alexsbrown.com Newsletter

alexsbrown.com News: New Look & Consulting Article (April 2008)

2008-05-01T04:16:41Z

Some news from alexsbrown:

*New Look for alexsbrown.com and rlprj.com*

My two web sites have gotten a new look. The design features the same high-contrast, easy-to-read qualities as before, but the color scheme has been updated from yellows and greens to bolder red, white, and black colors.

See the new look at
http://www.alexsbrown.com
http://www.rlprj.com

*“…So you want to be an independent consultant…” Article Published*

A new article on independent consulting is not available on this site. The article is written jointly by Jennifer (Tharp) Russell and myself, and was published for the PMI Asia Pacific Congress in Sydney, Australia in March 2008. At the Congress, Jennifer, Jerry Ball, Frank Parth, Frank Walker, and myself all participated in a frank, open panel discussion about what it is like to be an independent consultant in the project management field.

http://www.alexsbrown.com/independent-consult.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANNOUNCEMENT: NEWSLETTER CHANGES

I am making some changes to the newsletter:
1. Move to text-only format
2. More useful subject lines
3. Product or service promotions marked with "~~~" symbols

After experimenting with different e-mail clients, I have decided HTML-formatted newsletters cause more problems than they solve. Some e-mail clients make them virtually unreadable. Rather than fight with these problems, I am going to send text messages that everyone can read.

To make the newsletters easier to scan and review for readers, I am also going to put brief headlines in the subject line. I hope you find them helpful.

I am also going to include one and only one product promotion in every issue. The promotions will be marked with a line of tildes ("~~~~") and clearly labeled as ads. All ads will be for products and services from my own company, Real-Life Projects. I debated whether or not to put commercial content into these e-mails. At first I was not going to, but then a good friend told me, "When you have a light, hold it up where everyone can see it."

I hope you find the promotions useful and compelling. My customers help me keep these articles free and publicly available. I hope you decide to become a customer someday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great month. I hope you enjoy the new look of the web site and the new format of the newsletter. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP IPMA-C
--
alexsbrown@alexsbrown.com
http://www.alexsbrown.com
http://www.rlprj.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsbrown

116 Sunset Rd
Belle Mead, NJ 08502

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alexsbrown.com News: March 2008

2008-03-31T23:19:19Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

The New "PMI Pro Democracy" Group

I am helping to host a web site and discussion group for a number of PMI (Project Management Institute) volunteers who are concerned about the potential loss of democratically elected leaders at the SIG and College level. For more information about this group, see http://pmi-pro-dem.rlprj.com/.

New Look for This Site Almost Finalized

The new look for this web site is almost final, after two months of experimentation and hard work. Surf over to http://test-wp.alexsbrown.com/ to take a look for yourself.

PMP Prep Advice Editorial Published

I have shared my thoughts on PMP Prep with many people on many discussion groups over the years. Read "Alex Brown's PMP Prep Advice" to learn how I passed the PMP exam, and for my personal advice about how you can pass as well. This piece is very much an editorial, NOT an objective review of preparation services.

New Article on Recording Equipment for Speakers

"Equipment to Record Your Next Speech" is posted on the site. The article will help you create high-quality recordings of your own speeches, just like the speeches recorded on this site.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com Reminder: Special Course Pricing Expires in Two Days

2008-01-30T01:01:40Z

I hate it when people go on and on about their special pricing and promotions, but I wanted to send one reminder out to everyone:

The special discount for on-line project management courses expires on January 31, in two days.

I have a goal to get at least 10 subscribers to support this site by either donating or purchasing an on-line course. So far I have only had one response, so I ask all of the rest of you to please take a second and support this site. These courses are a great value at full price, and I do hope that some of you take advantage of the discount.

Here is the details of the special offer:

As a way to say "thank you" to all my subscribers, I am offering my three on-line courses at a reduced rate. Instead of the normal price of $100 USD per course, and $250 for all three, they are available until January 31 at $60 each or $150 for all three. Just use these special links to make your purchase:

For any single course: http://www.alexsbrown.com/2008-course-promo
For all three Project Charter and Strategy Courses: http://www.alexsbrown.com/2008-three-courses-promo

Each course is four contact-hours, worth four PDUs, and features one-on-one advice and discussion with me. For more information see http://www.rlprj.com/onlinetraining.html.

For anyone interested in donating, visit http://www.alexsbrown.com/support for details.

I promise this will be the last e-mail about the promotion. The next e-mail will include the normal, useful articles and ideas about project management.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP
--
webmaster@alexsbrown.com
http://www.alexsbrown.com
http://www.rlprj.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsbrown

116 Sunset Rd
Belle Mead, NJ 08502

P.S. Please forward this newsletter to any interested colleagues or friends.

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alexsbrown.com News: January 2008

2008-01-05T03:19:16Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

�Strategic Project Management� Available as an On-Line Speech and Class

Thursday, 3 January 2008 by Alex Brown

�Strategic Project Management� was presented to a packed lecture hall on October 24, 2006 at the PMI North America Congress. The presentation was selected as one of the top presentations of the Congress, and an encore presentation was made the following day.

Many at the Congress were unable to get into the room and hear the presentation live, but you now have the opportunity to hear the presentation and see the slides.

�What Is �Failure� Anyway?� Material Now On-Line

Tuesday, 1 January 2008 by Alex Brown

The PowerPoint and video are now on-line for the December 4th web seminar. Two more performances are scheduled through the Troubled Projects SIG in January.

Annual alexsbrown.com Fund Drive and Readers' Thank-You Offer

Each January I ask you, as a reader, to give back something to help keep this site running. It was an amazing year for me in 2007, starting to work full-time on my Real-Life Projects, Inc. business. Real-Life Projects supports this site, and hiring me or referring a new customer to me for expert advice, training, or speeches is always a great way to support the site. You know me through my articles, and I do great things to help my customers. Contact me now.

I have a goal of getting ten subscribers to reach out and support alexsbrown.com this year. That can be by referring a job to Real-Life Projects, making a donation to alexsbrown.com, or signing up for an on-line course.

As a way to say "thank you" to all my subscribers, I am offering my three on-line courses at a reduced rate. Instead of the normal price of $100 USD per course, and $250 for all three, they are available until January 31 at $60 each or $150 for all three. Just use these special links to make your purchase:

For any single course: http://www.alexsbrown.com/2008-course-promo
For all three Project Charter and Strategy Courses: http://www.alexsbrown.com/2008-three-courses-promo

Each course is four contact-hours, worth four PDUs, and features one-on-one advice and discussion with me. For more information see http://www.rlprj.com/onlinetraining.html. Please sign up for a course, donate, or refer a client today!

Experimenting with a New Look for alexsbrown.com

Friday, 4 January 2008 by Alex Brown

Take a look at test-wp.alexsbrown.com for a new look for the web site. A wonderful web designer, Trisha Cupra, is helping me with the makeover. If you have any ideas or comments, please contact me or post a comment here.

REAL Comments Wanted

by Alex Brown

One of the great new features of this WordPress site are article comments. You can add your thoughts about almost any article just by typing them into the feedback box at the bottom. So far I have had over 100 comments on this site, I am happy to say. Unfortunately not one of them has been from a real person. All of them have been spam!

I have set up software to filter the spam and keep it from getting to you, the reader. As the writer and site admin, though, I would like to hear from you. Please use the �comments� feature to share your thoughts with me and the other readers.

Happy Gregorian New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone who follows the Gregorian calendar!

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News: December 2007

2007-12-01T18:37:04Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

Presenting ‘What is “Failure” Anyway?’ Web Seminar on December 4

I will be presenting ‘What is “Failure” Anyway?’ on a web seminar from 12 pm to 1 pm ET on Tuesday 4 December. It is run by the PMI Troubled Projects SIG, it is sponsored by my company Real-Life Projects and is free to attend. It will cover the key reasons why your projects should never “fail” and why the statistics you often hear about project failure are often misleading.

Please follow this link now to register:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/238822245

The start-times around the world will be:

Tokyo (Japan)	Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 2:00:00 AM	UTC+9 hours
New York (U.S.A. - New York)	Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 12:00:00 Noon	UTC-5 hours EST
Los Angeles (U.S.A. - California)	Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 9:00:00 AM	UTC-8 hours PST
Corresponding UTC (GMT)	Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 17:00:00

If your city is not listed, use the link for UTC to see a list of more locations.

“Project Managers as Senior Executives” Survey Ends Soon — Complete It Now!

The ESC Lille survey will close on December 15. If you have not yet completed it, please go to http://www.pm-executive.com/ right now. It takes between 30 and 60 minutes, and can be done by anyone who has served in the role of a project manager.

I believe this research is important for the practice of project management and executive’s perception of project management. Please take the survey today.

alexsbrown.com Converted to WordPress!

This web site is now powered by WordPress, a popular blogging tool. But I promise you,

This site will NOT become a blog!
Read more about the conversion, its benefits, and its impact to you….

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News: November 2007

2007-11-25T13:53:37Z

I have gotten tons of e-mail from vendors wishing a happy Thanksgiving. I am in the US where we celebrate Thanksgiving with a long weekend and a turkey feast, but wishing "Happy Thanksgiving" seems inappropriate for an international group. I took some time over the long weekend to think about you, my subscribers, and this update is my way of giving thanks to you. I do not know what traditions each of you follow, but I wish you a great day every day.

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

"The Charter: Selling Your Project" Available as an On-Line Speech and Class

A full-length recording with slides is now available on-line, 54 minutes long. This presentation was recorded at the PMI North America Congress in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 12, 2005. It has also been given before several other groups.

This speech provides project managers with the tools and inspiration to make full use of project charters. This information can help project managers become key partners for senior managers and strategists in their organizations. The matching paper has been on this website since 2005.

The material will also be available as a four-contact hour, four PDU, on-line class through Real-Life Projects, Inc.. Taking this as a paid class helps support this website.

On-Line Survey for All Project Managers

If you have ever worked as a project manager, please go and fill out this important survey about project managers and senior executives at www.executive-pm.com. I have been helping Russ Archibald, PMP and PMI Fellow, and Jean-Pierre Debourse of ESC Lille with the survey, and I think it can help project managers tremendously. The survey is extensive and takes about an hour to complete, but I ask everyone to please take the time to do it.

This survey should help senior executives understand project management better, and help define clearer career paths for project managers to become executives.

Please take the survey at www.executive-pm.com today. It is closing December 15, so time is running out.

Presented "Project Schedules and Return on Investment" at the PMI North America Congress 2007 in Atlanta, GA

Available in HTML and PDF formats.

Presented at the PMI North America Congress in Atlanta, Georgia on October 8, 2007.

Explains key financial terms, including return on investment, time value of money, payback period, and first-to-market advantage. Applies these financial concepts to sample projects, to help project managers understand the business impact of schedule changes.

This paper was published on the site in 2006, but had to be taken down once it was accepted for the PMI Congress. The paper is now available on the site once again.

Founded a Toastmasters Group on LinkedIn and Started the Toastmasters Networking Web Site

Toastmasters International has helped me over the years to become a better speaker and leader. As a way to give back to that community, I founded and am running a group on the LinkedIn business networking site for Toastmasters members. It will help them meet other Toastmasters all over the world, to exchange business leads, and to learn more. I also started a new website to promote all kinds of business and social networking among Toastmasters. The new site is "Toastmasters Networking" and is available now at www.toastmasters-networking.org.

If you are a Toastmaster and would like to join the LinkedIn group, Toastmasters Networking has all the instructions to join. It also has directions on how to join similar groups on XING and other social and business networking sites.

If you are a Toastmaster or know any Toastmasters, please spread the word. I hope to see this expand and grow through the whole Toastmasters community.

Future Plans: Site Upgrade Using WordPress

Every few years, I have done some sort of site-wide update. Sometimes the changes were cosmetic. Others upgraded the site to new web standards, like XHTML and CSS. This time I hope to improve both the technology and your experience as a reader by moving the site to a WordPress management system.

No, the site will not become a "blog". WordPress will just make it easier to manage the growing number of articles on the site. It will also help me to put some non-project-management information here on alexsbrown.com, and offer new features like

Full-text search of articles
Better cross-referencing of related articles
View articles by category, date, and other options

It will also help me reduce the time needed to post a new article, which should help me get articles out to you more consistently.

All the existing articles will be available freely on the new site; they should just be easier to find and navigate through. Look for the new site sometime in December.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News: October 2007

2007-10-08T22:09:56Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

On-Line Survey for All Project Managers

This survey should help senior executives understand project management better, and help define clearer career paths for project managers to become executives.

Please take the survey at www.executive-pm.com today.

Presented "Project Schedules and Return on Investment" at the PMI North America Congress 2007 in Atlanta, GA

Available in HTML and PDF formats.

Presented at the PMI North America Congress in Atlanta, Georgia on October 8, 2007.

This paper was published on the site in 2006, but had to be taken down once it was accepted for the PMI Congress. The paper is now available on the site once again.

Founded a Toastmasters Group on LinkedIn and Started the Toastmasters Networking Web Site

If you are a Toastmaster or know any Toastmasters, please spread the word. I hope to see this expand and grow through the whole Toastmasters community.

Awarded IPMA-C Certification by asapm

I am proud to announce that I was awarded one of the first IPMA-C certificates issued by asapm, the US chapter of the International Project Management Association. Here is a brief quote from the the announcement by asapm: "We are pleased to announce the identities of the two individuals who were recently certified as asapm Certified Project Practitioners (aCPP) at Level C, Project Manager. They are Alex S. Brown of Belle Mead, NJ and George Pasieka of Winnipeg. Please join us in congratulating them!"

It is an honor to be among the first to earn this credential from the US member affiliate of IPMA. The application and interview process was challenging and I invite project managers to pursue it.

Published "Selecting the Best Format for a Project Charter"

Available in HTML and PDF formats.

Learn the best writing style, language, and format for your next project charter. In a fair world, only content would matter, but in the real world, these writing tips can help make your project successful.

Gave a Class, Gave a Speech, and Participated in a Panel for the San Diego PMI Chapter, September 13 to 14

The San Diego PMI Chapter held an impressive annual conference at the Handlery Hotel and Resort in San Diego, CA on September 13 and 14, 2007. Much thanks to the organizers for their hospitality, and congratulations on a great event.

I delivered a one-day class on strategic planning and projects. I also spoke about how to advance your project management career through writing and speaking, and participated in an expert panel on project management and organizational strategy.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News: September 2007

2007-09-12T22:32:45Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

Published "Selecting the Best Format for a Project Charter"

Available in HTML and PDF formats.

Giving a Class, Giving a Speech, and Participating in a Panel for the San Diego PMI Chapter, September 13 to 14

The San Diego PMI Chapter is holding its annual conference at the Handlery Hotel and Resort in San Diego, CA on September 13 and 14, 2007. Will be attending and giving several presentations. Will deliver a one-day class on strategic planning and projects, will deliver a speech on how to advance your project management career through writing and speaking, and will participate in an expert panel on project management.

Presenting "Project Schedules and Return on Investment" at the PMI North America Congress 2007 in Atlanta, GA

The conference coordinators have accepted this paper for presentation at the PMI North America Congress in Atlanta, GA, October 8 to 9, 2007. The paper has been removed from this web site, as required by PMI for any pending presentation, but it will be back once the Congress is over.

If you are at the Congress or the San Diego event and would like to meet, please contact me. I always enjoy the chance to meet and talk face-to-face.

Presented "Driving a Marketing Vision Using Project Management" at the PMI Asia Pacific Congress 2007

Delivered a presentation about the use of project management for marketing efforts. This trip was my first visit to Asia, and it was wonderful to see the city and especially the island of Lantau. The paper and slides are now available here.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News: May 2007

2007-05-12T23:04:43Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

Presented "Driving a Marketing Vision Using Project Management" at the PMI Asia Pacific Congress 2007

"Project Charters Bridge Cultures" Available as an On-Line Course

Learn how project charters successfully bridged cultural gaps when making decisions among a community of Japanese and U.S. executives. Establishing a clear chartering process was the key to project management's success at the company. Includes details about a working approval system for a Japanese-US company.

The full 52-minute recording is available on-line. Delivered before the PMI New Jersey Chapter on International Project Management Day, November 2, 2006.

If you find the topic interesting, now you can register for an on-line course on this topic. Unlike most on-line project management courses, you get real, human feedback, not multiple-choice tests. You get the chance to really learn and explore the material, applying it to your own projects and organization.

Resume Update: Left Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Full-Time at Real-Life Projects, Inc.

I have decided to spend full-time on my new business, Real-Life Projects, Inc., and have resigned from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance. I will be focusing on bringing realistic, unbureaucratic project management solutions to many types of businesses. Please contact me if you would like to talk about how I can help your organization.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News: January 2007

2007-01-14T21:09:26Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

Happy New Year!

Hear and See the Full Presentation of "Project Charters Bridge Cultures"

The full 52-minute recording is available on-line. Delivered before the PMI New Jersey Chapter on International Project Management Day, November 2, 2006.

Special Offer for the First Ten Respondents -- Turn "Project Charters Bridge Cultures" into a Free Course!

I plan to offer "Project Charters Bridge Cultures" as a credit-earning course, but before I can, I need a few students to help give me some feedback. If you want to earn credit for completing a project management course, reply to this e-mail. The first ten respondents will get a free registration.

To complete the class, you will need to do more than just listen to the lecture. You will also be assigned a three- to ten-page paper to write. You will get personal guidance and feedback from me while writing and at the end of the assignment. This first group of students will need to track how long their homework assignment takes, to help me set the credit value for the course.

At the end of the course, you will get a transcript from me, verifying that you attended the one-hour lecture and completed the paper for the course. I will document the time spent completing the homework, and for continuing education systems, such as PMI PDUs, you can claim one credit for each hour spent working. For Professional Development Units to keep your PMP current, I would recommend filing under Category 4. I will provide a letter documenting your completion of the course.

Volunteer, help me, and get the chance to take a real PM course for free! After I get good information about how many hours this course typically takes to complete, it will be offered only as a paid course. The lecture will remain free and available on the web site, but not the paper assignment.

Support alexsbrown.com for 2007!

Many people make contributions and renew memberships at the New Year. Although there is no formal membership cost for alexsbrown.com, please consider making a donation for 2007.

The best way to support the site is to refer possible project management teaching, consulting, or speaking engagements to me for Real-Life Projects, Inc. I will continue to accept donations at alexsbrown.com as well. Contact me with ideas or leads for a speech, class, or consulting arrangement to help me keep this site growing.

Marketing and Trademark Books Recommended

I have found two books that I highly recommend to anyone interested in the topics of marketing and trademarks. Robert Middleton's InfoGuru Marketing manual can help you "attract more clients than you can handle." James Huggin's Trademark is Not a Verb provides the key information about trademarks that general business people need to know. Both are highly recommended, and purchasing either through these links will help support this site.

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP

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alexsbrown.com News Nov 2006

2006-11-21T18:51:03Z

Some news from alexsbrown.com:

Presented "Strategic Project Management" at PMI North America Congress 2006

I delivered the presentation "Strategic Project Management" Monday, October 23 in Seattle, Washington at the PMI Congress to a packed room. The presentation was well received, and I presented it again on Tuesday in a special encore presentation, as one of the top ten presentations of the Congress. The paper and slides are now available here.

Marketing and Trademark Books Recommended

Join the Discussion at the Project Management Maturity Model Interest Group (PMMIG) and SdB+PM Forum

I am moderating two great discussion groups, both hosted at the same web site, http://www.sdbpluspm.com/. Whether you are an experienced project manager looking to discuss ideas with PMs from all over the world, or whether you are interested in learning more about maturity models like OPM3, PMMM, and CMMi, pleasae join us there.

Supporting alexsbrown.com

Feel free to e-mail me with any requests for material to add to the site.

Thanks,
Alex S. Brown, PMP
webmaster@alexsbrown.com
http://www.alexsbrown.com
http://www.rlprj.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsbrown

116 Sunset Rd
Belle Mead, NJ 08502

P.S. Please forward this newsletter to any interested collegues or friends.

Subscribe to alexsbrown.com Newsletter via email by entering your email address below: