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Tech Decision Maker
Toni Bowers
TechRepublic Staff
Toni Bowers

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Avoid these two mistakes: Then live long and prosper
Many people don't get promoted for doing "what's right." In this blog, John M. McKee, Leadership Coach, points out two common mistakes that can have a bad effect on one's career.
Posted by John McKee | April 10, 2008, 6:16 PM PDT | Latest comment by tmcclure
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What to do when the boss meddles
There are some scenarios in which the boss masquerades as the IT department and dishes out illogical directives. Here's what you can do when the boss meddles.
Posted by Paul Mah | April 9, 2008, 11:17 AM PDT | Latest comment by Fregeus
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The choice -- To be right or be effective?
There are times as a manager when you have to choose between right and being effective. Are you ready to make this choice when the time comes?
Posted by Ramon Padilla | April 6, 2008, 12:19 PM PDT | Latest comment by brian.neas@...
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See benefits for your organization using "ITIL Lite"
You work for a smaller business and have been hearing a lot about ITIL. Maybe you've heard how it can cut your costs, or you've seen evidence that it can improve service delivery. But then you...
Posted by Tricia Liebert | April 4, 2008, 7:08 AM PDT | Latest comment by johnreiling@...
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Re-organizing? Don't bungle it
During tough times, many organizations must re-organize to maintain their profits. Some do it just to survive. In this blog, John M McKee discusses some key issues to consider before starting...
Posted by John McKee | April 3, 2008, 3:44 PM PDT | Latest comment by projectmb@...
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When a micromanaging boss is just plain wrong
A micromanager is bad enough, but his behavior can be even more infuriating when the technical merits of his demands make no sense and could even hurt on a strategic level.
Posted by Paul Mah | April 3, 2008, 7:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by ernestm@...
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Use prototyping to visualize project requirements
Prototypes are built early in the development lifecycle, and they're used to provide valuable insight into the look, feel, and general workflow of an application. Here's what creating a prototype...
Posted by Tom Mochal | April 1, 2008, 10:28 AM PDT | Latest comment by dconnolly@...
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Managing IT costs: Best of breed vs. "best value"
In reviewing your operations with an aim to control or lower costs related to running your IT department, there comes a time when you might have to have a religious war with some of your staff......
Posted by Scott Lowe | March 30, 2008, 7:46 PM PDT | Latest comment by Scott Lowe
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Use wiki-based runbook automation to promote a collaborative capture of best practices
The technology analyst firm Gartner recently predicted that half of the companies in the US will have wikis in one form or another by the end of next year. Wikis are fast and dynamic and...
Posted by Jeff Cerny | March 28, 2008, 8:11 AM PDT
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Prepare for a management career through project management
To move your IT career toward management, you may want to first consider project management. Here are a few steps to get you started.
Posted by Dana Norton | March 27, 2008, 1:19 PM PDT
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5 CEOs' best leadership tips
John M McKee, Business Success and Leadership Coach, shares 5 great leadership tips he's seen deliver solid results in various situations and industries.
Posted by John McKee | March 27, 2008, 12:24 PM PDT | Latest comment by mtrevino57@...
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Managing IT costs through leasing
Network infrastructure equipment, desktop computers, servers and more. During your time as the IT leader at any organization, you'll need to replace aging equipment. When you do so, you face...
Posted by Scott Lowe | March 25, 2008, 6:54 PM PDT | Latest comment by Scott Lowe
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Don't wait to address performance problems on a project
Managing people is one of the core responsibilities of a project manager. It's also one that's uncomfortable for many. Dealing with problem people is one of the difficult aspects of managing team...
Posted by Tom Mochal | March 25, 2008, 1:20 PM PDT | Latest comment by rajatdhameja
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Does work have to be fun?
Is going to work with an expectation of a sense of purpose a pipe dream anymore? Should one just be satisfied to just have a job or should you want more?
Posted by Ramon Padilla | March 23, 2008, 4:24 PM PDT | Latest comment by ssampier
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The ten roles you need for ITIL configuration management
Many IT departments try to implement ITIL configuration management without giving very much thought to the staffing of the configuration management service. There are lots of creative ways to...
Posted by Larry Klosterboer | March 23, 2008, 2:52 PM PDT | Latest comment by AlexEvolven
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So you think you know your employees?
Research is clear - most bosses are wrong about what motivates employees. Leadership coach John M McKee presents some research and then comments about what's going on.
Posted by John McKee | March 20, 2008, 9:16 AM PDT | Latest comment by sbharatula
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Mining project requirements - techniques to use before and after an interview
Conducting a good interview to gather project requirements can be a daunting task -- particularly if you are interviewing a stakeholder who holds a high position in the organization, or has a...
Posted by Joe Goss | March 20, 2008, 9:08 AM PDT
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Go green with quality management
It's possible that in the future it will make sense to establish "environmental management" as one of the foundational skills for project managers. However, in the meantime, the quality management...
Posted by Tom Mochal | March 18, 2008, 9:25 AM PDT | Latest comment by BALTHOR
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Traditional IT metrics fail in tough budget times
Lean budget times exacerbate the need for IT to be able to collect metrics that show its value to the organization. Traditional forms of metrics that are used to justify projects will fail you...
Posted by Ramon Padilla | March 16, 2008, 12:21 PM PDT | Latest comment by kgartner@...
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TechRepublic's 2008 IT Skills and Salary Report: IT pros want to keep skills up to date
It's no surprise that TechRepublic's 2008 Skills and Salary report reveals that most IT pros are concerned with keeping their skills up to date. After all, technology changes so rapidly that if...
Posted by Guest Contributor | March 14, 2008, 6:53 AM PDT
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Want to motivate your team? Here are 20 things to start doing now
Ilya Bogorad shows you how to create a dynamic, exciting, motivating environment in an otherwise unexciting, underperforming or stodgy organization
Posted by Ilya Bogorad | November 28, 2011, 4:21 AM PST | Latest comment by jkameleon@...
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6 essential elements for a winning business case
The vast majority of unsuccessful projects fail not because of poor project management, but because of poor decisions with respect to the choice of projects. A good business case helps to make...
Posted by Ilya Bogorad | July 28, 2008, 3:31 AM PDT | Latest comment by rajeshamith
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Why critical path is critical to project management
If the PMBK definition of critical path has you puzzled, read Dr. Andrew Makar's explanation of this project methodology in real-world terms.
Posted by Andrew Makar | September 10, 2009, 1:02 PM PDT | Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson
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Manual vs. autoscheduled tasks in Microsoft Project 2010
Microsoft Project 2010 gives you the option of scheduling tasks manually or letting Project use the scheduling engine. Andy Makar explores these options for project managers.
Posted by Andrew Makar | March 23, 2011, 5:23 AM PDT | Latest comment by MickeyBlueOwl
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Hiring a programmer? Ask these questions in the interview
Routine interviews for programmers often offer tests that evaluate rote memorization that the modern development environment doesn't require. Here are some better questions to ask.
Posted by Justin James | February 18, 2010, 4:11 AM PST | Latest comment by youareyouyou
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Create the Timeline View in Microsoft Project 2010
If you use PowerPoint or Visio to create milestone reports, find out how using Microsoft Project 2010 Timeline View instead can save you time and a lot of hassle.
Posted by Andrew Makar | January 20, 2011, 5:24 PM PST | Latest comment by lbostic@...
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Best practices for software license management
Organizations spend a fortune on licenses every year, and a lack of management around it can result in heavy fines. Here are some best practices to follow.
Posted by Abhinav Kaiser | November 5, 2012, 4:33 AM PST | Latest comment by secureoncloud
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15 great leadership questions
In this article, Executive and leadership coach John M McKee shares questions any leader can use to improve results and morale.
Posted by John McKee | February 23, 2010, 11:13 AM PST | Latest comment by Grants Man
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Download this project status report template
Download this template, created by project management guru Tom Mochal, to effectively communicate project status to stakeholders and keep everyone on the same page.
Posted by TechRepublic Staff | March 10, 2009, 12:10 PM PDT | Latest comment by Mammoun
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IT Training Policy now available
Download TechRepublic's IT Training Policy. It's free to TechRepublic Pro subscribers, or can be purchased by non-subscribers.
Posted by Teena Hammond | May 2, 2013, 6:55 AM PDT
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Top five reasons organizations fail at project management
Why are many organizations still so bad at project management? After pondering this question on many consulting and training engagements, Tom Mochal has come up with his top five reasons.
Posted by Tom Mochal | August 20, 2008, 7:11 AM PDT | Latest comment by billsherlock
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View the critical path in Microsoft Project
Learn how to view the critical path in Microsoft Project and interpret the data by reading this tutorial by Dr. Andrew Makar.
Posted by Andrew Makar | September 15, 2009, 1:24 PM PDT | Latest comment by vilansmit
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Developing a business case: Here's how to start
Here's how to get started on developing a business case in no time, whether you're going to write it up or present it in a conversation.
Posted by Ilya Bogorad | August 18, 2008, 11:00 AM PDT
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Windows 8 infographic: Pros and cons at a glance
TechRepublic polled its members as to whether they had plans to upgrade to Windows 8. We also have the top reasons why they will or won't.
Posted by Toni Bowers | August 6, 2012, 4:10 AM PDT | Latest comment by Deadly Ernest
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Using a fixed duration task type in Microsoft Project
This Microsoft Project tutorial details how to use a fixed duration task type to schedule four hours of work over three days.
Posted by Andrew Makar | August 26, 2009, 4:54 AM PDT | Latest comment by mchadwick@...
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Five reasons to migrate to Microsoft Project 2010
Microsoft Project 2010 comes with new features that are a welcome relief to the Microsoft Project learning curve. Here are five reasons to switch to Microsoft Project Professional 2010.
Posted by Andrew Makar | January 24, 2011, 6:13 AM PST | Latest comment by johnstory
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The roots of agile project management
Here's a brief history of agile project management. By brushing up on these fundamental concepts, you'll gain insight into the challenges and problems that agile techniques are designed to resolve.
Posted by Rick Freedman | June 16, 2009, 8:23 PM PDT | Latest comment by weising
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ITIL: What goes in a Configuration Management Plan?
Configuration management is one of the few processes that overarch all other process and service lifecycle phases in ITIL V3. Wthout it, the effectiveness of the rest of your processes will be in...
Posted by Abhinav Kaiser | December 12, 2011, 4:30 AM PST | Latest comment by dwleach1
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Importing a vendor's Excel schedule into Microsoft Project
Andrew Makar developed an import map that will properly import your vendor's Excel sheet that builds the task hierarchy in Microsoft Project.
Posted by Andrew Makar | April 15, 2010, 3:46 AM PDT
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Everything IT needs to know about Windows 8
Whether you're still considering upgrading to Windows 8 or you're already in the thick of Microsoft's latest OS, TechRepublic has the resources you need.
Posted by Toni Bowers | October 26, 2012, 9:03 AM PDT | Latest comment by Deadly Ernest

































