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Monday, January 29, 2007
Emotional Bank Accounts and Projects
An emotional bank account works just like a regular bank account. There are deposits and withdrawals. Deposits are made through acts of kindness, keeping your word, meeting commitments, being truthful, trustworthy, etc. When the emotional bank account has a positive balance, communication is much easier because trust is high. If on the other hand you show negative behaviors like disrespect, threatening words, being judgmental, harsh, or distant and detached the trust level (account balance) becomes overdrawn. This overdrawn account severely limits your options to communicate effectively.
If a positive balance isn't maintained in your emotional bank accounts your relationships will deteriorate. Remember, you have many different emotional bank accounts. One for everyone you deal with. Do you know which accounts are overdrawn?
Some quick concepts from Dr. Covey's book when talking about major deposits to the emotional bank account are:
Understand the Individual
Really seek to understand. What is important to them? Make that thing important to you.
Attend to the Little Things
Perform small acts of courtesy and kindness.
Keeping Commitments
Keeping them is a major deposit. Breaking them is a major withdrawal. People put hope in promises.
Clarifying Expectations
Ensure understanding takes place when dealing with expectations. This takes time and good listening skills to accomplish.
Show Personal Integrity
This generates trust. Trust is the basis of good relations. Having integrity doesn't just mean telling the truth, it means keeping our promises and meeting expectations. It also means "respect for the absent". Defend the absent and gain the respect of those present.
Apologize Sincerely When You Make a Withdrawal
Apologize from the heart. Be sincere and let the other person know how bad you feel.
Monday, January 22, 2007
What are you saying?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Project managers will fail if they can not communicate effectively.
Some questions to consider are:
How are our words and especially our body language interpreted by others?
How will we know if our message is accepted?
What are the things we need to be aware of in regards to our body language when communicating with others?
It is said that there are eight subconscious impressions that people make about you within the first ten seconds of meeting you. They are:
How smart you are
Your education level
Your trustworthiness
Your personality style
Your self-confidence
Your work ethic
How dependability
Your level of income
How can somebody do that? Isn't this unfair? You do it, but may not realize it. Just think about someone you have met recently and see if you have formulated opinions around the eight statements listed above.
To help you avoid some negative sterotypes when meeting others, here are some tips:
Stand up straight and hold your head up high – You will look and feel confident
Walk confidently and with a purpose
Keep your hands where people can see them (not in your pockets)
Shake hands confidently, but with sincerity
Have enthusiasm
Smile strategically – Try smiling slowly as you shake their hand
Most importantly, maintain eye contact for 3-5 seconds
When meeting people show a genuine interest in them, and remember over half your communication is sent via your body language. Also, project managers need to instill confidence and inspire others in order to be effective.
What does your body language say about you?
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Project Management and the Circle of Concern
As Dr. Covey states, "While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequence of those actions. Consequences are governed by natural law. They are out in the Circle of Concern. We can decide to step in front of a fast-moving train (project selection), be we cannot decide what will happen when the train hits us".
To take this further, Dr. Covey says, "We can decide to be dishonest in our business dealings. While the social consequences of that decision may vary depending on whether or not we are found out, the natural consequences to our basic character are a fixed result."
"Our behavior is governed by principles. Living in harmony with them brings positive consequences: violating them brings negative consequences. We are free to choose our response in any situation, but in doing so we choose the attendant consequence. When we pick up one in of the stick, we pick up the other".
What does this mean? As project managers we have the capability to motivate and empower members of our team by being honest and ethical. We also can send our projects quickly off-track if we are dishonest in our dealings.
To quote Dr. Covey again, "Our response to mistakes affects the quality of our next moment. It is important to immediately admit and correct our mistakes so that they have no power over that next moment and we are empowered again. It is not what others do or even our mistakes that hurt us the most; it is our response to those things".
We all make mistakes. We must atone for and make amends for those mistakes quickly. In my opinion, our unwillingness to admit our mistakes is the biggest obstacle to personal growth and strong relationships. The Circle of Influence is all about our capability to make and keep our promises. Keeping our promises and commitments is a core value of integrity.
As Dr. Convey says, "By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater then our moods.
Have high integrity and make and keep promises, and your projects (and your life) will be the better for it.
Friday, January 05, 2007
The Circle of Influence and the Project Manager
(Exerpts from Habit 1: Be Proactive, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey)
I'm a big fan of Dr. Stephen Covey. His book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a must read for anyone seeking to be highly effective. One of the concepts Dr. Covey talks about in his books is the "Circle of Concern" and the "Circle of Influence". The basic concept is that we need to focus our time and energy on the important things that we can control. Inside the Circle of Concern there is a smaller circle in the middle called the Circle of Influence. We should spend most of our time and efforts focused on the things in this Circle of Influence.
As Dr. Covey states "proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive, enlarging and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase." "Reactive people on the other hand, focus their efforts in the "Circle of Concern. They focus on the weakness of other people, the problems in the environment, and circumstances over which they have no control. Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes, reactive language, and increased feelings of victimization. The negative energy generated by that focus, combined with neglect in areas they could do something about, causes their Circle of Influence to shrink."
Key point – Focus on important things that you can control. Work to enlarge your Circle of Influence and you will automatically reduce the Circle of Concerns area.
Dr. Covey goes on to say:
One way to notice where our energy and focus is located is to distinguish between the have's and the be's. The Circle of Concern is filled with the have's:
· 'I'll be happy when I have my house paid off.'
· 'If only I had a more patient spouse...'
· 'If only I had better employees/co-workers...'
· 'If only I had a boss who wasn't so demanding...'
The Circle of Influence is filled with the be's:
· 'I can be more patient...'
· 'I can be a better employee...'
· 'I can be more wise...'
It's a character focus. Any time we think the problem is 'out there,' that thought is the problem. We empower what's out there to control us. The change paradigm is 'outside-in'--what's out there has to change before we can change.
The proactive approach is to change from the inside-out; to be different, and by being different to effect positive change in what's out there--I can be more resourceful, I can be more diligent, I can be a better listener, I can be a better leader.
Buy Dr. Stephen Covey's book or check it out from your local library. It is one of the best books you will ever read.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Project Roles and Responsibilities
Happy New Year!
Hopefully, you can use this list to educate your team members about the various roles on a project team.
Executive Steering Committee
Sets the strategic vision and objectives for a given program or project. The team leads efforts to build consensus through the organization to support the project or program’s objectives.
Governance Board
Formal team of executives from across the organization that ensure projects will meet/are meeting enterprise goals.
Project Sponsor
Provides clarity of the project vision, and directs the activities of the project team. Allocates funding and resources to the project. Provides executive authority necessary to overcome organizational obstacles and barriers. The guardian of the business case, and ultimately responsible for project success.
Performing Organization
The organization whose personnel are most directly involved in doing the work of the project. This organization usually provides sponsorship for the project.
Project Management Office
An organizational body or entity assigned various responsibilities related to the centralized and coordinated management of those programs/projects under its domain.
Project Stakeholders
Persons or organizations (customers, sponsors, performers, public) that are actively involved in the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively impacted by executing or implementation of the project.
Program Manager
Person responsible for the centralized, coordinated management of a program (group of related projects) to achieve the program’s strategic objectives and benefits.
Project Manager
The person assigned by the performing organization to achieve the project objectives. The project manager is responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across multiple functional lines, and managing stakeholder communications. The project manager accomplishes the above by managing project scope, time, cost, and quality. Finally, the project manager applies project management, general management and technical skills, as well as team management, negotiation, financial and business acumen, combined with an understanding of organizational politics to meet project objectives and to meet or exceed stakeholder expectations.
Project Team
All the project team members, including the project management team, the project manager, and for some projects, the project sponsor.
Functional Manager
On projects, the person responsible for ensuring agreed-upon project tasks are completed using pre-defined resources under the manager’s control within scope, time, budget and quality constraints.
Project Team Leader
Responsible for ensuring that agreed-upon project tasks and assignments are completed on time, on budget, and within quality standards for personnel under their realm of control or influence. The team leader should be knowledgeable of the principles and practices of project management and understand the business unit’s strategic and operational issues.
Technical Manager/Liaison
Responsible for the technical implementation of the project as measured against the project requirements, quality targets, and budgetary constraints, and timelines. Ensures technical deliverables are consistent with the overall technical strategy of the enterprise.
Business Analyst
Primary interface between projects and business partners. Responsible for understanding current and future processes, including processes for the entire enterprise. Documents business requirements, generate business cases, assists in defining project benefits/ costs, and participates in project reviews
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Projectsteps End of Year Tips, Hints, and Free Advice
Buy at least one share of Apple Computer stock (AAPL)
Tell somebody you care, and how much they really mean to you. Let them know how they have changed your life.
If you have children, encourage them with love, and let them know they are a blessing to you.
If you live to make more money, get a (new) life!
If you aren't having fun doing your job, move on to something new.
Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes - Tom Peters! (Are you listening BH?).
Embrace change and do all you can to expose unethical behavior.
Don't allow deadbeat managers and/or lazy executives to ruin your career or influence your project.
Gossiping is for children and old women. Don't be a part of the office gossip loop.
Great leaders with ethics and a solid morale center are rare. I have never met one; however I'm sure they exist. Seek them out with everything you have.
Executives have forgotten how to be leaders. Because of this, we have a 200 billion dollar trade deficit, stock option scandals, CEOs going to prison, massive layoffs, outsourcing to India, disloyal workers, and a plethora of corrupt politicians. Make sure before you go to work for an organization you know who is running the show.
Love the unlovable.
Be nutty at work. Somebody will appreciate the break in the monotony.
Find a manager in your company that is doing a bad job and ask them about the middle management shake up that is eminent. Walk away quickly before they can respond.
Look at yourself in the mirror closely for 60 seconds. Feel really bad that you look so old, then remember that life is precious and be thankful to God that tomorrow is a new day.
Challenge authority when it makes sense. Project managers can't be wimps.
Don't respect unrespectable people. Avoid them, workaround them, go through them. They are career killers.
If you like to solve problems and make a difference, work for a non-profit or charity.
Be a blessing to somebody.
Thanks for listening.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Stephen F. Seay, PMP
sfseay@yahoo.com
Monday, December 04, 2006
Strategic Projects and Plans
According to some research, 50-80% of strategic plans never come to fruition. I would bet that most of these failed strategic plans were due to organizations not having a strategic planning office. As I mentioned, my organization has a strategic plan, and while well thought out, it doesn't appear to be very effective at consistently delivering measurable results. I say this because I don't see a project portfolio or list of strategic projects, and there is no organization to oversee these projects at the enterprise level. Also, the projects that do come out of our strategic plan aren't usually very S.M.A.R.T. - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resource Constrained/Relevant, Time-bound.
If your projects aren't S.M.A.R.T they aren't worth planning and executing.
Organizations, especially local governments, can tweak and refine their strategy over time. This can be due to the ever changing political winds, environmental factors, customer demands, changing priorities, resource constraints, a lack of political will, or executive apathy (laziness), but more often it is because of a lack of an enterprise project management focus. Whatever the case, a strategic planning office can help an organizations focus on what is important in regards to the management of strategic projects.
When thinking about strategic projects think about the following:
- How the projects will be selected?
- How the projects will be funded?
- How the projects will be monitored and reported against?
- How will project audits be conducted?
- Who sponsors the projects?
Also, remember the Strategic Planning Circle - Strategy ---> Ideas ---> Projects ---> Change
Friday, November 17, 2006
A Communication Failure?
Project managers get busy. Many times they don't make time to manage project communications properly. Also, the project manager may think they are doing a good job communicating, but that may not be the case.
Project managers must remember that the project team is made up of individuals. Each person on the team has a preference for the types of communication they like to receive, and each person processes communications differently.
Some things to monitor that may point to poor project communications are:
Trust - Does the team trust you (the project manager)? How do you know? Everybody will not trust you all the time. Team members that don't trust the project manager will not be open in their communications. They will tend to either shut down or challenge the project manager at every turn.
De-motivated - Where are we going? Are we going where we said we were going when we started? Did we clearly state where we were going before we started?
Whining - Despair and anxiety take over the team or key team members. Infighting is prevalent and people are starting to talk openly about the project being a failure.
Incompetence - Team isn't sharing information and learning. Perhaps the team has had little to no training, or the training received was of poor quality.
All the above can be overcome, however it requires that the project manager is listening and changing strategy when necessary to get the team back on track. Just because you are a project manager doesn't make you a good communicator, however ignoring problems like the ones mentioned above will make you a bad project manager.
My two cents are, be a leader. Lead through your communication and your ability to motivate your team to get the job done. Be on the lookout for the above warning signs. When you see signs of the warning signs act quickly, follow-up, then continue to monitor.
Poor project team synergy is the fault of the project manager. There are a lot of incompetent project managers that are hurting our profession because they either refuse to alter their communication styles or are too arrogant to change. My advice to them is to change their ways or leave the project management profession.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Project Management Maturity and You
The products I'm speaking of are:
TenStep's Project Management Process and
PMOStep - Project Management Office process also available from TenStep
I also use a great collection of templates and forms called the Project Management Kit from Method123.
As I said, I own, use, and highly recommend products from both of these vendors. They are the only sites I advertise on this blog because I use them both and can say that they are a great deal for the money.
Now, lets talk about Project Management Maturity.
It is widely agreed that there are five levels of Project Management Maturity.
They are (my definition):
LEVEL 1 - INITIAL- No consistency in the organization's approach to project management
LEVEL 2 - REPEATABLE - There are some project management processes being utilized. There are some procedures developed for managing projects. There are some measures in place to help measure project management performance.
LEVEL 3 - DEFINED - Formal integrated processes are in place and they are agreed upon. There are project management coaches in the organization, and project management training is emphasized and provided to all project managers. Project management procedures are integrated around project scope, quality, time, cost, etc.
LEVEL 4 - MANAGED - Project reviews and benchmarking are formal. Project results are and procedures are benchmarked and used as a basis for improvement.
LEVEL 5 - OPTIMIZED - Continuous improvement is the driver behind project management excellence. Data is used to make decisions. Errors and anomalies are analyzed and patched to support continuous improvement. Project management success is visible to all. Project management skills and a project centric culture is embedded in the organization. Performance and innovation drive the organization towards excellence.
We exist as project managers to help our organization improve project performance. In order to help ourselves and our organization's projects succeed, we need to:
Continuously improve our project management processes and procedures
Conduct post project reviews
Benchmark our project results internally and externally
Be continuous learners
Use tools that are relevant to our jobs
Monday, October 30, 2006
Project Change Management
One of the things I'm trying to focus on this year is doing a better job of managing project change. Remember, project management is really about controlling change. As project managers we need to control change in order to control our project's scope. If we don't do a good job of controlling change our project will get off track quickly.
Develop a good change management process during project initiation, and utilize it throughout your project.
Some other change management tips:
Capture all requests for change in writing
Have a common process for approving or rejecting change requests
Understand what the change(s) will impact
Understand how the change will impact your costs, schedule, scope, and quality
Make sure you have the right people review the change
If changes are approved, ensure you update any baselines that are impacted by the change
Changes in your project are inevitable, but controlling change is the responsibility of the project manager. Are you in control of your project's change?
Friday, October 20, 2006
PMI Global Congress - Seattle
I'm headed to Seattle for the annual PMI Global Congress. I always enjoy this conference because I'm able to see the latest products the vendors have, and always learn a lot from the various presentations.
I have really been busy this week. I'm in the final stages of implementing an Asset/Work Management system for our IT group and the challenges have been a bit overwhelming at times. I long for the days when I had a strong sponsor and some level of commitment from all stakeholders. I work in a very challenging environment where Earned Value and IT Project Management aren't always highly valued.
I have learned in my current environment that results aren't always as important as managing perceptions.
I have always believed as Project Managers we should be judged equally on what I call the PCA Triangle. At the top of the triangle is a "P" for Process. On the bottom right is "C" for Communication, and at the bottom left is "R" for Results. Remember I said we "should" be measured equally in regards to our overall performance.
Some organizations focus mainly on results when evaluating projects and project managers. This is a big mistake. If I manage a project and make everyone mad, don't communicate up, down, and across the organization, but deliver the project on time and on budget did I succeed? What if the scope wasn't properly captured due to poor communications and lack of process? Will people really embrace the project's deliverables? Will they project even be accepted?
Results are important, but the process you use to get the results and the way you communicate along the way are just as important.
Hope to see some of you in Seattle. E-mail me using the following address if you are in Seattle next week and we can meet for coffee - sseay(at)scgov.net
Until next week!
Stephen F. Seay, PMP
Monday, October 09, 2006
Projects, Leaders, and Discipline
So why don't more organizations keep closer tabs on their projects at the enterprise level? Some would say the executives are too busy strategizing, and the projects are running just fine without their oversight. I think people that say this are fooling themselves and have little to no project management discipline. The data is clear that projects are delivered faster, cheaper, and with higher quality when projects results are reviewed by the enterprise (executives).
Before we go further, we need to ensure we have a clear understanding of the word discipline. Discipline is the act of encouraging a desired pattern of behavior. George Washington said: "Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable, procures success to the weak, and esteem to all". In other words, discipline is the glue that holds organizations together.
We can't have agile and effective project methodologies or organizational processes without discipline. In short, effective discipline requires effective organizational oversight. Finally, discipline begins at the top and works its way down. Organizations with poor discipline have weak, ineffective leaders at the top. Weak, unengaged, ineffective leaders kill organizations. Can you say Enron?
The lack of project discipline is the fault of all project team members, but the cause of a lack of discipline lies at the top of the organization.
Disconnected, disinterested, and unengaged leadership is unacceptable in any organization. Undisciplined organizations have high turnover, low employee morale, and poor project results. These organizations cheat their investors and customers by not providing the highest level of service possible. Highly disciplined organizations make and keep commitments, manage to clearly stated and measurable goals, and have executives that are engaged and visibly participate in the oversight of projects and day-to-day operations. If you aren't visible, your aren't relevant. If you aren't relevant, you aren't needed.
In closing, dysfunctional organizations believe that the workers are solely responsible for managing projects and other day-to-day work. These organizations believe that the executives should spend the majority of their time strategizing and making policy. This is a failed approach (see General Motors, Ford, K-Mart, etc), and ensures the work, including projects, will take longer than planned and cost more than what was budgeted.
Executive leadership and oversight of projects has been proven to motivate project teams to be accountable, results driven, and focused on achieving a common goal. Good executive leadership provides the glue that keeps teams working together, provides inspiration, exhibits integrity, sets an example for others to follow, and is accountable.
Leadership is action, not position - Donald H. McGannon.
Monday, October 02, 2006
A Message by Bob Moorehead
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
VUGs and Projects
I'm sure you know a few VUGs. They come to meetings, (they love e-mail) and try to prove how smart they are by using "industry" jargon, corporate gibberish-speak, and what has been referred to as "technobabble". They are generally laid back, often personable, will complement you to your face, and put you down behind your back. They are insecure, generally soft-spoken, power hungry, yet calm in the face of crisis. They blame others, never apologize, and love recognition. When they do try to recognize others, it is usually out of guilt or a sense of corporate duty.
VUGs like unclear (immeasurable) strategies and objectives. They ensure that they can't personally be held accountable because they speak in vague terms and future perfect scenarios. Timeframes usually aren't important to VUGs. In fact, they will never state a definitive deadline for anything that can come back to bite them. They love to delegate, are unwilling to debate, and are usually unable to deal effectively with others because of a lack of self-confidence or guilt from the way they have treated others.
VUGs speak in VUGlish, a language all their own. When VUGs speak what they say rarely has a connection to organizational strategy, is peppered with gibberish, or is a long-winded rambling of disconnected thoughts and ideas linked to immeasurable goals.
So what does all this mean? For the project manager, having a VUG for a project sponsor, as your manager, or as one of your stakeholders is inevitable. How we handle them will help determine how successful we are when managing our project.
As project managers we have to de-VUG our projects. We de-VUG our projects by ensuring that language in our scope documents, project plans, and other project documentation is:
Specific and Clear
Linked to Organizational or Departmental Strategy
Is Written in Plain Language
Is Measurable
Has Definitive Dates (deadlines) for all Milestones and Deliverables
If you are ignorant of the VUGs that can influence your project, your projects could get VUGly!
What do you think? Do you agree, or disagree? Do you know a VUG?
Leave me a comment or e-mail me.
_______________________________________________________
I hereby lame claim to inventing the following words and phrases:
VUG, VUGlish, de-VUG, VUGly, VUGger, VUGliness, VUGinator, deVUGify, Coyote VUGly, VUGstard, VUGnation, StarVUGs, iVUG, VUGoogle
Anybody else have more VUGisms?
Monday, September 11, 2006
The Project Sponsor - The Good and Bad
A project sponsor's role is to help make project decisions (formal authority), and he or she is ultimately responsible for the project's success. The sponsor should come from the executive or senior management ranks (depending on the size of the project) and should be influential, a respected politician, and have a track record for getting things done. You don't want a "Political Shark" for a sponsor.
The sponsors authority and stature should be such that they are independent as much as possible of the project's goals and objectives so they can cut through the political landscape to get critical project decisions made.
Sponsors don't just support projects; they support the project manager and project team. They are the project champion and won't allow others to sabotage the project manager, the project team, or the project's goals. They have authority that comes from their title and position within the organization. In order for sponsors to be effective they must have organizational respect, proven leadership qualities, and, be honest in their dealings. As mentioned before, they aren't political sharks, they are adept at rallying the troops (project team and stakeholders), presenting a clear message, and are supportive of the project manager.
Ideal Sponsor Responsibilities
Writes the Project Charter
Help to define Project Team Roles and Responsibilities
Acts as an Advisor to the Project Manager
Removes Obstacles
Reviews and Approves any Statements of Work/Contracts and Planning Documents
Bad Sponsor Characteristics
Too busy to meet with the project manager and project team
Doesn't have time to write a project charter
Won't get involved in assigning project roles and responsibilities
Doesn't have time to approve documents, or delegates all sponsor responsibility to others.
Blames others when things go wrong, and/or won't work to resolve project issue(s)
Always takes credit for any project success
Is surprised when the project's deliverables aren't what they expected
A bad sponsor is a project manager's worst nightmare. Avoid them at all costs if possible.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Project Management and Business Process Mapping
Four steps you can take to begin Process Mapping are:
Identify Your Organization's/Project's Business Processes
What are the processes in your organization that your project will impact?
What new processes will be created once your project is implemented?
What are your customers understanding of your processes?
What are the key trigger points of your processes?
Gather required information
Who are the process owners?
What are the processes you've identified trying to accomplish?
What is the level of quality required? Risk?
What are the control points?
Documenting the Processes
What are all the steps of the processes?
What are the objectives of the processes?
What are the inputs and outputs?
What tools or techniques are applied in each process step?
Where does the process begin and end?
Who owns the process?
Who monitors the process?
How we will know it is working?
Analysis (post mapping)
Is the process efficient?
Does it make sense?
What steps are unnecessary?
Is the process in line with departmental or enterprise objectives?
Are there too many approvals or too much rework?
Are there too many delays or bottlenecks?
Is the process efficient? How do you know?
What measures will be put in place to ensure the process is as efficient as possible?
There are many opportunities for problems to occur when mapping processes, but getting started will help your organization to become more effective. Once you become good at mapping your business processes everyone in your organization will begin to understand their role in the organization, what the organization it trying to accomplish, and feel like they are part of the effort to help drive improvements and efficiencies.
There are plenty of books on the subject to help your get started. Click the link below for books that can help.
Process Mapping Books
Monday, August 28, 2006
Important Words
The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake"
The five most important words: "You did a great job."
The four most important words: "What is your opinion?
The three most important words: "If you please"
The two most important words: "Thank You"
The one most important word: "We"
The least important word: "I"
_____________________________________________
Important Words for Relationships
The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake"
The five most important words: "You are everything to me"
The four most important words: "How can I help?"
The three most important words: "I love you"
The two most important words: "I'm sorry"
The one most important word: "Us"
The least important word: "I"
I ran across the "Important Words for the Workplace" while browsing my hard drive. I don't know where I found it, but I thought it was very good. Below the Workplace list you will find one my Dad e-mailed me years ago regarding relationships.
I list them here because part of being a good Project Manager is building trust among your team members, and an important part of building trust is being empathetic, and letting people know you care.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Pete's Estimating Laws
Pete's Estimating Laws - A Humorous Look At Estimating
This week's posting was found at Project Connections.com. While meant to be humorous, it has many facts that need to be kept in mind when estimating your project.
1. Everything takes longer than you think (sometimes a lot longer)
2. Thinking about everything takes longer than you think
3. Project Managing and leading a project team is a FULL TIME job, and then some
4. Software Engineers are always optimistic (generally REALLY optimistic)
5. Schedules are (almost) always wrong
6. If you under-estimated an early task when you wrote the WBS (schedule), you probably under-estimated middle and later tasks. Revisit the later phases of the schedule as early as possible when you discover early phase schedule (estimate) errors
7. Business types (upper management) REALLY do use your estimates for planning. For example, head count, money, customer deliverables, shipping dates, ordering materials, scheduling manufacturing lines, advertising timing, etc. Be able to express your level of confidence on various estimates when you provide them to others
8. Initially, a good schedule estimate is 80% confidence for near term deliverables, 60-80% for long-term deliverables. Revisit the schedule and revise your estimates after the Initiation Phase (Kickoff) and again after the Design Phase to improve on these early confidence levels
9. Don’t let yourself be bullied into committing to something you cannot achieve
10. Don’t bully someone else into committing to something they cannot achieve
11. Notify “Need To Know” people AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if there is a significant problem or potential problem in meeting the schedule. Remember that there was a certain degree of optimism in the schedule originally. Note: It's an art to not over-do this
12. Let team members know that you, the project manager, expect early notification of schedule problems as a courtesy. You decide on the severity or risk of the problem and its impact to the schedule, what actions to take, and what contingencies are appropriate
13. Most people’s estimating skills improve with experience; some don’t
14. Learn your own estimating flaws and compensate for them. Then learn the flaws in your new estimations and compensate for them. Repeat continuously while employed as a project manager
15. Learn others' estimating flaws and learn to compensate for them. Mentor them on improving their flaws and then compensate for their improvements. Repeat continuously while they are on your project team
16. In some environments, some people are hedging their estimates, some people are expecting them to hedge the estimates and some people are doing neither. It’s an interesting problem to get all of them to stop this behavior and have people give honest, best-effort estimates. Laws 14 and 15 are useful for dealing with this variability while you are working to get your team members to be more honest with you. Laws 13-16 are part of the "people aspects" of the project management job - like it or not, we have to deal with these "real world effects" on the projects we manage
17. Be wary of anyone who wants 100% confidence in an estimate. 90% confidence is an exceptional human achievement for any complex task, even with extremely good data
18. Look up the word “estimate” in the dictionary. You may find it useful in a meeting
Friday, August 18, 2006
10 Unbreakable Rules for Project Success
Mark Lilly and Tim Rahschulte
Why do so few projects succeed? Despite the decades of increasingly complex attempts to manage projects, far too many managers overlook the 10 Unbreakable Rules for Project Success. As outlined below, these common sense guidelines hold the key to increasing your success rate and delivering greater consistency across your project's lifecycle.
Rule #1: Know what you are doing
Take a deep breath and a half step back. See where it is you wish to go and know what it is you are trying to accomplish. See how it may be coordinated or in conflict with other project efforts across the organization. Focus to the point where you can be deliberate.
Rule #2: Know why you are doing it
Just as it is important to understand what you are doing, it is equally important to understand why you are doing it. This adds perspective and dimension that the project exists for reasons beyond itself. Research has shown that when a project results in deliverables that are designed to meet a thoroughly documented need, then there is a greater likelihood of project success. So managers should insist that there is a documented business need and justification for the project before they agree to consume organizational resources in completing it.
Typically, projects are born from one of two notions: (1) there is an external force such as a market demand or opportunity, or (2) there is an internal force such as operational inefficiencies or manufacturing throughput problems. Either reason requires a project focused work effort. But from a project perspective you need to know why you are doing what you are doing. This has impact on creating metrics, identifying stakeholders, and (possibly most important) creating a comprehensive plan for execution. Is the project necessary? Does it align with the organization's purpose and achieve major goals and objectives for the firm? Can you see the positive change it has on the organization and its customers? If yes, proceed.
Rule #3: Be prudent, honest and prepared
No organization has unlimited time and funds, so be prudent and deliberate with each project task and action. Do not waste people's time for it is precious and expensive and as such should be spent on positive and productive endeavors.
There has not been a single project that has succeeded under the guidance of the dishonest and yours will not be the first. Trust in your team. Be proactively upfront and honest.
Remember Louis Pasteur, "Chance favors only the prepared mind" so forever be prepared. Projects are too dynamic to depend on luck and chance to guide your way. Prepare to fail. Prepare to be surprised? Prepare for the 'what-ifs' you are sure to face throughout the lifecycle of your project. And, prepare to succeed.
Rule #4: Play to your strengths
This rule takes on many themes. But in short, know what you know. This is true when looking at the organizational level and the project level work. How well do you remember your Economics from college? In 1776, Adam Smith argued that trade is a zero sum game in his great work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of Wealth of Nations. Attacking mercantilist assumptions, Smith explained differences in countries based on their abilities to efficiently produce goods, making way for the idea of absolute advantage. This advantage is apparent when a producer of a good is more efficient than any other, thus gaining a superior edge over competitors.
This theory still holds true today and is applicable not only from country to country as Smith argued, but also from organization to organization. The point is, focus on your core competencies and outsource or partner as much as possible with experts who posses a superior advantage.
Rule #5: Know how to navigate
You need a plan and need time to plan. You must be able to envision the final result of the successful project, break that result down into manageable milestones or phases of work and define the critical path to each milestone. This means breaking down the vision of the project into understandable pieces for everyone on the team.
Some enterprises follow a predetermined methodology for all projects. Many enterprises do not. If you do not have a project methodology, know there is no easier way to fail than by just winging it. The next easiest way to fail is to manage every project in a different way. With this approach, you are sure to achieve lackluster performance and retain zero project-based knowledge. Find or create a methodology that works for your organization's business and within your culture, then manage and refine it as you grow.
Your plan needs to break down each work effort, allocate appropriate time for full completion of each task and assign an owner responsible for successfully accomplishing the task. Please note: you, as a project manager, need to understand that individuals responsible for task completion must have the knowledge, skill and tools to achieve their tasks.
Knowing the who, what, when is not confined to only the project team. What about the stakeholders? They have roles and responsibilities too and therefore need coordinating. Whether they are acknowledgers, advisers, critiquers, or vetoers/approvers, you have to coordinate their efforts and make sure they understand what they need to do, why, and when.
Projects are fluid, dynamic, real. Hence, unexpected events are sure to arise and deviate the team from its original plan. These occurrences do not mean the project outcomes are destined to be lived out only in the theories of blue skies. Rather, they are mere occurrences that must be addressed by intelligent people who can navigate precisely through problems and issues.
Rule #6: Know how to communicate
It is imperative to know how to communicate effectively, whether it is written, verbal, visual, body language or the like. It may be better to know that assumptions run wild on project teams; and assumptions foster perceptions; and perceptions create an errant reality. This is what will challenge your communication skills. Since teams are comprised of individuals, all with unique thinking capacities, you must be able to communicate to a diverse group of folks with differing perceptions, beliefs and cares. To best communicate, do so in detail and be colorful. That is, quantify your statements and use examples and stories when possible. And, make sure your statements are based in fact.
To keep the team informed of project work underway and forthcoming events, sponsor regular project meetings and share regular project status reports and/or scorecards. Remember, projects do not always remain on course. To that end, not all communication is favorable. If bad things happen, communicate the bad and reinforce the risk/issue mitigation plan that is in place. Do not shy away from needed any communication, but know when to stop talking and get back to acting upon the information just shared.
Rule #7: Know how to succeed
Projects are meant to succeed. They are meant to make organizations better and customers more satisfied. The first step to satisfying all project stakeholders is to believe you will succeed with the project, and instill that mindset into your team members.
All projects ride on three pillars of strength: people, resources and knowledge. When you have professional personnel, enough time and money, and the right information, quality results ensue from each project engaged. However, if you have too few or too many of these, you will struggle or worse.
Further, projects tied to a key organizational goals or major objective seem to have a greater chance of success. If your project is not tied to an organizational goal, refer to Rule #2 and make sure you understand why you are involved with the project.
A positive attitude is a must. Project leaders and team members must believe a project can succeed or it never will. As well, the organization must be set up to succeed, with every project underway addressing the goals of the firm. As each project succeeds it reinforces the organization's goals and strengthens its chances for success.
Rule #8: Know how to fail
If you want to fail, compromise one of the three pillars described in Rule #7. Trust me, compromising any one of the three will do just fine.
This rule is not meant to be a way out of difficult projects. Again, projects are supposed to succeed. This rule, rather, is here to get you to know what to look for in a failing project and be able to respond quickly with the mitigation plan. Projects fail for many reasons: lack of commitment from senior management; no clear vision; deliverables are not defined; no plan for success let alone quantified risk mitigation; decisions are made based widely on assumptions rather than business data and fact; stakeholders are passively involved; no understanding of a work breakdown structure; and poor communication.
If your project seems to be slipping away, review this list and enact change. Get back on course. Deploy a sense of urgency and strive to succeed! If despite your valiant efforts the project is beyond repair, learn from it. Glean the invaluable knowledge of failure and next time you can avoid these missteps on your way to success.
Rule #9: Know when the project is over
At the end of each phase and at key milestones throughout the project's lifecycle, the project is atop a fulcrum and is poised to continue or not. It is at each of these major points that the project manager and other sponsors need to pay close attention to the metrics and dynamics of the project. Are the goals being met? Has the environment or reasons for the project changed? Can we still succeed? It is at these points these questions must be answered. If all is well, the project goes on. If there are concerns, the project may be better off coming to a brisk halt.
Do not be afraid to stop a project if the reasoning for continuing is no longer sound. It is far better to terminate a project early than to push through to the end with a product or output that satisfies no one and has cost the organization dearly. And, this says nothing about what it does to the project team's psyche. If it is not going to work, kill it. Your time and money are better spent on some greater cause.
Rule #10: Know how to learn
Your project is not a success unless you can learn and share your knowledge with others for the organization at large to grow. Learning is constant. It is an asset to be leveraged and a sustainable differentiation for the modern day organization. It is undoubtedly true, knowledge is power. The only means in which knowledge is derived is through the process of learning. Learn to create knowledge. Leverage knowledge into power.
The success achieved from project management is more than simply enacting a methodology standard or carrying out a set of template-driven exercises. Success, rather, is achieved through the intelligent application of sound principles guided by experienced project professionals. If this sounds like common business sense, it is. As measured, all successful projects have similar attributes for us all to learn from.
These are the unbreakable rules of project management.
ProjectSteps Note: I found the above document in my Project Management Library of Whitepapers and found it made some great points. Do you maintain a personal library of Whitepapers, Website links, etc? You should. Of course, a Project Management library does you no good if you don't reference it on a regular basis.
Monday, August 14, 2006
PMI World Congress - North America
You are invited to a private reception …
PMI and its co-sponsor the International Institute for Learning, invite you to a networking reception exclusively for Project Management Professionals (PMP®) while attending PMI Global Congress 2006—North America.
Sunday, 22 October 2006
7:30-9:00 p.m.
Room 6-A
Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served
At this reception you have an exclusive opportunity to network with your PMP colleagues, share project successes and discuss the next big project… In addition to the opportunity to attend this reception, the North America Congress offers you over 80 educational sessions to get the most up-to-date project management areas of focus.
Make plans to attend the PMP Reception, find out more about other congress events, register to attend and mark October 22 on your calendar.
See you in Seattle!