecting with their social circles or instagramming a photo of their lunch, but social media has become much more. It has become an extension of our real lives, a news source and an outlet where everybody has the chance to voice their opinions on all kinds of topics and issues. For many people social media has replaced the mainstream media as their go-to source of information.  

For businesses, it is also essential to have a social media presence. Social media marketing has become an important device to gain organic leads and attract customers. The biggest advantage social networks offer is that companies and organizations can reach people all over the world and thus, are not limited to a geographically close target group anymore. Of course, traditional marketing (billboards, TV ads etc.) and networking (congresses, career fairs etc.) is still relevant, but it’s undeniable that social media is now an established method to build a brand and reach current and potential customers.

Top 5 Advantages of Social Media for Project Managers

Project management can also benefit immensely from social media. Here are the top 5 advantages of social media that can lead to project success.

1. Communication

A successful project manager is one who has exceptional communication skills. Of course, you also need to have the necessary hard skills to execute a project successfully, but that’s only one side of the coin. A big part of a project manager’s job is to communicate with team members, executives and other important stakeholders of a project. As a project manager, you can use social media to give your team members and customers real time status updates. ‘Live feeds’ of the project’s progress will keep your project team not only informed, but also give them a sense of achievement, because they can immediately see when they have reached important milestones. Another advantage is that you can address issues and problems instantly. In a world that is connected 24/7, customers expect you to react as soon as possible – preferably immediately. A quick response can – in extreme cases – decide the fate of a project.

2. Collaboration

Project teams no longer have to work in the same location. Nowadays many project teams are geographically dispersed. This and other related issues, such as time differences, pose a challenge for effective collaboration, which is important for innovation and problem solving. However, services such as Skype and other video platforms have become great ways to collaborate with team members in other countries (key word: virtual meetings). If there is a time difference, you could record the meeting and share it via a video platform like YouTube or Vimeo.  Your remote or dispersed team members can directly comment on or give feedback to the video.

Another way to collaborate is instant messaging. You can interact in real time with others and this offers possibilities of problem solving on the spot, instead of waiting until there is a scheduled meeting for it. Effective collaboration can lead to more engagement and team members and stakeholders will feel more committed to the project, which can aid its successful implementation.

3. Networking

The most fundamental feature of social media is that it enables people to connect with others and to create a network. We all have our personal social networks of friends and family, but it’s much harder to connect with – or rather stay connect with – people on a professional level. Facebook or LinkedIn groups created by and for project managers can help you connect with others in the same field and facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge. On Twitter, you can communicate with other project managers via the hashtags #pmot (project managers of twitter) or #pmp (project management professionals).

4. Flexibility

Working from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, is not the norm anymore. People want more flexibility and freedom to structure their work individually. Social media has given people this freedom. They don’t need to be physically present to get the information they need and others can reach them wherever and whenever they need to. This of course, is time and cost effective. There are some meetings (e.g. daily updates) that not everybody has to attend physically, so those that are in distant locations do not have to make a long journey. That way, they can save valuable time which they can use more productively.

5. Promote your Project

The best thing that can happen to a business is a marketing campaign gone viral, it’s basically like hitting the jackpot in the lottery. But even if your campaign doesn’t go viral, it’s worth to promote your project on social media. It’s not just a means to get customers to notice your project or to get their feedback, but it can also show executives that there is interest for it, which is important to get their buy-in.

Instructions:

Step 1: Click “File”  in the tabs bar at the top

Step 2: Click “Options” in the left bar and a new window will pop up

Step 3: Go to “User settings” at the bottom of the directory on the left hand side

Step 4: Select “Language” and choose your preferred language and click “OK”

Step 5: Restart program for changes to apply

Watch the video here: How to Change the Language in InLoox PM 8

Watch our other video tutorials here or on Youtube

Essentially, there are two scenarios in which you should combine project management and legal knowledge. On the one hand, for lawyers it’s a chance to further their training by acquiring project management competencies. A law office could organize their legal consultations in projects. This means that they discuss objectives, expectations and requirements for the consultation with stakeholders. The next step is to identify and assess risks. Furthermore, lawyer need to take into account how time and budget will influence the undertaking. Then they need to assign the tasks to the right members of the project team who then implement them. In short, you can control and implement legal procedures more efficiently by applying PM methods to the law sector.

On the other hand, there are also non-legal projects that require extensive knowledge of legal framework conditions, e.g. in international and construction projects. This is closely associated with risk management, as legal risks can endanger the project and in the worst case, may even lead to a law suit. Legal PM is a preemptive measure and seeks to avoid such conflicts.  Think about a construction project: you need to get a permit, inform the authorities and public, conclude  contracts, clarify payment and liability claims and you also need to consider regulations, e.g. on environmental protection. These processes are often dependent on one another, thus, representing the critical path of a project. A company that wants to implement a project in another country should also use legal project management methods. Your own country’s maze of rules and regulations is already complex enough, so imagine how much more unfamiliar the rules of foreign countries are and how hard it is to keep up to date with them.

Apart from the implementation of project management methods in legal consultations, legal PM also offers answers and solutions to legal questions that come up in projects in general. The overall aim is to minimize risks that could jeopardize the project.

(text by Klara Obermair, translated by Linh Tran)

Project teams always work towards a pre-determined objective in order to complete a project. Without objectives there would be no structure in the work process and as a consequence you could lose your motivation to finish tasks. Thus, objectives contribute a great deal to the success of a project. Which is why it’s important it to set some formal criteria for the definition of objectives and goals so that you can work more effectively. One method how to do this are so called SMART goals.

S for Specific

Define clear and precise goals. Every member of the project team should be able to understand the meaning behind the objectives without requiring an explanation. So, avoid using filler words, such as “rather”, ”preferably”, “ideally”, “soon” etc. These words only relativize issues and create unnecessary uncertainties.

M for Measurable

In order to identify whether you have fulfilled an objective or not, you need criteria to measure it. However, not everything can be quantified. Brand confidence for example is a rather abstract concept. What you can do is to, first, think about the meaning of the term, then, find the right ‘indicator’ to measure it. For brand confidence, most use psychological models to evaluate it. If an objective is very complex, you can split it into several sub-goals and define each of them individually.

A for Attractive

The whole project team has to accept an objective and see it in a favorable light. It helps to formulate goals positively: “You should do X” instead of “You can’t do Y”.  In order to be motivated and work diligently towards achieving the goal, the team has to actually enjoy working on it.

R for Realistic

On the one hand an objective has to be attainable, but on the other it also has to be challenging enough so that the team isn’t bored by it. You have to try and find the right balance between these two factors. You also need to consider if you even have the needed resources to achieve an objective.

T for Time-related

You need to have a clear deadline for when you and your team have to complete the project. This is particularly important in regards to customers, because they usually demand a clear deadline of when you must deliver a product or service.

In some aspects these five criteria overlap, or even compete with one another. Thus, it is important to find a balance between them. An ideal objective should look like this: The goal is to increase the sales of product X by 5% with strategy Y by October 21. And NOT like this: If possible, we want to increase sales in the near future.

With the SMART method, you have a check off list for whether you have formulated your objectives well enough so that you can complete them effectively and thus, created a base for the successful completion of the project.

(text by Klara Obermair, translated by Linh Tran)

Types of Teamwork

Teamwork means that several people are collaborating in order to reach a common objective. This can be temporary, but it can also be for an indefinite length of time. Temporary teams are, for example, project teams. Since a project is only a temporary endeavor, the project team disbands after its completion. Working on projects is often done parallel to the normal workload, and thus represents a double burden for the employees. Traditional work teams, however, are a part of the existing organizational structure. They can be structured along functional and departmental lines. The collaboration can take place in the same location or geographically dispersed (also called a virtual team).

Advantages

The biggest advantage of teamwork is that there is an exchange of different knowledge and skill sets, which can achieve or enhance synergy effects which an individual can rarely do. Furthermore, it is a form of division of labor: the team members can divide extensive tasks, so the workload of the individual members decreases which in turn increases their motivation.

Problems and Solutions

But teamwork does not necessarily improve the performance of each person. A typical phenomenon, which often appears in bigger groups, is the ‘Ringelmann effect’. This effect describes the fact that individual team members unconsciously hold themselves back in group settings, consequently performing worse than they would have alone.  Also, teams shouldn’t be too big, so that the performance of the individual is still visible. This can contribute immensely to their appreciation of their own contribution to the project and, as a result, they are more encouraged to do a good job. Still, in most projects it is not as bad as it appears to be: work packages and milestones help with continuous performance assessments, which makes it difficult for “slackers” to get away with it.

Another problematic effect of working in groups is the so-called ‘Groupthink effect’. Psychologist Irving Janis developed this concept and describes it as the alignment of our own opinions with the expected opinions of the group, in order to reach a consensus. Individuals often make different decisions in group situations than they would have in a solitary one. Opponents of the predominant opinion do not stand up for their own opinion, but restrain themselves to preserve the peace within the group. Naturally, this phenomenon accelerates the decision making process in many cases, but it can also cause damage to the quality of the decisions. As this phenomenon appears more often in homogenous groups, you should always make sure that your team is as diverse as possible in order to get diverse opinions and increase creativity.

A reason for the reservations towards teamwork is the competitiveness. Working together with others should be about reaching joint goals and not about outperforming others. Supervisors should always make sure that they reward actions that benefit the team and sanction selfish decisions that do not benefit the group.

Teamwork vs. Individual Work

Most job advertisements require applicants to be able to work in a team. But does that really mean that working in a team is better than working alone? As in most cases, there is no definite answer for this question.

In some cases, it is indeed better to work alone. For example, when a task requires a lot of professional expertise, but also when it’s a routine task. You can also do tasks that don’t need the buy-in of others independently to save time.

Teamwork can often produce „alphas“ in the group and that can cause the more introverted members to hold back and contribute less input than they would if they were working alone. A good solution here is to prepare for a group brainstorming session with individual brainstorms, in which every team member collects their own ideas and then presents them to the other members. This way, you can combine teamwork and individual work and increase productivity.

Remember to keep the size of the group as small as possible to facilitate communication processes. Ideally a group should have four to seven members. A team leader directs the group and is the person the team members can turn to if they have any problems.

(text by Klara Obermair, translated by Linh Tran)

You would like to know which InLoox PM version you’re currently using? Or would you like to send us a support request and need the version number for that? This video tutorial will help you find the system information.

You can easily find the system information of InLoox PM with a few mouse clicks. First, go to “InLoox PM” in the Outlook ribbon and then choose “Help”. In the drop-down menu choose “About InLoox PM”. Copy the necessary information with a click on the button “Copy Info”. Add this information into an email (support@inloox.com) or a support ticket (https://support.inloox.com/?/Tickets/Submit).

Watch the video here: How to Display the System Information of InLoox PM 8

Watch our other video tutorials here or on Youtube

The concept or technique of visualizing ideas radially is not new, people have been using it for centuries. The term ‘mind map’, however, is relatively new. Tony Buzan, a popular British psychology author and TV personality, coined the term and popularized it in the 1970s.

The Basics

A mind map is essentially a diagram with a central node in the middle that represents an idea or concept. This central idea then has different related branches or nodes built around it. Many probably associate mind maps with brainstorming and it is true, this method is extremely helpful if you need to come up with creative ideas. But a mind map is more than just a note taking tool, it can also be used to find solutions to difficult problems and to break down complex issues into manageable parts.

Mind mapping in InLoox PM 8

You can use pen and paper to draw a map, or use a simple program such as Microsoft Word, or if that is not enough for your needs, there are many mind mapping programs or project management applications that offer mind mapping features. 

The Mind Mapping Process

Mind map with the central concept ‘Agile’ (Source: Own diagram)

Step 1         

Start with deciding on a main concept. You should use an image or a word that represents this idea. In the above example that is ‘Agile’.

Step 2

Create sub-branches that are attached to your main concept and which go further into the topic (‘Scrum’ and ‘Kanban’). These sub-branches in turn can also have sub branches arising out of them which go even deeper into detail. Use different colors, forms or even pictures to highlight and differentiate.

Step 3

You can create a mind map in one go (i.e. one meeting or brainstorming session), but that doesn’t mean that the map is cut in stone. Depending on the problem or project it’s actually advisable to continually update your mind map. And in the end your mind map might look like the one below.

Creative Mind Map (Source: Flickr User Pietro Zanarini)

Benefits of Mind Maps

Mind maps are particularly beneficial for creative or brainstorming sessions. Unlike Gantt charts, where you have to consider constraints which limit you in what you can do with it, you have much more (creative) freedom with mind maps. Because of that, mind maps help you think out of the box and facilitate creative thinking and problem solving. It also helps you develop an ability to focus and capture the most important and relevant information (for example, when taking notes).  If you’re stuck on a problem, a mind map can also provide clarity and maybe a fresh outlook on it.

Mind Maps and PM

So how can project managers make use of mind maps? It’s exactly the above-mentioned benefit of mind maps that make them an asset for PMs.

Objectives and Planning

A project manager can use mind maps to define project goals and objectives. Each objective should be the central node of its own mind map (or part of a multi-idea mind map) and the branches around it represent the measures you need to take to achieve that goal (tasks and resources).

Problem-solving

The job of a PM is not easy. Because there are so many variables and stakeholders involved, the problems they and their team face usually are complex. Mind maps can help reduce the complexity, find the root cause of the problem and help you come up with solutions. As a result, your project processes will be more efficient.

Meetings

Team leaders can use mind maps to document everything the team has discussed in meetings. A visual accompaniment can serve as a trigger for creative ideas and problem solving. It also helps your team get an overview of the most important topics of that meeting and they will remember it more easily. 

Walt Disney and Disneyland did not become so successful by coincidence. No, it was thanks to a mix of imagination, passion and hard work. One of its main secrets to success was the setup of “Walt Disney Imagineering” (WDI), the department responsible for the design and development of theme parks and attractions. While they have to deal with ‘traditional’ project management issues, they also face other challenges and very rigorous constraints. Nevertheless, the WDI project team has an astounding track record of exceeding expectations and delivering projects on time and within budget. Following the Imagineers’ example might open a whole new world for traditional project management.

Underlying Concept: Disney’s Creative Strategy

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

Walt Disney can probably be considered the “Godfather of imagination” who can make dreams come true. But his visions would have remained mere dreams and never become a success if he didn’t have a clear strategy. He identifies three roles every person inhabits during the creative process. Each role is important for the success of the project and it’s important to find a balance between them.

The Dreamer

The dreamer is someone who comes up with ideas freely and without any thoughts about whether they are realistic or not. No matter how outlandish or ridiculous the ideas might seem, they are all welcome and there are no boundaries or limitations. 

The Realist

The realist turns the ideas of the dreamer into reality, i.e. makes things happen. The realist has analytical skills, is pragmatic and is committed to bringing fantasy to life and to creating something ‘magical’. 

The Critic

At first glance, the critic might seem a bit like a spoil sport, but this role is just as important as the other two, as he’s the one who evaluates what the dreamer and realist have produced. The realist scrutinizes everything and provides constructive feedback. 

‘Imagineering’ Lessons for traditional PMs

Built upon the creative strategy, the Walt Disney Imagineering department is the place where the magic happens – or rather where the magic is being developed. 

Diversity and Teamwork

What is unique about the WDI is that people from traditionally different departments and disciplines work together and all of them carry the same title of “Imagineer”. At WDI architects, engineers, artists, special effects artists, writers, researchers, financers and people from many more fields work together to literally make dreams come true. Teamwork is the most important aspect of Imagineering and a project is always the product of the whole team. Because of this diversity, projects can be developed with input from various standpoints (see the creative roles). As a project leader, you should also create a diverse team with different knowledge and skill sets because they can provide different perspectives and innovative ideas.

Story-Telling and Storyboarding

What sets Disneyland apart from other parks is that everything in it, even the smallest stone and tree, is part of a story. For the Imagineers, developing a new attraction is not just about creating something fun and technologically advanced, but it needs to tell a story and give the guests the feeling that they are part of it. That is the main objective on which everything else is built on. Project management usually does not involve telling stories like at Disneyland. But what traditional project managers can learn from it is to try and see things from their customers and stakeholders’ point of views and offer a product or service that will provide them with an ‘experience’. 

Because creating a theme park like Disneyland is a lot like making a film, the Imagineers use storyboarding as a planning method. It’s essentially a comic strip that shows an attraction as a whole so that the project team can plan and coordinate all the details around it (e.g. music, special effects etc.). As a project manager it’s important to not lose the overview on your project, so having some kind of  visualization of your project plan can help you keep it. 

“Blue Sky”-Brainstorming

At WDI not even the sky’s the limit. During the “blue sky”-brainstorming phase, coming up with outrageous ideas is explicitly welcome. In other companies, brainstorming sessions might last a few hours or, at most, a day or two. At WDI, this phase can last a few years. What’s more, they never completely throw away an idea. It’s common that Imagineers go back to an idea after a few years and then realize it.

Project managers are often afraid to be creative or to put forward crazy ideas as they can pose risks, but also because cost and time constraints put pressure on them to be efficient rather than use their imagination. But it’s actually because PMs are under so much pressure and project success depends on so many variables, which are sometimes unpredictable, that they need to be creative. For some issues, you won’t find a suitable solution in a text book, you need to have a little imagination to solve them. 

Constraints

Imagineers also have to deal with the triple constraint of cost, time and scope, but they face 3 more constraints: safety, quality and aesthetics. Particularly safety is non-negotiable with millions of people’s lives at stake. This puts a lot of pressure on the Imagineers to develop an attraction around a tight schedule (deadline is opening day, no later), extremely tight budgets, guests’ satisfaction, and that can withstand usage of up to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least 20 years. Sounds like a nightmare? Well, it’s a reality for Imagineers and they actually manage to do it. Look at Disneyland and you can see that it’s possible to reconcile quality and aesthetics with budget and time constraints. 

Who hasn’t been stressed out planning a vacation? You have to book flights, reserve hotel rooms, create an itinerary, look up restaurants and so on and so forth. When you’re travelling alone it’s a bit easier to plan, because you’re more flexible. But if you’re travelling with a group of friends or your family it can get complex really quickly. Using project management methods can help you avoid that pre-vacation chaos and stress.

1. Have a project leader

Usually, there is always one person who ends up leading the planning naturally. But it’s better to formally assign a project leader who will take on responsibility for the project and who will serve as the go-to person for all the other team members. The project leader will overlook the whole endeavor and make sure that flights are booked, passports are valid, hotel rooms reserved etc. In short, the project leader will make sure that everybody does what they are supposed to and that everything is going according to plan.

2. Teamwork

Having a project leader does not mean that they have to do everything themselves. One person doing everything could mean even more stress and ineffectiveness because all the burden rests on this person’s shoulders alone. You’re going on vacation together, so everybody has to do their share and not load everything onto one or two people. While there are things each person has to do on their own, such as packing, there are some tasks that can be done collectively. The most obvious things are booking the flight and hotel. Communication is key. Each team member should know exactly what they have to do. If communication isn’t clear, you might end up sharing a youth hostel room and common bathroom with 10 others instead of the 2 double ensuite hotel rooms you had actually wanted. Effective communication can spare you that grief.     

3. Brainstorming session and setting goals

This is probably the most important, but also most frustrating part of planning a vacation: Where are we going to go? That depends on your “goals”: do you want to relax and do nothing? Maybe you want to do some shopping? Or do you want to learn more about the culture and people? Or do you want to be active and do sports? Depending on the goals that you have identified, you can decide on your destination. Relaxing? Somewhere near the beach might be right for you. Shopping? Better go to a big city for that. The team might have different opinions and wishes which need to be reconciled and you must try to reach a compromise. Brainstorm all the different suggestions and try to find a common ground.

4. Determine Budget and Create a Schedule

After having decided on your destination, you need to determine your budget. How much do you want to or can you spend? Depending on your budget you can decide on how long your vacation will be. Remember that you have fixed costs such as flights and hotel rooms. After subtracting these costs, you can allocate the rest of your budget for food and other activities. Create a schedule with all the necessary tasks and when their due dates are. For example, until when do you have to book the flights? When do you have to go vacation shopping?

5. Measuring progress

Make sure to check in with your team members regularly to see whether they have fulfilled their tasks. You wouldn’t want to stand at the airport all set and ready only to find out that the person who was supposed to book the flight didn’t do it. Okay, that is a pretty drastic scenario, but not measuring the preparation progress can lead to stress and even mean you have to go over budget because you have to do everything last minute which is often costly.

6. Risk and change management

“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”– Murphy’s Law

Or if it doesn’t go wrong it might not go as planned. Even the best plan can’t predict the weather and other unforeseeable and uncontrollable events. What you can do is to prepare for the worst case scenario. Read up on your rights as a traveler, in which circumstances can you reclaim your money from the airline if your flight was delayed or cancelled? Knowing what to do in these cases, will reduce your stress levels if they happen. It will still be annoying, but at least you’ll have a little bit of control over the situation.  

Infographic summary:

People communicate constantly, but not everybody can communicate effectively. It is often ineffective communication that causes a project to fail. This is why project managers need to have exceptional communication skills in order to lead their teams and complete projects successfully.

For project managers, having a great team is essential for project success, but they often struggle to verbalize their appreciation for work done well. Many think that an employee recognition program will do, or that monetary incentives are enough to motivate the team members. However, many workplace studies and surveys, show that appreciation is one of the most important factors for work satisfaction. A lack of appreciation in the workplace can cause serious problems, such as demotivation, lethargy, and in some cases even a burnout. In short, incentives are appreciated by employees but appreciation is more effective when it comes to making employees feel truly valued.

Be specific

A generic, out-of-context and maybe even delayed “well done” may not be recognized and can even have a reverse effect than you’ve intended. Always give specific and personal compliments, for example, when someone finishes a task ahead of schedule or successfully dealt with a difficult customer etc. This also serves as positive feedback because they know exactly what they did right and that can make their job easier in the future.

Be appropriate

The good thing about appreciation is that it’s not a scarce commodity so you don’t have to worry that you’re ‘spending’ too much of it. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should give affirmation indiscriminately like Oprah giving away cars. Your affirmations should always match the effort and result of the work, otherwise they can lose meaning and impact. Appreciation is always welcome, but not every small act has to be greeted with a standing ovation.

Be positive

Affirmation followed by criticism can easily be conceived as manipulation. Complimenting someone and then criticizing them or instructing them to do something differently will make them only remember the negative part. They might not even realize that you have given them a real compliment, but only see it as your way of ‘softening the blow’. So always stay positive when communicating your appreciation for someone, that way your praise will actually stay in people’s head.

Be genuine

Probably the only thing more damaging than not showing appreciation is showing insincere appreciation, or perceived insincerity. If you give personal and specific compliments that are not exaggerated, then your sincerity will reach the other party. Another way to be genuine is to pay attention to what each individual perceives as ‘genuine’. Some people will think that words alone are nothing but smoke and mirrors. These people prefer appreciation that is shown through actions. In these cases you could take them out to lunch or maybe help them out on a task to show how thankful you are. 

Overworking, which can lead to a burnout in the worst case scenario, is already an established discussion topic. But what about the other extreme? Boredom, in its extreme form ‘Boreout’ can have an equally negative impact on productivity and health. However, occasional boredom can even facilitate creativity.

What’s Boredom?

We are constantly bombarded with a flood of information. Particularly the internet can assail you with sensory overload. Thus, when we suddenly find yourselves in a situation where this information overload is missing, boredom settles in after a while.

When you’re bored, time doesn’t seem to pass by and a minute can feel like an eternity. In the beginning you enjoy the thrill of doing absolutely nothing, but the more bored you get, the more listless you get from the monotony. Also, our society views this down time as lost time because it was spent unproductively.

Creative Potential of Boredom

Often, the best idea popped up totally unexpectedly, as a so-called ‘flash of genius’. This can happen in situations when you’re bored. When we’re doing monotonous work, our brain gets very little stimulation and tries to compensate that internally. A British study from 2014 confirms this. Half of the participants had to copy telephone numbers for 15 minutes. Then, all participants had to prove their creativity by finding different ways to use plastic cups. The group which had to do the two tasks did significantly better than those who didn’t have to do the copying. Other participants who only had to read the telephone numbers did even better.

So, boredom can facilitate creativity. You can’t be creative around the clock, but you need a balance. Psychoanalyst Ursula Kreuzer-Haustein summarizes it as follows: “When we tolerate boredom, then we create a situation in which we’re just ‘flowing’. Everything is in the flow. Some very interesting things might be created in that situation. You can observe this in children. When they’re bored, they often come up with creative ways to occupy themselves. In this sense, boredom can have great creative potential.“ (Source)

Boreout instead of Burnout

Temporary boredom can have a positive impact, but if it continues for a long time,it can negatively affect your health – in the worst case scenario leading to a ‘Boreout’. Phillippe Rothlin and Peter Werder coined this term in their book “Boreout! Overcoming Workplace Demotivation” in 2007. A boreout is the exact opposite of a burnout, but the symptoms are very similar: Tiredness, listlessness, exhaustion and stress. A small work load contradicts the credo of our achievement-oriented society: get more done in a shorter span of time. Those that are chronically unchallenged start to procrastinate tasks or even invent tasks because they are worried of losing their jobs. Unlike lazy employees, they perceive this state of idleness as unsatisfactory and suffer because of it. Because they fear change (leaving or being let go from their job, because they have become obsolete), they just stay in their current employment. However, in a lot of these cases this leads to a classic ‘exit strategy’  – internal withdrawal.

The question is, how to solve the problem of being ‘bored out’? The answer is simple: Clear communication. Preferably as soon as possible because otherwise it will be hard to break out of the vicious circle. First, the root of the problem needs to be identified: why is someone underchallenged, how did it get so far and why did it take such a long time to confront the problem. Then, you need to find a solution. Reallocating and re-delegating tasks to spread the work load more evenly between employees can be a solution. Alternatively, offering further training during the excess free time can benefit both sides , the business and the employees. Finally, allowing employees make creative use of those times when they have less workload can lead to new ideas and impulses that propels the department or business further.

Conclusion

Boredom can stimulate creativity, but it can also make you sick. You need a balance between over-and underworking. Alternate between challenging tasks and less challenging tasks, which will help you recuperate. If you’re feeling bored in your free time, you should learn to see it as time that you can use for yourself. If you’re feeling underworked and start to get bored at work, then you should talk to your supervisors about it to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

(Text by Klara Obermair, translated by Linh Tran)