ChannelMay 2010 - How to be a successful failure
Proceedings of the PMI Global Congress 2010 EMEA, presented in Milan, Italy, 10 May 2010
Everyone experiences failure and sees it as "A Bad Thing". This paper explains why that is wrong, drawing on the presenter's wide experience of failing successfully. It explores the links between success and failure, including the Failure Formulae and the Success/Failure Ecocycle, and offers a structured response to failure. True failure comes from not trying at all, giving up too soon, and not learning or changing.
April 2010 - Managing future DANGER
Project Manager Today Magazine (ISSN 1366-6851), April 2010, page 30
Risk management offers a forward-looking radar to scan to future and help us get ready for what it might bring. This article suggests six reasons why the future might be particularly risky.
March 2010 - ISO 31000: The devil in the detail
Published in Risk Management Professional, March 2010, pages 12-13
The new ISO 31000 risk management standard was published in late 2009 with great fanfare. There is much in it that is good, but its new brief definition of risk is problematic. This article outlines the problem and explains why it matters.
March 2010 - Managing risk in projects: What's new?
The Project Manager (the magazine of PMSA), Issue 4, pages 46-48
We've been managing risky projects for millennia and should know how to succeed by now. But projects keep failing, so something is clearly wrong with project risk management. This paper suggests four areas requiring attention: principles, process, people and persistence. It draws on material in David Hillson's 2009 book "Managing risk in projects".
Feb 2010 - Managing risk in projects - What's new?
Published in PM World Today, Vol Xii, Issue II
People have been trying to manage risky projects for many years, but projects still keep failing. This article explores four areas requiring attention, to address problems with principles, process, people and persistence. It draws on insights from David Hillson's latest book "Managing risk in projects".
Jan/Feb 2010 - The two faces of risk management
Project Manager Today Magazine (ISSN 1366-6851), Jan/Feb 2010, page 29
The New Year is a time for reviewing the past and considering the future. Risk management should also look back to learn lessons from the past, and look forward to get ready for the future.
Dec 2009 - A little risk is a good thing
The Project Manager (the magazine of PMSA), Issue 3, pages 44-45
There are three reasons why risk in projects is not "A Bad Thing", and this article explains why project risk should not be feared. Risk is normal for all projects, some risks are helpful, and it is possible to manage risk effectively.
Nov 2009 - Staying SAFE at sea - and in projects
Project Manager Today Magazine (ISSN 1366-6851), November 2009, page 20
A recent safety campaign promoting safety at sea for young sailors provides inspiration and insights for projects. Discover four simple steps for ensuring that your project stays afloat and reaches harbour safely.
Oct 2009 - How groups make risky decisions
Proceedings of the PMI Global Congress 2009 North America, presented in Orlando FL, US, 13 October 2009
Previously presented at PMI Global Congress 2009 EMEA, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 19 May 2009
There are many influences when groups make decisions which are perceived to be both risky and important. This paper presents recent research revealing the main drivers in these situations. An expanded emotional literacy framework is proposed to enable groups to make good decisions by understanding and managing the underlying influences on group risk attitude. [Full details of the research are presented in "Managing Group Risk Attitude" by Ruth Murray-Webster & David Hillson]
Oct 2009 - Risk management 20 years on
Project Manager Today Magazine (ISSN 1366-6851), October 2009, page 30
Much has changed in the world of risk management since the Risk Doctor started his first Risk Register in 1985. This article looks back over the past two decades and discovers that some things have changed - and some have not!
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