Blog

Thanks to VAR, Roberto Firmino's armpit and John Lundstram's big toe have given football fans some of this season’s hottest talking points. Who’d have thought it!!? I’ve been interested in the introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee), football's video technology system since it was introduced -...

Fewer than half of new employees (44%) report a positive experience after joining a new company. Ouch!! If you’re a hiring manager – that’s got to hurt! Now, when I started my career, an employer would probably have shrugged at this and suggested that their new hires should toughen up and deal with ...

Have you ever worked on an IT Project, utterly convinced that everything that you are doing will bring success, only to have the project fail to deliver? I mean, we’ve all been there at some point in our careers. In many ways it’s a stupid question because, well, why would you do things that you wer...

As I write this, Annesley, where Stoneseed is based, is in the grip of some really wet weather. Homes evacuated, roads closed, fields turned into lakes and streets into rivers. It prompted me to call a friend who had suffered at the hands of similar rainfall some years ago and as we spoke, an IT Pro...

It’s reassuring that even the planet’s biggest brands mess up! When they do, their mistakes can become global news and great lessons are there for all to see. Now, In IT Project Management, mistakes rarely trouble the headline writers. They can, and do, impact an organisation’s bottom line though. A...

Is there a project professional that you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for? What do you buy for one of the most organised and detail orientated people in your life? We’ve come up with a shortlist of appropriate and affordable gifts, with links – enjoy! Superhero  - The gift of a good mug is...

The first Thursday of every November is IPM Day, this year (2019) it falls on November 7th and it is a great time to show the project managers in your team how much you appreciate them. Private or public sector, commercial or voluntary, no business or organisation ever initiates a project that doesn...

As an IT Project Manager, CIO or Business Analyst, do you have a personal professional brand? The answer is yes, by the way. It’s inevitable. Either by default or by design, you have a brand. ‘By design’ is the option you want, of course, and the key to designing and maintaining a successful persona...

We are delighted to award Project Manager, Allan McCormick the Stoneseed Colleague Recognition Scheme. Each month the staff at Stoneseed are asked to nominate their colleagues as part of a recognition scheme, where they have seen hard work, over achievement or acts of kindness and helpfulness. The w...

At the time that I’m writing this, the news is full of talk of trade deals. In the UK we are a couple of weeks away from Brexit – but it’s OK this is not about Brexit – you can carry on reading! I’ve just watched a news article about the brokering of trade deals, what they are, why countries need th...

I met a friend recently for lunch and, quite frankly, he is looking amazing! He joined a gym about a year ago and you can tell! His face is slimmer, he seems to have more energy, looks about ten years younger and, he told me, he has had to buy some new trousers because his old ones were starting to ...

“It’s the most pointless meeting, nothing to do with my work but I have to attend. I just zone out for an hour”. A Project Management contractor friend of mine said this as he told me about a monthly meeting that had just appeared again in his diary with the subject “Team Meeting – All Staff To Atte...

Is your IT Project Delivery a challenge? Let me start by saying - it should be a challenge. Ground-breaking IT Projects that disrupt markets, drive innovation and create new revenues should push you to the outer edges of your limits and capabilities. Otherwise, what's the point? Challenges are like ...

We are delighted to award Business Analyst, Mo Dakri the Stoneseed Colleague Recognition Scheme, with his efforts recognised by both his colleagues and clients. Each month the staff at Stoneseed are asked to nominate their colleagues as part of a recognition scheme, where they have seen hard work, o...

We are delighted to award Project Office Coordinator Kalvin Benning the Stoneseed Colleague Recognition Scheme for this month.   Each month the staff at Stoneseed are asked to nominate their colleagues as part of a recognition scheme, where they have seen hard work, over-achievement or acts of kindn...

During a recent conversation about IT Project Management and, specifically how to set and achieve goals, I was told that something I'd said was, and I quote, "amazing". I think "amazing" is the most over used word in the English language these days, usually with the middle 'a' elongated, "amaaaaaaaa...

What is it they say? The two most stressful things in life are moving house and commuting! People who live in mobile homes must be perpetually stressed! We just moved house and the process wasn't without its fair share of drama. You'll have been there yourself: the viewers who have just come for a n...

Brooks' law is an observation about IT project management which states "adding human resources to a late software project makes it later" It was written by Fred Brooks in 1975, in his book 'The Mythical Man-Month'. It is a 'law' that I've always believed to be fundamentally flawed and ripe for break...

I was sat in the pub beer garden at the weekend when a customer was stung by a wasp. A passing waitress saw this and instantly she returned with ice, cotton wool, some apple cider vinegar and an EpiPen (just in case). Now, I've treated wasp stings with calamine lotion in the past, and I have applied...

In a recent introductory piece on IT Project methodologies, I promised to follow up on each individual methodology and investigative its advantages and disadvantages. Having looked at Waterfall and Agile, let’s now turn to Scrum. Scrum. What Is It, When Should You Use It? Normally, when you talk of ...