Friday, July 10, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My Project is Late Again!
Is is late because of...
Design Changes – Design changes during project execution almost always cause delays and impacts to your budget. Once the Scope document has been signed, any changes to the design need to go through your Scope Change Request Process.
Skill Sets – When planning, assumptions are made regarding people's skills. Sometimes these assumptions turn out to be wrong. Also, you will usually have people on your team who are new or are less experienced. These new or lower skilled workers won't be as productive or effective as higher skilled workers. Make sure your project plan has accounted for skill levels.
Unplanned Work or Workarounds – Many times changes must be made to the sequence of planned work. These changes can impact time, cost, budget, and quality. Think about these risks up front and discuss what if any workarounds will be used.
Rework – Rework happens; it is part of project management. Ensure your project plan accounts for rework.
Team Morale – Turnover, project conflict, sick time, vacations all can wreak havoc with your schedule and budget; plan for these things. A happy team is a productive team. Ensure your team is working towards a common goal and not working against each other. Remove disruptive team members from your project if their behavior can't be changed.
Schedules – Trying to do too much in too little time will result in delays. Once you get behind it is very difficult to catch up. Your project will have delays. You need to have contingency plans to get back on track quickly.
Work Environment – Ensure that your team has a proper workspace. Cramming people into poorly designed work spaces will lower productivity.
Tools – Ensure your team has the right tools to do the job. Having the right tool, but not getting into the teams hands at the right time will cause delays in your schedule.
Project Manager Overload – Too many people on a project team without the proper management oversight can cause major problems for the project manager.
Overtime – Adding hours to people's schedules in order to make a deadline will usually do nothing but increase your budget. Adding overtime rarely results in getting a late project back on track.
Executive – Executive apathy can kill your project. People are usually not going to make your project a priority if their boss isn't willing to tell them it is important. Deadbeat executives kill team morale and project momentum.
Plan for the above "risks" and you will start to bring your projects in faster, cheaper, and with higher quality.
Design Changes – Design changes during project execution almost always cause delays and impacts to your budget. Once the Scope document has been signed, any changes to the design need to go through your Scope Change Request Process.
Skill Sets – When planning, assumptions are made regarding people's skills. Sometimes these assumptions turn out to be wrong. Also, you will usually have people on your team who are new or are less experienced. These new or lower skilled workers won't be as productive or effective as higher skilled workers. Make sure your project plan has accounted for skill levels.
Unplanned Work or Workarounds – Many times changes must be made to the sequence of planned work. These changes can impact time, cost, budget, and quality. Think about these risks up front and discuss what if any workarounds will be used.
Rework – Rework happens; it is part of project management. Ensure your project plan accounts for rework.
Team Morale – Turnover, project conflict, sick time, vacations all can wreak havoc with your schedule and budget; plan for these things. A happy team is a productive team. Ensure your team is working towards a common goal and not working against each other. Remove disruptive team members from your project if their behavior can't be changed.
Schedules – Trying to do too much in too little time will result in delays. Once you get behind it is very difficult to catch up. Your project will have delays. You need to have contingency plans to get back on track quickly.
Work Environment – Ensure that your team has a proper workspace. Cramming people into poorly designed work spaces will lower productivity.
Tools – Ensure your team has the right tools to do the job. Having the right tool, but not getting into the teams hands at the right time will cause delays in your schedule.
Project Manager Overload – Too many people on a project team without the proper management oversight can cause major problems for the project manager.
Overtime – Adding hours to people's schedules in order to make a deadline will usually do nothing but increase your budget. Adding overtime rarely results in getting a late project back on track.
Executive – Executive apathy can kill your project. People are usually not going to make your project a priority if their boss isn't willing to tell them it is important. Deadbeat executives kill team morale and project momentum.
Plan for the above "risks" and you will start to bring your projects in faster, cheaper, and with higher quality.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What Is Not in Writing Has Not Been Said
While the title of this message may seem extreme, there are many times when it is relevant in project management. One example is in the area of requirements. Project requirements are always in written form. In the field of project management there is no such thing as a verbal project requirement.
The following text was taken from Chapter Twenty in the “Field Guide to Project Management”. The authors Francis M Webster, Jr. and Stephen D. Owens state, "the written document provides instructions, restates previous instructions, conveys importance to the message, and helps the project manager to cover their tracks".
The authors also make the point that that "e-mail isn't always enough and can get you in trouble faster and with more people". As we all know from experience, e-mail usually isn't given enough thought before it is sent which can lead to messages being misinterpreted and having unintended consequences.
A project manager that is doing his or her job will formally document all items that are important and relevant to supporting a project's objectives.
The following text was taken from Chapter Twenty in the “Field Guide to Project Management”. The authors Francis M Webster, Jr. and Stephen D. Owens state, "the written document provides instructions, restates previous instructions, conveys importance to the message, and helps the project manager to cover their tracks".
The authors also make the point that that "e-mail isn't always enough and can get you in trouble faster and with more people". As we all know from experience, e-mail usually isn't given enough thought before it is sent which can lead to messages being misinterpreted and having unintended consequences.
A project manager that is doing his or her job will formally document all items that are important and relevant to supporting a project's objectives.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Twenty Good Life Tips
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
Do not believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
When you say, "I love you", mean it.
When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
Believe in love at first sight.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who do not have dreams do not have much.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it is the only way to live life completely.
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name-calling.
Do not judge people by their relatives.
Talk slowly but think quickly.
When someone asks you a question you do not want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
Say, "Bless You" when you hear someone sneeze.
When you lose, do not lose the lesson.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
Do not let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
Do not believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
When you say, "I love you", mean it.
When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
Believe in love at first sight.
Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who do not have dreams do not have much.
Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it is the only way to live life completely.
In disagreements, fight fairly. No name-calling.
Do not judge people by their relatives.
Talk slowly but think quickly.
When someone asks you a question you do not want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
Say, "Bless You" when you hear someone sneeze.
When you lose, do not lose the lesson.
Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
Do not let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Snakes on a Project
Project managers must manage team dysfunction. Sometimes the dysfunction comes from the top (Sponsor, Steering Committee, Senior Management) and sometimes it comes from the project stakeholders and core team members (or the project manager). The project manager must be a motivator, and additionally must keep the team focused on the project’s objectives. Most importantly, the project manager must do all they can to ensure that negative or destructive elements are kept clear of their projects. Sometimes these negative elements (people) are called “project snakes”.
Project Snake Facts
Project snakes aren’t interested in you, your team, or your project’s success
Project snakes won’t confront you with an issue or problem
Project snakes are interested in feeding (their own needs and ego)
Project snakes operate one way – surprise attack!
Project snakes strike when you least expect it
Project snakes (almost always) operate alone
Project snakes have few if any real friends (except other snakes)
Project snakes wear pants and skirts
When you find out there is a snake present, ensure you expose him or her for what they are. When exposing the snake, make sure you do this in a way that won’t cost you or another person on your team their job.
Snakes are devious, sneaky, and often powerful. Remember, the snake is all about feeding their own appetite (ego). Hopefully, if you and your team continue to do the right things the snake will slither off to feed somewhere else.
Project teams are most productive when they have fun, trust each other, have commitment to the project’s objectives, embrace open communications, and are working in a culture where their opinion is appreciated and they are creating value.
Project snakes don’t care about people, teams, and most of all projects that don’t serve their narrow agenda. Project snakes are sneaky predators that feed on the weak. Beware of the snake!