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Project Management 411

Archive for the ‘101 Basics’ Category

April 9th, 2008

The Links That Keep Me Going

Time to thank the latest top links to my blog. These are sites that are obviously very popular whose readers somehow find their way to projectmanagement411.com. I appreciate that they exist, remain popular, and increase the quality of the blogosphere. So- check ‘em out:
- http://www.copyblogger.com
- http://www.b5media.com
- http://www.stumbleupon.com
- http://slackermanager.com
- http://lifedev.net
- http://myhealthcare.com
Project management applies to […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

April 5th, 2008

Is Cost-Benefit Analysis Appropriate for Complex Decisions?

Strategy+Business does a good job of covering viability of cost-benefit analyses. The bottom line appears to be that pure cost-benefit analysis may only apply in the simplest of situations:
It is inadequate for evaluations of interventions that will affect many different dimensions, such as markets, economies, health, the environment, and endangered species. Cost-benefit analysis is also […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

April 4th, 2008

Cost-Benefit Analysis Stifles Innovation

There is quite a revelation in the Strategy+Business piece on cost-benefit analysis:

…the data is often framed to protect existing industries and technologies and discourage innovation…..

Their example of two industry reports presented to OSHA that estimated costs of noise abatement at $31.6B and $11.7B respectively reveals that the reason was that one study completely ignored new, […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

April 3rd, 2008

Cost Projections Consistenly Inflated by US Government

A Strategy+Business article on the myth of cost-benefit analysis reveals how the government has consistently gotten cost estimates wrong:

A February 2004 analysis by Ruth Ruttenberg & Associates for the Public Citizen Foundation concluded that in 30 years of federal regulatory activity, the U.S. government had consistently inflated cost estimates for health, safety, and environmental protections. […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

April 2nd, 2008

Quantitative Analyses Are NEVER Neutral?

Strategy+Business’s article on cost-benefit analysis reveals that any data used for this purpose must be tempered by non-quantitative considerations:

“…no matter how clever the mathematics, certain key inputs in a cost-benefit analysis cannot be translated into economic value. Security and safety, the preservation of wildlife and open spaces, the reduction of fear in a community, and […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

March 30th, 2008

Cost-Benefit Analysis Is a Myth?

The EPA announces a new regulation limiting mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants; their coal industry cost estimate was $750M a year with a public health cost estimate of $50M a year. A Harvard Center for Risk Analysis study agreed with the $750M number but put the health cost at $5B. How does something like […]

By Bob Turek -- 1 comment

March 17th, 2008

Influence Mapping as a Project Management Tool

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Strategy+Business.com dealt with who to include on projects in “The Community Network Solution“. The premise of the article is that choice of participants on a project is crucial. Typically power players are chosen based on rank but they suggest that highly networked people, who are […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

March 14th, 2008

Seriousness and Empathy: How Do You Communicate It?

The Clinton-Obama rivalry gives us examples of what works and what doesn’t in terms of communicating to a team. I see Obama as a serious person who is interested in his audience. I see Clinton as more manipulative and prone to ill-timed laughter. Why are these reactions important in terms of how we are viewed […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

March 13th, 2008

Does Anything Get Done When Two Power Players Cooperate?

The recent Clinton-Obama debates give us an opportunity to study communication styles. I find the behavior inside, vs. outside, the debates interesting in that an attempt is made to look cooperative “for the sake of the party and the nation” when seated next to each other.
What does this seemingly cooperative spirit do in terms of […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments

March 10th, 2008

Our Clinton-Obama Reactions Reveal Communications Dos and Don’ts

I’ve carefully observed the recent Clinton-Obama debates and been fascinated with the differences in their communication styles. Both have enough common factors (policy stands, speaking ability, intelligence) to allow a good opportunity to analyze successful, and not so successful, ways of communicating.
Obama is unflappable, repectful, willing to admit mistakes, and redefines his arguments patiently. Clinton […]

By Bob Turek -- 0 comments