Are you looking for an experienced project manager for your PMO? Or perhaps you just need some experienced PM help part-time or for a short time or for a one-off project. I am a very experienced leader of tech teams and projects and can help you tomorrow - not next month. Let's connect. 

I am available for 1 on 1 mentoring, team discussions, analyzing and fixing your PMO, or coming onboard as your newest Project Manager. Contact me or email me and tell me what you need.

I  can be available immediately if needed. I bring over 20 years of successful tech project management experience and a deep knowledge base in best practices. Private and public sector experience. High level security clearance obtainable - have held FBI level security clearance and Nevada Gaming Card. Contact me or email me.

• Named #1 in the "100 Most Inspiring People in Project Management"
• Named the #1 Provider of Project Management Content in the World
• Named #1 on the Best Project Management Blogs to Follow in 2022

Do you need long term or one-off expert project management help right now? I am a very experienced tech project manager with more than 20 years of successful project management experience. I can be available immediately and I can do remote or onsite, full-time or part-time, W2 or 1099. Contact me by email or through my contact form here. Let's discus. Thanks!

My motto is:

"You're only as successful as your last customer thinks you are..."

What does your organization look for in a project management leader?  A 'yes' man? Do you want someone who will listen to you and do exactly what you ask them to do? Hopefully not.  My clients are intelligent and experienced, but they don't always know exactly what they need.  They often don't even know for sure exactly what they want - though they may think that they do.

That might be the case for you as well.

If you decide to seek out my services, what you will get is an experienced professional who is more interested in actually understanding your true needs, how you got to where you are now, and what will satisfy you in the end.

It's not about 'phoning it in' on a project.  It's not always about getting it done in 'x' amount of time, either.  But it IS always about customer satisfaction.  It's about giving you - the customer - something you can live with and be happy with and that your end users can actually use.

View my resume

View my LinkedIn profile

Highlights:

• Led enterprise implementations for a growing healthcare organization offering health management systems
• Led enterprise IWMS (TRIRIGA) implementations for Fortune 500 companies and large government entities
• Authored 7,000+ expert PM, cybersecurity, consulting, business strategy, & best practices articles for clients worldwide
• Authored dozens of eBooks & white papers on project management, VDI, consulting and biz strategy topics
• Managed projects and programs in excess of $50 million
• Directed all remote corporate operations and staff for a $300 million global IT services organization
• Managed all activities and relationship with technology company's largest gaming & hospitality customer
• Led corporate technical staff supporting all casino & hospitality and lodging data systems
• Managed all financial activities for $50 million federal contract including pricing, forecasting and reporting
• Forecasted, planned and managed staff budgets more than $500,000
• Pioneered and implemented project management practices for a $2 billion corporation
• Led teams on successful proposal efforts for over $100 million in federal contracts

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My Noteworthy accomplishments:​​

• Named the #1 Provider of Project Management Content in the World
• 2021 MVP Award winning article on Project Management Update - 7 Key Considerations for Building the Perfect PMO
• Named #1 on the Best Project Management Blogs to Follow in 2022
• Named the #1 Project Management Blog to Follow in 2021
• Year-end 2021 Named one of the Top 11 Blogs to Follow
• Project Management Roundup: The Best of 2021
• ​Named #1 of the Top Eight Blogs to Follow Right Now
• Named #1 Project Management Blog to Follow in 2020
• Named #1 in the "100 Most Inspiring People in Project Management"
• Named #9 on the 130 Top Project Management Influencers of 2020
• Named #6 on the 25 Project Management Blogs You Should be Reading

In Greek mythology, it was foretold that the warrior Achilles would die at an early age. When he was an infant, his mother decided to dip him in a divine river that was supposed to make him invulnerable. However, because she dipped him holding his heel, that part of his body didn't touch the water. Achilles eventually died from an arrow shot to his heel, hence the expression "Achilles' heel." A weakness, despite overall strength, can lead to a downfall.

I am recovering from a ruptured Achilles, a long process after surgery and rehab, and it got me thinking: What is the Achilles' heel of cybersecurity? What is the one thing that can lead to a downfall or exposure despite the overall strength of controls? There are several, of course, but if one tries to take away situation-based or incident-based options and focus on those that stay constant over the long term, the choices narrow down.

I believe the Achilles' heel of cybersecurity is "complexity." I don't mean the complexity of the technology environment we are trying to protect or the complexity of threats. Instead, the Achilles' heel is the complexity of the cybersecurity controls we have deployed.

The top two reasons for the complexity are good reasons that most risk managers would have done in their organizations.

1. React. Control systems are enhanced as risk managers react to changes in business, technology and threats. At that point in time, the changes are justified and needed. Over time, however, the control system resembles a collection of these changes.

2. Need for the best. We look for the best or next-gen control solutions; the benefits of these enviable technologies are just too enticing. After all, we all want to work with the best there is. We then create a complex system of current-gen and next-gen systems.

Both of these are good reasons, but they end up creating the Achilles' heel, which can become the weakness despite the overall system being strong. The obvious thing to do would be to execute a "simplifying cybersecurity program." The program could include components like collapsing the stack, integrating, automating, orchestrating, etc.

However, the simplifying program itself can make the system more complex. Instead, I would suggest an approach that starts with calling out "complexity" as a risk and mitigating it—a simplified approach to reducing complexity.

• Step 1: Determine if your control complexity is a risk and rate it. If the complexity is not high, move on to other battles.
• Step 2: Isolate control elements that are causing the complexity. Create a list of controls contributing to the complexity and identity a high-level complexity reduction strategy for each.
• Step 3: Sort the list by the ease of implementing the strategy, with the easiest on the top.
• Step 4: Implement the top three and go back to Step 1.
Measuring and rating complexity can be complex. Several algorithms and methods focus on measuring the complexity of processes, modules, etc. However, we need to find a quick and easy way to be approximately right rather than precisely wrong.

Pick the top five objectives or goals and write down the steps or actions needed. For example, if the goal is critical vulnerabilities on high-value assets, it should be mitigated with a fix or compensating control within five days. This includes:

• Identifying high-value assets.
• Finding critical vulnerabilities that impact them.
• Identifying controls or a workaround to mitigate.
• Implementing the measures or tracking them.
• Verifying that the mitigation measure is effective.

For each step, we could need multiple process elements, tools, service providers or functional groups—I am calling them nodes. For example, the nodes for the identification of high-value assets are asset inventory tool No. 1; asset inventory tool No. 2; Excel sheet; and manual updates from business group 1 and business group 2. That's five nodes.

Complexity risk is high if we cannot write down definitive answers for each step or if one or more steps have more than five nodes. The risk is medium if we have answers for each step, with a maximum of four nodes per step. The risk is low if we have answers, with only a maximum of three nodes per step.

The method and the numbers can vary so long as we can quickly rate complexity in a way to see the impact of it reducing as we go through the process. A complexity reduction strategy could start with reducing the number of nodes for each step.

After executing the four steps a couple of times, determine where the cybersecurity controls complexity risk is now. If the risk is low, you can celebrate! If the risk is medium, you'll want to run the four steps a few more times. If the risk is high, then it's time for the extensive "simplifying cybersecurity program."
​
Simplifying is hard, and complicating is easy. That's how we humans are wired.

Commentary: Looking to buy a new Windows or Mac laptop? You'll first want to consider Chromebooks, too.

Let me insert here that my go-to is still my Macbook - love it and can't live without it. But I have a Chromebook that I won, actually, and I forced myself to use it daily and get used to it and it is now a great - and very lightweight - backup machine for me. Three of my kids have Chromebooks as well and use and abuse them daily and they have been durable and great - no issues at all. - Brad Egeland

Due to the uptick in remote learning and working during the pandemic, a lot of people are now aware of the world of Chromebooks. It's likely because of this that I spent more time fielding questions about them from family and friends than I have since they first launched in 2011.

Chromebooks have been around for more than 10 years now and a lot has changed. Most of my Chromebook conversations are with people buying them for kids, but these Q&A sessions regularly end with them asking "Should I buy one for myself?" And the stock answer is usually, "It depends on your needs." But after a little digging, many people realize they don't need to do any more than what can be done on a Chromebook. 

A common argument against getting a Chromebook is that you can do so much more with a real computer -- i.e., a laptop running on MacOS, Windows or a Linux distro. This is generally true, but again, many people don't need to do more. What can be done with web, Linux and Android apps on Chromebooks are increasingly more than enough to get through your day-to-day tasks. 

Is a Chromebook enough for me?Not sure if a Chromebook is right for you? Start by making a list of exactly what you need to do on a computer. Include what you'd like to do, too. If everything on your list is done in a web browser, congratulations, Chromebooks are a perfect fit. 

So many things, especially when it comes to productivity tasks like word processing and spreadsheets, can happen in a browser or with a web app. Web apps are essentially website bookmarks that look like mobile apps on a phone or tablet and Google has a web store full of them. More feature-rich web apps, called progressive web apps or PWAs, actually function like full mobile apps letting you do things like use them offline, store files locally and let you receive updates and notifications. Microsoft Office is available for Chromebooks as PWAs, for example.

If you can't find a web app to meet your needs, all modern Chromebooks can run Android apps, too, from the Google Play store. It's basically this combination and some other key Chrome OS features (I'll get to those in a sec) that make Chromebooks an easier recommendation than they were even just a few years ago. 

What's good about Chromebooks? Price is one of the big things that makes Chromebooks so attractive. While premium models start at around $500, you can find excellent options for everyday use for $200 to $300. One of my favorite inexpensive models, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, sells for less than $300. It's a two-in-one Chromebook with a detachable keyboard cover so it can be used as a tablet or a laptop. With its USI pen support, you can draw and take notes on the screen. You can connect a Bluetooth gaming controller to it and play Android games on it. 

Speaking of gaming, while you won't be able to play the latest PC games directly from a Chromebook, game-streaming services like Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now make gaming possible. Also, Google and game-maker Valve have developed a way to install and play older PC games on Chromebooks via Valve's Steam game store. And, again, you can play Android and browser-based games on them, too. Apps for services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, YouTube and YouTube Music are also available so there are plenty of entertainment options. 

Also, some of the same reasons Chromebooks are good for schools and businesses make them excellent family computers. Everyone in the family can have separate Google accounts and signing in gives them access to only their stuff and not yours. Accounts for kids can be managed with Google Family Link. It's nearly impossible for Chromebooks to be corrupted with viruses or other malware. And if it isn't running quite right, you can reset it with Chrome's Powerwash feature and in a couple of minutes, the system is clean and fresh. 

Read more: Laptop vs. Chromebook: What's the Difference and Which Works Best for You

Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook 2 delivers a premium Chrome experience.
Josh Goldman/CNETGoogle regularly updates the OS for security and adding new features and installs are quick and painless. And if you're an Android user, there's even more reason to pick up a Chromebook. Chrome's Phone Hub feature makes it easier than ever for the two devices to work together. 
There is one thing to be aware of in regard to updates, though. Google Chrome devices have an Auto Update Expiration date. Non-Google hardware is only supported for so long before it stops receiving Chrome OS and browser updates. For models released in 2020, the date is roughly seven to eight years from the initial release of the device, but that's not always the case. Google maintains a list of AUE dates for all models and it's definitely worth checking before you buy a Chromebook, new or used. 

What can I do with a Chromebook?A hurdle for some is the need to run Microsoft Office or some other native Windows or Mac software. There are progressive web app versions of Office software that look and behave just like the Office 365 mobile apps. You'll want to be sure all the tools you need are available online or in the apps before making the switch, though. Take this same approach with every application on your list that is a must-have.

For example, if you need a laptop to run full Adobe Creative Cloud software like InDesign and Photoshop, a Chromebook's not a good fit. Adobe does have limited versions of CC apps for Android that are supported on Chromebooks, so depending on what exactly you're doing you might be able to get by. Again, though, Chromebooks are not natively compatible with software for Windows or Mac. 

That said, software maker Parallels now makes Parallels for Chrome for Chrome Enterprise. It allows you to run full-featured Windows applications. It is mainly for business users, though, and not the best option for regular consumer use.

You can also use a Chromebook and its Chrome Remote Desktop to connect to other computers with the Chrome browser installed on them. Remote Desktop only takes a few minutes to set up and can be used as a workaround for accessing Windows and Mac software on a Chromebook. You can also use it to give tech support to family and friends or share your computer with them so they can securely access your apps and files. 

Chromebooks have grown up a lot in the past 10 years and while they're not a solution for everyone or for everything, they do meet the needs of a lot of laptop buyers now.

by Joshua Goldman/CNet
July 2, 2022 11:00 a.m. PT
5 min read

Often, at the core of an organization’s successful project management infrastructure, is a solidly structured, well run project management office or PMO. I’ve seen PMOs constructed only to fail and be redesigned…and fail again – sometimes within a 1-2 year window in the same organization. Over time, I’ve come to realize – after witnessing failures as well as successes, that there are several necessary ingredients that must go into the PMO in order for it to be effective in the organization, meet its overall goals, and realize success in project oversight and project manager development. From my experience and perspective, these key ingredients are:


Strong leadership


I feel strongly that the PMO needs to be led by a true PMO Director, not just another PM who leads but spends most of his time also leading projects. This individual needs to be focused on the career development of the project managers in the group, ensuring communication and knowledge sharing is happening regularly, knocking down barriers that get in the way of project successes, and being that critical liaison with the executive management in the organization. A PMO Director who is stretched too thin leading the group AND managing several projects will have trouble succeeding at either.


Executive buy-in


If you build a PMO and you don’t have executive support you might as well close up shop immediately. I was part of a PMO at a major Fortune 500 organization and we were actually at war with another competing group to be the project leaders in the organization. Is it any wonder we failed miserably? Everyone lost. Six months later we were building a new PMO only to see it also fail due to weak leadership and poor structure. Senior management buy-in is absolutely necessary or there’s no reason to continue.


Staffed with experienced PMs


Staffing your PMO with PMP certified project managers sounds good, but PMP certification is no guarantee for success. Seeking and hiring PMP-certified project managers is a good place to start, but it should definitely not be the only hiring objective. You must have PMs who have led projects and know how to make good decisions and can interface successfully with their teams and their customers.


The PMO must contain several project managers with experience in leadership roles and many successful projects under their belt. It is also a good recipe for success to have a mix of junior and senior level project managers allowing the more senior project managers to mentor the junior staff as your organization seeks to grow its own PM talent.


Solid methodology with repeatable processes and templates


A well-stocked PMO full of experienced and well-trained project managers need templates, processes, policies, etc. to follow. In short, they need a good project management methodology to lead the way. Without these, you’re essentially leaving project successes to luck and that will never lay the groundwork for ongoing project management success in an organization. A consistent process with reusable templates for project plans and documents will give your project managers the tools they need to run successful projects. Having full-featured management tools at it’s disposal – for example a web-based agile project management tool that allows teams to collaborate and manage task assignments, can breed project ownership and successful communication throughout the project engagement.


Visible in the organization


Finally, the PMO must be visible in the organization in order to be successful. Internal groups and executive management must know it exists and that it is the ‘official’ PM group to run projects through and that it is established and successful. The PMOs visibility can be maintained primarily by doing the following:

• Reporting project portfolio status on a regular basis and in a meaningful and useful format so that executive management realizes the PMOs value
  
• Implementing solid PMO practices to ensure that the high-visibility customers are happy and referenceable and the high-visibility projects are successful
  
• Inviting executive leadership to regularly attend weekly PMO meetings and sit in on project status meetings for the critical, high-visibility projects
  
• Managing project budgets thoroughly and reporting budget status up through executive leadership to show bottom-line PMO and Project Manager value
  

With the pace of economic growth slowing and inflation at a multi-decade high, that has led many people living in the U.S. to start entertaining the “R” word: recession. In 2022 we’ve experienced what’s being coined a “technical recession,” or two consecutive quarters of negative growth in GDP (gross domestic product). President Joe Biden, however, has—so far—had a more optimistic outlook, saying the U.S. isn’t yet in a recession.

Whenever we do inevitably enter another recession, certain industries and types of businesses typically still grow, including health care, food, and transportation. Recession-proof businesses or industries are those that are more resistant to the economic effects of a downturn than others. And one industry that the average consumer may not think of as thriving during a recession is cybersecurity. 

“I believe cybersecurity is practically a recession-proof industry,” Cybersecurity Ventures founder Steve Morgan tells Fortune. “For organizations of any type or size globally, cybersecurity is mandatory. Without digital protection, a business will go out of business. Given the market demand, for anyone with cybersecurity experience, they are assured of good employment.”

Between 2013 and 2021, the number of open cybersecurity jobs worldwide grew 350% from 1 million to 3.5 million, according to Cybersecurity Ventures’ Boardroom Cybersecurity 2022 Report. In the U.S. alone, there were around 715,000 jobs yet to be filled as of November 2021, according to a report by Emsi Burning Glass (now Lightcast), a market research company. Additionally, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that global spending on cybersecurity products and services between 2021 and 2025 will accumulate to $1.75 trillion.

“I don’t believe there’s any industry which is recession-proof, but I think that if there’s one industry which might be recession-proof it’s probably cybersecurity,” Adi Dar, CEO and founder of cybersecurity firm Cyberbit, tells Fortune. “Everyone is trying to recruit. Everyone is trying to hire. I think that it’s going to take years and years until maybe part of the gap is closed. I’m not sure it’s ever going to be completely closed.”

Companies need cyber protection

Cyberattacks are becoming more prevalent. The average number of attempted cyberattacks per company rose 31% between 2020 and 2021, to 270 attacks, according to Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Report 2021. The average number of successful attacks per company was 29 in 2021, up from 22 the prior year. 

Because data and digital services are critical to business operations, it’s “imperative” to protect company assets, says Danny Allan, chief technology officer of data protection firm Veeam. 

“I believe that the cybersecurity industry is largely insulated from market downturns,” he tells Fortune. “Additionally, we are seeing increased focus on compliance and regulatory oversight from the public and the board during times of economic challenges.”

In fact, Cybersecurity Ventures’ Boardroom Security report also shows a growing need to focus on cybersecurity in the board of directors. By 2025, 35% of Fortune 500 companies will have board members with cybersecurity experience, and by 2031 that will climb to more than 50%, according to the report. In 2021, just 17% of these companies had board members with cyber experience.

“Cybersecurity is the only line item that theoretically has no spending limit,” Morgan explains. “There is a budget before a company suffers a cyberattack or a series of them, and then there’s the actual spend that takes place afterward. What business isn’t going to do and spend whatever it takes to recover from being hacked?”

The cybersecurity industry needs to “catch up”

While we’ve seen vast growth in the cybersecurity industry that has seemingly no slowdown in sight, it’s still an industry that’s in its “infancy,” explains Mark Sasson, managing partner of Pinpoint Search Group, a cybersecurity recruitment firm.

“If we’re defining recession-proof as ‘no impact to the industry,’ I would say no, cybersecurity is not recession-proof,” he tells Fortune. “While the industry will surely continue to grow over time, the massive growth we’ve seen in the past couple of years is a symptom of an industry in its infancy needing to catch up to motivated threat actors.”

The huge cybersecurity talent gap worldwide is more a consequence of not having enough people with the skills necessary to fill these jobs as opposed to the result of a thriving industry, Sasson says. 

“This catch-up game will likely last in perpetuity as threats will continue to evolve based on technological advancement,” he adds. “What this translates to is the need for constant innovation—and constant innovation requires investment.”

Time Tracking

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Project Requests

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Intelligent Scheduling

Intelligent project scheduling connects tasks so that when earlier tasks are rescheduled, remaining tasks are adjusted automatically.
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Project Templates
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