Travel Tip: Building the Perfect Dopp Bag

Posted on 8 April, 2008 by duardo

This one is for the PM who travels too much, being one myself I can relate to the quest to find the perfect travel kit, taking up the smallest possible space and weighing next to nothing.

As a avid hiker in a previous life, I could be found the night before cutting my toothbrush in half, packing the famous “fred” tool (a 2×5 cm flat tool that was part spoon, part can opener, part knife (v blunt) and part bottle opener) and squeezing out anything liquid to only take the precise amount required for one week’s walking.

Fortunately in the business world you don’t need to be so dramatic but the quest for travel kit utopia persists!

So while I was cruising around the productivity blogs I came across “Building the Perfect Dopp Bag” by Brett from “The Art of Manliness” (Sorry girls, I really struggled with researching what the girl travels with tho Beth did help out with her blog post “How I Pack for any Length Trip in under 10 pounds“). Brett’s suggestions made me review my efforts and in doing so I thought I might add my two cents worth…

Dopp Bag Contents

  • A couple of small zip-lock bags
  • Shampoo (in FAA Compliant Travel Bottles)
  • Shower Gel (not as messy as solid soap)
  • Toothpaste (pick the smallest tube size, squeeze half out if you’re keen)
  • Deodorant (go the small, light, mini option)
  • Lip Balm

Note for liquids and gels: Consider putting these bottles into a zip lock bag to stop leakage but also to show airport security officials

  • Toothbrush, Floss (again go the small travel option)
  • Small electric razor (Life is too short to shave with a blade :)
  • Multi-vitamin tablets and Berocca (for general health, jet lag and hangovers, use a small pill case instead of the whole bottle)
  • Mini scissors, nail clippers (careful with airline travel)
  • Ear plugs & eye mask (for sleeping just about anywhere!)
  • Band-aids
  • Hotel Sewing Kit, Safety Pins (thanks to the Le Meridien hotel chain)
  • Ibuprofen (headache, pain)
  • Imodium (anti-diuretic)
  • Small lint roller or brush
  • €20 (or USD) in small notes
  • Pegless clothes line (try a outdoors store, very cool for emergency washing)
  • Mini mag-light

It seems like a lot but if you focus on buying the smallest and lightest product or using samples you’ll be surprised how much space your Dopp bag still has. Now you just have to ignore the temptation to put more stuff in there!

Filed under: PM General, Project Hacks, Travel Tips | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

DIY Monitor Strip Calendar

Posted on 10 December, 2007 by duardo

The simplest Project Hacks are often the coolest!

No need for too much explanation here as we’ve all been in a position where we’ve needed a calendar when our computers are off or not logged in. I like this because I also try to keep my work area clean without too many pieces of paper stuck up on the partition wall.

vertical or horizontal monitor strip calendar for project teams

If you’re a desk-bound Project Manager or team member, give this vertical or horizontal monitor strip calendara go.  I’ve seen versions with supplier advertising on it but I’ve always tried to remain vendor-neutral and this is a good way to go about it.

Filed under: Project Hacks, Templates | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

On the PRINCE2 Project Organisation Chart Template

Posted on 7 December, 2007 by duardo
The PRINCE2 Project Organisation Chart isn’t a rigid project bureaucracy as the critics would have you believe. It actually makes a lot of sense and shares many characteristics with the more loosely defined Project Steering Committeebut rather than just have a round table of stakeholders, PRINCE2 has focused the group into a meeting of the three (3) key decision makers:
Tool Downloads
  > Org Chart (MS Visio)
  > Org Chart (MS Word)
  > Org Chart (MS PowerPoint)
  • Project Executive (Project Sponsor / Project Owner)
  • Senior User (Principal beneficiary of the project deliverable)
  • Senior Supplier (Principal implementer of the project deliverable)

PRINCE2 Organisation Chart Template in MS Visio

Figure 1: PRINCE2 Project Organisation Chart Template in MS Visio

Another nifty addition to the PRINCE2 Project Organisation is the documented responsibility for Project Assurance.  All the Project Board members are responsible for the Project Assurance and in larger projects this can be partially or fully delegated to members within the User organisation, Supplier organisation or the business.

Depending on the size of your project, you can merge or expand on the roles as you see fit.  For example in a small IT project, the Project Manager may also be a Team Manager or Team Specialist.   The PRINCE2 structure is a good checklist of project management functions that you need to cover off on in your project organisation.

To help you develop your PRINCE2 Organisation Chart quickly, we’ve cut to the car chase and added some templates (above) to get you started.

Related PRINCE2 Articles & Templates

Filed under: PMO, PRINCE2, Templates | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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