Effects Based Operations

Return to Series Post

Comment:   Effects Based Operations (EBO), to some folks, is controversial but only to the extent that they do not want to be accountable to a result. Furthermore, there is an even smaller percentage that feels the psychological aspects as applied in warfare are not ethical in industry despite marketing campaigns using the same techniques. I was introduced to EBO in the late 1990s and dabbled in its use up to 2005. However, during deployments between 2005 and 2008, EBO gained higher employment but not necessarily the highest acceptance. The most intensive use of EBO was during tours at Commander Naval Forces Europe.

Effects Based Operations

EBO has not been well accepted in many circles as it removes the smoke and mirrors, fudged numbers, and the mask of outrageous successes people often herald even when there is no such success. Hence, EBO does not tell the emperor what he wants to hear and does not leave the emperor naked. EBO is not about how well people do their jobs. Everyone puts forth a reasonable effort and tries hard. EBO is about how well actions were undertaken as an organization, department, or group serves the desired results. Whether competing in war or the marketplace, desired results are being pursued. While war fight tactics are for war, the management method can and should apply to companies operating in a marketplace.

Companies desire profits, market share, supply point control, price control, and other outcomes such as sustainability initiatives. During correct practice, companies express the path to the desired outcomes as a strategy then implement projects to create the desired end-state, a set of required conditions or objectives must be achieved. As in warfighting, companies have limited resources that must be economically rationed and deliberately applied to the efforts that give them the most significant gain or strategic advantage. For example, Warren Buffet operates on a concept of durable competitive advantage as a strategy. Companies need to manage strategy-to-task, and EBO offers an excellent framework.

EBO is nothing more than managing what was set out to be achieved. In a reality check, as business operations are mapped to EBO practices bear in mind these points:

1. EBO changes the management culture but not the nature or character of the market. The marketplace is a realm amicably at war in which competitive actors seek to deter, deny, diminish, deflect their opponent's advances using a host of tactics, techniques, and practices that shape the market place and attract loyal buyers to their offering in order to capture market share. The character of this marketing war is information-based and psychological.


2. EBO is not a substitute for marketing methods. EBO is a management method that enhances outcomes. Success is valued based on rationed deliberate actions and results achieved as opposed to the novelty of the means.


3. EBO causes reactions. Newton's law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. EBO seeks effects that result in outcomes. Therefore, for every EBO action, there is an equal reaction. The question is if the reaction is reasonable or not. If undesirable then adjustments are made to achieve the desired reaction or effects.


4. Measurements count, EBO captures measurements and links them to strategy. When measurements hit thresholds, then decisions are made as triggers as set into motion. Both qualitative and quantitative measurements are valued.


5. What-if. Hypothetical situations are abundant, and exploring them can cause paralysis. The fact of the matter is the marketplace and world we live in is dynamic and always in flux. Disruptive technologies change market directions in an instant and poorly support technologies become burdens. Designing adaptive operations to handle complex conditions can reduce organizational latencies and react swiftly to change.

EBO is not complicated but does require deliberate thought and effort. Refer to Figure 1.

Figure 1:  EBO Structure and Information Flow

In a nutshell, the effects-based method is a flow of information about progress towards goals and strategies. The ultimate goal is to achieve the end state through deliberate actions in seeking effects and objectives. There are measures of effectiveness that aid in determining when an effect has information-based.

The Effects-Based method is new to the private sector, and there will be a learning curve associated with the method. The Effects-Based method does not change the nature of the organization but does change the management methods on a project by project basis. Therefore, it can be introduced slowly and scaled to the operation. The method also applies to ongoing operations making use of triggers to indicate out of bound conditions.

I published a book, Effects Based Projects, that combines EBO with Agile project management and use hip pocket tools to focus on results more than reports and computer driven artifacts that take time to develop.  The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle. 

To Buy Print Version

To Buy eBook Version

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Return to Series Post

Project Management Series

Project Management Series

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

I am creating this collective of project management posts in order to focus knowledge of this discipline. Project management is a subset of Operations Management and Engineering. Engineering projects are have some different management methods than business projects. Specifically, engineering project are block funded and use cash flow methodologies versus earned value management with sunk cost and capitalization. 

I also strived to look at project management from many angles, present models, and use some thought leadership.

Effects-Based Projects

Effects Based Operations In Project Management

Effects-Based Operations: Taking Strategy-to-Task

SRA: Putting Strategy to Task

Effects-Based Operations 

Fixing Frankenstein: Rogue Monster Projects

Project Complexity Perplexes Procurements

Humanitarian Projects Built from a Model, Part 1

Earned Value Made Easy?

What is Win-Win?

The Tiger Team Improves Outcomes

Project Management Skills beyond Paper Documents

Ongoing Project: Combining Project Management with Hands On Skills

Ongoing Project Manages Business Rules

Creative Process and Project Management

I published a book, Effects Based Projects, that combines EBO with Agile project management and use hip pocket tools to focus on results more than reports and computer driven artifacts that take time to develop.  The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle. 

To Buy Print Version

To Buy eBook Version

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Effects-Based Operations in Project Management

Return to Series Post

Comments: Projects are short sided when they seek a deliverable that is not aligned with strategy and does not deliver some sort of business, market, or operational effect.  The Effects-Based method seeks to  go beyond traditional deliverables aligning strategy-to-tasks and seeks desirable outcomes or effects as a deliverable. This book blends the Agile project methodology with the Effects-Based method as both are iterative and center on high uncertainty and complexity.  

In developing this book, I drew on my experience as well as from the works of numerous experts in the business of complexity, effects-based operations, and project/operations management.  This first edition while somewhat breakthrough to industry is not new but combined in a new way for business and private sector application. 

Effects-Based Operations in Project Management

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

We have left the Information Age and entered the age of the hybrid. Systems we encounter in our work and everyday life are creating more uncertainty with higher degrees of complexity.  Causes and solutions to problems, outcomes, are more apt to produce sales than selling things, services, and slogans. Slogans like family owned means little to a buyer. Likewise,  buying things or services is what is being sold but are not in themselves a cause or solution, an effect or outcome, to their predicament.  The goal of any project is to create an effect or outcome for the market and the company that ultimately results in a measure of success such as profitability, market share, some sort of messaging, or other measure.  Simply initiating a project to do something like install a server, run an ad campaign, or open a new office is short sighted. By doing those activities what is the company seeking to achieve? Ask yourself, Why is this being done?  Begin with the WHY then the WHAT will follow. 

Complexity is at the root of many challenges in that systems and networks (social, logistical, informational, etc…) have become so complex that when someone takes action that stimulates the system   the effect is not easily predictable. However, by reducing the complexity problem to something more manageable not only will the network or system become more understood but outcomes can be limited to a smaller set that becomes more manageable. My new book goes through the process of achieving effects and producing things. I have outlined the chapters four your review.

Chapter two provides a complexity model and means to reduce the problem set to something more manageable. 

Chapter three discusses how to formulate strategy in a deliberate and purposeful manner by drawing on one  U.S. military method adapted to the civilian domain.  Having sound strategy is crucial to having vision, direction, and guidance so that activities may for focused as resources and limited. 

Chapter four discusses the general Effects-Based method developing an understanding how to perform the process of taking strategy-to-task then measuring effectiveness. 

Chapter five discusses Agile then blends the Effects-Based method into the Agile Micro-dynamic work flow providing a broadened model. The new model expands project efforts beyond a deliverable to attempting to achieve and outcome or effect then selects a means to achieving that effects objective. 

Chapter six looks at uncertainty providing hip pocket or on-the-fly tools to access causes and effects then identify risk event for resolution.  The complexity model discussed earlier provides a basic means from which to identify risk.

Chapter seven discusses the old-school method of programmed management in lieu of policies and expeditors.  The use of policies results in low performing organizations which suppresses aspiring leadership in the organization.  Also discussed in this chapter is agility which as principle reason the Agile and the Effects-Based methods

Chapter eight concludes the topic balancing theory and practice. 

My focus was to create this process in way that project and operations managers, PMs & OMs, would have tools and methods that are not cumbersome but quick and readily applied. In my experience, PMOs and companies often create administrative overhead that is unnecessary and shifts efforts to making reports and artifacts pretty rather than effective use of time and resources to get the job done. 

The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle. 

To Buy Print Version

To Buy eBook Version

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Please feel free to email me at JamesTBogden@gmail.com or comment here about the book Effects Based Projects.. 

Return to Series Post

Effects Based Projects

Return to Series Post

Effects Based Projects

A Practical Guide that Puts Strategy-to-Task When Complexity and Uncertainty are High

By

James T. (JT) Bogden, PMP, MSIT

Click To Buy

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to many operational / project circumstances and methods of management. While serving with the United States military at an operational level command, we were forward-thinking deciding to use the Effects-Based method. In practice, we developed our strategies then broke them down into objectives and desired effects. We then initiated projects to achieve those effects.

Often the projects were of high complexity and high uncertainty. While we knew the endstate, the path to the endstate was often difficult to observe. Using methods to discern the complexity, we were able to reduce the challenge to a workable problem set.

The private sector has many challenges, among them rapidly changing business environments and complexity. Professionals tend to rush-to-results. I saw the Effects Based methods as ways that could be applied in the private sector. The Book, Effects Based Projects, discusses the processes and means of achieving effects in place of a rush to results or things. I combine the Effects Based method with Agile to arrive at solutions for effects to deal with the challenges.

The book touches topics on a high level and I try to present hip pocket tools to focus on results more than reports and computer driven artifacts that take time to develop.  The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle. 

To Buy Print Version

To Buy eBook Version

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Return to Series Post

Effects-Based Operations: Taking Strategy to Task

Return to Series Post

Comments: This post precedes the release of my book on Effects-Based projects. The planned released date is November 30th, 2019. I discuss the high-level concepts in this post and hope that you find interest in what I write. Please feel free to comment.

Effects-Based Operations

Taking Strategy to Task

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

The workplace gets caught up in cool things and achieving smoke-and-mirror results. Over the years, I have read countless Request for Proposals (RFPs) that herald unbelievable results by merely employing a new technology or doing what the RFP proposes. The challenge is the focus. The RFP or solution, in many cases, precedes the business then attempts to sell an impact or value to the business as an afterthought. This kind of thinking is backward.

A business should be about nothing more than the monetized exchange of goods and services, commerce, which is the core mission of any business. Even Thomas Jefferson commented on commerce. On March 14th during 1814, Jefferson wrote Horatio G. Spafford remarking;

“Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.” (Federer, 1996, p. 329)

There are only 24 ways to make money. These ways are known as profit models, which differ from a business model. Profit models are about making money. A business model is about the operation and methods such as Software as a Service, SaaS. In this example, the SaaS business model comes with a data center, developers, market channels, and other elements of the operation. A Profit Model associated with SaaS may be one of the Digital Profit Models (aggregator, auction house, Realtime Manufacturing, or Information Mediary Profit) or could be Customer Solution Profit, Specialist Profit, Low-Cost Business Design Profit, or Transaction Scale Profit. Focusing on profit and the business rather than solutions is right thinking. Business first, then seek the solution.

The challenge of focus and right thinking in a world gone mad has a business seeking things or solutions first, then attempting to argue the benefit to the business. Business seeks specific kinds of results first then searches for the means to achieve the result which is also the core purpose behind Effects-Based Operations; seek the effect, then find solutions to that end.

Effects-Based Operations has been in practice by governments and militaries for many decades. Technocrats and warfare commanders alike have sought strategies and objectives by deliberately applying resources as there is an economy of the effort or campaign. The Effects-Based process can become very burdensome if the science of the effects is applied. Fortunately, there is an art to the Effects-Based process that lightens the load. The art of Effects-Based Operations requires hip pocket tools and a deliberate iterative process of:

• Creating commerce focused strategies
• Reducing complexity to a workable problem set
• Creating a living model of applicable systems
• Breaking strategy down into objectives and desired effects
• An iterative process of systems response reviews to applied reactions
• An iterative process of solution projects and applied reactions
• Achieving desired effects, objectives, and strategies

There are many working pieces to the Effects-Based Operation. However, by keeping things simple and focused, the effort becomes lighter to handle. The process is also scalable as the entire organization does not have to restructure to support Effects-Based Operations, although the entire organization may participate in Effects-Based Operations at various levels of involvement and focused on a single effort.

The Effects-Based practice is controversial to the extent that operations, organizations, and professionals are held accountable to the desired outcomes. The outcomes can be difficult to achieve if not formulated correctly. Care must be taken not to over complicate effects or attempt to achieve effects not possible.

During my military career, we kept the effects simple with clear and achievable effects. The triggers and indicators used to signal an action or achievement of an effect in many cases were often yes/no, true/false, or on/off type answers. We built spreadsheets that listed the objectives, effects, triggers, and indicators using stoplight graphics and reports in most cases.

I took this experience and my experiences in project management, developing a book that highlights and blends the Effects-Based process with Agile project management. My next goal is to develop a workshop that gives hands-on practicals for Effects-Based projects.  I hope that industry refocuses on commerce and the underpinning of creativity, leveraging the common sense and practical techniques I present in my book.

The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle. 

To Buy Print Version

To Buy eBook Version

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Federer, W. J. (1996). America's god & country: encyclopedia of quotations. USA: FAME Publishing, Inc.

Return to Series Post

Made In The Usa

Made in The USA

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

Made in The USA alluded to a sense of nationalistic pride in which an individual’s hard work is forged into quality and durability. The unfortunate circumstance is that Made in The USA turned out to be sandcastles in the surf’s wash. The mantra eroded as time passed, entire industries seemed to commoditize. The first attempt to resolve the commoditization problem was to send production offshore, outsource labor, and divest American businesses with foreign ownership diluting the Made in The USA sensibility. Made in The USA became a run-of-the-mill brand alongside Made in Japan, Made in China, and Made in Mexico. As the commoditization worsened, industry gained a growing and influential new partner, The Government, who contributes nothing productive and takes an increasing share of the revenue. At the same time, most business seems to have lost sight of their purpose; policy became king, human labor was treated as robots, narcissism became the new normal in workplace relationships, and sociopolitical causes seemed to have become the focus over commerce. Work had become a drudgery of endless tasks, political correctness, narcissistic personalities, and with little focus on commerce.

In another attempt to overcome the worsening commoditization, investor groups bought up companies using a brand saturation strategy to consolidate incremental market share and sustain earnings since markets were not growing at substantive rates. This effort usually bought companies competing in the same market then bought the tier 1 supply chain, sometimes both upstream and downstream to control the wholesale and distribution channels. Companies became product brands which then became bland as the investor groups sought to standardize production across all the purchased companies seeking an economy of scale to lower production costs. The result has been little difference between brands other than market perception.

The commoditization phenomenon will continue until some phenomenon ends the cycle. While all that sounds dreary, my focus is not on those issues so much in this post. That does set up the discussion on some of the critical factors affecting that commoditization cycle as well as solutions to the problem.

Aside from a maturing product or service, one of the Super Cycles known as the Kondratiev Wave is the underlying driver attenuating profits. The wave is characterized as the 30-year rapid growth cycle of wealth creation followed by a 30-year low growth cycle of increasing commoditization. Repeating the wave is indicated by 20 years at the end of the low growth cycle that has a short economic boom, a bust, a major war (the common phenomenon that breaks the commoditization cycle), then a new way of living upon entering the next rapid growth period. The emergence of this wave was with the formation of modern economies out of feudal Europe. The wave coincides with significant American history; The Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II, and the current period.

The United States has seen the Dotcom and housing boom, a bust period, and many predict that a major war is coming. Futurists predict that networks, information, and the Hybrid age will be critical factors in the next rapid growth cycle. There are numerous networks to include social, informational, communication, and logistical that will become more important as rapid growth begins. Information is not limited to silicone-based binary data but also biological-based information to include nanotechnologies, the genome, and tri-state logic. The Age of the Hybrid is a blurring of domains to include virtual and physical realities, biological and silicone-based processing, and other domains that will become fuzzy. Out of this prediction by futurists will yield new markets for products and services not yet imaginable.

Given a future vision of the new way of living that is coming and the 30-year boom cycle, industry can be poised to act. Those actions should be based on a free market and free enterprise even though Governments have partnered with industry placing constraints on their ability act.

Free Market Capitalism is creativity in service to humanity. There are numerous instruments used to move the economy forward and overcome commoditization, such as creative destruction, disruptive technologies, as well as other forms of innovation and invention. The old axiom was that necessity is the mother of invention, but the accurate axiom is invention is the mother of necessity. Through invention and innovation, new markets are possible, and with new markets comes wealth generation opportunities. Commerce is the vehicle through which creativity, intellectual capital, is monetized.

In a simple-minded thought, commerce and business cannot exist without people but people will persist without business or commerce and people did persist before the formation of modern complex economies and communal farming. Commerce’s purpose in a free market is to redistribute wealth based on productive value. Business is the vehicle to redistribute wealth. Therefore, business at its core serves humans by providing each human with just rewards for the fruits of their efforts. People who are business owners take a risk and have responsibilities, and they receive rewards for those risks and responsibilities. Owners, at one time, touted about their responsibilities to the staff and their families. Staff perform duties and have responsibilities receiving just rewards for the fruits of their labor. The opportunities are equal, but the rewards are not equal due to the inherent nature of risk and responsibility. Business is really about giving people the incomes that dignify their lives and families. Businesses have to be successful to provide for those people.

Success in the coming rapid growth period begins with proper strategy, deliberate decision-making, and the ability to put the strategy-to-task in a way that manages complexity and risk. Unfortunately, leadership seems to have become distracted trying to stay afloat in commoditizing markets, overwhelming regulation, and social causes that have little alignment to the business. A newer model is needed to refocus industry, and a fresh approach must be employed. Effects-Based methods used by the military and applied to the private sector offer some exciting solutions to put vision and strategies to the task.

The Effects-Based method is an ideal instrument when combined with deliberate strategy development and the proper implementation methodology. Effects-Based thinking is a paradigm shift in thought. The old way of thinking was attempting an increase in revenue, which is a measure of effectiveness and not an objective or inventing a thing. The goal should be to achieve a desired effect or outcome while managing undesired effects or outcomes. Solutions such as inventing a thing, creating a tangible deliverable, or providing a service, are then a chosen means in the process of achieving the effect. A measure and indicators determine when the effect is achieved. In this effect’s framework, there are ways to manage complexity, uncertainty, develop the strategy, and apply actions to pressure points that aid in delivering the desired effect. I will discuss the Effects-Based method in more detail later.

Made in The USA has the possibility of meaning something again, but only if the industry leaders can focus on the core purpose of business and monetizing creativity. The refocusing industry may require Governments to rethink the relationship with industry as well. Corporate Governance should have a stronger alignment with the business; dropping sociopolitical causes not fully aligned with the operation. Then apply deliberate decision making and planning to take strategy-to-task in the rapid growth cycle that is quickly approaching. Significant wealth creation is coming. Will you have the right stuff to monetize creativity and put strategy-to-task?

SRA: Putting Strategy to Task

Return to Series Post

Foreword: Several years ago while in a leadership role over an operationalized telecommunication cell, I was challenged with a variety of knowledge levels within the staff as well as high staff turn over. I needed a method to bring the staff up to speed and continually increase knowledge. After looking around, I drew upon operations management practices and my own educational experiences looking to McGraw-Hill's SRA program. SRA is the acronym for Science Research Associates, Inc but also has become known as Short Read Archive. The concept was short read lessons that drive a point home and were not too time-consuming. In short, learning on the fly. The SRA cards had the assignment on the front and a quiz on the back. This is one SRA lesson without the quiz.

Short Read Archive: Putting Strategy to Task

Discussion

Paradigms of thought are important to various disciplines; engineers, mathematicians, songwriters, politicians, etc… who have unique paradigms or frames of mind they operate within. Project management is no different. This lesson discusses how to think in terms of putting strategy to task or taking a broad vision and putting that to task.

Terms

Strategy: A long term statement that involves an end state and frames at a high level the approach to the achievement of that end state.

Objectives: A smaller elemental goal of a strategy that is focused on a specific accomplishment. Usually, multiple objectives are necessary to achieve a strategy.

Constraint: An externally-imposed limitation or control that is generally fixed and cannot be changed without approval from the external entity.

Restraint: A self-imposed limitation or control that is changeable by an internal or local authority.

Lesson

Putting strategy to task is a challenge. Any strategy is not easily handled for most professionals who are operators who are task and process-oriented with a can-do attitude. Relating strategy to the task is the process of scoping a project and one methodology for this process is effects-based operations. In short, the path to task is:

Doing something in support of an objective causes an effect that is then measured in some way to ensure that it meets an established quality standard. In order to ensure that all actions contribute to the scope, everyone on the project needs to know the strategy as that defines the scope. Strategy is the ‘why’ a project is undertaken. In mobilizing people to task, the ‘why’ is a greater motivator than the ‘what’. The ‘why’ creates a unity of effort and focus for a team.

Supplemental Video: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

The objectives and desirable effects become constraints and restraints for the project. However, constraints and restraints can be other limitations such as legal, financial, privacy, etc… Overall, putting strategy to task involves a deliberate focus.

Return to Series Post

Spectacular People

Comments: I wrote this post because I saw many great people and learned of a few spectacular people after I had been reading numerous books researching other topics. I wanted to share my discovery with everyone, so they may look for spectacular people and may even begin to emulate them.

Spectacular People

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” John F Kennedy, Jan 20, 1961

“Never, never, never ever give up,” Winston Churchill, Oct 29, 1941

Most people have heard the axioms and colloquialisms of great people remarking about their causes. Unfortunately, most people know little about these great people for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they have little time to study the great ones or the schools they attended failed them. Whatever the reason, most people do not know what makes some people great. Moreover, most of those great people are usually famous but spectacular people such as Abraham Lincoln are most humble. Lincoln was confronted with a civil war General who refused to speak with him. Lincoln could have fired the General but instead humbled himself then said he would wait for him in the General's living room. Most spectacular people are not even famous. We may come across spectacular people every day without any awareness of their presence. You may know one not out some egotistical proclamation but instead because of their humble nature. Spectacular people hide in plain sight.

Over the years, I have met spectacular people. During the 1990's I was on a cruise ship spinning a giant globe around in the center of the ship's library. An elder gentleman stepped up and struck up a conversation with me. He told me he exported chickens to the Bahamas for most of his life, putting his finger on the globe at locations he was discussing. I learned he was from Texas and knew of my Great Grandfather, Henry Hiram (Pipi) Johnson, who had a large cattle farm outside of Tyler, Texas, before the 1950s. We parted ways after talking for a little while. Later, I learned that this man was a generational family owner of Purina Corporation, where my great grandfather bought his cattle feed. He never made mention of the fact he was a leader of a great American Company, Purina Corporation.

In the workplace, I have dealt with and observed innumerable people's conduct. Unfortunately, some of the people I have had to deal with were corporate maniacs such as Mayberry Machiavellians or other narcissistic, psychopathic forms. The good news is that we are not going to explore those harmful personality types in this article. Our focus is on the rare breed of spectacular people. I discovered this unique breed of people after reading Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men, Millionaire’s Mind, the works of Dale Carnegie, and many more resources. The best I can discern about being spectacular comes down to a few character traits. Spectacular people:

• Demonstrate exceptional love. 
• Exude charisma that they adjust per situation. 
• Possess self-learning skills. 
• Develop or hold attractive visions that are principle-based.

Cycle of charity love is apparent in spectacular people who have an exceptional love for others and the humanities. They make those The cycle of charity love is apparent in spectacular people who have an exceptional love for others and the humanities. Spectacular people make those around them feel important and accepted. Spectacular people love the arts and embrace the enduring messages purveyed. Spectacular people embrace Dale Carnegie. Spectacular People demonstrate patience and are humble. The love that flows from spectacular people is returned to them by those people who come in contact with them.

Another quality of spectacular people is they exude the appropriate charismatic balance at the right time. Charisma is a balance between warmth, presence, and power. President Bush demonstrated this ability while leading the nation at war using high presence and power then shifted to high warmth to embrace a grieving mother. Spectacular people possess the charismatic ability to attract people, then love and lead them.

Self-learning is a powerful tool and a skill that involves many abilities and character qualities. A fundamental error too many people make when learning is condemnation without investigation, which is rooted in a belief that one already possesses the knowledge. Leonardo Da Vinci was aware of this problem and had his principle of ‘sfumato' or to throw everything up in smoke and look anew. Spectacular people have an insatiable desire for learning and possess this ability to look anew in order to see the epistemic truth from other claims of truth. Spectacular people share their knowledge with others without selling a particular view or position. Their knowledge stands on its merit alone.

Figure 1: Simon Sinek, successful people move from WHY to WHAT. Source: www.advance-performance.co.uk

Simon Sinek, Figure 1, and the author of 'Start with WHY' points to the fact that successful people begin with WHY in order to inspire people into action. Likewise, spectacular people begin with the 'WHY' co-opting or formulating a vision then move towards the 'WHAT.' Spectacular people are principle-based having attractive visions that most other people aspire towards because of inner callings common to nearly everyone. Principle-based people are viewed as being sincere as well as earnest in their efforts despite their humanity.

While there are many great people, spectacular people are rarer. Spectacular people are loving, charismatic, self-learners, and have visions attractive to most people. Spectacular people love and lead people having humble and patient character qualities. Spectacular people are most likely around you. You may even know one without awareness of who they are. Look around and see if you can spot one! Model yourself after them. After-all being a copycat is the sincerest form of flattery.

References:

Carnegie, Dale;. (1936). How To Win Friends and Influence People (1981 ed.). New York: Diamond Pocket Books Pvt, Ltd.

Gelb, M. (1998). How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: Dell Publishing.

Mansfield, S. (2013). Mansfield's Book of Manly Men: An Utterly Invigorating Guide to Being Your Most Masculine Self. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Sinek, S. (2009). Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action. New York: Penguin Group.

Stanley, T. J. (2001). The Millionaire Mind. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.

Urban Gardening Overview

Return To Humanitarian Series Post

Comments: The concept of urban gardening has been around for a long time. Many urbanites enjoy nature and gardening but are limited by the many challenges of urban life. This post explores the basics of urban gardening as a foundational post for this series on Urban Gardening

Urban Gardening Overview

By

James T. Bogden, PMP

Urban gardening is the process of growing plants of all types and varieties in an urban environment. Other terms used in place of urban gardening include urban horticulture, urban farming, and urban agriculture. The Urban Gardening concept is broken into five generalized categories: Container, Indoor, Green Roof, Community, and Guerilla gardening. Growing in an urban environment has many challenges and can be difficult. Nonetheless, the discipline is expanding, and more attention is being brought to the challenges and benefits.

Container: This gardening approach is used in highly confined spaces and when portability is desired. The gardener will place the container in the window, balcony, or on the patio for sunlight then move the container when the environmental conditions are hostile to the plant. Both edible produce and plants of beauty are grown. However, the production of crops is very low. Container gardening is also a form of art that is often found in shopping malls or other high traffic public areas.

Indoor: Typically, this form of gardening involves sunrooms, solariums, atriums, and shelving systems. The plants are commonly grown in containers but not for public display or portability. In some cases, such as the shelving systems, artificial sunlight will be employed. This form produces significantly more than container gardening.

Green Roof: This Gardening Overvtype of gardening is for the more environmentally conscious and appears in many forms. The most common involves the use of large containers permanently fixed in place to grow larger plants such as bushes and trees. This form is often found on top of skyscrapers and residential condominiums. Another more aggressive form covers the entire roof in a thin layer of earth and has ground cover such as grasses or vining plants growing to absorb rainwater and reduce temperatures in the space below the green surface. If the roof is visible to the building occupants from some vantage point, then small plants such as bushes and flowers may be arranged on the green roof.

Community: This form of gardening is often a business and can be a governmental initiative or a combination of the two ventures. The goal is to provide leased plots to the urban community for citizens to grow produce for food or beauty. Often social groups organize around the venture which can also be an outcome of economic or political strife. For example, food rationing during war and hard economic times results in this form flourishing to offset the austere food availability.

Guerilla: This form of gardening is often used by environmental groups who plant in public spaces that do not belong to them. The guerilla gardener will plant in vacant lots, medians, alongside freeways, or disparate patches of earth in order to advance their cause. A more illicit form of guerilla gardening involves planting drug-producing plants such as marijuana, poppies, and other plants on another's or public property in order to avoid attribution to themselves. A common practice is for marijuana to be grown in the woods of public parks. The plot is small in order to prevent detection and sometimes remote surveillance and tampering methods are employed.

The challenges of urban gardening involve aberrant environmental conditions, pilfering, and urban life distractions. The harsh environmental conditions of urban life can place real challenges to cultivating a crop. The plot selected could have the soil contaminated from toxic waste spillage or dumping years before our awareness of this issue. Another challenge is drift pollutants in the air. Plants operate on photosynthesis in which carbon dioxide is processed into oxygen that is released into the air and carbon which is returned to the ground. Contaminants such a carbon monoxide from automobile exhaust will cause burns on the plants surfaces damaging their ability to photosynthesize. As the crop begins to produce, many folks are tempted to steal the maturing produce causing pilfering to become a concern. Hence, a real need for security. Life in urban areas can be a hustle and the ability to return to or put the time into maintaining the garden can be easily distracted or attenuated.

The benefits of urban gardening can be an environmental, social, economic, and even healthier life. Environmentally, gardening in various forms increases the green matter which counters the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere and helps maintain the carbon cycle. Another issue of urban areas is ground which is mostly asphalt and concrete. This situation does not allow water to soak into the ground. Instead, water is routed into rivers and streams where it often found away. Community and even guerilla gardening help return water to the underground aqueducts and reservoirs. From a social perspective, people bond and commune over gardening. The product produced can aid in reducing the economic impacts of rationing and challenging economic times. Finally, urban gardening gets people outdoors and exercising having general health benefits. After all, vitamin D is a result of activity in direct sunlight.

Overall, urban gardening is an excellent activity for everyone, getting people out from behind their computers, socializing, and contributing to an improved environment. On top of that, the crop produced can be a healthier solution to grocer produce at a lower cost. Go grow!

Return To Humanitarian Series Post

Fixing Frankenstein: Rogue Monster Projects

Figure 1: The Monster

Back Story for the original Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus was written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818 as a social commentary asking if the monster's soul comes from the Earth or God. The subtitle, A Modern Prometheus, is an analogy of the Greek demi-god Prometheus who stole the fire of life from Olympus alluding to mankind stealing the fire of life from God when creating the monster. Following Benjamin Franklin's harnessing of electricity in 1752, were numerous experiments. Shelley had observed some of these experiments in which the human carcass appeared to be re-animated using electrical jolts and was the basis for her commentary. The story began to take form in the Summer of 1816 while touring Europe and in Switzerland. Circa 1870 versions of the novel became a horror story removing the moral thread lines, Biblical references, having the monster unable to speak or act intelligently, and added scenes parallel to Darwin's abiogenesis hypothesis fundamentally re-scoping Shelley's work and message.

Real Life Frankenstein Experiments

In the narrative, Dr. Frankenstein’s project was to assemble dead tissue and body parts into the form of a human male then reanimated the lifeless hulk using electrical jolts as a life-giving source. The monster then assumed human-like qualities that lead to a conflicted and meaningless life demanding a mate for himself. Dr. Frankenstein became horrified at the thought of creating a civilization of monsters then destroyed the project to create a mate monster. Enraged, the monster rebelled against his creator. Dr. Frankenstein's monster project has many parallels to modern project management. Poor leadership and wayward vision in organizations create monsters too. As in the book, Frankenstein, a question begs an answer to who is the monster, the created or the creator?

Fixing Frankenstein
Rogue Monster Projects

Overall project management is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. However, there are a few challenges that project managers need to be aware of and how to identify the signals. Getting into a monster project will significantly wear on the project manager.

Monster Projects: The ability to form ideas and smoothly roll the idea into execution and then to delivery is the mark of strong leadership. However, ideation that is not well developed during the project formulation is when the Frankenstein Project begins to take shape. An organization can be like Dr. Frankenstein, who was obsessed with his project to animate life from the inanimate. These companies are obsessed with the lifeblood of projects and rush to results by assembling the project team then executing before bringing in the project manager. Under this pressure to begin, short cuts are made and decision making is from the holster, which is not unlike the movie Young Frankenstein when Igor selected the abnormal brain after damaging the healthy brain in an attempt at a patch. Frankenstein projects are faulty at the core due to poor decisions that lead to a monster project having a conflicted runaway life. Driven by whims of the moment upon seeing reflections of their creation, they change their decisions and direction, re-scoping the project. Like Dr. Frankenstein who becomes horrified at his creation then flees leaving the town’s people to deal with the monster, the organizational leadership flees their creations leaving the monster to a project manager.

Fixing the Monster: Looking to a project manager for leadership is not uncommon since standing leadership had been less than successful so far. However, the organizational culture and problems that produced the Frankenstein project persist. Does a project manager fix the monster or Frankenstein? There are several approaches to fixing the monster:

1. Stop and reset the project correcting all the issues as best possible before restarting
2. Compartmentalization of the project into workable segments isolating problem areas
3. Redesign the project on the fly, if delivery time is not adjustable.

However, there are more meaningful activities that the project manager must undertake before tackling the monster project. In Shelley's works, a question begs who is the more enormous monster, the creator, or the created? The project manager must assess this significant question. I have mistakenly overlooked this question and taken on monster projects only to learn that the creator was much worse than the created. Sadly, the creator is the monster, and the reason a Frankenstein project tends to persist. The project manager must not only manage the project but place intense efforts on the creator to rein in controls and establish stronger processes. Garnering top cover is extremely important and often very difficult as the reason for assigning the project manager is to distance themselves from the problem. Providing top cover puts them too close to the project for their comfort and should signal a loss of confidence in the leadership for the project manager to reject the project.

Looking Frankenstein In the Eyes

Identifying a Frankenstein project is critical early on. The effort is different depending on the project manager's relationship with the company. If internal to the organization, there is a lot of backstories available to the project manager and prior relationships. Decision making and management on the project can be a lot easier in this internal case. If the project manager is external to the organization, then decision making and management become exponentially more difficult. The first tale-tale sign of a rogue project is that the organization chooses to use a contract or contract-to-hire vehicle. Another indicator is the presence of expeditors and reporters.

Employment Contracts: All employment is a contract but in different forms. Full-time employment (FTE) is a contract having a high level of constraints placed on both parties. Contracting a Project Manager may be in various forms to include; verbal or letter engagements, labor agreements, and full contracts. Verbal agreements and engagement letters are rarely enforceable in court and should not be entered into for any project unless the dollar amount is meager. These engagements are a low dollar and agreed upon via a brief letter that details the work and compensation or bill rates. Engagement letters are mildly enforceable in a court and usually use arbitration to settle disputes. Labor Agreements are lengthy documents detailing the arrangements between the parties and the kind of work to be completed. Labor Agreements tend to be broad scoped are moderately enforceable in a court. Full contracts are specific, often having Statements of Work (SOW), Request for Information (RFI), Request for Quotation (RFQ), and Request for Proposals (RFP). The bidding environment is controlled and may be open or closed. Like agreements, full contracts detail the arrangements between the parties but specify the work to be completed in detail. Most project managers are hired under the Labor agreement as contract labor and not specific to any project since this is the most flexible approach for the employer.

Employment or labor agreements signal many concerns that need to be addressed. Most employment agencies push the contract-to-hire as a benefit to the employers. In most cases, the contract-to-hire is nothing more than a nebulous carrot for those contracted. The big question is, what does the contracted have to do to get hired? Most often, this is the highly subjective nebulous metric of doing a good job or being a spectacular project manager. What is a good job or spectacular? To the point, employers view any contracting, including the contract-to-hire as a means to offload liability and share risk as hiring staff, is high risk. All other justifications are ancillary to these two reasons. These two reasons are openly evident in the contract as to how they are handled. Usually, this is one-sided and the employer assumes no risk and liability. Full-time employees, such as hiring managers, tend to overtly or sublimely view contracting as a means to advance politically sensitive and unpopular projects that are too risky for the FTE to perform. These hiring managers view the contracted person as highly disposable and a sponge to which all unpleasant political and unpopular chatter is deflected. When anticipated problems arise, the fall is taken by the contracted person who is often released along with all the bad stuff.

Expeditors: Up through the 1970s, many companies had staff known as expeditors whose sole purpose was to work issues, bridge gapped efforts, and bring resolution to wayward business processes as well as resolve other business issues. When there was a problem, companies threw people at the problem, and a lot of them since the cost of labor was low in those days. The expeditor became so pervasive that many companies institutionalized the expeditor, learning from aerospace about tiger teams. Aerospace tiger teams are a short-lived team of experts used to solve complex engineering problems. However, in much of corporate America, the tiger team, often called by many other names, became a permanently staffed solution whose purpose was to take on business problems and resolve them. In other words, firefight issues. These people were aggressive, workplace politicians, and possessing type A personalities. Expeditors would bludgeon their way through issues using special authority granted to them by the leadership. Organizational management often viewed these folks as 'Golden' and necessary. In operations management thinking, this situation is viewed as a symptom of a more significant problem; poor management and poor leadership. To an operations manager, the operation is out-of-control. Usually, the problem is centered on poor business design, incomplete processes, and an outcome from a rush to results.

Not all PM opportunities or situations are expeditors, but PMs should be careful not to be or become expeditors as this is a departure from project and operations management at its core. The character of the company's operations will provide the indicators that expeditors are present. If a company has had more than one acquisition, merger, or transition, then the conditions are ripe for expeditors. Other conditions conducive to expeditors is the rush to results, rush to transition to new facilities, technologies, or significant systems. If there is go-live or we-need-results jargon in use, then there is a low attention span in the management, indicating a rush to results. If project management is not mature in the organization, there is also a tendency to form expeditors and call them project managers. Another signal of expeditors in use is when an organization has a large number of PM's working fragments of larger projects, busy writing many reports, and few have a full project or are certified. PMs should assess for these conditions before accepting a contract or a new project.

Reporters: Another common issue is using the project manager as a report generator. While communications are essential, the project manager should drive the need to report. If a higher authority determines the need for reports and the project manager is tasked with or working to reports, then this is a departure from project management as well. Project managers are not reporters feeding higher decision making authority. Project managers should be the decision authority and seek higher decisions when they deem necessary.

In Summary: The contract-to-hire is a considerable revenue boon for placement agencies with an overwhelming and compelling message throughout internet queries of an extremely high success rate for hires at 90% or more placement. Most articles, studies, and reports are highly biased, being written, contracted, or conducted by the placement agencies. Many of these articles when surveyed, give a host of ancillary reasons for contract-to-hire and miss the right reasons. The actual success rates are most likely much lower perhaps closer to 60% or less for project managers. Generally, many companies will hire for their boom season using contract labor. They often seed the contractors with hopes of being hired if they do a good job. One of these boom seasons begins in August with the most crucial shipping days of the year about October 15th for the Christmas rush. Most of these contractors will be released shortly after the new year if not sooner. Project managers during this time run the risk of being used as expeditors resolving boom period issues.

Frankenstein's Finale

The reason the Frankenstein project occurs is due to poor leadership, management practices, inexperience, political jockeying within the organization, and a host of other reasons. Leadership begins by pulling the organization together with proper management that can be difficult, depending on the organizational culture and political situation. Without top cover, a project manager cannot achieve success. The leadership must support the PM 100%. A common problem and failure of leadership 101 are senior leaders going around soliciting folks if they like the new PM which undermines the PM, giving the illusion of a lack of confidence. Additionally, any issues, regardless of merit, on their minds in the last six weeks spear the PM. This undermines the PM's authority on the project by elevating the staff's access and voice to leadership above the PM. Thus, the PM is rendered ineffective by default. There are proper channels for this when there are qualified concerns. Overall, project managers need to assess opportunities in far more detail than the average contract employee.

References:

Coghill, J. (2001). Cliffnotes: Frankenstein. Wiley Publishing, Inc: New Jersey ISBN: 978-0-7645-8593-7

Kendrick, T. (2004). The project management tool kit: 100 tips and techniques for getting the job done right. American Management Association: NY.

Shelly, M. (1818). Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus.

Gruskoff, M. (Producer), & Brooks, M. (Director).  (1974). Young Frankenstein. [Motion Picture] USA: 20th Century Fox: