Ty Kiisel

Danger! Danger! The Warning Signs of a Failing Project

As a kid I loved the Lost in Space TV series. The story, an adaptation of the Swiss Family Robinson, features a 1997 version of the Robinson family on a mission to colonize a planet near the star, Alpha Centauri. Selected from among two million voluntee... Read >

Project-Based Work in the Cloud: 4 Reasons to Consider SaaS Project Management

I believe that successful project management is more about people than technology, but I'm convinced that project software in general and on-demand project management software in particular make it possible for skilled project managers to focus on facilit... Read >

Reporting Status on Project-Based Work:

Long before the prime-time police drama Law and Order, there was Dragnet. As a kid, I used to watch Dragnet's Joe Friday interview people, investigate crime scenes, and catch the bad guy every week. Every episode started with, "The story you are about t... Read >

Four Early Warning Signs of a Project In Trouble

Underground mining is a dangerous occupation. What's more, before the advent of sophisticated breathing apparatus, methane and carbon monoxide made it even more dangerous for the men working in the mines. In the early days of underground mining, because... Read >

When Making Project Decisions You Can't Always Trust Your "Gut"

Lev Virine and Michael Trumper in their book, Project Decisions: The Art and Science, suggest, "Project managers should steer clear of making decisions based on gut feelings because the intrinsic psychological concepts that motivate that type of behavior ... Read >

Base Coaches and Project Managers: Four Common Success Traits

In baseball, the base coach's job is very important. It begins the moment he enters the ballpark. During the opposing team's pre-game infield warm-up, his job includes: • Scouting the strength of the outfielders' and catcher's throwing arm and where ... Read >

People, Process, and Technology: Working with Virtual Project Teams

"Go West, young man," wrote Horace Greeley.

 I live in the west. Smack dab in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. I don't tote around a six-shooter, but I do drive a Jeep, like to go camping, and enjoy playing in the mountains or the high... Read >

The Keystone to Successful Project-Based Work

I see on Twitter all the time lists of the best project management software, the best business intelligence tools, or the best portfolio management products. I thought I would toss in my two cents today. The polish poet, Stanislaw Jerzy Lec said, "The... Read >

The Challenges of Project Learning and Three Levels of Cooperation

The philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. "This is sometimes referred to as Santayana's Law of Repetitive Consequences; and is nowhere more evident than in project based work. It's been said t... Read >

When Presenting to Stakeholders—You've Only Got About a Minute

You may have a stakeholder meeting scheduled for half an hour, but in reality you've only got about 60 seconds. After that, you've got to earn their attention, or they'll start checking their email and watching the clock. Everyone involved in projec... Read >

3 Keys to Successfully Working With Project Stakeholders

A good caddie is a critical component to a successful tournament for a golfer. On the golf course, a caddie has a number of basic responsibilities: • Ensure that the proper number of clubs are in the bag • Help in the selection of clubs for specifi... Read >

Noisemakers: Dealing with Problem Stakeholders

I believe a productive and ongoing dialog with all the project stakeholders is critical to project success. That being said, when stakeholders become nothing more than noisemakers they can hurt morale, hinder performance, and put projects in jeopardy. ... Read >

The "Unbreakable" Rules for Successful Project-Based Work

Growing up in the Rocky Mountain West, I have lived with snow my entire life. For example one night a couple of years ago, a freak snow storm turned my normal 35-40 minute commute home into a five plus hour ordeal (but that's another story). As a seve... Read >

The Value of Social Media and Its Impact on Project-Based Work

One of my favorite Verizon ads depicts a couple of young teenagers and their parents talking about their new web-enabled cell phones.  The conversation goes something like this: "I'm sitting on the porch," Tweets Dad. "Cool it with the Twitter updat... Read >

Work Management and the Project Lifecycle

After 1908, things would never be the same. At the beginning of the 20th century, automobiles were expensive, complicated, hand-made machines that were unaffordable to the average American. Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile, but he was determine... Read >