Category Archives: Product Management

Free Webcast: Myths and Reality of Iterative Testing – Laura Rose

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Friday, October 24th, 2014, 12:00 PM Eastern
Free Webcast: Myths and Reality of Iterative Testing – Laura Rose

This presentation is specifically for professionals who are ready to succeed. Myths arise from a lack of direct experience. In the absence of information, we form beliefs based on what we think we know, often with a skeptical feeling towards what we don’t know. In the realm of software development, myths can make it difficult to approach real-world problems objectively, thus putting budgets and schedules at increased risk.

I’ll explain how iterative development principles can address these common misunderstandings and lead us to a pragmatic testing methodology that mitigates or avoids altogether many common software

Handling Facebook “friend” requests from your boss

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

How do you handle friend-ing requests from your boss? How about
your employees?

This is a tricky situation, especially if it is your boss making the friend request. You don’t want to say “no” to your boss, for fear they think you are hiding something.   In the “good old days” before social media, it was easy to keep your work life and private life separate. You have more control over what you shared in the office and what you took home at night. It was easier to keep private things private.

One wise friend recommends not placing anything on Facebook that you would be embarrassed if your boss saw it. I 100% agree. But that leaves all your other friends posts. While you can control what you post, it’s impossible to control what other people post.

Mixing your work colleagues and private friends on Facebook and social media is a slippery slope. Even if you are careful about the types of language and messages you put on your wall – there still are risks. Once you have shared friends and colleagues on Facebook, you have lost control over what other people post regarding your shared activities. Other friends can innocently tag you on photographs that they post.

It doesn’t have to be questionable photographs of you drinking (or being drunk) at a party to cause trouble at work. One real-life example is when a friend posted/tagged another friend in a photograph of their day excursion to New York. The managers saw the photograph on Facebook and realize that the employee had called in sick that day to take advantage of this play-date. The employee was fired. And he turned around and sued his friend for posting that photograph. The plaintiff accused his friend of causing his dismissal. Of course the judge corrected the plaintiff – because it was actually the plaintiff’s playing hooky from work that caused the dismissal. At the end of the day, the employee lost his job and a friend.

The intent of that story was to illustrate that you cannot predict the result of mixing your professional and private lives.

This is why I normally recommend keeping your work folks on a separate “professional page”. Keep them separate from your party-friend group. If possible, don’t allow the groups to mix. One recommendation is to keep your business contacts on Linkedin and your party friends on Facebook.

To learn more about how to effectively leverage LinkedIn to advance your career, check out the ecourse “Leveraging Links to Get That Skip-Level Promotion”.

For a list of the 10 Tool to Advance Your Career, request using this link <HERE>.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

Best ways to show clients that they are appreciated

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

What’s the best way to show customers they are appreciated?

The first step is to fully understand your company policies in regards to customer gifts, rewards, recognitions, and tokens of appreciations. Most companies have clear procedures and limits on customer appreciation gives to avoid the perceptions of kickbacks and payback.

Once you understand the company policies, you have various options to explore.

The key to client appreciation is understanding what the client values.  In Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages, people respond to 5 different categories of appreciation: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time and Physical Touch. I have a presentation on how to translate these “love languages” into the workplace and customer appreciation venue. If you are interested in a group presentation on this topic, I would be happy to guest speak at your organization.

In the meantime, a relationship (whether a personal, professional or business relationship) is composed of one or more people.  Therefore, a show of the right kind of appreciation (the one that the client would value most) in any of those venues would work.  Dr. Chapman mentions that everyone has 2 dominant categories.  For example – if you know that your client feels appreciated (loved) with words of affirmation and Acts of Service – you would best be served by giving them a plaque/award with some fanfare or a special “Done For You” complimentary service.   On the other hand, if your client doesn’t like to be put on stage and value their leisure time with their family above all else – then making them spend their leisure time to accept an award in front of people would have the opposite effect. He/she would resent being there.

Understanding the proper acts that make them feel appreciated (or loved) is the key to a successful client appreciation program.  Then selecting items that fit one of their dominate profiles would win the day.

The appreciation doesn’t have to be expensive, just valuable. For example, if your client owns a restaurant, then periodically taking your department to lunch at their establishment is of great value. Purchasing gift certificates from their shops to give as client appreciation gifts to other customers is of great value. Creating testimonials about their service and establishments would be of great value.

The key is to be in-tuned with what your client values.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

Navigating Office Politics

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  .  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

How women can navigate office politics while staying professional,

Looking for career experts to offer advice on how women can navigate office politics while staying professional, staying focused on their career goals, etc.

Regardless of whether you are male or female, the most effective way to get ahead in an office environment is to do the following:

1)    Avoid gossip, rumors and negative judgments. Stay professional at all times.

2)    Stay in control of your emotions. Stay calm and don’t take anything personally. If you feel yourself becoming emotional, excuse yourself and regain your composure and confidence. (I have some great tips on how to regain your composure without leaving the room as well).

3)    Consistently quantify your results and performance toward the company goals, mission and visions.

4)    Publicize your results in metrics of $$:  increased revenue or decreased costs; increased customer satisfaction or reduce time to market.

5)    Think like the owner and treat the company like your company, regardless of your job title.  Take the initiative beyond your defined title, role and responsibilities.  Be responsible for creating leads, sales, promotions and illustrating that your company is the thought leader in their field.  Companies are in the business to make money.

6)    Compliment, acknowledge and publically recognize other team member’s contributions to your successes.

7)    Become an effective business networker, team lead and team builder toward the company’s bottom line.  Recognize that you can accomplish more with a complementary team or entourage around you.  If your manager is the only one that knows your value, you are doing a disservice to yourself.

In general, when you continue to focus on the larger corporate picture, you will be able to stay unattached to temporary situations and avoid many of the in-fighting and politics.   Start solving the higher-level, Big Picture, COMMON GOALS instead of the silos and individual project concerns.  Focus on the company WIN versus individual wins.

 If you are interested in a more detail program on these things, we have offer several intensive workshops from the 6 Critical Training Areas. (Technical Mastery, Exceptional Performance, Business Networking That Makes the Difference, True Leadership – the transformation from Worker Bee to Queen Bee, Communication that Matters, The Difference between playing with time and controlling it).

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

Overcoming Your First Mistake At A New Job

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

 

Overcoming Your First Mistake At A New Job

What advice do you have for new hires having to own up to their first big mistake on the job? Is there a professional way to apologize? What is the best way to bounce back after making a mistake?

 

First recommendation is to relax. Everyone that starts a new job is focused on making a good impression. We all want to prove that they were right to hire you. Everyone would be a little nervous about making a mistake. The good news is that everyone makes mistakes. It’s just that we feel more vulnerable at a new job, versus when we’ve been at a position for awhile. So my first recommendation is to relax.

Next is to avoid the term “mistake” and replace it with the idea that you were trying something new. Professionals makes “mistakes” when they are trying something new, experimenting, and stretching beyond their comfort zone. This is a good thing. People that never make mistakes are not growing, exploring or evolving. Every action or decision that you take merely generates more data and results. The results are either moving you closer to your goals OR giving you more data that will get you toward your goal.

The last concept is that your mistake doesn’t ruin your reputation.  It’s how you respond to your mistake that makes or breaks you in the eyes of your coworkers and employer.  By taking the initiative to correct, improve and eliminate the repetition of that same mistake is always a good step.  By creating an automated procedure, utility, better documenting the steps, or sharing the knowledge with others not only stops you from repeating the error but stops everyone that follows you.
Think like the owner of the company.  What would the business owner like to see come from this situation?

Under no circumstances would you try to cover up or blame someone else for the error. Taking responsibility for a situation isn’t taking the blame. Taking responsibility is actually being able to respond to the situation (response – able). Being able to respond to any difficult situation is a sign of a leader.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

Mono-tasking Versus Multi-tasking

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

Multitasking is out, mono-tasking is in. But how do we learn to focus on just one task at a time? Looking for practical workplace tips on mono-tasking and efficiency.

One recommendation is to realize that “multi-tasking” and “mono-tasking” is really the same thing.   You can only fully focus on one thing at a time. You can only be effective on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking just means that you are churning from one task to the other – but still you are only focused on one item at a time. It’s just that you are only focused on that one item a very short amount of time. You are only fully engaged in that one task for only a few moments. In my opinion, the false encouragement of multitasking supports attention disorder. We proudly announce that we are an expert in multi-tasking – when you are trying to express that you are very organized and able to project manage various tasks. The skill is not in the switching and churning from task to task. It’s not the ability to do multiple tasks at the same time. The organizational skill is in the efficiency, accuracy and quality in which you complete your tasks on time and within budget.

Mono-tasking is merely extending the length of time that you elect to focus on a task or item. Mono-tasking, like any skill, takes practice.   The key to stay focused on a task until its appropriate conclusion is to break the task into manageable mini-tasks.

This is described in more detail in the Sprint and Buffer strategy in the Professional Development Toolkit online course. For more information on this ecourse, follow this link <Professional Development Toolkit>

Once you have your tasks split into mini, self-contained tasks (as described in the Sprint and Buffer method), the next step is to take control of your time and calendar.

Here are some additional suggestions:
1) Make proper use of your “do not disturb” signs on your office door, your instant messages and your phone.  Educate people on when they can and can not disturb them.

2) Schedule regular meetings.  Take the time to setup quick (regularly scheduled) meetings with your entourage and staff.  If people know they will be meeting with you every Tuesday for 10 minutes, they tend to hold all their issues until that date/time – eliminating interruptions.

3) Use Sprint and Buffers:  If you are having problem focusing all day on one task, split the task into mini-tasks with breaks or buffers between the mini-tasks.  Then you can switch to a different task or area in between those mini-tasks for some variety.

4) Set the timer.  If you can’t focus for a long time on something without getting distracted, set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes.  Stay focused on that task until the timer goes off. Often times when you know, in advance, how much time you have to work on something – you become more productive and focused. Often times when you set yourself a time limit to get something done, you challenge yourself to get it done before the timer. Make it a game.

5) Use the timer to distract yourself back to work.  If you take longer breaks then you intend, use the timer to bring you back to work.  For example, if you take a break with social media or internet searching – you can often allow time to get away from you.  By setting the timer for 10 or 15 minutes – the alarm will distract you back to reality.  This allows you to take those spontaneous side-tracks without getting lost in time.

6) Implement the “parking lot” method (discussed in more detail in the Professional Development Toolkit) to jot down any extraneous and spontaneous ideas that come to you while you are focused on this particular task. This allows you to keep track of your great ideas AND still stay focused on what you need to accomplish “at this moment”. After you have completed your scheduled task, then review your parking lot items to prioritize and schedule quality time for those items.

7) If you feel that you cannot us the “do not disturb” solution because your manager is a micromanage, then you need to proactively ease his/her anxiety over the status of things. If you regularly and frequently provide status reports that anticipate issues and questions – you reduce his/her need to micromanagement, reduce interruptions; and increase the trust between you and your manager.

For more tips to realistic scheduling, check out the article “12 Tips to Realistic Schedule”. Download your copy <HERE>.


 I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

How to capitalize on your GENIUS

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. My background is in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

I have lots of knowledge to share. What are some ways to share my knowledge and get additional exposure as an expert in my field? 

 

Can do it any number of ways – Speak it, Write it, Perform it.

JUST GET IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD!

 

Speak it: audio, webcam video

Write it: Articles, blogs, Tips, Interview

Perform it: brown bag lunches, professional organizations, Youtube it

  • Once you have it out of your head – you can productize it any number of ways.
  • Slap a graphic or slide deck to an audio, and you have a video
  • Put your speaker notes into your slide desk presentation and you have an ebook
  • Take your article and split it into digestible tips and you have your social media postings

Full list of the things you can do can be found in my Capitalizing On Your Genius Cheat Sheet at

http://eepurl.com/Vy0-n

Why should I do this? – If you’re the only one that knows how smart you are, what good are you – really?

 

Everyone already knows this stuff. It’s common sense – You’ll be surprised how uncommon, common sense is. Regardless – some people will know it, and some will not. Some people will be interested and some will not. So what? You’ll never know who will be interested in what you have to share if you never share it.

 

Others can say it better: So what? You can’t get better without practice.
I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

How to get a good reference.

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

Is there any specific way to ask for a reference (i.e., is it more appropriate to do over email, or over the phone, or in person?) – Who should you ask for a reference? (i.e., can you only ask your boss or is it appropriate to ask a colleague or someone you worked with on a different team?) – What are some ways to gently coach your reference? – If you are let go from a job, what’s the best way to get a decent reference? – If you didn’t get along with your boss, are there any good ways to get a decent reference? – What if your past company’s policy is that HR will only verify employment? Should you ask your boss or colleagues for a reference anyway?

 Whether you are going after references or testimonials, it’s good to have at least 3-5 references that show your breathe and depth of responsibility and aptitude.

Consider having at least one reference in each of the following:

 

1) Manager or 2nd Line Manager:  doesn’t have to be your boss, any manager that knows your value and contribution to the company’s bottom line.

 

2) Co-worker – to illustrate team work, cooperation and collaboration.

 

3) Client – to illustrate quality and attentiveness to service; as well as creativity and problem solving skills.

 

If you are a business owner, consider the following categories

1)    Current client

2)    Current sponsor or investor

3)    Current vendor

 

Depending on your desired next position (or business opportunity) – select references that will highlight the traits that you want to promote. For example, if you are currently an assistant teacher and you are going after a graphics designer of training materials; highlight your presentation skills and training portfolio. Highlight the graphics you created for the training materials versus the overseeing of children during lunch.

If you are a developer and you are going after a manager of developers and testers, highlight your team leadership skills and collaboration skills with the developers, testers, sales, technical writers and managers. Highlight your on time delivery, coordination and project management skills versus the ability to program in less time and code lines than anyone else. Be selective and strategic in the skills you highlight.

One way to coach your references – is to actually supply them with a template or sample version.  This saves them time and allows you to emphasize what you want them to emphasize.  They can modify as they see fit – but you have made it easier for them to do what you want.

 As for finding reference after you have lost your job – I always recommend collecting references and testimonial every time you accomplish or achieve something significant. Collect the references throughout your career – don’t wait until you need it. This is what your Professional Career Press Kit is all about. For details on what is and how to create a Professional Career Press Kit, setup a one-on-one consult or take advantage of the eCourse The Professional Development Toolkit.

For a list of the 10 Tool to Advance Your Career, request using this link <HERE>.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

How to Spot a Bad Boss in the Interview

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This question came in from a professional wanting to advance in his career.
How can you tell in the interview that your boss is going to be horrible?
One recommendation is to remove the idea of “a Bad Boss”.  Instead, realize that there are various management styles that you work better with.  Once you understand that it’s just a matter of management styles, write down the management style in which you excel and perform best.  Identify the traits and environments that you work best.
REPEATING Important Concept: Instead of focusing on what makes someone a “Bad Boss” – focus on what helps you work at your best.

Once you have done this self-awareness discovery session, then you can easily come up with questions that will help you decide if this is the place for you.

For example – if you realize that you are the type of person that needs lots of direction (just starting out in this industry), explicit steps, and someone to review your work, then asking questions to see if the interview is a “hands-off” manager, a “mentor/coach” manager or a micro-manager.  You can find out about their training, orientation and mentoring/buddy program.

If you are more experienced and need more autonomy, you can ask questions about opportunities for you to mentor/coach/train other people in the group.  You can ask about team lead positions, etc.

Once again – I recommend and encourage high performers to avoid focusing on what you do not want “a Bad Boss” – and focus on what you DO want.  This means that you need to do some serious self-assessment to understand what type of environment will help you perform at your best.

If you need help in identify the proper work environment for you, what do you sign up for a discovery strategy session.  That way, I can find out more about your specific situation and can give you some next step recommendations.  You can easily sign up for a complimentary session at https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ

 

When hiring, should I prioritize relevant non-startup experience, or general creativity and critical thinking?

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When hiring for my start-up: should I prioritize relevant non-startup experience, or general creativity and critical thinking?

Right now, I am interviewing potential hires for my start-up. Since my company is young, we could definitely use some fresh ideas and sharp minds to help grow our business. However, it would also be great to hire one or more individuals with industry-specific experience. Would it be a good idea to hire some employees for their expertise and some for their general creativity/skills, or should I just pursue those with the “total package”?

 

My best advice is to start with an all-star that can hit the ground running. Cash flow is king. Strategically add employees with very measured and strategically planned skill sets as you grow.

As you strategically add to your team, it will become clear what complementary skills, personalities and talents you will need to fill in the gaps.
One item that you, as the owner, need to be very clear in is describing your ideal working environment and team. Once you can clearly visualize the personalities, skills, talents and passions that you really want – the right people will start to appear. Don’t wait to “know it when you see it”. Your job is to “know it so you can recognize it”.

Visualize your team from the start.  Imagine the exact atmosphere, energy and professionalism that you want.  Be able to taste it and feel it.  Once you can do that – this particular question will become irrelevant.