ProjectManagement.com - Projects - Manage - Risk

What You Should Know About Kanban (Part 3)

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

If Kanban works well on specific software projects, can it be scaled to facilitate Lean throughout an organization? This article will look at how Kanban can be thought of as a general purpose change management approach for your organization.

Keeping the Schedule on Track

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

If the schedule only exists to track what happened, it is a fairly useless tool. It will be glad to talk to you about the project and tell you how horrible things are, but that is not what project managers need. Here are some ideas for using the schedule to help the project instead of just using it to document failure.

Why Giving Up Control is Good for Your Methodology...and Your Projects

Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

If we want better projects, we need to be better at our project management. The question that remains, however, is this: Is consistency and formality the path to get there? Is promoting and demanding adherence to a common process what is required to get to "better"? Here, the evidence is mixed.

How to be Extraordinarily Agile

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

On an agile project, we often must accomplish the extraordinary. Yet how can we do so when we must work with such...ahem...ordinary people? Here are some suggestions for helping your group of ordinary individuals to accomplish the extraordinary on your agile project.

How to Adapt Leadership for Evolving Teams

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

There is no exact science for people. Just as our project processes should be context-specific, so too should our team processes. Depending on whether your team is brand new, establishing itself or stable, the way we interact as managers and leaders should be tailored to fit the circumstances. Here are some pointers.

What Do Your PMs Think of Your PMO?

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

What is your PMO's reputation among the PMs it serves? There could be a lot of distrust. Through experience, one manager discovered some potential problem areas that you may want to look at in your own organization.

Should Technology and Process Coexist?

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

With the ever increasing use of technology, how are processes impacted? Our writer feels that technology should be an overlay to the process work--we should start with a solid process and then look for ways that technology could make life easier in the execution of the process. But a colleague doesn't agree...

How Emergency Response Helps Project Execution

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

While many projects may not have to adopt the elements of the Federal Incident Command System, some are set up to resolve a certain time-bound resolution of organizational priorities and can reap the benefits.

The Postmortem Process

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Unrehearsed players executing spontaneous postmortems will not reap the full benefits, but cultivated regimens can enable even casual players to consistently succeed and draw expected results in ad hoc postmortems. If you're in a PANIC, maybe it's time to get PACIFIC...

Navigating Conflict

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

When two people are working together, there are going to be disagreements. Project teams are no exception, but there are good ways to navigate this conflict without completely derailing the project.

Phased-Based Governance

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Governance happens in projects all the time, and a well thought-out governance process can be a powerful project tool. In this article, we will examine why governance is necessary, where governance is most effective and how we as project and program managers can use governance to powerful effect.

The Problem with PMOs and Governance

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Organizations that take project governance for granted are headed for a fall. There is one area where governance seems to be failing in many organizations, and it's perhaps surprising--the PMO. That is incredibly dangerous, and here's why...

PMO-level Issue Management

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Every project has an issues log. But what about the PMO? Does your PMO manage issues and maintain an issues log? Do you look for trends across the issues of different projects and take proactive steps to address them? Do you attempt to prevent issues through good communication? In this article, we look at a model for PMO-level issue management and suggest ways that it can improve the quality of projects that your PMO is responsible for.

Who's Governing Your Governance Committee?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

If governance is designed to ensure that project execution occurs appropriately, then who ensures that governance occurs appropriately? To try and avoid conflict, an organization needs to ensure that governance committees operate with a series of guidelines.

Involving Governance Stakeholders (Part 1)

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

It was the best of times--your project seemed to be going along swimmingly. It was the worst of times--suddenly there was a surprise from a governance stakeholder. Will you avoid the guillotine?

Canceling a Project

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Ideally, every project ends in success, on time and on budget. In the real world, projects are canceled--and the project manager needs to be ready for this eventuality.

Recovering from Project Failure

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Major project failure can happen to anyone. What's important is to make sure that the organization can recover from such a situation, and that requires both advance planning (it's too late to start planning the recovery when the disaster has already happened) and strong execution. Is your PMO prepared?

In Case of Pandemic, Break Glass

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Do you have a readiness plan in place for potential pandemics? Even if you feel protected or isolated from such an occurrence, having a readiness plan can also serve as an important reinforcement to customers and stakeholders who are dependent upon your continued performance and success.

Whose Fault is This, Anyway?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

While "blame" is not a constructive term to use in establishing where things went wrong, every element of a project should have clearly defined owners. If it isn't clear where that ownership lies, there's a fundamental problem in the way your project is structured. Here we look at how we can establish that ownership--and ensure that the model is applied effectively.

The Show Must Go On

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Managing issues on a project takes strategic planning and a little finesse so that issues do not turn into show stoppers. Do you have an issue management plan that can handle any problems and still keep the project on track?

Topic Teasers Vol. 6: Leading Without Authority

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Question: I work for a non-profit organization and am leading a five-year project supported by a grant. Four years in, I'm still unable to get cooperation from the participants (paid). How do I get them committed so that we have something to show for the five years of work?

A.	There is no way to achieve performance goals in only five years unless you have full authority over these people. Ask the funder for another three years of funding.
B.	Find a few participants who you can pay extra to cooperate, and then use them as examples to shame the rest of the group into compliance.
C.	Create a clear performance structure with an irresistible payoff at the end, but be prepared to abide by your own rules if you want to change the participant's behavior.
D.	Non-profit organizations are not planning to receive the expected outcomes promised, as they know from experience that only profit-driven projects can be successful.

The Cost of PM Efficiency

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Nothing comes free, but do you understand the true cost? When we look for ways to improve business efficiency, we consider two primary factors. But sometimes organizations push so hard for efficiency that they ignore the potential impact--and that's when the problems start.

Topic Teasers Vol. 4: Phantom Teams

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Question: My project "teams" are random, siloed people housed all over the building. We never meet, and multiple project managers all use the same departmentalized individuals to complete activities. How do I get them to prioritize my work requests?

A.	Ask your organization to restructure from a traditional hierarchy to a projectized organization.
B.	Offer free coffee mugs, t-shirts and award certificates each time someone completes an activity for your project.
C.	Show your manager that having these people moved to a common workspace for the duration of your project will add value to the project deliverables.
D.	Transition yourself from a project manager to a project leader and create a sense of connection and personal relationships between these random, siloed workers.

Five Project Management Pathologies

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Since it's the cold season, we wanted to share a list of maladies that will take your project down if you aren't paying attention or fail to keep your guard up. Each are preventable, and as the old saying goes: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Contingency Planning for the Knowns

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Many IT project teams do a good job of identifying project risks and applying associated contingency reserve factors to the project plan. Unfortunately, project teams sometimes overlook the unique challenges that distinguish many applications and affect all projects undertaken in a specific application domain.

Project Rescue in the PMO

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The idea of project rescue isn't new, but it has become more prominent in recent years. It's the idea of parachuting a new PM onto a failing project in order to quickly turn things around. Can your PMO grow from a project rescue experience?

I Can Sing and Dance, But I Don't Juggle

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

What is the true cost of too much multitasking? Is there even a cost? Or is the ability to multitask just plain expected as you advance through the software development career path? Learn what steps to take so that you and your team can become more effective at focusing on getting to "done".

Breaking the Cycle

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Project issues vary from organization to organization, but a few always pop up in the post-mortem. Here we identify some causes and offer some ideas on how you can finally get those issues off your report once and for all.

Surviving Failure

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Project failure is inevitable...are you equipped to handle it? Major project failure can be a life changer, so you need to make sure that it's a positive experience by keeping the right outlook. Here's some advice from a PM who lived through a few rough experiences.

Targeting the Lessons Learned Session

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The project manager should make sure the lessons learned sessions are positive experiences for all involved. But how can you turn a session on mistakes into something constructive?

My Big Fat Post-Mortem Failure

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

There's nothing like getting the bitter taste of failure out of your mouth with poison from your attempt to get information to do better next time. Change the language used in the post-mortem to change the tone.

Recognizing Failure

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Project failure is inevitable, and failing to deal with it is inexcusable. Many projects fail to deliver against the plan that the approval of the project was based on. But few projects are ever actually cancelled--projects are delayed, costs are escalated, scope is cut...but ultimately the project is delivered, even if it bears little resemblance to what was originally approved. Stop the insanity!

Defining Failure

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

PMs don't always have the right view of what makes a project successful. Our discipline has evolved and now requires us to have a much more complete view of how our projects impact organizations. Just how do you define "failure"?