Project Management is an Art Form NOT a Science Essay -- Business, Case

Project Management: Art to the Rescue! "Is project management more of a science or more of an art form?" Introduction Today’s business executives are asking their managers and employees â€Å"to do more†¦ with less†. Fewer Project Managers are leading more projects with poor results, the latest Standish Group – Chaos Report shows that only 28% of IT projects succeed. Many believe that the key to Project success in not applying technical management principles, but rather, more artful soft skills such as communication and creativity. (Belzer, 2004). This case study will present and discuss why the application of soft skills will help today’s stressed-out Project Managers implement successful projects. Not only must projects be deployed on time and within budget, they must ultimately bring value to the stakeholder. Often times relating this information to the project sponsor requires creativity rather than a montage of colorful Gantt charts and graphs. The truly gifted Project Managers are those that can apply the systematic hard skills in an artful manner by using soft skills. To that end, some systematic or science related management skills will be discussed, along with the soft skills and how they are used together to successfully manage projects. Scientific Approach Systematic or â€Å"hard† skills such as Gantt Charting or diagramming are just some of the tools Project Managers use to track project activities. While they are important to project success they are not the end all. Successful Project Leaders know the winning formula for combining hard skills with soft skills. A thorough understanding of the technical system to be deployed allows project leaders to break the project down into many smaller tasks. Assign... ...also qualities of successful managers. Good leaders apply artistic traits to scientific tools in order to effectively manage complex projects. Bibliography: Kate Belzer (2004) Project Management: Still More Art than Science Andrew D. Brown, Matthew R. Jones (1998) Doomed to failure: narratives of inevitability and conspiracy in a failed IS project. Organization Studies, Winter. Michael Greer (1999) 14 Key Principles for PM Success. Chapter 6: Planning and Managing Human Performance Technology Projects, "Handbook of Human Performance Technology, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Craig Schiff (January, 2004) Maximize Business Performance: Getting Started: The BPM Project Life Cycle Paul Worthington (2001) Case Study – Developing Project Management Skills in Managing Death March Projects. Working paper, School of Business, Curtin University, Perth, AU

4th Grade Speech on Hockey Essay

Did you know that there are over 1.6 million people playing organized hockey around the world? Hockey is a team sport played on ice, where skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into the other team’s net. Each team usually has 5 players and 1 goalie on the ice at a time. The first organized game was played on March 3rd, 1875 in Montreal, Quebec. In 1902, the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League was the first to pay their players. In 1910, the National Hockey Association was formed in Montreal. They would changed the rules, splitting the game into three, 20 minute periods, introducing a system of minor and major penalties, where the player would spend time in the penalty box, leaving their team short one player. Trust me when I tell you, that it is one place you don’t want to be! The penalty box is like when you’re really bad at home and your parents send you to your room for a time out. It’s basically the same thing, but now it is a STRANGER in a weird zebra shirt called a referee giving you the time out. How weird is that? See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay In 1917, the league became the National Hockey League known today as the NHL. I think hockey is the most fascinating sport in the world. At the age of three, I played my very first real hockey game. I scored the FIRST goal, on my FIRST shift of my very FIRST game. I was SO small, I couldn’t even see over the boards! Hockey is also about having fun and making friendships. There are five boys on my team that I have played with for 7 years!! We aren’t just team mates, we are the best of friends. Everything revolves  around hockey with my friends and I. If we aren’t playing a league game, we are playing NHL 12 on Xbox, playing mini sticks or a scrimmage on my backyard rink. I currently play on 2 hockey teams, the Mississauga Jets and my school team, the Queen of Heaven Crusaders. I spend about 8-12 hours a week on the ice, which includes games, practices and my backyard rink. My favourite player is Steven Stamkos. His birthday is February 7th, 1990. That would make him 22 years old in just 3 days. Not only was he the first overall in the OHL draft, but he was also first overall in the NHL draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his second year, he was the league’s leading goal scorer and in his third year, he was named to the All-Star team. Steven Stamkos is living his dream in the NHL. My dream is winning the Stanley Cup. What’s YOUR’S?

Clara Barton

Clara Barton was a true pioneer and humanitarian. She is a well known woman in American history due to her participation in the Civil War and her founding of the American Red Cross. She became a teacher at a time where most teacher's were men. She was one of the first woman to ever be hired by the Federal government and was an inspiration for all women during her lifetime and forever after NATURE Clara Barton loved nature through her natural ability to nurture. As a very caring and giving women she looked to helping anyone and everyone around her. â€Å" The conflict is one thing I've been waiting for.I'm well and strong and young†¦.. young enough to go to the front. If I cannot be a soldier, I'll help the soldiers†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (http://womenshistory. about. com/od/bartonclara/a/clara_barton_quotes. htm) This quote gives a better understanding on Miss Barton's views of the world around her. She cared for these men that fought so valiantly and brave. She wanted to do anything s he could to help. Clara began her civil war service by providing supplies to the troops. Showing her natural ability to nurture, she personally cared for the troops who needed nursing services.Her views on nature were to save as many lives as possible. Without sustained life, we would not have any nature to appreciate. She made sure that would continue with her self sacrificing decision to help wounded soldiers on the battlefield. This can also be seen with her founding of the American Red Cross. SUPERNATURAL â€Å"Your belief that I am a Universalist is as correct as your greater belief that you are one yourself, a belief in which all who are privileged to possess it rejoice†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (http://www. uuquincy. org/projects/stamps/14clarabarton. htm) A quote from Ms.Barton in a letter to her friend in 1905 about her beliefs throughout her life. Her parents raised her to believe in Universalism. As a child she attended the Universalist Church in Oxford, Massachusetts. Alway s keeping faith with her church she wrote â€Å" In this church I was reared. In all its reconstructions and re modelings I have taken a part, and I look anxiously for a time in the near future when the busy world will let me once more become a living part of its people, praising God for the advance in the liberal faith of the religions of the world today, so largely due to the teachings of this belief†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. http://www. uuquincy. org/projects/stamps/14clarabarton. htm) As a universalist, Miss Barton believed in a universal salvation who welcome all and respect individual beliefs. UNIVERSE Considering that Clara was a Universalist by religion, It is only fitting that her thoughts on life are opened by the possibilities of the Universe itself. Universalism believes that personal experience, conscience and reason should be the final authorities in religion†¦. thus leaving a persons relationship between themselves and their surroundings an open book.This unique point of view about life allowed her to follow what was in her heart and mind. Believing in the search for the truth, there were no ties to one specific point of view but instead an open state of mind that allowed her to focus on the things that she cared about, helping those in need and being there for everyone who needed her. TIME Miss Barton's time while she was alive was well spent. From teaching at the age of 16 to becoming a civil war nurse at the age of 40, her time was always filled with something for to do.Even as a child she had a need to be needed. If she was not busy, she would become depressed. Thus, she tended to and did whatever she could to stay busy and keep her mind from falling into the darkness of depression. As a teacher she was able to mold young minds and keep herself busy, yet it was not until the civil war that she was able to put her time and nursing services to use. A time line from 1861-1865 allows us to see how she was able to provide relief to the many wounded i n the civil war. April 1861 in Washington D. C. Miss Barton assisted soldiers wounded in Baltimore, Maryland August-September 1862 in Virginia – She attended to the wounded in the second Battle of Bull Run at Manassas, Cedar Mountain, Chantilly, Harper's Ferry and South Mountain. September 1862- Sharpsburg, MD- Clara Barton brought much-needed medical supplies and attended to the wounded during and after the Battle of Antietam. December 1862 in Falmouth, VA- She attended to the wounded from the Battle of Fredericksburg. April-Dec 1863 in Hilton Head and Morris Island, S. C. She transferred from VA to be closer to her brother David, a U. S. Army Captain. There she established hospitals for the wounded from the Battle of Fort Wagner and distributed supplies to Union soldiers after the battle at Charleston. May-Jun 1864- Fredericksburg, VA- She attended to the wounded of the Battle of Spotslyvania Court House and the Battle of Cold Harbor. June 1864 – January 1865- Anders onville, GA – Assisted in the identification of graves for missing soldiers at the former Confederate prison. At the conclusion of her work, the site was dedicated as the first national cemetery.After the flag was raised in dedication of the national cemetery, Clara wrote â€Å" I ought to be satisfied. I believe I am. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (http://chapters. redcross. org/atlanta/History/clara_barton. htm) Future events would prove the she was never satisfied unless she was responding to the call of human need. HUMANITY Clara Barton was born to assist. Even though as a child she was shy and timid, she quickly found ways of overcoming those obstacles such as teaching. â€Å" Child that I was, I did not know that the surest test of discipline is its absence†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. http://clarabartonbirthplace. org/site/? q=node/2) At the age of 16 she became a teacher in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Clara was and excellent teacher and was highly regarded for her ability to teach and produc e disciplined children without any physical punishment. â€Å" Show me a child well disciplined, perfectly governed at home, and I will show you a child that never breaks a rule at school†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (http://clarabartonbirthplace. org/site/? q=node/2) She spent most of her life teaching and enjoyed every minute of it but soon enough she was ready for an new challenge.At the age of 40, The civil war had begun and she was ready to take on the the challenge of whistling bullets and booming artillery all around her as she tended to the men in need of medical attention on the battlefield. â€Å" I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (http://womenshistory. about. com/od/bartonclara/a/clara_barton_quotes. htm) Clara Barton's humanity is clearly shown by her courageous actions on the battlefields of the civil war. FATE I have an almost complete disregard of precedent and a fait h in the possibility of something better. It irritates me to be told how things always have been done†¦ I defy the tyranny of precedent. I cannot afford the luxury of a closed mind. I go for anything new that might improve the past†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. http://womenshistory. about. com/od/bartonclara/a/clara_barton_quotes. htm A quote from Clara Barton that describes in detail how she feels about fate and destiny. She feels that keeping an open mind will allow anyone the ability to see things clearly and not in black and white.As an avid supporter for an open mind, she believed that life would be what anyone could make of it. As stated at the end of the quote†¦.. â€Å"I go for anything new that might improve the past†, She is stating that as a people, we should look at our past mistakes and work for the better. Improving our livelihoods should be what living is for. There is no destiny or fate but only what we are able to do to help create a positive outcome. LAW â€Å" Everybody's business is nobody's business, and nobody's business is my business†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (http://womenshistory. about. om/od/bartonclara/a/clara_barton_quotes. htm) Clara Barton was a good negotiator at certain times but she was not at all shy about using the law to her advantage. Even with her basic understanding of law, Clara was able to negotiate her way onto the battlefields to help her fellow Union brothers. As head of the missing person's office that was established with the support from President Lincoln, she was the first women bureau head in the U. S. Government. She prided herself with that fact that not only did she respect all others but for the fact that others respected her greatly.Timelessly know as the â€Å"Angel of the Battlefield†, Clara Barton will always be remembered for her humanitarian efforts as well as her persistence and determination to help wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Countless lives were saved during that conflict and count less lives are saved today thanks to her founding of the American Red Cross. Clara Barton was one of a kind, she proved to the world what the labors of one woman alone could accomplish and she will always be remembered as an American Hero.

Introduction of Green Building Material Essay

Materials are the stuff of economic life in our industrial world. They include the resource inputs and the product outputs of industrial production. How we handle them is a major determinant of real economic efficiency, and also has a major impact on our health and the health of the natural environment The built-environment is also a strategic realm of social, economic and environmental change. Various writers have stated that spatial redesign of the landscape and built-environment may be the single most effective means of achieving new levels of efficiency and sustainability (Lyle, 1994; Mollison, 1983; Alexander, 1977; Van der Ryn & Cowan, 1996). Building materials are also quite important. They have been estimated that building materials make up forty percent of material through-put of entire economy (Milani, 2001). In the book â€Å"Green Building: Project Planning and Cost Estimating†, Keenan and Georges (2002) identified some key characteristics of green building materials. As regards green building materials, they should be healthy for the internal environment, healthy for the natural environment, minimize building energy use, have low embodied energy, be reusable, recyclable and/or biodegradable, and be locally obtained. Embodied energy is a concept that takes into account several factors to determine the energy needed to produce a product and can be used as a comparison between different materials. There is some controversy surrounding embodied energy as there is no internationally agreed method for calculating this value and many times it is not known what has been accounted for (Woolley and Kimmins, 2005). For example, cement has an embodied energy of 7. 8 MJ/kg, while virgin steel is 32. 0, and recycled steel is 10. 1 MJ/kg (Keenan and Georges, 2002). In these values however, consideration is not given to transportation, durability, reuse and recycling. These factors could significantly alter the original values. Building materials are also the stuff of our personal environments. They are all around us, and literally part of the air we breathe. They can damage the biosphere: VOCs from paints alone are responsible for perhaps 9 percent of the damage to the ozone layer. They can also damage us: the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, estimates that indoor pollution—caused by materials like paints, plastics and particleboards—is responsible for more than 11,000 deaths each year from cancer, kidney failure, and respiratory collapse (Ligon, 2001). The fact that buildings are all around us means not only that they immediately impact us, but that we can potentially affect them. The building industry is a decentralized one that exists in virtually every community. Not surprisingly, the built-environment is a major venue for ecological and community development alternatives, with materials being an increasing focus of concern over the past decade. The first is the section on Materials and Resources. This section consists of one prerequisite and eight credits. The eight credits focus on reuse and management of construction and demolition waste; using refurbished or reused materials and materials with a recycled content; using regional and rapidly renewing materials; and lastly if new wood must be used, using products certified accordance with the Forest Stewardship Councils principles and criteria The second section which pertains to building materials is Indoor Environmental Quality. The important credit is number four: Low Emitting Materials. For this credit, the Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) content of adhesives and sealants must be less than the VOC content limits of the State of California South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) rule number 1168 from October 2003. For paints, the VOC content must be less than the VOC and chemical component limits of the Green Seals Standard GS-11 from January 1997. Composite wood and laminate adhesives must contain no added urea formaldehyde resins. Concrete is a strong and durable material with a high heat storage capacity (Keenan and Georges, 2002). It is good from an indoor air quality standpoint as it is inert. The problems associated with concrete are washout water at concrete plants which can have a high pH, and the use of cement as a binding agent in concrete. Cement is very energy intensive and is a major contributor of greenhouse gases. To counteract this, up to 70% of cement in concrete can be replaced with fly ash. Fly ash is a waste product from coal fired plants. Brick, block and stone have a low embodied energy and are therefore environmentally friendly materials (Keenan and Georges, 2002). To avoid added impacts of transportation, local masonry should be used where available. STRUCTURAL FRAMING An ongoing environmental debate is wood versus steel as components for framing. Both materials have been destructive to the environment and both have advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of wood is that it is a natural insulator while steel is a conductor. Steel is 400 times more conductive than wood (Keenan and Georges, 2002). One of the disadvantages of wood is that it needs to be treated with preservatives which can be toxic and render the wood non-biodegradable. Steel on the other hand offers resistance to insects and water rot. Steel is also recyclable. The choice between steel and wood should depend on the application they are being used for. Wood may be more environmentally friendly if you can use non-treated and certified wood. The production process is less energy intensive than for steel, and creates less pollution and environmental degradation than the mining and processing of steel (Keenan, A. , and Georges, D. , 2002). INSULATION Some of the considerations which need to be taken in account when choosing an insulation material are: 1) does it retard airflow, 2) which type will provide the best Rvalue within a reasonable thickness, 3) does it pose health risks, and 4) does it contain ozone depleting chemicals (Keenan and Georges, 2002). In the Green Building Handbook, the authors offered their choices for â€Å"best buys†. Their top three choices were wool, cellulose fiber, and cork. These choices are thermally as good as conventional insulators (Woolley and Kimmins, 2005). Cellulose Fiber is made from processed waste paper, with added borates for fire and pest resistance. It is made into a fluff that can either be placed by hand or sprayed (Woolley and Kimmins, 2005). Insulation corkboard is produced by cooking cork granules at high temperature and pressure. The granules bond themselves together with their own resins (Woolley and Kimmins, 2005). ROOFING For materials used in roofing, durability is critical. One option for materials is metals, such as copper, steel and aluminium. Metal roofs are good because they can be made of recycled material and can be recycled at the end of their life cycle. They also last longer than asphalt (Frej, 2005). Cool roofs are an option that can be useful in both mild and hot climates. The roof material is covered with a reflective coating. This coating prevents the building from getting hot, reduces heat island effects and prolongs the life of a roof (Keenan and Georges, 2002). A non-petroleum based coating should be used. Living â€Å"green† roofs are another option. Green roofs are roofs that are partially or completely covered with soil and vegetation. These roofs provide environmental cooling, habitat, added insulation, storm water management, natural beauty, cleaner air and can extend the life of a roof (Keenan and Georges, 2002). One source suggested two to three times longer than a conventional roof (Frej, 2005) while another suggested they can extend the life up to 100% (Keenan and Georges, 2002). Planted roofs can require more maintenance and require a system to prevent root penetration and water seepage.

The Erie Canal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Erie Canal - Research Paper Example It formed the basis of the dominant American philosophies for almost two centuries, and transformed New York into the most significant urban area in the region. Dickinson (34) indicates the project also contributed immensely toward the improvement of American investments, attracting substantial business ventures by foreign firms and businesspersons. Most of the investments were based on infrastructure programs, which would speed up the development of industries in America in the late nineteenth century. According to Clinton (35-36), the remarkable scientific techniques that were employed in the landmark construction a success in the early nineteenth century. The text offers an account of the immense financial resources that the country amassed and channeled to the project, indicating that the capital investments were very sound. The scale of resources was so much that so high that its proper use would definitely give rise to a substantial project like the Erie Canal. Russell (158) is an important literature that offers vital lessons into the history of America, when few historians, if any, bothered to write about. The magnanimity of the project, especially in regard to the expansion of American economy, witnessed the opening of the Erie Canal in late 1825 was marked with the firing of guns. Guns set within an interval of 10 miles along the 363-mile canal exploded in celebration. Governor DeWitt Clinton was the key political figure who made the trip along the Canal soon after its co mpletion (Clinton 35). The project changed the economy of the Western New York to the better in the years that followed the 1825. It triggered the sprouting of numerous towns, without causing the noise pollution, which was the trademark of railway transport. The canal served as an easier transport means for the transient culture of the locals. According to Clinton (34-37) most Americans were content

Issues And Features Of The Audit Process Term Paper

Issues And Features Of The Audit Process - Term Paper Example Independent auditing is encouraged in organizations in order to protect the potential investors and shareholders from any misrepresentation of the financial statement or fraudulent claims that are often made in the public companies (Gray and Manson, 2008: 98). Moreover, after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) introduced in 2002, the appointment of the independent auditor becomes mandatory for improving the auditing and accounting procedure. Many organizations are seen to appoint independent auditors, who are certified public accountants, responsible for checking their business transactions and financial records, yet not being affiliated with it (Singleton, T.W., and Singleton, A.J., 2010: 13). However, independent auditing is seen to suffer from a large number of threats such as intimidation threat, trust or familiarity threat, advocacy threat, management threat, self-review threat and self-interest threat. Therefore, safeguarding the independence of the auditors becomes a major area of c oncern. This report focuses on the safeguards for the independence of auditors. Safeguards to save the Independence of the Auditors On recognizing the significant threat of independence in the auditing process, the organization must decide on some safeguards in order to save the auditors. Some of the approaches that are considered by organizations are as follows: Mandatory rotation in the auditor: In a case where an external auditor is serving a particular client for many years, they often end up building relationships with their clients, which make them less skeptical about their work than that they would have been otherwise. The SOX Act has made it mandatory for the public company, who is the partner-in-charge, to rotate their auditors, at least every five years. However, for non-public companies, there are no such requirements for rotation of auditors.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Journal - Essay Example What kinds of websites can be found on the Darknet? Web sites that can be found on the DarkNet are those of nasty or at the very least, unlawful activities including pedophile rings, arms sales or illegitimate drugs; websites that have something to hide. It is notable that websites on DarkNet are those that support things such as private communications, private communities like those who look for anonymity on the web, and besieged file sharing community. DarkNet also contains websites for outright criminals and is the source of the majority of the sneakiest attacks on the private and public infrastructures of the web (Smith, 2009). Why don’t authorities shut down these web sites? The DarkNet is a deeper and more difficult to access parts of the internet. It is not possible to police the internet in its entirety since individuals as well as groups are always devising new ways of remaining off the grid. Thus, the websites cannot be shut down since the people and groups behind th em will always revive them. The authorities would always battle with the DarkNet (Thomas, 2013). Are there valid reasons for the Darknet to exist? Even though DarkNet is a haven a perverts as well as arms dealers, it can also be seen as a citadel of a more dignified cause, that of free speech. It is of note that many nations around the world do not offer their people the freedom of speech. DarkNets offer every user the power of speaking in a free manner with no fear of persecution or censorship (Thomas, 2013). Making Hidden Services anonymous has been a refuge for dissenters in countries such as Mauritania, Lebanon as well as nations that were marred by the Arab Spring. DarkNet is utilized to host blogs in nations wherein the exchange of ideas is disapproved of. Moreover, DarkNet websites also reflect sites which draw corporate or governmental angst, like Wikileaks. Other than granting a bastion of free speech, DarkNet websites also help organizations to increase their security inte lligence, and as a result, it enhances their security posture. Using DarkNet, security administrators could identify scanning activity devoid of employing complex analysis technology that requires committing already overstrained resources, and, with a decreased incidence of false positives (Smith 2008). Reference Smith, M. (2009). DarkNets. Montreal, Canada: CRC Press. Thomas, G. (2013). The Silk Road is Shut Down, and the Owner Is In Custody. Retrived from http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-silk-road-is-shut-down-and-the-owner-is-in-custody Part 2: Privacy In general, which privacy policies do the applications have in common? The following privacy policies are common in all the applications: All collect private information of the users. Policy on now they collect, use and share the information collected from users. Policy on the choices which the privacy policies offer the users, such as how to update and access information. Policy on the circumstance under which personal informa tion of the users will be shared with other parties – it will only be shared for legal reasons. Policy about information that will be always public. Which are different? Only Twitter has policy towards children, stating that the services it provides are not directed