From Dragon Boats to Web 2.0

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From Dragon Boats to Web 2.0
Kathleen Ryan O'Connor (September 21, 2009)

A 2,000-year-old sport known as dragon boating has taught a noted project management expert a few things about his profession, including the power of praise. Here he shares some thoughts on the true nature of collaboration, executive buy-in, and how all the technology in the world can't save you without people and processes.

Dux Raymond Sy is a noted IT and project management expert, entrepreneur and SharePoint evangelist. A sought-after trainer, he has facilitated management and technology training programs for more than 2,000 people working in Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations in the United States, Bahamas, Barbados, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

But some of Sy’s proudest moments have come not from a stellar seminar or a finely executed project. They've come perched on a dragon boat, participating in the deeply ceremonial Asian sport that relies on the synchronization of the efforts of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steer person.

His role on the boat was that of steer person, chief motivator and vessel controller, a metaphor to project management that is both obvious and apt.

The 33-year-old Northern Virginia resident recently took some time to talk to ProjectsatWork Executive Report about the true nature of collaboration, the power of praise, and how all the technology in the world can't save you.

How did you get into the PM field?

I come from a heavy technical background, but I started my company, Innovative-e, in 1991 to be all about improving efficiency.

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