Re: how long will take me to complete Project self-learning?

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From: Dale Howard [MVP] ("Dale)
Date: 01/29/05 

Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 11:38:07 -0700

Steve --

Understood, my friend. I feel the same way as you. There is one other
feature that is not enabled by default that should be enabled in every
project, which is the Project Summary Task (Row 0 or Task 0). I have had
students in class who claim to "know Microsoft Project like the back of
their hand." Yet, when asked how to display the Project Summary Task, they
do not know how to do it, and when asked why this feature is so useful in
each project, they don't have the foggiest idea. Learning ittle things like
that, as you already know, can be so helpful to newbies with the software.

I objected to davegb's sweeping assertion about instructor compentency
because I think it was just plain silly. I work with an organization in
which I will eventually hire and train new instructors to teach and consult
on Microsoft Project Server implementations. Do you think for a moment I
would ask a single question and then decide on the basis of that single
question whether the know the software? All their answer would reveal is
whether they know one small feature of the software. That's all. I would
literally ask dozens of questions, would want to know the candidate's
experience with training and consulting, would want to examine a technical
writing sample from the candidate, and would want to watch the candidate
teach some of our curriculum. And yes, I would want to know the candidate's
knowledge of the software, but I would not judge their competency on getting
every question right.

When I began my career 5 years ago with Microsoft Project and Project
Central, I was quizzed by my future boss about my Microsoft Project
knowledge. His first question was, "How do you display the Project Summary
Task in a project?" I did not know the answer. In davegb's world, that
would probably have eliminated me from contention for the job. Instead he
said, "Don't worry about not knowing. Most people don't know. We'll teach
you what you need to know...and a lot more." We continued the interview,
which was the first of five interviews, and then I was hired. He did not
regret hiring me, nor do I reget joining his team. Over the years, when
I've been at a client site and am asked a question to which I do not know
the answer, I admit that I don't know. And then I do the research and get
the right answer for the client.

For the past 5 years I have traveled nationally and internationally to train
and consult on Microosft Project Server implementations. I have co-authored
two books on Project Server 2003 and was a contributing author to the Que
book on Microosft Project 2002. I have been named a Microosft Project MVP
for two years now. Do I know my stuff? Probably. Do I know everything?
Probably not. Do I know the answer to davegb's "deal breaker" question?
Who the heck knows?

Thanks for your good comments. You are a true professional, Steve. Hope to
meet you some day. 

-- 
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"
"Steve House [MVP]" <sjhouse.remove.this@to.send.hotmail.com> wrote in 
message news:un6AhMfBFHA.2016@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>I was thinking mostly in terms of "features" that are on by default and can 
>really screw things up if not turned off or things that people turn on 
>thinking they're conveniences when in fact they're traps for the unwary.
>
> -- 
> Steve House [MVP]
> MS Project Trainer & Consultant
> Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
>
> "JackD" <momokuri@gmail> wrote in message 
> news:uXzhSoXBFHA.208@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> Of those three, the autolink is my choice for #1. How about fiscal year?
>>
>> -- 
>> -Jack  ... For project information and macro examples visit
>> http://masamiki.com/project
>>
>> .
>> "Steve House [MVP]" <sjhouse.remove@this.hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:e8%23gNYXBFHA.3376@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>>> I'd like to compare notes, as it were.  The feature(s) I think it is
>>> essential to turn off to use Project effectively are: Automatically Add
>> New
>>> Resources & Tasks, Autolink Inserted and Moved Tasks, and Resource
>>> Leveling - Automatic (set to manual instead).  What's your vote? <g>
>>>
>>> Steve House [MVP]
>>>
>>> "davegb" <davegb@safebrowse.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1106926423.974051.210510@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>>> >I agree with Steve. I'd like to add that how long it takes to
>>> > understand any scheduling software is greatly influenced by how much
>>> > experience you already have in scheduling, particularly critical path
>>> > scheduling, and in Project Management. If you already know these
>>> > things, it's just learning how to apply these concepts in a new tool.
>>> > The same idea would apply to learning Excel - if you already know 
>>> > math,
>>> > i.e., the order of operations, it's much faster and easier to learn
>>> > Excel.
>>> > If you want to be an expert in Project, use it to schedule a few 
>>> > decent
>>> > sized projects and learn not only how to schedule, but how the 
>>> > schedule
>>> > affects and is affected by other considerations, such as Quality, 
>>> > Risk,
>>> > Communications, Earned Value, etc. Just like most tools, in isolation,
>>> > it appears much simpler than it is in the "real world", where it is
>>> > interconnected with other factors.
>>> > As far as MSP trainers - most of them that I have met have absolutely
>>> > no concept of how this tool is applied. They teach "push button"
>>> > classes, as Steve said, and leave the students with no real
>>> > understanding of how to make this work on real world projects.
>>> > The best way I've found to tell if they really know how to apply MSP 
>>> > is
>>> > to ask if they know what "feature" must be turned off to use Project
>>> > effectively. If they don't know that, they don't know Project.
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
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