Gantt Chart Utilization

If You Can’t Explain Budgeting Like This, You’re Not Ready for FP&A Interviews. Let’s assume I ask you the budget for fuel (petrol/diesel) expenses that you are going to incur next year in 2026. How would you budget using the below techniques: 1. Incremental / Traditional Budgeting You take into account the expenses on fuel you made this year. Assuming that amount is INR 50,000. Considering inflation, fuel price changes, and usage patterns, you estimate a 20% increase. Accordingly, your fuel budget for next year will be INR 60,000 (50,000 + 20%) 2. Zero-Based Budgeting Instead of taking current year’s expenses, you start from scratch. You estimate how much your car will travel next year. Then factor in expected fuel price and mileage of your vehicle. Based on this, you calculate a reasonable estimate of fuel expenses for next year 3. Activity-Based Budgeting Let’s say you use the car only to commute to and from office. For each round trip, your car consumes fuel worth INR 500. Your budgeting would be based on this activity (number of trips taken in a year). If you go to office twice a week, total trips = 52 × 2 = 104. Hence, your fuel budget = 500 × 104 = INR 52,000. 4. Flexible Budgeting Your fuel cost depends on how frequently you travel. Instead of one fixed budget, you prepare multiple scenarios. Example: 2 days/week → INR 52,000 4 days/week → INR 104,000 Your actual budget will depend on actual usage during the year. 5. Rolling (Continuous) Budgeting You don’t fix the budget once for the entire year. You keep revising it periodically (monthly/quarterly). Example: if fuel prices increase mid-year or your travel increases, you update the remaining budget accordingly. 6. Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Budgeting Top-Down: You decide a cap (say INR 55,000) and adjust your usage to stay within it Bottom-Up: You calculate expected usage (like ABB/ZBB) and arrive at the number logically 7. Value Proposition Budgeting (using the same example) Instead of focusing only on cost, you evaluate whether the expense creates value. You analyse each type of travel: Office commute - necessary Leisure / unnecessary trips - optional You may reduce or eliminate low-value trips, carpool, or use alternative transport. Hence, your budget is driven by value derived rather than just estimated usage. This way, the same fuel expense can give you very different budgets depending on the approach you use.

We can perform robotic surgery. But we still schedule patients via fax. That gap — between clinical brilliance and operational antiquity — is costing healthcare systems billions, burning out nurses, and making patients wait longer than they should. In my latest episode of The Chief Healthcare Officer Podcast, I sat down with Mohan Giridharadas — founder & CEO of LeanTaaS and author of Better Healthcare Through Math — and what he shared genuinely shifted my thinking. Here's the uncomfortable truth he laid out: 🔴 EHRs digitized paper. They did NOT solve operations. 🔴 Hospital "chaos" isn't random — it's a scheduling problem we keep ignoring. 🔴 Nurses spend 30–40% of their time on tasks that math could handle. And here's what the solution actually looks like: ✅ Level Loading — spreading patient flow to eliminate peak bottlenecks (think: fixing the traffic jam before it starts) ✅ Predictive Intelligence — identifying a bed shortage hours before it happens, not reacting after the fact ✅ AI as Amplifier — not replacing staff, but freeing them to work at the top of their license The result? Shorter wait times. More capacity — without building new walls. And healthcare professionals who actually have time to care. One line from Mohan stuck with me: "Fix the potholes before the car gets there." That's what intelligent orchestration looks like in healthcare. And we already have the math to do it. If you lead a hospital, health system, or healthcare innovation team — this conversation is for you. 🎙️ New episode is live now — link in comments. #HealthcareLeadership #HealthcareInnovation #AIinHealthcare #HospitalOperations #ChiefHealthcareOfficer #LeanTaaS #HealthcareManagement #PatientCare #DigitalHealth #HealthTech

Is your leadership's management philosophy stuck in the 1960s? Let's redefine it: Leadership by Being Engaged. The concept of "management by walking around" came from Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard (HP founders) in the 1960s, popularized by Tom Peters in 1982, and gets used today to describe what's missing in #remote work. "The expected benefit: by random sampling of events or employee discussions, managers are more likely to facilitate improvements to the morale, sense of purpose, productivity and and quality... compared to remaining in a specific office area, or the delivery of status reports." The literal concept doesn't work if your managers have people who are working in multiple locations, now the majority case. 60 to 80% of all "enterprise" company managers now have #distributed teams. 100% of Fortune 500 Execs have teams that are #distributed today, according to Atlassian (kudos Molly Sands, PhD). #RTO mandates rooted in this philosophy are trying to return to a world that no longer exists. Leaders need a both/and approach. Get employees together to jump-start #belonging, and build better #culture and #performance by being involved in the digital #collaboration tools that your teams use every day. Let's redefine a philosophy rooted in co-location into one for the #digital age. Four starting points for leaders looking to get digitally engaged: 🔸 Increase transparency. Internal transparency around clear goals and realistic progress against them drives focus on outcomes, and builds trust. 🔸 Get engaged in the work. Execs need to stop saying "Teams/Slack etc are for the kids; you'll find me in email" and get into the tools people use every day to work through account issues, project updates, and problem solving. 🔸 Participate in digital communities. Social forums at work build belonging. That cuts across everything from an Abilities ERG to Sneakerheads. Finding community at work boosts retention; even leaders need to find that. 🔸 Get a reverse mentor. Being available and engaged digitally can feel foreign as a leader, and initially scary to a team. Find a digital native in your organization who can coach you! What's your take? Retire the phrase, or revive an important concept?

I am thrilled to share the most comprehensive and impactful research Project Management Institute has ever conducted on one of the profession’s most critical topics: #projectsuccess. This monumental study redefines how we understand and achieve success in the projects that shape our world. We began with an extensive review of 50 years of seminal literature, laying a foundation of knowledge and insights. Building on this, we conducted 90 in-depth interviews with a diverse range of voices: project professionals, sponsors, PMO leaders, executives, and intended beneficiaries. These conversations informed a robust global survey, engaging 9,500 project professionals, stakeholders, and beneficiaries across industries, who evaluated their recently completed projects. Our rigorous analysis and statistical modeling culminated in a groundbreaking new approach for understanding project success. This approach was further enriched through collaboration with a team of subject matter experts and 50+ interviews with #PMO leaders and community members, ensuring its relevance and applicability. This landmark report sets a new standard for what it means to deliver a successful project, offering transformative insights and actionable guidance for the profession. Here’s what you’ll discover: - > A Holistic Definition of Success: Establishes a shared perspective that aligns the priorities of diverse stakeholders, from practitioners to beneficiaries. - > A Universal Measurement Framework: Introduces a clear and consistent method for evaluating project success across industries and geographies. - > Key Success Drivers: Identifies and explains the factors that influence project outcomes, empowering practitioners and organizations to consistently deliver greater value. - > Global and Industry Insights: Provides a detailed measurement of project success rates worldwide, segmented by industry and project type, offering invaluable benchmarking data. - > Purpose-Driven Benefits: Highlights the profound impact of aligning projects with a higher purpose to achieve not just success, but significance. - > Practical Activation of Insights: Equips practitioners, executives, and the broader project management community with tools to activate success in real-world scenarios. - > A Vision for the Future: Guides the profession and its stakeholders toward outcomes that maximize success and elevate our world. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/dv-387F7 Project Management Institute #thoughtleadership #projectsuccess #projectmanagementtoday

Achieving a company's aspirations towards success requires a holistic approach encompassing people, processes, technology, data, and culture. A few thoughts: >>People 1..Invest in continuous learning and development programs to enhance employees' skills, especially in emerging technologies and data analytics. 2..Foster a culture of empowerment where employees are encouraged to innovate and take ownership of their roles. Implement performance-linked and profit-linked incentive plans to align individual efforts with company goals. >>Processes 1..Conduct a thorough review of existing processes to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks. Implement lean management practices to optimize workflow. 2..Leverage automation to handle repetitive tasks, reducing errors and freeing up human resources for more strategic activities. >>Technology 1..Invest in cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, and blockchain to enhance operational efficiency and decision-making. 2..Ensure seamless integration of new technologies with existing systems to avoid disruption and maximize benefits. >>Data 1..Implement robust data management practices to ensure data accuracy, security, and accessibility. 2..Utilize advanced data analytics to gain actionable insights, predict trends, and make informed decisions. >>Culture 1..Cultivate a culture of innovation where experimentation is encouraged and failure is seen as a learning opportunity. 2..Promote a transparent and collaborative work environment to foster trust and improve team communication. #transformation #agenda #success

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

If you’re in Learning and Development… And you’re optimising for "checking the boxes" on training programs… IMO, we’re missing a trick. The likelihood of driving real behaviour change through surface-level programs is low. But when we focus on how people actually learn and grow? Game-changer. So, what should we be optimising for? ✅ Optimise for brain-friendly learning. Understand how the brain processes and retains information. Use spaced repetition, storytelling, and active engagement to make learning stick. ✅ Optimise for emotional engagement. People don’t learn well when they’re stressed or disengaged. Create safe, inspiring environments that spark curiosity and connection. ✅ Optimise for growth, not perfection. Shift the focus from “getting it right” to embracing mistakes as opportunities. Build a culture where learning is continuous, not a one-and-done event. ✅ Optimise for relevance. Every brain asks the same question: “Why does this matter to me?” Design programs that are actionable, personalised, and tied to real-world challenges. ✅ Optimise for habits, not just skills. Skills fade if they aren’t reinforced. Help people build habits that embed what they’ve learned into their daily work. AND DON’T FORGET… 🎉 Optimise for your own development. L&D professionals often pour into others but forget themselves. Stay curious. Seek out trends. Connect with peers who challenge and inspire you. CLO100 If you treat your role as a learning journey—for both yourself and your organisation—then the impact you create will be exponential.

🧩 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 - Pushkraj D. "𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬". Last week, I sat in three very different conversations. ✅One with a senior leader worried about brand risk. ✅One with a key performer carrying years of undocumented knowledge. ✅One with a frontline team member quietly struggling to ask the right questions. That’s when it struck me - Learning & Development doesn’t begin with training calendars. It begins with interaction. Here are the 5 elements that quietly decide whether L&D creates impact or just activity 👇 1️⃣ 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 Key players speak in outcomes. Team players speak in effort. Stakeholders speak in risk. An L&D professional’s job is to listen without filters, decode patterns, and connect dots others don’t see yet. 2️⃣ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 When leaders say, “quality issues” or “rework”, they’re not asking for training. They’re asking for clarity, consistency, and capability. Good L&D translates pain into practical learning interventions, not generic programs. 3️⃣ 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 The best insights don’t come from meetings. They come from side conversations, walkthroughs, and honest questions. People open up when they know learning is meant to support them - not audit them. 4️⃣ 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 Training fails when content is created in isolation. It succeeds when HODs, SMEs, and teams feel ownership before the first slide is built. L&D is less about instruction and more about alignment. 5️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 The real test of L&D? 👉 What happens when a key expert leaves? 👉 Does knowledge walk out - or stay back? Strong L&D focuses on documentation, transfer, and internal capability building, not dependency. ➡️Learning doesn’t happen in silos. ➡️Development doesn’t happen in decks. ➡️Growth happens when conversations turn into clarity. That’s the real work of L&D. #TheHumanSide #LearningAndDevelopment #OrganisationalDevelopment #CapabilityBuilding #WorkplaceLearning #LDSpecialist #PeopleDevelopment #TrainingWithPurpose

Even while data professionals ‘seem’ to understand the many challenges of building new ML/ AI tools, they often ignore them while implementing They talk about data quality, business needs, engineering, etc. but then forget about it two weeks into the project On the back of yesterday’s post and my article (link in the comments), here is how you should think about implementing a holistic ecosystem approach for your ML/ AI solutions: 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 🎯 - Define the "Why": Identify specific business problems ML/AI will solve with measurable outcomes - Prioritise Use Cases: Focus on highest business value while considering ecosystem readiness - Secure Executive Commitment: Ensure leadership understands potential AND foundational work - Set Realistic Expectations: Be honest about timelines rather than promising overnight transformation 𝟮. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 🔍 - Data Foundations & Infrastructure: Evaluate quality/availability of data for priority use cases - Talent and Skills: Map required capabilities against your current team composition - Process Maturity: Can your governance and operational practices support ML/AI deployment? 𝟯. 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 🏗️ - Target Foundational Improvements: Strengthen specific components enabling priority use cases - Implement in Phases: Break initiatives into smaller chunks delivering incremental value - Establish Feedback Loops: Regularly evaluate both ML/AI outcomes and ecosystem health 𝟰. 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🤝 - Cross-functional Collaboration: Build frameworks for how teams work together - Continue Investing in Skills: Required capabilities will change across the entire organization - Manage Change: Without stakeholder buy-in, even perfect solutions go unused - Evolve Org Structure & Operating Model: Update how the organization works to reflect AI integration Whenever I hire somebody, I look for their ability to think with a holistic perspective. If you nail this and approach things in this way, you will be much more successful in your data projects and your career! Check out the article (link in the comments) and let me know what you think!

Disengagement is at an all-time high, and it’s not because leaders don't care. It’s because they're trying to lead with a playbook that's out of date. For decades, leaders were rewarded for control, hierarchy, and efficiency. But today's teams are hybrid, employees demand purpose, and mental health needs are on the rise. The old model of a leader who has all the answers—and must lead with the voice of a Covey or a Gladwell—is dead. And although we have modern voices like Sinek and Grant, the new model requires you to find your own voice and lead with authenticity. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞? ✅ Psychological Safety as the foundation, not the afterthought. Practical application: Start a meeting by sharing a mistake you made recently and what you learned from it. This shows your team that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. Also, normalize learning moments. When a mistake happens, say: “Great catch. What did we learn? What’s something we can do to prevent this from happening in the future?” ✅ Emotional intelligence is a core strength skill, not a “soft” one. Practical application: Before reacting to a stressful situation or email, take a 60-second pause. Ask yourself, "What emotion am I feeling right now, and why?" This helps you choose a response instead of just reacting. ✅ Clear boundaries and open communication that protect both leaders and their teams. Practical application: Create response windows (e.g., Slack = 4 business hours, email = 24), after-hours rules, escalation ladder, and which channels to use for what. Clarify "on" and "off" hours by setting your team's expectation: "I won't send non-urgent emails after 6 p.m., and I don't expect you to respond to mine after hours either." ✅ Culture that grows from daily behavior, not one-off initiatives. Practical application: In your next one-on-one, ask, "What’s one thing I can do to make your work life easier this week?" This small act demonstrates that you value their well-being and are committed to supporting them. Leaders who adapt aren't just retaining their best people. They’re creating workplaces where creativity, innovation, and performance flow naturally. Which of these "new playbook" requirements do you think is the most challenging for leaders to adopt today? What shift do you think is most urgent for leaders right now? #emotionalIntelligence #leadership #psychologicalSafety