Master Black Belt, Rutgers University What is Takt Time and why should we care about it? No one likes waiting at the motor vehicle bureau. Depending on when you go, there is either an impossibly long wait, or a very short wait, if you’re lucky. Wouldn’t it be great if just about any time you […]
By Russ Holbrook, SHRM Senior Certified Professional, Rutgers University We’re confronting extraordinary challenges with the advance of the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. Undoubtedly, the impact of the COVID-19 has tested everyone in small and big ways. Through the uncertainty, however, many of us have found strength in relying on our relationships with others. We have families, […]
By Regu Regupathy, Master Black Belt, Rutgers University Uncovering the bottlenecks & opportunities for improvements In a Lean Six Sigma process-improvement project or Kaizen, it’s important to map out the process with your project team before setting about to solve whatever the problems are with that process. Typical steps are to produce a SIPOC (high-level […]
By Russ Holbrook, SHRM Senior Certified Professional, Rutgers University That’s all you’ve heard from the company you interviewed with over four weeks ago. Then you get an email from them. With trepidation, you open it. Your face flushes red hot. Jilted again! They’re going to go with a candidate who has more experience in HR […]
By Regu Regupathy, Master Black Belt, Rutgers University When something goes wrong, we want to identify the cause(s) of this outcome. We brainstorm, based on our experience/perception as to what caused the outcome. Let’s say your son brought home a poor report card. You and your spouse analyze the reasons why your son’s grades are […]
By Regu Regupathy, Master Black Belt, Rutgers University You and your team have defined, measured and analyzed a business process. You’ve gotten to the root causes of the process’ problem. You’ve brainstormed some high-impact improvements. OK – let’s implement those changes – GO! STOP! Are there any risks associated with your changes? How can you […]
Part of the series “The Accidental Project Manager” By Dr. Surya Ganduri, Rutgers University Project management is all about delivery and the way you communicate details. You are the General, directing action on the front lines and every word of your strategy is critical. TAKE IT FROM THE TOP From Day One on a project, […]
Part of the series “The Accidental Project Manager” By Dr. Surya Ganduri, Rutgers University As business changes or a new stakeholder gets pulled into (or out of) a project — you may be required to have discussions about things that were 90% complete, or possibly already approved. This can kill morale, draw out timing, and […]
By Karen McCaffrey, Rutgers University If you have anyone on your team that was born between 1980 and 2000, you are managing a Millennial. And, if you’ve noticed that your traditional management techniques don’t always work with them, now is the time to learn what Millennials want in the workplace and how to balance that […]
Alan has over 30 years as a project manager in a variety of industries, including telecommunications, pharmaceutical, and finance. His hands-on experience as a software developer, software systems engineer, and software tester makes him uniquely qualified for his role as an Instructor/Advisor. He has over 10 years as a project management adjunct faculty member and […]
Part of the series “The Accidental Project Manager” By Dr. Surya Ganduri, Rutgers University Every project tells a story about its goals, team, timing, and deliverables. Some of those stories are short and to the point while others are epic novels rife with twists and turns. No matter the length or level of drama, every […]
Part of the series “The Accidental Project Manager” By Dr. Surya Ganduri, Rutgers University No matter the size or budget, estimating a project can be a daunting task. Every project request comes with a mystical, gray area that makes the project manager nervous about expectations concerning cost, timelines and level of effort. Because the gray […]