Macs 4 Cancer Kids is a great movement for a great cause - putting tech equipment in the hands of kids going through painful cancer treatments every day. You can help make their lives better and their lives easier by donating $$ and equipment (new or working used) that will help distract them with playing Minecraft or watching videos or doing online learning while they are receiving painful and nauseating treatment usually worse than you or I can imagine or when they are at home doing the same with immune systems sometimes so low that a cold could kill them or land them in the hospital for weeks.

I sit next to my 11 yr old son who has Leukemia - sometimes many times per week - and witness how hard these treatments can be. Some are vomiting, some are crying and screaming - and all are going through something unimaginable to most of us. Please help with your donations today.

Contact me today by email or through my contact form and I will work with you to make this happen ASAP. Tomorrow another 50+ kids will be treated at my son's clinic alone so please don't wait. Cancer doesn't wait and neither can they, but you can help. Please consider this carefully and also help spread this message through Twitter, LinkedIn or in your organizations. Thank you !!!

Have you ever been in a situation where you were reporting to a PMO director and you wonder what value this person brings to the table? You romanticize about how much more productive you would be if you didn’t have to jump through his hoops. Better yet, you consider how much better off you – and all the other PMs - would be if you were running the show. Or at least if you got to handpick his successor. Am I striking a chord here? Of course I am.


I’m going to state what I think a good PMO director needs to bring to the table. I’m hoping on the couple of occasions so far where I’ve run the show that I did bring these things to the table. At least I know I tried. And I will say that sometimes the organizational chemistry and process flow doesn’t always allow for the utopia that I’m going to describe. But getting somewhere close would be nice.


#1 – Manage the PMO, not a bunch of projects


The PMO director really needs to be a leader of people, not projects. I’m so tired of seeing PM’s who are spending most of their time leading the big projects also acting in the role of PMO director. It’s just not right. The PMO director needs to establish processes, identify training needs, knock down barriers, make connections, and fight for the PMO’s presence in the organization. He needs to be putting the proper tools in the hands of the PMs like reusable templates, the proper planning documents and an easy to use project management tool like Dooster or some similar tool that makes project collaboration easy. It’s how the viability of the PM processes is maintained. You can’t rely on the CEO to suddenly think what you’re doing matters. Not when so many projects fail or have major issues. No, someone must be championing the organization. That’s the director. If he’s leading five projects of his own, he can’t do that. No one can.


#2 – Know your organization


The PMO director must know the organization. He must know how get information, favors, resources, and support. Unless it’s a startup situation, it’s very difficult to bring in an outsider as the director and have them be immediately useful. It’s better to bring outsiders in as PMs and promote a good leader to this role.


#3 – Care about the PM’s, not the politics


The PMO director must be ready to fight for the project managers in the PMO like the PMs fight for their customers. I’m sorry, but if I’m being pulled two ways – one way by senior management and one way by the customer – it’s usually going to be the customer’s concerns that I react to first. Likewise, the PMO director should be more concerned about his organization and fighting for it rather than playing a lot of politically games for senior management – unless that is in the best interests of the PMO itself. So many PMOs fail, they need a strong leader fighting to keep it viable.


#4 – Communicate well


Above all else – just like with any project manager – the PMO director must be a great communicator. Company policies, processes, planning, etc. must all come from this individual. And he must be a good listener because there are lots of project issues that arise that PMs need help with. Their success must be his utmost concern.


Conclusion


So, can I fire my PMO director? Well, sort of. If the needs of the project managers are not being met and if the PMO is faltering because of a lack of organized, efficient, and effective leadership, then waiting will only mean projects will fail. Customers will be lost. The company bottom line will take a huge hit. And so will careers. Staying quiet is not in anyone’s best interest. If it’s a common feeling (and not just your own grudge) that the PMO leadership is ineffective, it must be taken up the chain of command. And yes, then you can fire your PMO director. It would be your duty to do so.

After saying it was a possibility the Oakland A’s could play out of Las Vegas Ballpark on a temporary basis, team president Dave Kaval walked back that assertion, saying that it was more of a hypothetical statement.

Speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kaval praised the home of the Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A West) and said they were looking at the 10,000-capacity ballpark as a temporary home while a new ballpark is built:

“That’s something we’re exploring as a possibility, because it’s hard to know how long these things are going to take,” said A’s president Dave Kaval. “We would have to understand all the different options and when things could occur. But since there is such a state-of-the-art facility already there, it’s at least an option.”

Las Vegas Ballpark is indeed a state-of-the-art facility–for a Triple-A ballpark. We’ve sung its praises in past years, and in a few ways, such as its expansive player facilities, it’s actually a better facility than the Oakland Coliseum. But at the end of the day it is a Minor League Baseball ballpark. The stated capacity is indeed 10,000, but that would mean cramming every ballpark nook and cranny with SRO fans. There are 22 suites, and the club level seats 400–hardly MLB numbers. (The number of actual seats is closer to 8,000.) That expansive concourse with one large concession stand would soon be cluttered–all that lovely space in front of the team store would likely end up crammed with multiple points of sale–and the SRO theme would need to be extended to the outfield spaces. The pool experience is diminished with lots of people splashing about.

So, upon further reflection, the idea of Las Vegas Ballpark as a temporary MLB ballpark may not be the best of ideas–which is why Kaval walked them back in a San Francisco Chronicle interview:

“There’s no real planning that’s gone into that per se,” Kaval said in a phone interview Friday. “But I think in general if it was required, like maybe for a gap year before (a new Las Vegas stadium) was done, I think it’s possible, only because that facility is so state of the art and top notch, and you don’t always have something like that that’s a $150 million facility in its own right.”

The Aviators’ park is modern but was built as a minor-league venue. Kaval acknowledged moving the A’s into what is now a Triple-A ballpark would not be the team’s decision alone.

“It would have to be something that Major League Baseball would endorse and approve,” Kaval said. “But I think in terms of if it was a short-term option, and it was necessary because there were no other options, I think it would probably be considered. Look at what’s happened this year with the Blue Jays and things like that. There have been other examples of that in the recent era that have kind of been similar or probably even lesser experiences than what that would be.”

Maybe not the best example here: The Blue Jays are fleeing Sahlen Field the first chance they get. And there’s always another option: spending one last season at the Coliseum. But we are a long, long ways from there.

Meanwhile, the A’s are planning a fourth trip to Vegas to discuss ballpark possibilities on July 21-22–not so coincidentally, right after a non-binding vote on a proposed Howard Terminal waterfront ballpark from the City Council. It looks like the focus for the Athletics is shifting to suburban Henderson, where two sites are in the team’s sights, per the Review-Journal: a site near the Galleria at Sunset mall just off U.S. Highway 95, and the other is near the M Resort around St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard, just off Interstate 15..
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Henderson has indeed worked to attract sports teams to the area, including a new arena for the Vegas Silver Knights AHL team and the Las Vegas Raiders training facility. But neither is close to the scale of what a billion-dollar ballpark would entail, and Henderson is a little off the beaten path when it comes to the Vegas metropolitan area. That begs the question: who do the A’s expect to attend games? If it’s locals, Henderson isn’t the most affluent part of the Vegas market. If it is tourists, good luck attracting fans that far off the Strip. But as far as meetings with heavyweights like Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, high-ranking reps from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, or business leaders with the local casino heavyweights like Caesars, MGM Resorts or Las Vegas Sands Corporation…they aren’t on the agenda.
from BallParkDigest

There is a new page on BradEgeland.com dedicated to my informal (for now) Macs 4 Cancer Kids foundation. I'm looking for people and organizations to donate new and used (hopefully in working order) iPads, MacBooks, MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs or even cash to support purchase of any needed repair items, batteries or power cords or possibly some of my support efforts for this undertaking.

For MacBooks, MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs it would be best if they were unibody models 2010 or newer and for iPads the best is 6th generation of newer. Otherwise, they are likely unable to run a viable version of the MacOS to be of much use. Email me if you have questions.

Please read this article and if you feel led to help or donate, contact me on my contact page or email me so we can connect. It's for a great cause - I've witnessed it through my own eyes... our 11 yr old son has Leukemia and I go with him to cancer clinic and my wife takes him for hospital stays and the positives of having available tech equipment like this to distract these kids is priceless. Please donate and/or spread the word... thank you!

When managing risks, several financial institutions tend to focus their energy and time on scheduled risk management. However, this limits the scope of risk management because it does not give them in-depth knowledge of the risks, and they will not know how to identify and manage the risks effectively.

What Is Risk Management?
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Risk management is the process of identifying, analyzing and mitigating or accepting that some investment decisions you make are uncertain. It is the measure of how volatile a market or stock is when compared to others. It mainly occurs when managers or investors analyze and calculate the probability of losing a particular investment and then taking the right actions.

Risk Management Strategies

Investments involve some amount of risk. Because of this, financial institutions such as banks and brokerage firms have used several strategies to manage risks. Strategies such as comprehensive risk assessment, risk-focused practices, and program development and implementation have helped financial intuitions stay on top of risk management. 

However, since the industry is constantly undergoing changes and uncertainty, you must execute new ways of managing and reducing risks. Traditional sources of profitability are also under pressure to include digital banking and develop a customer-centric approach. 

Failing to execute such a new approach may place the more traditional players at a competitive disadvantage. To safely adapt, they also need to align their business strategies with good risk management practices.

Note that since internal operating systems are becoming more driven by technology, the new ways of managing risks may require you or your institution to pay more attention to managing strategic risks. To manage risks effectively, you will have to:
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• Form ownership and governance for strategic risk management
• Make all stakeholders accountable for strategic risk management
• Establish review processes that will allow you to have challenge strategies and independent oversight linked to risk appetite setting
• Train risk management team in future risk management approaches 
• Have frameworks that help in assessing the impact of risk on crucial business variables

Remember, risks are quantifiable. Once you know and understand the various threats you face, you will know the right investment opportunities, and this will also help your investors make the right investment decisions.
 
Risks Management Skills Every Manager Should Have

Today, successful risk management requires more than just having the right strategies. Though the digital world has opened up new opportunities in the financial industry, it also comes with several risks. 
Risk managers need to know how to learn the different threats they can face and the right strategy to mitigate risks. To do this, they should have the right skills or traits. These skills include: 

• An eye for detail and sharp analytical skills to assess risks
• Deep financial knowledge and skills
• Good negotiating skills
• Ability to work under stress or pressure 
• Good communication and presentation skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of the industry and market
• Technical skills
• Strategic thinking

It is also ideal for risk managers to also hold an academic credential in risk and finance. Good knowledge of risks will ensure that risk managers and their teams can understand the trends and context of the risks by evaluating factors like the cause of the risk, the likelihood of a negative impact, level of preparedness, how to mitigate or manage the risk, and more.

The Impact of Technology on Risk Management

Risk management is based on data. Because of this, it is greatly influenced by technology and evolution. IT has helped facilitate the automation of various processes such as risk identification, monitoring, and more. 
A good risk management strategy should have better information and data to help organizations take the right actions against risks. Technology can also help you predict risks, and this will give you time to make informed decisions and take the right actions against risks. 

Several IT tools and applications have shaped industries and influenced risk management. These tools and applications include: 

• Automation tools like SharePoint, PowerPoint, and Excel that help in risk tracking and reporting
• Social Media to monitor reviews, content, customer satisfaction, and find valuable insights
• Data integration and analytics that can help in fraud management, money laundering, credit management, and integrated risk management
• Data mining techniques to identify fraud and predict future risks 
• Open data
• Cloud computing
• The internet of things (IoT) gives institutions more devices and sensors linked to the internet to help gather significant data
• Digital image processing
• Cybersecurity to protect data, programs, networks, and networks from breaches or attacks
• AI technology to help merge procedures, policies, Improve compliance and controls

The evolution in risk technology, computing, and other related developments in technology such as compliance (GRC) systems, mobile applications, governance, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and more are vital for risk management. These advancements in technology will influence your strategies and make them more effective. 

Final Word

It is vital to have proper risk management practices and programs to mitigate the adverse effects that the risks can have on the institution. This may involve identifying any potential risks in advance, analyzing them, including technology, and taking the right strategies or steps to eliminate them.

The unprecedented global health crisis is changing the way we work at truly astounding speeds.


Suddenly, whether by choice or necessity, many of us find ourselves negotiating the new reality of remote work. As a technology supplier to the creative community FunctionFox wondered how they could best support their current users, and make the transition to remote work easy, affordable, and intuitive for those that haven’t worked in this way before. With a recent survey* showing that up to 90% of creative companies are working remotely during the crisis, FunctionFox wondered how they could help teams to ride out the storm and prepare for recovery.


Starting Smart
Managing the transformation of a traditional to remote workforce raises several issues, not least of which is how to get started without adding to people’s workload or incurring excessive costs...

Basically, I want the leaders at these organizations to tell us in their own words “5 Reasons Why” we should be demo’ing or downloading a free trial or purchasing their software to use for some or all of our project related needs.

Think of it as their “elevator speech” if that’s all the time they really had to tell you why their software or service is great and you need to check it out.

​I did a series like this for several vendors on my site awhile back and many found it to be of great value to them and their search of that right tool to meet their team’s needs.. I wanted to bring it to a bigger stage because there are so many new, small, great players in the genre that many of us have never heard of. And many long-established software and service solutions that we had heard of but never tried. Plus, we are living in a world now that has seen the workforce change in terms of needs for remote work, virtual teams and extreme collaboration. You might find your organization’s needs will be met by one of these options…

I hope you find this series a rewarding and informative one to follow… I will be contributing new ones every week so keep an eye out for the next one. For now, we will start out with this great offering from MindGenius – an organization who I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with off and on for the past 5 years so I can vouch for their personnel and say they fully stand behind their product and for the product itself being something that I find to be being able to fill many needs of PM organizations and infrastructures. In fact, I won’t be including vendors who I do not personally feel good about or software I don’t believe to be worthy of this series.

Do you or your organization have older Mac equipment that basically works but isn't being used? Kids receiving cancer treatments can put it to good use.

Any iPads, or MacBooks or MacBook Airs or MacBook Pros just collecting dust or ready to get replaced? Cancer kids can put them to good use.

If your organization has any used but basically "working" MacBooks (regular, pros or airs), or iPads, please consider sending it to me for my "Macs for Cancer Kids" campaign (I can fix some things, but working is preferred). Contact me here or email me.

I've seen firsthand what kind of helpful distraction this type of equipment provides in clinics and hospitals when receiving painful and nauseating chemo treatments, transfusions and lumbar punctures.

My 11 year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia 16 months ago followed by many painful and nauseating clinic and hospital visits and more to come over the next several years including the above referenced blood lab work, transfusions and lumbar punctures. In fact, I'm sitting next to him at his cancer clinic right now while he receives treatment and I've witnessed two of his worst days since the initial treatment just after his original diagnosis and hospital stay over the past couple of days. 

It's no joy ride. But this equipment can help keep their minds off these painful procedures and distract them when they feel miserable with gaming like Minecraft, etc. It can also help them do their school work online when necessary because they often can't be in school with immune systems at zero during these necessary treatment years. Please consider and contact me through my contact form or just email me if you want to help and can help. Thank you!!