Lindenhurst, IL (July 5, 2010) – In today’s challenging and turbulent economy, organizations in the nonprofit sector are continually financially challenged to survive.  Hendon Group, Inc. (HG) announces today a pilot for Nonprofit organizations to receive a variety of professional and consulting services to assist with their Development and Communications Project Management needs.

As part of this announcement, HG is also announcing a Nonprofit Practice to deliver these services.  Today’s announced services are initially available to nonprofit sector organizations located in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area.

Colnese M. Hendon will be leading this effort in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN area.  Ms. Hendon has over 20 years of development/communications experience in the Twin Cities’ nonprofit sector, primarily within social services organizations serving diverse populations.  Her professional experience includes grant writing and related reports/correspondence, special events planning, media relations, and coordinating communications materials (annual reports, brochures, newsletters, etc.) for Pillsbury United Communities, The Urban Coalition, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, Sabathani Community Center, Wayside House, and The City, Inc.

Ms. Hendon’s educational background includes a BA degree in Professional Communications/Public Relations and an MA degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration (MPNA) from Metropolitan State University.  She also has a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy; a Certificate in Community Leadership from the University of St. Thomas’s Center for Nonprofit Management; and a Certificate in Advocacy and Organizing from Children’s Home Society.

To learn more about these Nonprofit Professional and Consulting Services, please visit our website at http://www.hendon-group.com/services-information/our-solutions/ or, contact Ms. Colnese M. Hendon at chendon46@msn.com or, (+1 763) 566.1811

About Hendon Group

Hendon Group, Inc., (HG) is a provider of Portfolio, Program and Project Leadership Professional Services and Consulting.  HG is headquartered in Lindenhurst, IL.  Since it was incorporated in 2006, HG has led numerous strategic and tactical initiatives for a variety of Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries.  HG is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified with the Chicago Minority Business Development Council (CMBDC), the Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) and the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP).  For more information on the capabilities of HG and how we may be able to assist your organization, please visit hendon-group.com or email info@hendon-group.com.

PMP^® is a certification mark of the Project Management Institute registered in the United States and other nations.

The new corporate direction…support services are no longer free.  The client contacted us and told one of my team members about their problem.  Before the 1.5 hour one way drive to tackle the problem, the client was told the support services assistance would be billable.  Before we understood the problem, we had already communicated to the client they were going to pay for the support…In other words, we kicked them while they were down (literally).

Needless to say, the client’s leadership team was not happy about our conversation.  The technical team went out to work the client’s technical issue and after a few days, the problem was resolved.  The client was happy the problem was resolved but, they were extremely irritated about the “fee support services” discussion before the root cause of the problem and more importantly, effort to resolve the problem was understood.  Our business relationship was strained for quite some time afterwards.

Shortly after we solved the problem, I had a one-on-one, face to face meeting with the client and he gave me some very sage advice.  His guidance was this…“we don’t have a problem paying for help – our problem was your organization appeared more focused on telling us we had to pay for your help than you were fixing our problem”.  He also told me, “If you want to be a true partner, when we are in trouble, focus on getting our problem fixed and then let’s have the conversation on who should pay and for what”.  His comments echoed an old saying, “your client does not care how much you know until they know how much you care”.

I have always remembered the conversation and my client’s advice could not be more relevant with respect to the April 2010 British Petroleum (BP) Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  BP is a business partner of the United States of America.  BP Oil provides fuel and lubricants that propel America.  BP also provides jobs and community service projects in the geographies they serve around the globe.

The Program Leader who will lead BP and the U.S.A. out of the oil spill challenge will do so if they:

• Understand each of the core issues and the key parties competing interests on each of the core issues
• Resolve each major issue as a project
• Identify and align the right skilled resources where they can deliver the greatest value to drive success
• Manage / Lead the effort as a integrated Program

So the next time you have a large client or, business partner, with a very large complex problem, focus on the problem; focus on the solution; and don’t kick your client when they are down by making a big deal about who pays until you understand how the problem is going to be resolved.

© Copyright 2006 – 2010 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Two recent examples are:

• Walgreen’s retraction of their earlier announcement to sell the Pathway Genomics “Insight Saliva Collection Kit” to screen for 37 genetic diseases (through DNA / recessive gene testing) and,
• President Obama’s Executive Order closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center “within the next year”

Let’s examine these two examples from a Program / Project Leadership perspective.

Walgreens – Pathway Genomics Announcement

On the surface this looks like a situation where the Pathway Genomics Program / Project Leader under-estimated the FDA approval risk prior to starting negotiations, with Walgreens, about selling their product.  Having worked with organizations that require FDA approval it is hard to say what was the root cause of this embarrassment.  The breakdown could have been for many reasons:

• Pathway Genomics assumed they did not require FDA approval to market the product
• Pathway Genomics were earlier informed, by the FDA, approval was not required – After the announcement the FDA changed its mind, requesting additional discussion
• Walgreens in their zeal to be the first to market the Collection Kit did not independently validate Pathway Genomics’ claim that FDA approval would not be required prior to announcement

FDA approval is always a major risk item and the Program / Project Leader should have received either FDA “approval” or, “approval is not required” (in writing from an FDA authorized representative) prior to making a public announcement and certainly before customer / client negotiations.

President Obama’s Executive Order

The second example does not occur very often within large corporations but, does occur occasionally, as cited above.  It was a very surprising misstep by the President of the United States.  That is, the signing of an Executive Order announcing the closing of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center within “one year” and eight (8) months later state, “I am not going to set an exact date because a lot of this will depend on cooperation from Congress” (1).  For the President of the United States to state this key dependency downstream suggests the senior staff (or, the President of the United States) did not do their due diligence before the announcement (or, at least did not do it very well).

Before public announcements are proclaimed, the leader needs to make sure they can deliver.  Otherwise, the leader is viewed as weak.  Within corporate circles, these kinds of pronouncements occur frequently with new / college hire “Green Beans” but, rarely from seasoned leaders.  When this happens by a “Green Bean”, that individual would have been viewed as “not ready for greater responsibly” and lost credibility in their judgment by their peers and the organization’s key stakeholders.  In fact, you may even hear quotes from the old Wendy’s commercial, “please step aside – step aside please”.

Leaders who make announcements and do not deliver quickly lose credibility and even bring the thought into play, “does the leader have the juice to lead – deliver on future agreements / commitments made, etc.”

Guidance and Recommendations

An organization’s leadership team should leverage their Program / Project leaders to help make sure the proper due diligence has been performed.  In addition, Program / Project leaders must help protect their organization’s leaders, brand and reputation by ensuring they have identified and completed the critical work that could be potential road blocks prior to the leader’s public announcement.

Organizational leaders and Program / Project leaders must work collaboratively as an integrated team to make sure the organization and brand reputations are protected.  By executing on these critical steps Program and Project leaders will deliver significant value to their organization and position themselves for potentially greater responsibilities and compensation opportunities.

(1) Source: WSJ Video – Nov 18, 2009 – Major Garrett, Senior Fox News Correspondent, interview with President Barack Obama.

– © Copyright 2010 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Lindenhurst, IL (March 4, 2010) –   Hosted by the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC), this year’s Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF) will feature Hendon Group as an exhibitor at its 43^rd annual expo held March 31, 2010.  Located at Chicago’s Navy Pier, the fair provides networking opportunities for major corporate, government and minority business participants.

As a fast growing minority owned business, Hendon Group is looking forward to educating the high caliber public and private sector attendees of the show on the many service offerings the company has available. “With a full array of portfolio, program and project management solutions and resources, Hendon Group can be a key component in completing business objectives successfully,” states Ira Hendon, President and CEO.  “In these trying economic times companies are looking for ways to maintain budgets and increase efficiencies, and at Hendon Group we specialize in the strategies and techniques necessary to achieve these goals.”

Visit Hendon Group at the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair, booth # 1507, in Festival Hall A at Chicago’s Navy Pier.  For more information on the fair or for a full schedule of events, please visit www.cmbdc.org.  Those unable to attend the opportunity fair are encouraged to visit Hendon Group’s new and improved website at www.hendon-group.com to learn more about the relevant solutions available for your most complex business needs.

About Hendon Group

Hendon Group, Inc., (HG) is a provider of Portfolio, Program and Project Leadership Professional Services and Consulting.  HG is headquartered in Lindenhurst, IL and incorporated in 2006.  Hendon Group has led numerous strategic and tactical initiatives for a variety of Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries.  Hendon Group is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified with the Chicago

Minority Business Development Council (CMBDC), the Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) and the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP).  For more information on the capabilities of Hendon Group and how we may be able to assist your organization, please visit hendon-group.com or email info@hendon-group.com.

PMP^® is a certification mark of the Project Management Institute registered in the United States and other nations.

About The Chicago Minority Business Development Council

The Chicago Minority Business Development Council, Inc. (CMBDC) is a premier organization for increasing business opportunities between major buying organizations and minority-owned businesses.  For over twenty years, CMBDC has championed the interests of minority entrepreneurs in the Metropolitan Chicago Area and nationally. CMBDC’s Chicago Business Opportunity Fair, which is in its third decade, was the impetus for the founding of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC), a network of over 40 regional Councils in major cities across the country. CMBDC was born out of a direct initiative of corporate, government and civic leaders in response to a call from the minority community for business access and economic parity.

Lindenhurst, IL – March 1, 2010 - Hendon Group, Inc., a minority owned Portfolio, Program and Project Leadership Professional Services organization, is pleased to announce the redesign of its company website. The revamped interface now offers users easy navigation to resource and services information for the resolution of complex business challenges in a more streamlined online atmosphere.

Through the web development expertise of Minneapolis based multimedia company Limitless Exposure, LLC, Hendon Group has achieved an online home providing portfolio, program and project management insights that can be implemented independently or through the direct leadership of the Hendon Group team.

Through interactive blogging and planned educational video components to well-respected white-papers and industry related articles, Hendon Group has upped the anti in its efforts to foster organizational excellence through the delivery of transformative solutions, innovative leadership and winning execution strategies.

“ At Hendon Group, we not only strive to deliver value and results to our current clients, but seek to provide other portfolio, program and project leaders the tools to learn from our successes and take advantage of the knowledge we at Hendon Group have learned from many years of experience in the field,” comments President and CEO Ira Hendon. “We encourage professionals to view the new Hendon-Group website, as a resource they can turn to for up-to-date and relevant solutions to their most complicated business needs,” adds Hendon.

The new and improved Hendon Group website has maintained its previous web address and can be viewed through the URL hendon-group.com. Be sure to register for full access to the sites wealth of available educational materials and resources.

About Hendon Group

Hendon Group, Inc., (HG) is a provider of Portfolio, Program and Project Leadership Professional Services and Consulting. HG is headquartered in Lindenhurst, IL and incorporated in 2006. Hendon Group has led numerous strategic and tactical initiatives for a variety of Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries. Hendon Group is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified with the Chicago Minority Business Development Council (CMBDC), the Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) and the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP). For more information on the capabilities of Hendon Group and how we may be able to assist your organization, please visit hendon-group.com or email info@hendon-group.com.

PMP® is a certification mark of the Project Management Institute registered in the United States and other nations.

About Limitless Exposure, LLC

Founded in 2003, Limitless Exposure, LLC, specializes in graphic design, web development and photography serices. As a premier design and development resource, every member of the Limitless team takes pride in servicing a number of the most respected artists and corporatrions in the industry. With a university trained staff that is polished and dedicated to delivering impressive results, Limitless Exposure offers limitless possiblities to their clients each and every day.

Project Management Institute’s (PMI) A Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Third Addition describes the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group as those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project”(p. 59).

Challenge

As mentioned in the Scope Management blog (July 9, 2007), a common challenge is “scope creep”. One of the key Monitoring and Control processes to manage “scope creep” is “Scope Control”. If you have a “scope creep” problem, chances are you have a scope control process problem.

Helpful Hints

One way to fix your Scope Control problem is to focus on the fundaments. One of those fundamentals is ask a lot of questions. Some questions that should be able to help you are:

1. Why is a change being requested?
2. Does the change have a direct impact on whether the program/project goals and objectives, as stated in the Program/Project Charter, are met?
3. Can the change be implemented in a subsequent project and/or phase?
4. What impact will the change have on cost, schedule and/or quality of the currently defined scope?
5. For support projects (in particular), is the change an enhancement or, a true break fix item? If an enhancement, ask the requestor if they are willing to treat the additional functionality as a subsequent phase (or project)?

Remember, for brining work efforts within budget and/or schedule, Scope Control is one of the core allies for the Program/Project Leader…

Ira M. Hendon, PMP®
President and CEO
Hendon Group, Inc.

References

Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (3rd ed). Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

– © Copyright 2006 – 2009 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Project Management Institute’s (PMI) A Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Third Addition describes the Executing Process Group as the group of processes that “integrates people and other resources to carry out the project management plan for the project” (p. 41).

Challenge

A common objective of Program and Project Leaders is getting the work done (through others). In other words, “delivering the deliverables”. So, what happens when the project team stalls and the deliverables are not being produced? This is not an uncommon challenge of today’s Program and/or Project Leader.

Helpful Hints

As a Program or Project Leader, you need to get underneath why the deliverables are not being produced. Here are some potential areas you may want to investigate to unclog the logjam:

1. Does the program / project team have a clear vision of the final deliverable(s) / intermediate work product(s)? 2. Are the right people talking to each other? 3. Are one of the teams delayed by required dependency (from another team/supplier)? 4. Missing scope definition? (surprised by an unknown dependency)? 5. For technology projects (software), is an infrastructure defect causing another one of your teams delays?

Remember, if the deliverables are not being produced, the program/project is not “earning value”. Check into some of these areas the next time your program/project team gets stuck.

Ira M. Hendon, PMP® President and CEO Hendon Group, Inc.

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References:

Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (3rd ed). Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

– © Copyright 2006 – 2009 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Project Management Institute’s (PMI) A Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Third Addition describes the Planning Process Group as the group of processes that “defines and refines objectives, and plans the course of action required to attain the objectives and scope that the project was undertaken to address” (p.41).

Challenge

A common issue on many Programs and Projects is the lack of a Project Management Plan. In fact, many programs and projects are managed using only a project schedule. Net, managed without a Project Management Plan. This is potentially dangerous for the success of the program and/or project.

Helpful Hints

PMBOK, describes the Develop Project Management Plan process as the processes that include “ the actions necessary to define, integrated, and coordinate all subsidiary plans into a project management plan” (p. 88).

These subsidiary plans have their basis from each of the Project Management knowledge areas and consist of: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and procurement.

The Project Management Plan should not be viewed as a static document, created only during the planning phase and to satisfy some check mark on your organization’s check list. The Project Management Plan should be a living document, used by the Program and/or Project Leader, to manage the work effort, throughout the program/project life cycle. A detail description of the Project Management Plan is described in the PMBOK, Section 4.3 (pp. 88-91).

Personally, for each of my programs and projects, my Project Management Plan is contain in a Project Control Book (PCB). The PCB is usually a 3 ring binder. On some client engagements, the PCB may be on an internal client website. Personally, I prefer a binder so I can easily reference in program/project meetings (even if connectivity is down or, power is out – I try to have meetings in rooms with windows).

If as a Program or, Project Leader, you manage your programs/projects by only using a project schedule, you should find creating, and using, a Project Management Plan will help your leadership effectiveness. Try it on your next program/project.

Ira M. Hendon, PMP® President and CEO Hendon Group, Inc.

References:

Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (3rd ed). Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

– © Copyright 2006 – 2009 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Project Management Institute’s (PMI) A Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Third Addition states the Initiating Process Group “consist of the processes that facilitate the formal authorization to start a new project or a project phase” (p.43).

Challenge

A common issue on many Programs and Projects is either the lack of a Project Charter or, confusing a Project Charter with a Project Management Plan.

In addition, many organizations do not require a Project Charter if an approved Statement of Work (SOW) or an approved Purchase Order (PO) is received. This practice does not represent Project Management Best Practices.

Helpful Hints

A Project Charter is usually a one (1) or two (2) page document that describes the fundamentals of the project (or project phase) and provides authorization for the project. The Project Charter is prepared during the Initiating Phase and approved by the Stakeholder(s). A Project Charter will help the Program/Project Leader understand, with clarity, their level of authority and the level of influence for each of the stakeholders.

A Project Charter should include scope description, schedule and cost goals/objectives, assumptions, project justification, stakeholder list and their level of influence, constraints (as defined by the stakeholders), relevant organizational information, summary budget, and of course, stakeholder approval signature (can be digital signature). A complete discussion of the inputs, tools/techniques and outputs for the Project Charter is contained in Section 4.1 in the PMBOK (pp.81-86).

The Project Charter does not contain management plans (e.g. how you will manage risk, communications, etc.). The Project Management Plan and will be discussed in our next blog (Planning Process).

As a Program or, Project Leader, if you take the time to make sure you have a Project Charter, you will improve your program/project effectiveness and you will be consistent with the project management industry profession’s Best Practices.

Ira M. Hendon, PMP®
President and CEO
Hendon Group, Inc.

References

Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (3rd ed). Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

– © Copyright 2006 – 2009 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Weight management appears to be a challenge for many American’s. I am no different. When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was 444.6 pounds. My doctor has diagnosed me as morbidly obese. What does this have to do with project leadership you ask? EVERYTHING. Just like the old story about the Cobbler’s Children not having shoes (I am not talking Peach Cobbler). Project Leaders have a tendency to help others solve their problems and ignore their own individual challenges (often until it is too late). This project is about stepping up to the plate and solving personal challenges as personal projects.

The purpose of this Weight Loss blog is for me to provide updates to my readers on my own personal project…Getting Healthy and loosing approximately 240 pounds in the process. This project is my toughest project to date and expected to be a “troubled project” throughout the effort.

MY PERSONAL PROJECT

My strategy will be to treat my personal weight loss effort as a project. That is, plan it like a project, execute it like a project, monitor and control it like a project. The first step is to create a Project Charter. As you can see from the Project Charter link, the project is approved and now official. The next step is the Planning Process and will be discussed in my next blog. My weight loss blog will be updated weekly.

Ira M. Hendon, PMP® President and CEO Hendon Group, Inc.

– © Copyright 2006 – 2009 Hendon Group, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.