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ABOUT

MIKE McKANNA, MSPM, PMP, ITIL

Client Engagement Program Manager — Project Management Consultant

Passionate about new technologies and leadership, especially in programs or projects. My years of professional experience, formal education, and personal growth have aggregated to a vast knowledge base, for which I seek to share through consulting, mentoring, coaching, writing, and creating digital content. 

 

I continuously seek ways to improve in everything I do. I view the world through the opportunities provided: the growth associated with each challenge and the lessons learned from each failure.

 

To see more about my career history and background, please view my profile on LinkedIn  and connect with me!

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My Philosophy

My core tenets for success in an ever-evolving technological world

  1. "No pressure. No diamonds." Thomas Carlyle Nothing good comes without challenges - embrace them and learn from them. They will only make you better. 

  2. Be Humble. You do nothing in this world by yourself. Everything you've done came with some support from individuals or groups. Recognize it and don't overestimate your capabilities as a loner.

  3. Have Empathy. We are all humans and going through something at some point time. Work on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to recognize and internalize what others are experiencing. 

  4. "Only mediocre people are perfect all the time." Jean Giraudoux No matter what the goals or experience are, we all fumble with these once in a while and forgiveness/understanding should be part of your core values for when you're on the receiving end. 

  5. Trust is the most important factor in relationships. Without trust, it's a zero-sum game. Be open and honest.

  6. Communicate EFFECTIVELY. There is such a thing as over communicating and feedback is a critical element of communication, especially in project management; no one can read minds, if you don't communicate your thoughts/feelings, nothing will get accomplished. (Hold Ask Me Anythings; anonymous feedback forms)

  7. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MULTI-TASKING! There is only switch-tasking, which is a crime because it steals your productivity; the brain can only focus on ONE cognitive task at a time. PERIOD. There is no getting around this fact of nature. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

  8. "Better to remain silent and to be thought a fool than to open mouth and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln 

  9. Think like an entrepreneur. What if this project was YOUR OWN SMALL BUSINESS? How  would you go about running things? What priorities would you identify and focus on? Take ownership and empower yourself. 

  10. "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." Battle Management Mantra. A plan doesn’t need to be a super-detailed document - it only needs to list the desired outcomes, highlights of how to get there, and what are some fall backs if snags occur (risks/issues). Most details aren’t realized until resistance presents itself, so it’s not worth the effort to spend valuable time on it too soon.   On the flip side – FAILING TO PLAN EQUALS PLANNING TO FAIL!

  11. Beware complacency. Don’t rest on your past accomplishments - continue to challenge yourself effectively and embrace the friction. Lean into discomfort. "The only easy day was yesterday!" [Navy SEAL training mantra.]

  12. "Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining." Teddy Roosevelt. Whining is unacceptable!

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