Category Archives: Consulting

10 Steps For Better Note Taking (for Requirements Gathering)

Posted on May 11, 2010 by hofmanniac

As a consultant your job is often to play the role of business analyst, gathering requirements from stakeholders, clarifying ambiguity, and then organizing all relevant information in a format that is clear to everyone.  The first part of that journey … Continue reading →

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CRM Analysis: Clarifying Business Challenges, Solutions, and Impact

Posted on May 8, 2010 by hofmanniac

One of the challenges faced when beginning CRM requirements gathering is knowing where to start.  Companies don’t implement CRM systems just because they need a CRM system.  There has to be some business problems and goals to solve that drive … Continue reading →

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8 Tips for Using Microsoft Project

Posted on May 7, 2010 by hofmanniac

Microsoft Project as a tool has the potential to make your life easier, like any other tool.  It also has the potential to be abused, like any other tool.  There are a few secrets I’d like to share here on … Continue reading →

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The Power of AND

Posted on April 12, 2008 by hofmanniac

“And” seems to have a powerful effect on people and communication.  Here are two tips for improving your communication with “And”… Keeping Conversation Alive – Studies have shown (ok, I have no idea which ones but it makes this bullet … Continue reading →

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Build Your Own Training Videos

Posted on January 29, 2008 by hofmanniac

If you ever have a need to create training videos, then look no further than Camtasia Studio.  This is a full featured video, audio, and screen capture utility that you can use for a decent price.  For the record, I … Continue reading →

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Consulting: How to Manage Multiple Projects, Tasks, Emails

Posted on November 17, 2007 by hofmanniac

I’m in the consulting world and often have to juggle my limited time between multiple clients, one-off tasks, and the barrage of email I get daily.  Not only that, but I’m responsible for managing the tasks, dependencies, and durations of … Continue reading →

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Brand Yourself!

Posted on October 25, 2007 by hofmanniac

Check out the fabulous website of the great Make It Great Guy! http://identityyou.com/category/blog Phil can help you make a name for yourself.

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Doomed Software Project?

Posted on July 23, 2007 by hofmanniac

I’m sitting in the Denver airport right now contemplating life (and why I have been travelling for almost 24 hours now trying to fly across three states), and thought I would pass this along: 101 Ways to Know Your Software … Continue reading →

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What Makes a Good Tech Design?

Posted on July 18, 2007 by hofmanniac

Most developers think creating tech designs is some mysterious art, and that the designs have to be NASA ready, complete with UML diagrams, archaic language and code samples. I think that a good tech design focus should be on UNDERSTANDING … Continue reading →

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Some Books to Read

Posted on August 27, 2006 by hofmanniac

I’ve been hitting the books lately.  Some interesting reads: Software Requirements 2 (Karl Wiegers) Great practical advice on how to do requirements management right.  This is a book you can start reading at any chapter and keep coming back to … Continue reading →

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