EduMind Inc

As the old saying goes, "Embrace discomfort, because it is an opportunity to grow." This perspective is something that I have carried with me as I have progressed through my career in architecture. Let's face it, failure is just about guaranteed in the architectural profession. Whether it is failing a section of the ARE exam, a design idea that the client didn't accept, or a proposal for new work that was rejected, failure will become part of any career in architecture.  What can you do with failure? Isn't failure, to some degree, a diagnosis that you weren't quite ready? After processing the emotions that come with any form of failure, the thing that I fall back on time and time again is to embrace it as an opportunity to get stronger, better, and more advanced. Looking at it another way, how can you grow if you already know everything? Failure, if embraced, can be an opportunity to grow! Make the most of it.  If you find yourself in the position of failing ...

You know what they say about project management: "plan the work and work the plan." While that adage is a bit out of date with the advancement of agile and adaptive project development techniques, planning is still at the core of any successful project. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI) and A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) , the ultimate tool for planning, managing, and monitoring and controlling your project is the project management plan.  Think of the project management plan as the ultimate "how-to guide" for your project, defining and describing how the project work will be determined, managed, monitored and controlled, and closed. This includes information on change management, configuration management, what project life cycle and approach will be used, and how all aspects of the project management will be handled. Depending on the complexity of the project and the environment, the project management plan may b...

The PMP exam is challenging, even for the most experienced project managers. But with the proper preparation and some keen insight, you can pass the exam and earn this industry-leading credential. It takes time, focus, and commitment, but passing this important exam will make the effort worth it.  The first step toward acing your exam is verifying the current exam specification and content. Ensure that any study material you are planning to use is updated and aligned with the current version of the exam. You can find this information at www.PMI.org to confirm the exam version. The PMP exam changes every two to three years, either due to an update of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide or to incorporate the results of a role delineation study.  Some project managers mistakenly believe their experience in managing projects will be enough to pass the exam. However, experience alone will not provide the insight and context you will need to answer t...

Based on my observations of hundreds of architectural staff working on literally thousands of projects over the decades, I think it's safe to say that of all the components of a building envelop, the roof is perhaps one of the "less popular" design elements to develop. The plans and elevations normally take the top spot in the interest category among the team, at least initially. After all, if the project has a "flat roof," especially with a parapet, it's not normally visible from adjacent grade. If it is a simple sloped roof, it is something that often fades away from street view at an angle, and not likely to draw much attention.  These factors are among several that contribute to the delay of developing the roof design until a bit later in the project, which can cause problems down the line. As an example, I recall one municipal building project that had a simple shed roof over the entry, forming a sort of canopy. Because this portion of the roof was...

Getting your PMP certification is important for professional project managers and essential for consultants. For consulting, the PMP is often required to be eligible for consideration. Much like the CPA for accountants, the PMP represents a common level of understanding of concepts, standard principles, and vocabulary. Ample preparation for the exam is critical.  Choosing the right approach for you is half the battle. For some, it may be as simple as getting the current Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and reading it from cover to cover. However, this approach has a low probability of success in passing the exam for most examinees.  You might buy a book that is designed for exam preparation. This is a low-cost approach with a reasonable chance for success for those who learn well by reading. However, this requires a lot of perseverance and discipline and may become problematic if you get stuck on or misunderstand something. In addition to the inherent ris...

In A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 6th Edition , there are 12 processes within the monitoring and controlling process group. These processes are performed throughout the project, from inception to completion, and are essential to managing and monitoring the progress of the project. Twenty-five percent of the questions on the PMP exam will be from these 12 processes.  As the project manager, you want to be diligent and proactive in understanding the health of your project and, thus, the importance of these monitoring and controlling processes. Monitoring and controlling provide the project manager and the team with critical insight to enable proactive decision-making versus succumbing to reactive actions.  Table of Contents 1. Baseline Variances 2. Earned Value Analysis and Forecasting 3. Integrated Change Control 4. Reporting and Communication 5. In Summ...

Organizations that predominantly operate using a project construct are undergoing a substantial shift to a product approach. In practice and theory, we more collectively refer to the flow of value through our organizations. This becomes a disruption driver in the digital reality unfolding before us.  As this happens, there are several pertinent shifts in the landscape of our organizations. Efficiency is not king at the moment because we should first be aware of our relative effectiveness. To be efficient without effectiveness is to waste resources faster. Those who are digitally inclined will be those who reconsider their value propositions as value streams and manage them appropriately.  This is apparent in several of our professional areas or domains-such as project managers, operations, technology, and even organizational structures-as we increasingly implement Agile, DevOps, or ITIL v4 in a cloud environment where essentially everything is available as a service ...