Central Perk

luni, 14 mai 2012

Infographic: How Refinancing Can Help Families

Monday, May 14, 2012

Infographic: How Refinancing Can Help Families

Last Friday, the Treasury Department posted this infographic to their blog and we wanted to make sure you didn't miss it.

Today, millions of Americans who are current on their mortgage payments cannot refinance at historically-low interest rates. The President is proposing legislation that would allow more homeowners to refinance. Under the President’s plan, they would have two refinancing options.

View the infographic and see why refinancing is so important for helping families:

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Project Management for SEO (2012 Edition!)

Posted: 13 May 2012 01:58 PM PDT

Posted by Tom Critchlow

So here's the truth - I used to suck at project management. But over the years I've determinedly turned myself into a half-decent project manager. Why? What was the driving force?

Project Management Is A Tool For Effecting Change

At the end of the day, I never have and still don't care that much for project management. But what I do care deeply about is effecting change. Driving action and results instead of talk and documentation. You can see my drive for getting things done in this whiteboard friday:

(Note, if you have thoughts about this video you'd do well to read my follow-up comment about the difference between reports and reportings.)

Although there are many ways of affecting change, project management is a crucial part of it. Below I'm going to outline a bunch of tools, tips, and tricks that we've discovered and implemented over the years at Distilled to get better at project management:

Project Collaboration - Trello

Personally I'm not a fan of clutter, either physical or virtual, and so I love technology that gets out of the way while you get on with getting shit done. I've tried lots of different project management solutions, and Trello is the first one I've fallen in love with. For those that saw the whiteboard friday I did with Jamie about a year ago it models the real life post-it note system very well:

I'm going to let Will explain why he likes it so much:

And I'm going to let Paddy break down the details in his blog post Using Trello to Manage SEO Projects.

Project Collaboration - Google Docs

A lot of you will already be familiar with Google Docs. Of course. But only recently have I come to realize the extreme power behind the collaboration elements. I've always hated track changes in Word and finally Google Docs has something better to offer. This video, although cutsey, actually demonstrates the power of real time collaboration:

In particular, two features that are really making me excited are in-line comments (with easy replies and notifications) and revision history (which allows you to see when, how, and who edited a document).

We use Google Docs extensively within Distilled to craft and send around documents even if ultimately we deliver the final report as a .PDF or some other format. After all, some large corporations still like the smell of .PDFs in the morning....

Inbox Zero Methodology

(image credit)

I can't explain how much of a life changing experience the inbox zero methodology is. For the modern day information worker, inbox zero is fundamental to happiness and productivity. If you're not using the inbox zero system then please trust me when I say it'll change your life. Here's Merlin Mann talking about the original system at Google:

When new employees start at Distilled, we coach them in the ancient ways of Inbox Zero. Although it's a personal revelation for many (myself included), the real power comes when you have an entire organization that is GOOD WITH EMAIL. Having seen a peek inside companies that are not so efficient with email the difference is night and day.

Our Consultants Work On-site Where Possible

Life is organized chaos. Sometimes not so organized either. Project management is similar in that it's often more chaos than management. There's only so much you can really and truly work to get things done without being in the thick of it.

So, where possible, our consultants aim to spend some time on-site with our clients. The increase in results is striking. Not only are we better able to communicate our ideas, but we are also better placed to understand how the client's business works - not just the business model and mechanics, but communication, project management, hopes, and fears.

The best substitute for this if you're not able to get face-to-face with the client is to at least communicate often with many different points of contact within the client's organization. This improves the chances that you'll understand the real needs of the client as well as ensure that as many people as possible like you which is important for getting things done!

Communication Solves All Problems

We have various memes within Distilled; you can read more about them in a post I wrote for Dharmesh a little while back called Startup Culture Memes - Do You Have A Duck Of Awesomeness. One of the ones I'm most proud of is the mantra "communication solves all problems". I'm constantly amazed at the ability to solve problems by communicating effectively. Either talking to other members of the team or talking directly with the client - just having some real interaction (face to face or on the phone ideally) and explaining the situation clearly solves 99.9% of all problems.

This mantra has infiltrated all parts of Distilled, but I see two key ways that this affects project management on every project.

At the start of any project, we have a kick-off meeting which has two clear outcomes; the first is a top to bottom understanding of the client's business, and the second is a detailed understanding of what the project is going to look like. Mark wrote up our project kick-off process in a little bit more detail here: How To Kick Start SEO Projects.

Secondly, I drill into people here that it's okay to miss deadlines. Really. It is. Do people really care if you deliver something on Monday morning instead of Friday afternoon? The answer is that yes, they care very much if you don't let them know. If you let them know that you will deliver it Monday instead of Friday, then in 99% of cases, they could care less. Why is this so powerful? Because a single missed deadline without communication tarnishes your perception in the client's eyes. So long as the communication is strong, the actual dates rarely matter.

PPT Pitches

PPT? As a project management tool? Well yes. Let me explain - there are broadly speaking three types of work that you do when you're consulting and there are three different tools you use for these tasks as follows:

Activity	Tool
Research and analysis	Excel
Deliverables and specifications	Word
Pitching ideas and strategy	PowerPoint

Although this seems like a no-brainer, it's actually a very powerful mental model. Want to take a guess where setting the project vision and goals comes in? Yep - PPT. Although you won't keep track of a project in PowerPoint, you should be crafting and creating the vision and goals for the project in PPT. Without strong vision and goals, projects will fail.

So persuading a consultant to put together PPTs at the start of projects is a powerful tool to ensure we have a clear idea of where we're going, and importantly, the client is on board.

Monthly Industry Updates

As part of our monthly reporting communication, we provide a letter from Will to our clients. This is a value add that allows our clients to keep abreast of industry news and changes. I've included a sample of the letter (and supporting links) for April here:

Why is this important? Well not all of our clients are SEO junkies like us. And they like to be kept abreast of the latest happenings in the industry.

How is this a project management tool? You might think it's tenuous, but actually it's crucially important. Running SEO projects on the shifting sands of Google's algorithms means we have to keep on our toes and be prepared to potentially shift our strategy at a moment's notice. So communicating these changes to our clients allows us to be on the same page when we start talking about pandas and penguins....

What Works For You?

It's important to note that what works for us may not work for you. Hopefully this has been helpful for you to take a peek at how we manage projects and communication. I'd love to hear what you guys have to offer in the comments!

I was hoping for an election announcement today, but the pressure is on for "one" more day as Greek President to Meet Four Party Leaders Tomorrow in one more attempt to form a "Unity Coalition".

Greek President Karolos Papoulias will meet with political party leaders at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow as discussions on forming a national unity government continue, state-run NET TV said, without citing anyone.

New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras, Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos and the head of the Democratic Left party Fotis Kouvelis will attend the meeting, NET reported. NET initially said that Syriza party head Alexis Tsipras was also expected to attend the meeting, but later reported he would not be taking part.

Greek Communist Head Calls For Annulment of Greek Loan Deal

The Wall Street Journal reports Greek Communist Head Calls For Annulment Of Greek Loan Deal

The head of Greece's Communist KKE party Sunday called for the annulment of the country's loan deal, ruling out her party's participation in a coalition government, even as Greece scrambles to resolve a weeklong political deadlock following inconclusive polls last week.

"We will introduce legislation in the Greek parliament, which is going to set out very specifically the elimination and annulment of the [loan agreement], Aleka Papariga said after a meeting with Greece's president Karolos Papoulias.

For the benefit of Greece and taxpayers in the Eurozone in general, let's hope this last attempt to form a coalition falls flat.

The sooner Greece leaves the euro, the sooner it will have a chance to recover.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Mud Slinging Carries the Day in Greece; Again and Again Samaras Proves He's a Liar; New Elections Likely

Posted: 13 May 2012 12:06 PM PDT

Things are looking better for Greece as the latest report is Greek coalition talks break down in acrimony.

Greece appeared to be heading for fresh national elections after last-ditch coalition talks chaired by the country's president ended in mutual mud-slinging by the conservative, socialist and leftwing leaders.

Antonis Samaras, leader of the centre-right New Democracy party, said the radical left coalition Syriza had blocked efforts to break the deadlock, even after a letter from premier Lucas Papademos was circulated at the meeting outlining Greece's deteriorating fiscal position.

Tax collection slowed markedly during the election campaign, putting budget deficit targets at risk, according to a finance ministry official. Prolonged political instability would also delay the implantation of a €40bn recapitalisation scheme for Greek banks included in the country's second bailout by international lenders, the official said.

Mr Samaras criticised Syriza's 37-year-old leader for refusing to help form a coalition or support a government that would try to re-negotiate the terms of the bailout. "I don't know where (Alexis) Tsipras is heading," Mr Samaras said at the end of a 90-minute meeting described as "highly charged" by presidential aides.

Evangelos Venizelos, leader of the PanHellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok), accused the Syriza leader of "showing arrogance" by opposing a coalition deal.

Again and Again Samaras Proves He's a Liar

Samaras' idea that terms of the bailout can be renegotiated is a complete farce and he knows it. He is simply looking for any way to get into power.

Moreover, falling tax receipts means only one thing: harsher austerity terms and more demand from Germany not less. If there was any change of heart from Germany, it would be up to Germany to lead the way, not Greece. Samaras knows this as well.

I suppose one can accuse Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras of lies as well, given he is running on a platform of staying in the Euro as well as defaulting on debts. However, anyone with an IQ above the level of a rock knows that is impossible.

Let's hope for another election on June 10th or 17th, one with a clear mandate to tell the Troika to go to hell. Such an outcome is in the clear best interest of all of Europe.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Crushing Defeat for Merkel's CDU Party in German Elections as Voters Reject Austerity; Crown Prince Turns Into Frog

Posted: 13 May 2012 11:32 AM PDT

The BBC reports New election blow for Germany's Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have suffered heavy losses in an election in Germany's most populous state, exit polls suggest.

Support for the Christian Democrats dropped from 35% to 26% in North Rhine-Westphalia, with the Social Democrats set to return to power with the Greens.

It is the Christian Democrats' worst result in the state.

Analysts say many voters rejected Mrs Merkel's tough line on fiscal discipline as a cure for state debt.

In another development, the exit polls suggested Germany's Pirate Party had won seats in North Rhine-Westphalia, making it their fourth state parliament.

The Pirate Party has grown in strength recently with its calls for transparency and internet freedom.

According to two exit polls, the Social Democrats (SPD) won around 38%, the Christian Democrats (CDU) 25.5%, the Greens 12%, the Free Democrats (FDP) 8.5%, the Pirates 7.5% and the Left, 2.5%.

The FDP, the CDU's national coalition partner, performed better than expected, increasing their vote by nearly two percentage points and thereby giving the lie to speculation that they might fail to win seats.

When the CDU and FDP recently lost elections in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, Mrs Merkel's party scored its lowest tally there for 50 years.

German Voters Reject Austerity

The Financial Times reports German Voters Reject Austerity

Angela Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union suffered a bruising defeat on Sunday night in the election of a new parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, when the centre-left opposition of Social Democrats and Greens won a clear majority.

The vote for the CDU slumped to just 26 per cent, according to the first exit polls, by far its worst result in the state in the post-war period, and a serious setback for the German chancellor.

The outcome will be seen as a rejection by voters of the strict austerity policy promoted by Ms Merkel's party at both local and national level, and a boost for the opposition. It will encourage the SPD and Greens to campaign all out for a "red-green" coalition at national level when Ms Merkel stands for re-election in autumn 2013.

However the biggest casualty will be Norbert Röttgen, environment minister in Berlin and leader of the CDU in NRW, who immediately took responsibility for the disastrous defeat and announced his resignation from the local party leadership.

Mr Röttgen, who was regarded as a crown prince and potential successor to Ms Merkel, had sought to make the government's austerity policy in Berlin and in Europe the central theme of the NRW campaign. The outcome suggests that he made a mistake in doing so, and that the CDU espousal of austerity in NRW actually lost the party votes.

Crown Prince Turns Into Frog

It is probably amazing to most US citizens that a political party named "Pirates" running on a platform of internet freedom could win any seats. Such is the nature of European politics where parties get representation if they meet a small threshold, in Germany's case, a mere five percent.

The big news is not the Pirate Party but the trouncing CDU took at the hands of the Social Democrats.

Ex-crown prince, Mr. Röttgen, is now a toad because he played himself as a Merkel clone. He tried to take the blame for this debacle, but without a doubt Merkel will bear the brunt of the blame.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Good News From Greece: Greek Unity Talks Hit Impasse; Math Lesson For New Democracy; Syriza Up to 25.5% in Latest Polls

Posted: 13 May 2012 09:26 AM PDT

Under the category of good news from Greece, the Financial Times reports Greek Unity Talks Hit Impasse.

Talks between Greece's president and the leaders of the country's three largest political parties on forming a coalition government reached an impasse on Sunday, increasing the chances that the country will hold fresh national elections in June.

Antonis Samaras, the conservative leader, said the radical left coalition Syriza had blocked a last-ditch effort to break the deadlock.

"Syriza doesn't accept the formation of a viable government, or agree to support a government that would seek to renegotiate the terms of the bailout," Mr Samaras said after the 90-minute meeting chaired by Karolos Papoulias at the presidential mansion.

Alexis Tsipras, the Syriza leader, said after the meeting: "They wanted Syriza to collude in a crime … to ignore the voice of the people", referring to the fact that 70 per cent of Greeks voting last Sunday backed anti-austerity parties.

Math Lesson For New Democracy

Note the irony in New Democracy leader Samaras placing the blame on Alexis Tsipras.

Syriza got 16.2% of the vote. Precisely whose fault is it that Samaras cannot muster a simple majority without that 16%?

Perhaps the message that parties do not want to join a coalition that has raped and tortured Greek citizens to bailout German and French banks ought to sink into Samaras' thick head.

Snatching Defeat From Jaws of Victory

Until new elections are actually called, however, eurosceptics still fear the answer to this question: Will Greece Snatch Defeat From the Jaws of Victory?

Pressure from the Troika and fear-mongering by all the politicians in the bailout-bed will be immense. There will be another decade of pain and suffering for Greeks if they stick to the Troika plan.

However, there will be short but intense pain for Greeks if they tell the Troika to shove it. Which is worse? It seems Greeks have come to the correct conclusion.

Syriza Up to 25.5% in Latest Polls

Please consider Latest polls shows clear lead for far-left Syriza

Real News reports that the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) has gained support at the expense of the other parties. It puts Syriza on 25.5 percent, New Democracy on 21 percent, PASOK on 14.6 percent and the Communists KKE on 5.3 percent.

Given that Greek law gives the winning party an extra 50 seats in parliament, a coalition between SYRIZA and one or two leftist parties is now in sight, yet another math lesson for Samaras as well as Troika-clown Evangelos Venizelos, leader of Pasok a Greek socialist party whose support in the polls is now down to 10%.

In general, I have little use for socialists and radical left parties of any kind. However, they are the only ones talking sense about what needs to happen to the bailout agreements.

The simple fact of the matter is Greece will not recover until it defaults on all external debt. Once that happens, and Greece takes a dive, hopefully new political forces can put Greece on the right path to needed reform.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

luni, 14 mai 2012

Infographic: How Refinancing Can Help Families

Project Management for SEO (2012 Edition!)

Project Management for SEO (2012 Edition!)

Project Management Is A Tool For Effecting Change

Project Collaboration - Trello

Project Collaboration - Google Docs

Inbox Zero Methodology

Our Consultants Work On-site Where Possible

Communication Solves All Problems

PPT Pitches

Monthly Industry Updates

What Works For You?

Further Reading

It Must Be The Hair!

Seth's Blog : Worldliness

Worldliness

More Recent Articles

duminică, 13 mai 2012

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

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Arhivă blog

luni, 14 mai 2012

Project Management Is A Tool For Effecting Change

Project Collaboration - Trello

Project Collaboration - Google Docs

Inbox Zero Methodology

Our Consultants Work On-site Where Possible

Communication Solves All Problems

PPT Pitches

Monthly Industry Updates

What Works For You?

Further Reading

More Recent Articles

duminică, 13 mai 2012

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

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