Strangers Make the Best Friends
My work takes me to lots of different places, mostly Japan. My home is in Silicon Valley, California, and I’ve lived there for as long as what my dad calls “a coon’s age” . . . which never made sense to me because i don’t think racoon’s live that long, but – hey – I’m no expert on mammals. Having lived there almost 2 decades I’ve made a boatload of wonderful friends. Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends, but traveling as much as I do, my friends are often thousands of miles away and 17 time zones off. I;ve had to learn to make do without them most of the time.
No worries, it’s “strangers to the rescue”! Yes, I’ve found that strangers make the best friends. They don’t know my checkered past, are fascinated by me (mostly because they don’t know me well), and are not yet irritated with my habits and quirks. In fact, strangers frequently find my curious behaviors somewhat intriguing, even considering them among my positive traits. And, since they haven’t had to put up with me for a decade or more of friendship, they are more tolerate of my playful, sometimes hyperactive, behavior. Continue reading→
If Only I'd Bagged a 14 Point Buck . . .
Don’t expect your family to be impressed when you finally become famous. Last year I published my first book, “Scrappy Project Management – The 12 Predictable and Avoidable pitfalls every Project Faces.” It was a huge success. (Well, certainly nothing on the order of Harry Potter, but pretty big for a project management book) We had 150 guests at the launch party, and the book has been among the top project management books in the US since the October hullabaloo. What’s my family’s reaction? I’d have gotten more attention if I’d gone hunting and dragged home a deer with a big set of horns. You see, my family loves hunting and they get all excited about a deer flung over the hood of a car or a nice freezer full of freshly butchered deer chops. (I’m actually quite a good shot myself, but refrain from hunting because I don’t want to kill cute animals, even if I do eat them occasionally. ) But would they get an adrenaline rush from a family member writing a book on project management? Definitely NOT on the top ten list of things that gets them to put aside the remote control. Even though they seemed less than impressed with what took me 3 years to produce (heck, that’s WAY longer than the 9 months it took for my siblings wives to produce grandchildren), I sent my mom and dad a book, and both brothers, too. They promptly used them to prop up their computer monitors to achieve a more ergonomic PC configuration (I think my mom swatted some mosquitoes with it first). Continue reading→
I'm Not a Bitch, I'm Just Scrappy
For years I thought I was a bitch. Then I realized I was just scrappy! When I was younger I wanted people to think I was nice, but then I noticed that it was a lot easier to get my way if I was pushy. Unfortunately, being a bully works. Over the years I’ve made numerous trade offs between my integrity and some business result that I pushed a little too hard to get. But even when I thought I was just being appropriately persistent, determined or intense, I’ve noticed that it’s a fine line between bitch and doormat. Presented with what appeared to be a choice between these two opposites, I gravitated towards bitch every time.
Some people tell me that the world is a spectrum of possibilities, that I needn’t choose between the extremes, that I tend to perceive the polar endpoints rather than more moderate options. It has only been in the last 5 years or so that I’ve begun to realize that there are more moderate approaches, like being firm yet tactful, or gracious, yet determined. But these approaches require a great deal of self-awareness, skill and care, so when I’m tired, or stressed out, well, bitch wins.Continue reading→
Kimberly's Areas of Expertise
Contact Kimberly at:
Wiefling Consulting
Phone +1 650 867 0847
Testimonials
Kimberly’s ‘Leading From Any Chair’ workshop is the single most powerful class I’ve attended, and the highest rated class I’ve participated in. Her teachings have fundamentally changed me as a leader, a coach, and a team member.
Nothing is impossible in Kimberly’s world. At a point of career change several years ago, from Silicon Valley CEO to something fun, I participated in Kimberly’s “Create a Vision” workshop. We were friends through a professional organization and I just wanted to see what she did for a living. The result: I was, and still am, amazed and delighted with this brilliant woman and the results she helps others to achieve. Kimberly has a unique ability to infect her listeners with transformative optimism… Read more
It is delightful to have you work with us. You are already having a positive impact on the whole project situation.
Working with Kimberly is a transformative experience. She is deeply insightful about how to create healthy, high functioning, effective organizations. Her business savvy, her tremendous ability to make connections and her profound understanding of how teams of people operate, are invaluable! When Kimberly facilitates a meeting or conference, you can be sure it will be focused and productive; it will have meaningful and measurable outcomes and it will be a lot of fun in the process. Kimberly’s w… Read more
Kimberly delivers the goods with passion and compassion. She is a dedicated leader who achieves what at first seems insurmountable. I highly recommend this Champion of change and published author.
I wanted to let you know that what I imbibed from you during the course has been of IMMENSE help to me and that I’ve put it all to good use. I started my own company and have been running it successfully for the last one year or so, introducing a totally new service concept to the challenging markets in India. (http://www.autovega.in ) Thanks a lot for your contagious enthusiasm!
I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have an experienced professional like you at my side to launch the Consulting Special Interest Group tomorrow. The agenda looks great and I am convinced that we are well prepared for a productive and successful meeting tomorrow.
Not a day goes by here when I don’t use something I learned in the “Leading From Any Seat in the Org” class that you taught here last year. In fact, the manager of one of the folks who went through the class last year said his employee was transformed by the experience.
If you want to build energy, velocity, and momentum toward an outrageous goal, Kimberly’s Scrappy Project Management is just what you’ve been waiting for to help you get those results with more pleasant surprises and fewer disappointing shocks along the way.
Kimberly is a good communicator and a great source of inspiration to the leader in every person who works with her. She has greatly influenced the leadership qualities in me and has helped me become more effective with my communication skills.
Books in the Scrappy Guides Series

By Kimberly Wiefling
A Top-selling PM Book!
Scrappy PM Audiobook


Authors: J. Abrams, C. Amos, E. Davie, M-H. Le, H. Kain, S. Lebeck, T. Mui, P. Obuchowski, Y. Shibata, N. Udo, B.J. Waxman, K. Wiefling


By Michael Seese


By Michael Seese

We Can Help You:
- Lead your business more effectively.
- Develop products more predictably.
- Manage projects with greater ease.
- Increase your professional effectiveness.
Pricing Information & Our Promise to You
"We only bill where we add value. Our invoices carry this message: If you are not completely satisfied with anything that you have been billed for, simply circle the amount of the charge, write a brief explanation of your concern, and subtract it from your payment. Our goal is your complete delight with our services, and we appreciate your valuable feedback."
- Kimberly M. Wiefling, M.S., Founder






