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SUCCESSFUL PROJECT TEAMS

In 1995, the Standish Group first published the often quoted Chaos Report which indicated that over 30% of projects will be cancelled before they get completed and over half of all projects will cost 189% of the original estimate.  Although these numbers have been compiled from a survey of IT projects, it is estimated that over 70% of all projects are late, exceed budget, and/or fail to meet client expectations.  Archimedes Consulting can improve your project performance by helping you identify and implement the appropriate Processes, train your People, and support them with the right Tools.

Click for a Summary of Project Team Services
 

  
- Process
Process answers the question "how?".  How do we correctly define a project?  How much planning is enough?  How much detail do we need?  More fundamentally, how do I do project planning?  Archimedes Consulting can help you determine what planning processes ought to be in place at your organization and how to develop them.

Services include:  Methodology Development, Project Management Process Improvement, Tools and Templates development, Project Management Training, and Planning Session Facilitation

- People
Does your team behave like a team?  Members of high performing teams don't always agree on important issues, but they do know how to fight fair.  Members of high performing teams know how to build consensus, brainstorm, problem solve, and resolve conflict.  Archimedes Consulting can show you how you can build a high functioning team.

 Services include:  Thinking Styles Assessment, Team Dynamics Training, Conflict Resolution, and Effective Communication.

- Tools
 Unfortunately, too many project managers confuse project management with project management tools.  Tools are important as long as it the right tool for the job.  Is Microsoft Project right for you?  What about a repository for project planning documentation?  Have you considered how to store, maintain, and distribute your processes once you have created them?  How are you going to store and distribute samples and templates? Archimedes Consulting can help you select the right tools for your project team. 

Services include:  Tools Analysis, Project Management Web Site Development, MS Project Training, and Project Repository Analysis and Selection.

Click for a Summary of Project Team Services
 
IMPROVED ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE
 
Strategic planning, sales, teamwork, problem solving, and project delivery are a small number of examples of common business activities that require communication and coordination.  Often, this communication and coordination is impeded by our failure to understand how we communicate, think and learn.  Communication and coordination is further impeded by our failure to understand how others communicate, think and learn.  Archimedes Consulting is in the business of delivering the tools to foster High Performing Workgroups. 

Facilitation, consensus building, brainstorming, problem solving, conflict resolution, and teambuilding are all activities that can be managed once the underlying process and structure is understood.  Unfortunately, most businesses and individuals fail to recognize the importance of understanding these structures.  Archimedes Consulting can help you leverage the power of your people by putting these structures to work for you.  
 

Thought and Action Pattern™
 

In the animal kingdom, a fixed action pattern is an instinctive behavioral sequence that is produced by the brain in response to some external stimulus.  It is why male birds know to do a mating dance in the presence of a female or how a duck knows to roll an egg back to the nest.  It is natures way of pre-programming behavior.  Humans also have action patterns - the way we respond to the actions and behaviors to others.  In humans however, these action patterns are "fixed" only if we choose not to learn why we behave and react the way we do.
To be able to communicate and coordinate with others, each of us must first understand ourselves.  How we process our own information and how we deliver information to others is the product of our thinking styles.  To identify thinking styles, Archimedes Consulting uses the Thought and Action Pattern™ Survey.   
For more information on the Thought and Action Pattern™ Survey, contact Chris Andrus at Chris@ArchimedesConsulting.com
Each one of us has a thought and action pattern that is prevalent in all the activities we undertake.  Sometimes these thought and action patterns collide and create conflict among individuals, teams, and organizations. 
Once we better understand our own thought and action patterns, as well as to appreciate the thought and action patterns of those  around us, we can begin to leverage our strengths to accomplish our goals.  Leveraging our strengths will help: sell your ideas, leverage the power of diversity, manage self-directed work teams, and enhance motivation.

The Thought and Action Pattern™ Survey is a proprietary tool that has been in use for over 20 years.  During that time, thousands of people have completed the survey and participated in trainings designed to teach the individual how to a better member of a team.  By recognizing our own strengths and opportunities as well as those of our team members, we are better positioned to take advantage of the strengths of the entire team while minimizing the negative conflicts that arise whenever a group of people work together.
 

Thought and Action Pattern™ is a trademark of Beverly R. Moore. 
Thought and Action Pattern™ Survey © 1985 - 2007 Beverly Moore.