When project teams are surveyed at the end of failed projects, poor communications is always cited as being one of the major causes. Why does this keep happening? Why is project communications so poorly executed so often. My short answer is that many project managers are arrogant, inattentive, and oblivious to the feelings and needs of the project team.
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.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Project Management Maturity and You
The subject of Project Management Maturity has been given a lot of press lately. At this year's PMI Global Conference there were lots of vendors selling all kinds of products to help organizations and project managers increase their project management maturity level. As project managers, we need training and tools to help us perform to at our best. Over the years I have evaluated several products to help me manage my projects more effectively. I like two products in particular because they are reasonably priced, and have free templates and processes available on their websites that you can put to use right away.
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
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
I have returned from Seattle, and PMI put on another great global congress. I'm reenergized about my profession and the opportunities available for Project Managers. If you haven't attended a PMI Global Conference I would strongly suggest you try to attend the next one in 2007 in Atlanta, GA.
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?
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
One of the things that hurt project teams most is the lack of an enterprise (executive) focus and oversight regarding the management of projects. It takes discipline to manage projects, and enterprise project discipline is lacking when executives are disinterested or disengaged. Great organizations (not project managers) manage projects well, and in doing so they have employees with higher morale, they get better project results, and implement projects faster with higher quality.
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.
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
This has been around for quite some time. I thought it was worth posting here for people that haven't read it. Very profound, very true, very sad.
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce morec opies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
VUGs and Projects
I like the quote by Malcolm Forbes that goes, "You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them". I have been fortunate over the years to have worked for people that had good character and lived by high ethical standards. At the same time, I have worked with and for people that only care about their own vague agendas, that speak mostly gibberish (technobabble), and refuse to acknowledge the accomplishments of others. I call these people, "VUGs". VUG is an acronym for Vague, Unclear, and Gibberish- speaking.
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?
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
Most projects cross departmental or enterprise lines of authority, and many projects get funding from more than one source. We all should know that projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. It is the temporary nature and uniqueness of projects that make the job of project manager so difficult. Project managers must work with different groups of people (stakeholders) to meet project objectives, and usually don't have any much authority to get stakeholders to perform the project work. A strong project sponsor can help the project manager address the people issues (and many more project issues that will arise).
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.
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
Hopefully, every project manager has been involved at one time or another with helping their customers map their business processes. Business process maps make work flow visible, understandable, and measurable. An important consideration when mapping your business processes is to view them through the eyes of your customers.
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
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
Important Words for the Workplace
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.
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
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.
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
Anybody out there going to the PMI Global Congress in Seattle? If so, how about if we meet up at the reception below? Never too early to plan.
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!
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!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
The 4 Disciplines of Execution - Part 4
I have edited the last 3 postings on this topic because I noticed that while I described everything about the Disciplines, I never listed the Disciplines themselves. Sorry for the confusion. Like I said, I updated the prior postings, and have listed the 4 Disciplines below.
They are:
1 - Focus on the Wildy Important
2 - Create a Compelling Scorecard
3 - Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions
4 - Hold Each Other Accountable - All of the Time
-----------------------------------------------------------
Discipline 4 - Hold Each Other Accountable - All of the Time
"Knowing others are counting on you raises your level of committment"
Maintaining commitment to the goal requires frequent team accountability. Traditional Staff meetings won't suffice. You need a better process for engaging the team and reporting on results - the WIG Session.
Key Things to Remember
* Wildly important goals - focus is on WIGs, real work gets done, team focused.
* Triage reporting - quick reporting, socre board reviewed, follow-through, successes celebrated.
* Finding Third Alternatives - problem solving, 1+1=3, wisdom of group.
* Clearing the path - a stroke of the pen for me, "A+" behavior, asking for help.
Click here to read a short article about the 4 Disciplines of Execution wrtiten by Stephen Covey
They are:
1 - Focus on the Wildy Important
2 - Create a Compelling Scorecard
3 - Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions
4 - Hold Each Other Accountable - All of the Time
-----------------------------------------------------------
Discipline 4 - Hold Each Other Accountable - All of the Time
"Knowing others are counting on you raises your level of committment"
Maintaining commitment to the goal requires frequent team accountability. Traditional Staff meetings won't suffice. You need a better process for engaging the team and reporting on results - the WIG Session.
Key Things to Remember
* Wildly important goals - focus is on WIGs, real work gets done, team focused.
* Triage reporting - quick reporting, socre board reviewed, follow-through, successes celebrated.
* Finding Third Alternatives - problem solving, 1+1=3, wisdom of group.
* Clearing the path - a stroke of the pen for me, "A+" behavior, asking for help.
Click here to read a short article about the 4 Disciplines of Execution wrtiten by Stephen Covey
Friday, August 04, 2006
4 Disciplines of Execution - Part 3
This week's entry is a continuation of my previous posting regarding what Dr. Stephen Covey calls the "4 Disciplines of Execution". This text is taken directly from FranklinCovey's "The 4 Disciplines of Execution Quick Reference".
"To achieve goals you've never achieved before, you need to start doing things you've never done before"
Discipline 3 - Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions
It's one thing to come up with a new goal or strategy. It's quite another to actually put that goal into action, to break it down into new behaviors and activities at the front line.
Key Things to Remember
* Think new and better. Often, we expect different outcomes while continuing to do the same things. New results often require a creative new behavior. Identify new or better behaviors by replicating pockets of excellence (what's being done superbly well already) or by creating them from imagination.
* Plan weekly. Break down your team's top goals into weekly bite-size chunks. As you plan your week ask yourself, "What are three most important objectives I must accomplish this week to move the team's goals forward?"
* Plug into your planning system. Schedule into your planning system the vital few things you must accomplish each week.
Knowing and doing are two different things.
______________________________________________________
Makes sense to me. I have always like the old project management saying, "What is not is writing has not been said". Maybe we should change that to, "What is not in writing doesn't get done".
Any comments?
"To achieve goals you've never achieved before, you need to start doing things you've never done before"
Discipline 3 - Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions
It's one thing to come up with a new goal or strategy. It's quite another to actually put that goal into action, to break it down into new behaviors and activities at the front line.
Key Things to Remember
* Think new and better. Often, we expect different outcomes while continuing to do the same things. New results often require a creative new behavior. Identify new or better behaviors by replicating pockets of excellence (what's being done superbly well already) or by creating them from imagination.
* Plan weekly. Break down your team's top goals into weekly bite-size chunks. As you plan your week ask yourself, "What are three most important objectives I must accomplish this week to move the team's goals forward?"
* Plug into your planning system. Schedule into your planning system the vital few things you must accomplish each week.
Knowing and doing are two different things.
______________________________________________________
Makes sense to me. I have always like the old project management saying, "What is not is writing has not been said". Maybe we should change that to, "What is not in writing doesn't get done".
Any comments?
Thursday, July 27, 2006
4 Disciplines of Execution - continued
This week's entry is a continuation of my previous posting regarding what Dr. Stephen Covey calls the "4 Disciplines of Execution". This text is taken directly from FranklinCovey's "The 4 Disciplines of Execution Quick Reference".
Discipline 2 - Create a Compelling Scorecard
Measures and a scoreboard ensure that people have the same understanding of goals. Turn your measures into a compelling scoreboard that is accessible, visual, engaging, doable, and concise.
Key Things to Remember
Types of Measures
* Lagging - provide an historical look at past performance
* Leading - provide measures that are predictive of future results.
* Real-time - show where things are right now. They allow corrective action to be taken immediately to affect the outcome.
Measurement Credibility Checklist
* Accurately tracks progress toward the goal
* Inputs cannot be easily manipulated
* Can be influenced by the team
* Drives the right behaviors
* Tracks outcomes as well as activities
* Is truly achievable
* Has no unintended consequences
* Value of measuring exceeds cost of measuring
For more information on the "4 Disciplines of Execution", click here.
Discipline 2 - Create a Compelling Scorecard
Measures and a scoreboard ensure that people have the same understanding of goals. Turn your measures into a compelling scoreboard that is accessible, visual, engaging, doable, and concise.
Key Things to Remember
Types of Measures
* Lagging - provide an historical look at past performance
* Leading - provide measures that are predictive of future results.
* Real-time - show where things are right now. They allow corrective action to be taken immediately to affect the outcome.
Measurement Credibility Checklist
* Accurately tracks progress toward the goal
* Inputs cannot be easily manipulated
* Can be influenced by the team
* Drives the right behaviors
* Tracks outcomes as well as activities
* Is truly achievable
* Has no unintended consequences
* Value of measuring exceeds cost of measuring
For more information on the "4 Disciplines of Execution", click here.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Dr. Stephen Covey is one of my favorite authors. His books, writing, lectures, and course offerings are well worth reviewing. As I was looking through my bookshelf I came across a CD and short brochure around what Dr. Covey calls the 4 Disciplines of Execution.
Over the next few weeks I will go through each Discipline. Today, I will talk about Discipline 1.
As taken from the "4 Disciplines of Execution" brochure:
Discipline 1 - Focus on the Wildly Important
To achieve results with excellence, you must focus on a few wildly important goals and set aside the merely important. Choose to do a few things with excellence rather than many things with mediocrity.
Key Things to Remember
Too many goals, conflicting or not, lead to confusion, burnout, decline in quality, and loss of focus".
Align your goals with those of your organization as well as the key teams you work with".
Use the Importance Screen (reference to CD) to help identify your wildly important goals
Click here to view Importance Screen
Create Sell-Crafted Goals
* Specific and clear
* Explicitly linked to corporate strategy
* Plain language
* Bite-size chunks
* measurable
* Deadline-driven
For more information click here to go to Franklin Covey's website.
Over the next few weeks I will go through each Discipline. Today, I will talk about Discipline 1.
As taken from the "4 Disciplines of Execution" brochure:
Discipline 1 - Focus on the Wildly Important
To achieve results with excellence, you must focus on a few wildly important goals and set aside the merely important. Choose to do a few things with excellence rather than many things with mediocrity.
Key Things to Remember
Too many goals, conflicting or not, lead to confusion, burnout, decline in quality, and loss of focus".
Align your goals with those of your organization as well as the key teams you work with".
Use the Importance Screen (reference to CD) to help identify your wildly important goals
Click here to view Importance Screen
Create Sell-Crafted Goals
* Specific and clear
* Explicitly linked to corporate strategy
* Plain language
* Bite-size chunks
* measurable
* Deadline-driven
For more information click here to go to Franklin Covey's website.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
New PMI Standards
The Project Management Institute has released two new standards. They are:
The Standard for Program Management
The Standard for Portfolio Management
As stated in the Standard for Program Management, "The Standard for Program Management aims to provide a detailed understanding of program management and promote efficient and effective communication and coordination among various groups. With its ability to help assess the variety of factors linking projects under one program and provide the best allotment of resources between those projects, this standard is an invaluable tool for program and project managers alike."
In the introduction the Program Management Standard states: "The Standard for Program Management provides guidelines for managing programs within and organization. It defines program management and related concepts, describes the program management life cycle and outlines related processes. This standard is an expansion of information provided in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge."
It appears on first glance that both Standards will be an excellent resource for all project managers. You can purchase them both at the PMI website
Your comments are always welcome
The Standard for Program Management
The Standard for Portfolio Management
As stated in the Standard for Program Management, "The Standard for Program Management aims to provide a detailed understanding of program management and promote efficient and effective communication and coordination among various groups. With its ability to help assess the variety of factors linking projects under one program and provide the best allotment of resources between those projects, this standard is an invaluable tool for program and project managers alike."
In the introduction the Program Management Standard states: "The Standard for Program Management provides guidelines for managing programs within and organization. It defines program management and related concepts, describes the program management life cycle and outlines related processes. This standard is an expansion of information provided in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge."
It appears on first glance that both Standards will be an excellent resource for all project managers. You can purchase them both at the PMI website
Your comments are always welcome
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Vacation is Over, but what a Ride!
Some photos from my vacation are included below. I rode the Harley to Cartersville, GA, Fontana Dam, NC, up and around the Blue Ridge Parkway, on to Asheville, NC, then back home. The weather was great, the scenery incredible, and the break from work much needed. Hopefully the photos will tell part of the story.
Mountain View
Flowers in the Mountains
Devils Courthouse - Blue Ridge Parkway
Another View
Motorcycle Project Dude
Mountain View
Flowers in the Mountains
Devils Courthouse - Blue Ridge Parkway
Another View
Motorcycle Project Dude
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Vacations are Projects Too!
Well I'm off for vacation on Saturday. I'm riding my Harley-Davidson to Atlanta and staying for a couple of days with a friend, then moving on to the Road King Riders Rendevouz in Fontana, NC. After a couple of days of riding in the Smokey Mountains I will ride to Asheville, NC for my sister-in-laws wedding.
In order to make sure the trip is as uneventful as possible, I have created a checklist of things to do and take, as well as pre-planning my route. Additionally, as part of the pre-trip process I have completed a maintenance and safety check on the motorcycle, and ensured I have my insurance, registration, and other paperwork required for the trip.
While taking the time to plan the trip won't guarentee success, it should reduce the chances of problems while on the road.
What out for Motorcyles, they are Everywhere!
