If you are going through a change or helping someone/organization/group go through a change, please always remember that change is progressive process and it should be done in phases, over a period of time. Change is not like a project that you can have a start and end [...]]]> “Change is a process, not a project”.

If you are going through a change or helping someone/organization/group go through a change, please always remember that change is progressive process and it should be done in phases, over a period of time. Change is not like a project that you can have a start and end date but it is continuous. You may be able to do a subset of a change as a project but overall it is a process.

If we choose to implement the change as process we may benefit with more acceptance and implementation by the stakeholders.

And Life would pay no more,

However I begged at evening

When I counted my scanty store.

For Life is a just employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages,

Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire,

The key factor that derives this behavior is being [...]]]>

Image by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ via Flickr

One of the common traits that I have seen in achievers is habit of delivering solutions and not excuses. Unlike others they never have excuse for anything in any condition. Whatever may be the environment situation or complexity the achievers always come up with a solution.

The key factor that derives this behavior is being optimistic. As per my personal opinion, optimism leads to enthusiasm which in turn leads us to solutions. In any type of stress if we are optimistic we will come back with a solution rather than an excuse. If I lack optimism, I will not be enthusiastic and for sure I will be suffering with excusitis too. I have always remained filled with enthusiasm as I have always been optimistic and this habit has always helped me sail smoothly out of every adversity. Every adversity comes with equal and a better opportunity as per my humble opinion too. Every time I have gone through the valley my optimism about looking forward to see the newer and better opportunities has helped me move ahead and up in life at all places.

One of the legends who have always impacted my thought process since childhood is Sir. Winston Churchill and he was one of the biggest optimistic personalities world ever saw. He led United Kingdom out of the worst periods in the modern history. This was the time when Hitler after running over France, Belgium and Holland was pounding UK with full force and causing huge loss of life and property to its citizens. During this great adversity this man filled with optimism and sheer determination to succeed against Nazis came out with solutions to hit them hard and stand out hard. He was a man with unshaken faith in the power of positive thinking and the process of getting better and better. He was one of the greatest over-comer. Even in the periods of greatest sorrow when the country lost thousand of lives, ships and other things he always used to talk about what was still there and how we can make it better. His optimistic speech drove the morale of this troops and country men to higher levels to fight against the evil and WIN.

In the similar way I think that a role of any leader; big or small; any country or any place; any level; should be to promote optimism and enthusiasm by practicing the same ourselves first. Nobody wants to work with a person who is not enthusiastic. Nobody wants to be led by a sheep but by a Tiger! Once the team is optimistic about everything we will have more solutions and lesser excuses and that is good value proposition.

Few years ago as [...]]]> After reading an article on “3D Express Coach” (also called a “three-dimensional fast bus”) that will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel underneath the upper level carrying passengers at Huffington post today I am enough motivated to think and write on this good aspect of the moving East.

Few years ago as a kid I always saw my elders (parents, relatives, friends) all running in the race to exist. Majority of the population in India was a part of the survival game only. I belong to the City Beautiful, Chandigarh in India where bicycles and scooters used to rule the road while cars were only reserved for the rich/government and the government drivers. As most of the population was all trying to make both ends meet and finally may have some small house to call of their own; only rare could think of innovation. But today things have totally changed! With the changes has come lot of good and long lasting developments.

A year ago I was reading an article in one of the famous journal (I don’t remember the name) which published that in next 50 years the innovation ground will slowly and slowly move to the East to countries like India and China. These countries will become the breeding ground of new breathtaking inventions. Being a part of the economic and social growth of these countries I very well understood why the author (he was some American economist) was saying this. The economic growth that these countries have seen in last few years because of the offshoring industry is mammoth. The economic growth has contributed a lots of positive to social, infrastructure and mental growth too. All this is leading to more on entrepreneur and innovation mindset development.

India is changing, I noted.

Pradeep Gupta, CEO of Cybermedia and president of TiE Delhi, concurs: “I have been talking on entrepreneurship at various colleges for the last two decades. I always ask a question: How many of you want to be entrepreneurs?” he says. “Earlier, maybe 5% [of] hands went up; today a quarter of the class raises their hands.”

Forbes.com

Two of the key factors that have contributed to this development are:

• Capital has become more accessible and with the advent of internet the ways to implement ideas has really become simpler. Finding a funding has really become easier. I remember how my friend was able to get a funding of 5 crore (.5 billion USD) for one of our projects in India about 5 years ago in approx 30 days. Companies and Individuals are becoming wealthier. More and more individuals are coming out of survival mode into expansion mode. Now the thought process is on how to participate in the expansion rather than sitting on the corners and enjoying the mediocre life.
• “Necessity is the mother of all inventions”: Population problem is the biggest problem in these countries and also it is the biggest advantage. Because of the stress on resources everyone is being forced to think differently. Think in a way how the life can be improved using the same set of resources.

August 19 2010:::: Enrolled for the PMStudy class in Milwaukee, WI, USA

August 20 2010:::: Not yet started the online study material

August 21 2010:::: Started [...]]]> I have been reading various forums for a long time and finally decided to get PMP done few weeks ago. Here is my schedule of action with exact dates:

August 19 2010:::: Enrolled for the PMStudy class in Milwaukee, WI, USA

August 20 2010:::: Not yet started the online study material

August 21 2010:::: Started with the online study material. The only thing I did that day was to memorize the process chart and the formulas provided by PMStudy. (Excellent chart from PMStudy)

August 22, 2010:::: Practiced the process chart only once

August 23, 2010: PMStudy class 8 AM to 6 PM (I had an excellent coach, Mr.Mike Tomaszewski , PMP. Learning was fun!), followed by 3 hrs of study at home (same as taught in class and few practice tests provided in the course)

August 24, 2010:::: PMStudy class 8 AM to 6 PM, followed by 3 hrs of study at home (same as taught in class and few practice tests provided in the course)

August 25, 2010:::: PMStudy class 8 AM to 6 PM

August 26, 2010:::: PMStudy class 8 AM to 3 PM, followed by 5 hrs of study at home (all processes and few practice tests provided in the course)

August 27, 2010:::: Reread all the important as marked as instructed by Mike in the PMStudy book. Took 2 practice test ( 200 question, provided by PMStudy). Practiced the Process Chart and formulas 2 times. Checked ITTOs for Risk, Procurement and Quality. Watched a movie.

August 28, 2010:::: Took 1 practice test ( 200 question, provided by PMStudy). Practiced the Process Chart and formulas 1 time. Checked ITTOs for Risk, Procurement and Quality once again. Watched a 2 movies (1 in noon and 1 evening!@home). Got to bed at 10 (As advised by Mike and PMStudy, 12 hrs rest and no study before the exam)

August 29, 2010: Reached the Prometric testing center @ 8:45 AM. Test started at 9:30, completed 1st round with 75 marked for review in 2:15. Then took 1:15 to review all 75 and finally the rest of the time to re-review the marked ones that I was super confused about. System had to force time out for me ) and then the blank screen came………It was the worst thing that could have happened to me..I was shivering…and then instead of the result come a survey….I start shivering more…Once I was done with the survey……it published….Congratulations! Passed…blah….blah…blah…

Lessons Learnt:

• 12 hrs of no-study and good rest before the exam is highly important.
  
• Positive thinking is must.. All these days I was saying to myself that I am getting it done ( I have read all the LL and everyone suggested 2-4 months of disciplined preparation. I knew I was not going that route and I was going to pass. I have been practicing Project Management for such a long and I was confident I could do it in 10 days)
  
• Forget about what you do or have done in Project Management in your job. Think the PMI way only. Majority of the processes that we follow in our jobs are not what PMI teaches. Remember PMI teaches the best project management principles as per their standards and not yours.
  
• Memorize process chart
  
• Memorize ITTO (at least Risk, Quality and procurement)
  
• Memorize formulas
  
• Read and understand the “Professional Conduct and Ethics” chapter.
  
• Take breaks to cool off your brain during the exam. (Take some energy drinks. I took 1 at the start and 1 in the break)
  
• Don’t spend more than 60 seconds on every question. If very long/confusing/unknown mark it for review and come later BUT choose one of the options that seems to be close to right (so that if u have no time to review at least you have 25% probability of getting it right. 25% is better than 0%)
  
• Take the ear plugs given by the center and plug your ears.
  
• Used PMBOK for reference only in case of confusion (I only and only read the material provided by PMStudy)
  
• Hang loose and take the test…the worst that can happen is you can fail but u can reappear too (in my case I had a money back guarantee ;o)
  

  My humble opinion about the test: “Questions were very easy but options for answer were extremely confusing! If you don’t know the processes for sure you cannot guess the right one.”

Please feel free to reach me using the comments for any queries. I will be glad if I could be of any help in your journey to be a PMP.

Wish you the best of luck!

Rohit Prabhakar, PMP, Certified Six Sigma Green Belt

NOTE:  Please use comments section to reach me out for any questions regarding PMP. I receive many emails daily asking almost similar questions. If you can leave a comment, I will surely reply and this will help many others who have a similar questions. Thanks for your interest!

If you are looking for PMP Providers’ review please go to

http://www.rohitprabhakar.com/2010/02/14/pmp-provider-review/

Disclosure:  I don’t have any personal or financial relation with PMStudy.