PST Newsletter
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ManagePro 8.3 elevated to 8.5 with the Addition of Major Performance Management Tools
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ReviewWriter is Getting Rewritten as a Web-Based Application for direct linkage into MProLite
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Two Topics: Should we do a November Training in Las Vegas & Getting out of Email Jail
As we are finishing up this release of ManagePro, we keep realizing that we need to make it easier for you to get visibility on performance management issues. Right now it's easy to get visibility on progress updates, todos, a plan, but not so easy when it comes to tracking performance on work related outcomes like hitting due dates, how much time consumed versus budgets, and the ability to stay within budget.
So we decided to push out the release a few more weeks and build in tools to help you get direct visibility across an operation, by person, addressing the following kinds of areas:
1. % of tasks and/or todos completed on time
2. % of tasks completed within estimated hours,
and/or average variance
3. % of tasks or projects completed within
budget and/or average variance
4. Weekly completion rate of all tasks within a
project (burn-down report)
5. Estimated Due Date or Actual budget based upon performance todate
At our current run rate, providing we don't stick any more new features in, we'll be releasing in the 2nd half of October. We'll send you a newsletter announcement to let you know when it's out. In the meantime if you are eager to get your hands on the current beta version we're using within the office, contact Jona and she'll get you a link to upgrade while we are finishing off and testing the code.
Oh, by the way, we have now added some cool
critical path features. You can point to
any project endpoint, and ManagePro will
calculate the critical path to that goal.
You can have multiple critical paths to multiple
endpoints in a single database. It works
quite well and you don't have to dig for how to
use it, it is all launched directly from new
buttons we put in the ribbon control.
Again, to download the 8.3 interim release contact Jona by phone at (707) 487-3000 or email her to request the download link by clicking here.
During the speeches around both conventions I noticed the issue of performance based evaluation of teachers seemed to be a promising topic to bring up. I also noticed that they didn't talk about performance based evaluation or compensation for anyone else. State or Federal employees, the private sector, no one else got in the spotlight. It gets more surreal when you realize teachers are very underpaid... but I think the driver for that talk is we all get frustrated with less than competent people, or people who aren't performing well for whatever reason, and if we need something from them, we would like them to improve or get replaced. And somehow focusing on teachers, was safe and easy to get people nodding their heads. But what about your business?
We are particularly interested in performance management based upon actual business results, not just financially, but how each person moves through the tasks they need to complete, what kind of job do they do in communicating and coordinating with others, and how they interact with others that supports (or hampers) reaching the outcomes we push so hard for. To that end, we are once again rewriting ReviewWriter (we did a complete rewrite two years ago). This time it will literally sit within the ManagePro database, and will be accessible as a web application, as either a part of MProLite or a standalone tool. We will still be in corporating the current easy and graphical performance assessment that currently exists in Review Writer.
In order to support that process, we're also making it much easier to measure performance within the work that's done in ManagePro - as you'll see in this next release. Our focus is to build the best applications possible to help you manage the information and effort necessary for a coordinated, collaborative, strategic workforce.
So be thinking about how you would like to approach performance management. Most of us don't even track performance drivers, much less manage them. Given the boost that it can create, and the state of the economy, this is a good time to retool your thinking and your process in this area. I'll keep you posted on our ReviewWriter progress.
Should we offer the annual Training Event in Las Vegas?
We've been rethinking this one and
realize we need to hear from you
to decide in the next week.
Here's what the thoughts look like from our perspective
on offering the annual training event.
Pro's:
1. There are a lot of new features in 8.5, whether is
the performance management additions or the project
management tools, enough to make the learning experience
very worth while for new and advanced users.
2. Most users seem to need hands on help more than
assimilating long educational sessions, so if we do a
training event, we would depart from the traditional 7
hours in a room each day, stuffing you with as much information as
we can - to moving to something that looks like 3 hours
of lecture to start each day, then using the remainder
of each of both days for
1-on-1 sessions, with the goal
being application more than just new information.
Cons:
2. It's time consuming and a schedule impact for you to attend and us to prepare and present, and in terms of end results perhaps the time and money is better spent having us train or work with you either via screen sharing over the web or at your location, which reduces both time and hassle factors. Please let us know this week.
So write to
us... let us know what you want. If we present a
training event this year it would be for Thursday and
Friday November 20th & 21st.
Click here to send email
with your feedback and request.
Get out of Email Jail
We all contend with email, too much of it most of the
time. We all spend more time interacting with
email, than we could profitably support if push came to
shove. There's an email jail cell in every one of
our offices. Perhaps as you're reading this
letter, you're sitting in yours right now. Email
serves as a source of structuring our time, not just an
electronic form of communicating. For those of us
firmly in jail, it gets lots of our first of the morning
priority time, not to mention intrusions throughout our
day... regularly.
2.
What is a secret about Email Jail:
You can get out of jail anytime you want. The door
isn't locked! It's your choice... some would say
your habit.
Email jail is a classic temptation, some might say on
the "Road to Perdition". It's the easy choice that
actually burdens us with ultimately a coordination
system that is very time confusing, prone to details
slipping through the cracks and lousy follow-up.
Getting out of jail is managed by a repurposing of your
intent, your priority, your effort and how you manage
information; a refocucing of how you spend your time,
how available you make yourself for focusing on what's
the next priority... vs continual monitoring of the next
incoming email.
3.
Discipline in use:
Bottom line, not working from your jail cell starts with
your priorities, and with avoiding an "either-or"
mindset (actually we used to call this a cop-out 20
years ago). If you prioritize working your plan
and achieving the goal of having a system to support a
coordinated, collaborative and strategic workforce, then
the knee jerk reaction to read or write an email starts
diminishing. Most emails you send out, get
reconfigured as progress updates or todos you send out
from ManagePro. This keeps the whole team better
informed, you better organized, and reduces the number
of emails in general. Details, entered once, are
easily tracked and easily converted to email push when
needed.
ManagePro is an exceptional
vehicle to help you get out of Email Jail, with multiple
email in and out tools - and 8.5 will have more.
But you have to take the steps. Think about it.
Have a really focused, productive October in the midst of the angst of the times.
Remember to be looking for the new version of ManagePro in late October.
Rodney Brim, Ph.D.
CEO
Performance Solutions Technology
www.ManagePro.com/Blog
PS. During the 4th quarter, we have a goal of
increasing the number of links to our website from
our customers. Links from you to us.
Simple ones, we provide the text and html code, your
web-master just inserts it on your site. A 10
minute job. Here's what we are offering
in return - One free hour of live
training over the web and phone.
It's a $90 value. Don't miss out on this
opportunity. Call us at (877) 487-3001 - and
we'll get it coordinated and you scheduled for the
free hour of training.
September 2008 Newsletter content:
- ManagePro 8.3 elevated to 8.5 with the addition of major Performance Management Tools
- ReviewWriter is Getting Rewritten as a Web-Based Application for direct linkage into MProLite
- Two Topics: Should we do a November Training in Las Vegas & Getting out of Email Jail