In areas critical to the success of the project, stand up for your opinion. When necessary, challenge senior management and negotiate project objectives or the resources needed to accomplish them. — “Ninety-Nine Rules for Managing ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Projects” Read more →
Author Archive: Paul Epps
Quote of the Day
Do I have any comments for pelicans? Tell ’em to get the hell out of the Gulf of Mexico! — Helen Thomas Read more →
Grand Slam
Northwood High had a roller hockey game last night against Newport Harbor. After my kid fired several pucks off the post and off the goalie’s face mask, a couple of his teammates invented a new stat — the Grand Slam: four goals, four assists, four shots off the post and four shots off the goalie’s head. He missed out on the Grand Slam by two goals and one assist. Read more →
How to Get on My Bad Side
Walk into my office the day after your project is approved and say, “When are we getting a team together for my project? Because I don’t plan to miss my deadline.” Slap the back of one hand into the palm of the other for emphasis. Read more →
The Star of the Phillipines
Via Steven Landsburg | The Big Questions: One year ago today, somewhere in the Phillipines, a reporter checked his web logs and wondered where all the new readers were coming from. Today we celebrate the first anniversary of one of the most unfortunately worded headlines in the history of journalism. Read more →
Optimal Solutions
Even in situations where information is missing and changing, and when there is a great demand for speed, it is essential to identify areas where the search for optimal solutions is worthwhile. Being selective is the key. — “Ninety-Nine Rules for Managing ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Projects” Read more →
Twitter: 2010-06-08
RT @capricecrane: Michael Keaton: "I'd do Beetlejuice 2 in a heartbeat." Adding: "Or Batman. Or your laundry. Can I get a ride?" # RT @DanNaturman: O.J. Simpson on Van der Sloot Confession – "Have I taught that boy nothing?" # Read more →
Convergence
The distinctive conduct that marks successful project teams is this: They know there is a time to diverge and a time to converge. That is, in each of the project planning phases (e. g., feasibility, conceptual, definition, execution), the team first moves outward (diverge) to gather information and ideas and to generate alternatives — only then does the team move inward (converge) to focus, evaluate, and select. — “Ninety-Nine Rules for Managing ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Projects” Read more →
Twitter: 2010-06-07
Rented Rio Bravo this weekend: John Wayne in the John Wayne role but Dean Martin steals the picture! Angie Dickinson at 27: Wowzah! # Read more →
The Ultimate Goal of Planning
The ultimate goal of planning is the implementation of plans. One is interested in the planning process and its product — the plan, only insofar that it leads to the effective execution of the project. — “Ninety-Nine Rules for Managing ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Projects” Read more →
Twitter: 2010-06-06
RT @eddiepepitone: Sundays in my household is a time for reflection, murderous rage, meat and anxiety about monday. # Read more →
Flexibility
The customer’s needs must dictate the project’s objectives, and in a dynamic environment, invariably one of these objectives is flexibility. — “Ninety-Nine Rules for Managing ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Projects” Read more →
Early Planning
The maximum potential for influencing project outcomes occurs early in the conceptual and definition phases of the project. Autopsies of most failed projects indicate that the disasters were “well planned” to happen from the start. Therefore, even in an era of uncertainty and accelerated speed, don’t rush to execution with only superficial preparations — invest quality time in early planning. — “Ninety-Nine Rules for Managing ‘Faster, Better, Cheaper’ Projects” Read more →
A Word of Advice on SAT Prep
My son and some classmates are at our house studying for tomorrow’s SAT subject exams . . . “How’s it going?” I ask. “It sucks,” the boy says. “Well,” I say, “since I’ve already completed high school and Lightning doesn’t have to go, we’re going to go to the park.” “Aren’t you cool,” he says. “We are,” I say. “We’re cool. Can I offer a word of advice? Just relax. It’s not like your whole future depends on the outcome of this test . . . no wait, it does! AAAAHHHH! PANIC!!!” Read more →
John Wooden, 1910-2010
I thought John Wooden was going to live forever. I grew up here in Southern California watching his UCLA Bruin teams dominate college basketball. The main thing I learned from that is that success is a result of preparation. Coach Wooden was a teacher. After he retired, he used to say that he didn’t miss the games and he didn’t miss the tournaments, but he did miss the practices. College basketball today is unwatchable, in my opinion. The coaches are all bug-eyed lunatics, screaming, waving their arms, tearing their hair out. I’m sickened by these college basketball coaches and their look-at-me theatrics. Does that help the team win? I watched UCLA win 10 championships and I don’t think Coach Wooden even got out of his chair the whole time. Draw your own conclusions. Read more →
Quote of the Day
It’s a little oily, I’ll grant you that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to present an award to Sir Paul McCartney. Let’s rock! — Barack Obama Read more →
Quote of the Day
You frogs can kiss my . . . how do you say “big black ass” in French? — Serena Williams Read more →
Divorce is Bad for the Planet
Al, Tipper Gore Shock Friends With Divorce Announcement — ABC News As if the burden of divorce weren’t bad enough, people with failed marriages can be blamed for global warming, according to a study by Michigan State University. Divorced couples use up more space in their respective homes, which amounts to to 38 million more rooms worldwide to light, heat and cool, noted the report. And people who divorced used 73 billion kilowatt-hours more of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water than they would otherwise in 2005. Dissolving a marriage also means doubling possessions, from the lowly can opener to the SUV. The report, however, did not estimate how many more natural resources the children of shared-custody parents consume by getting birthday and holiday gifts twice. Nor did it count the greenhouse gases spent to shuttle kids between their pair of energy-hogging households. — CNET News Read more →
Ouch!
Cops: Porn actor kills 1, hurts 2 in L.A. — msnbc.com This guy must be incredibly well-built — wait, what? Read more →
Henderson the Rain King
“There is that poem about the nightingale singing that humankind cannot stand too much reality. But how much unreality can it stand? Do you follow? You understand me?” “Me unnastand, sah.” “I fired that question right back at the nightingale. So what if reality may be terrible? It’s better than what we’ve got.” “Kay, sah. Okay.” “All right, I let you out of it. It’s better than what I’ve got. But every man feels from his soul that he has got to carry his life to a certain depth. Well, I have got to go on because I haven’t reached that depth yet. You get it?” “Yes, sah.” — Saul Bellow, Henderson the Rain King Read more →