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Welcome to The QuasiPM

What are They Saying?

What happens in a business when four generations clash? Susan Nunziata looks at this closer.

It has always had its buzz words. Find out which ones are the most confusing in this presentation by Ed Cone.

Dorm room, basement, garage, university lab. Where did today's most influential IT companies get their starts?

Why do many IT projects fail? Roger Sessions, CTO of ObjectWatch, states that it is because most projects fail to follow the rule of using the least complex architecture possible to meet the problem.

Want your co-workers to hate you? Just do one of these eleven no-no's.

Four in ten workers do not believe that they fit in at work. Why? Don Sears investigates further.

Susan Cramm provides her take on the 8 Things Business Hates About IT, from her forthcoming book by the same title.

What is the best way to motivate your workforce? Workforce expert, Jon Gordon (author of The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive Ways to Thrive During Waves of Change), has a few commonsense ideas.

Even though IT talent should be available, CIO John Parkinson is having trouble finding the right individuals to fill his vacancies. He explains why in this latest blog on CIO Insights

Sybase CIO Jim Swartz shares his thought on understanding millennial workers in the latest Biz-Tech 3.0.

Let Me Tell you Something...

The results of the latest annual IT salary survey conducted by Information Week is less than encouraging for IT professionals. For the first time in the 11 years of sponsoring the survey, they found that the median salary raise of all the 20,492 IT professionals that participated is 0%. These results are not surprising based on the current economic conditions.

A closer look at the data is equally depressing.

40% reported a pay freeze. Those reporting freezes in 2009 were 26%.

15% had their pay cut in 2010. Only 6% reported similar cuts in 2009.

29% had their benefits reduced. Only 17% reported similar reductions in 2009.

Federal government employees did better than state and local government employees. They ranked 6 on the list of 29 industries for base salary. While state and local managers rank 7th on salary, they fall down the list when other benefits and bonuses are considered.

Of all the IT positions, the best paid still continue to be IT Architects. The median salary for individuals in this position is $120,000.

A bright spot in this survey was the continued rise in importance of Project Managers. For the first time, the median salaries of Project Managers topped $100,000. In 2010, Project Managers reported a median of $105,000. Much of this is due to the growth of importance of these individuals in the eyes of leadership. With limited resources and funds, it has become increasingly important that projects come in on time and below project cost. Leadership is starting to recognize how Project Managers can assist in this process.

The survey also showed that IT staff are more risk averse due to layoff fears. They are less concerned with pay, and are more focused on whether they are being recognized for their work and have the right tool and skills to do their jobs. They also are less likely to accept new emerging jobs like “Process Manager”, because these types of jobs are more difficult for the individual filling the position to demonstrate short term results.

Quote to Remember

“There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice.” ~ Mark Twain

Tools of the Trade

No matter what your job, writing will inevitably be a part of it. This could include compiling reports, completing forms, developing manuals, or writing emails. All workers, including Project Managers, are expected to know how to write in today's economy.

When you find yourself with a writing assignment, there are several online tools available to help you with your task. The following are just a few that were included in the Online Writing Toolkit assembled by Cheryl Oakes for Tech & Learning Magazine.

Citation Machine Allows user to type in source and then it creates the proper citation in MLA, APA, Turabin, or Chicago styles.

Visual Thesaurus A thesaurus and much more. You can try it out for free. Extended use requires the purchasing of a subscription. However, it is only $19.95 for an entire year.

The Tongue Untied Site that provides instruction in basic grammar, sentence structure, word choices, and rules for punctuation.

Ghotit Free online spell checker

Read the Words Sign up for a free account to listen to your words read back to you.

Following Up

One of the biggest obstacles that many workers face on the job is avoiding burnout. The prospect of burnout is especially high for quasi-project managers because they lack the proper authority to make things happen, but are still expected to accomplish the task that is placed before them.

A recent article in the American Salesman (February 1, 2010) outlined eight steps that workers can take to avoid burnout. These included:

Trying to establish or re-establish control of your job. Many times frustration arises out of feeling overwhelmed. To take back control look for ways to delegate your workload. Prioritize your work. Also, learn how to say "No". Contrary to what you may believe, you don't have to do everything and please everyone.
Do some soul searching. Try doing this anytime you feel overwhelmed. Take a break, find a quiet place, or go for a walk. Reflect on what is causing your issues and think of ways to resolve them.
Set realistic goals. Much of the pressure that we feel is really self-imposed. We set expectations for ourselves that can't be met. Instead of setting these types of goals, take a step back. Take your ultimate goal and break it down into a series of smaller milestones. When you reach these milestones, make sure to celebrate.
Talk to your supervisor, your co-workers, or your friends. Sometimes you just have to talk it out. As Senator Alan Simpson once said, "Hatred corrodes the container it is carried in." The more you keep your frustration to yourself, the more it will fester.
Reward yourself. As said earlier, celebrate your accomplishments. We are taught early on that humility is a virtue. The truth is, we all like a pat on the back when we have been successful. Who better to celebrate your success than you?
Take time out. When you feel overwhelmed get away. Author Daniel Goleman talks about the concept of Emotional Intelligence. According to Goleman, rather than do something when you are angry or frustrated, you should take some time to calm down. This will help you to think clearer, and save you from doing something you will later regret.
Think of ways to make your task more enjoyable. This one is not always easy. However, if you can find one thing about a task that is positive, you will be more inclined to accomplish it.
Give yourself space. Don't take your work home with you. Once again easier said than done. However, we all need downtime to decompress. This is not possible if you are constantly thinking about what happened during the day, or what still needs to be accomplished.

Staying a step ahead of burn out is not always easy. However, maybe by following these few simple suggestions, you can get the upper hand.

Worth a Link

One of my favorite publications is T+D (Training and Development) Magazine. The magazine is published by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

Catering to corporate trainers, the ASTD was founded in 1943. It currently has members from 100 countries and 130 local chapters in the United States. I learned about this organization when I worked as a corporate archivist for a regional insurance company.

Besides publishing T+D, the organization sponsors conferences, workshops, a web site, and blog. They also oversee the certification program for the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP).

On the T+D site there are copies of current and archived articles for purchase. Also on the site are free access podcasts. These podcasts include several on leadership and team building.

Featured Resource

The April 12, 2010 edition of Fortune Magazine contains the findings of a study by the Boston-based firm, Globoforce, that looked at the best motivators for today's employees. While most would point to bonuses, titles, high-priced quarterly give aways to the top performers as standard motivators, Globoforce would disagree. Instead, they discovered that the top motivators are small rewards, given at anytime, to almost all employees.

The Globoforce study cautions, however, that this type of system is not based on the idea that everybody wins. Instead it has the following three characteristics.

Shares the wealth. As they discovered, about 80% to 90% of all employees should get some kind of reward throughout the year. They stated that you are trying to reinforce certain behaviors, so you need to constantly recognize those who demonstrate them.
Small bucks beat big ones. The average reward should be no more than $110.00. The report stated that while smaller rewards might seem insignificant, larger ones don't motivate any better.
Awarded weekly, not quarterly. The study found that every week about 5% of all employees should be rewarded. Individuals tend to forget when rewards are given less frequently.

Source: "Motivate without Spending Millions", Telis Demos, Fortune, April 12, 2010, p. 37-38.