Project Management Bistro

Project Management Concepts for Enterprise 2.0

2011-08-17T13:54:00.002-04:00

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, a noted PMP expert. He has helped over 15,000 students prepare for the PMP Exam with The Project Management PrepCast and The PMP Exam Simulator.

Dennis Brooke has been using web based project management communications tools since the late 1990s. In his recent interview on The Project Management Podcast he discussed how Enterprise 2.0 project management tools can make the most of communications between team, sponsors and stakeholders.

Effective Distribution

Once you complete a report, distribution is the next step. Most people send it as an attachment to an email but that isn’t the most efficient way to make sure that everyone sees it. This is because email, although very convenient, often gets lost in the maze of folders that people use to organize their inboxes. They will read a report, file it away and often forget where they put it when they want to refer back to it. Thus, the PM will receive repeated requests for duplicates which will, again, be filed away and lost!

Enterprise 2.0 project management tools give you more options and are more effective in getting your message out. It takes traditional one way communication-email-and turns it into collaboration, a two way conversation that engages both parties. A PM can set up an internet portal for a project that allows everyone to access the report repeatedly, at their convenience, and see all of the information that is pertinent to them. Successful projects depend on effective communication and that means that all parties need to contribute.

Easy Access

Enterprise 2.0 gives you a format that lets you find everything you need very quickly. It’s visible, interactive and easy to locate. It fosters communications between the team, the sponsor and stakeholders by putting information into a place where people can find it easily.

Enterprise 2.0 is interactive, too. Anyone can comment on a posted document and see others’ comment. “So it’s like sitting around in a room but you’re able to do it on your own time and everyone gets to get their say without having to compete with everyone else,” says Dennis Brooke.

Customizable Features

One of the best features of Enterprise 2.0 is that you can tailor it to your audience and make the best use of their limited time. You can create portals with a summary and drill down into areas like scheduling, status reports and other information that your audience is looking for.

There is, however, the potential for abuse. Just like email, you have to train people to use these tools. And like email, everything that is entered at the portal is there forever. People must realize that they need to be just as professional, diplomatic and responsible as they are when they use email.

Enterprise 2.0 saves an astounding amount of time. Enterprise 2.0 makes it easier to find the things you need, saving people time and frustration. Best of all, it has templates that can be customized to serve the best purposes of the audience you want to reach. It has a dashboard that gives people visual access to what they want to see and inspect then drill down into the details that they need in order to find out what they want to know.

Plus, since Enterprise 2.0 is online, it’s accessible to people all over the world immediately, whenever they want to see it. Even team members offshore can access it with a satellite connection. With Enterprise 2.0, there are no limits except those that you impose.

Monday Project Roundup: Tweetups, mistakes in business plans, and project plans

2011-08-15T14:18:00.000-04:00

PM Boulevard contributor, Rob Prinzo, is hosting a weekly project management Tweetup with Robert Kelley. Tune in on Friday, August 15 from noon to 1PM.
As a project manager, do you have your head in your, ahem… project plan?
Six of the most common mistakes in business plans.
You’re hiring a project manager—how do you evaluate the applicants?
Esther Derby on reconfiguring your management style within agile teams, and be even more a valuable role within your organization.

7 Steps to a Drama-Free Office

2011-08-04T12:05:00.001-04:00

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner. Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner are the authors of The Drama-Free Office: A Guide to Healthy Collaboration with Your Team, Coworkers, and Boss. You can get a free sample of the book on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/KaleyKlemp, follow them on twitter, @KaleyKlemp and read more about them at DramaFreeOffice.com.

If you work with other people (and who doesn’t?) reflect on the last week and notice how much time you wasted in drama: the energy-draining behaviors or exchanges that keep you from what you really want to be doing. Think about all the infighting, water-cooler talk, meaningless meetings, turf wars, pouting, rants, and other behaviors that blocked positive, productive interactions in your organization.

Now, think about how many creative projects you could have completed, or how much time you could have spent having fun with friends and family if you had that time and energy back.

By following these seven steps, you can shift yourself (and your team) away from drama to more enjoyable and productive tasks!

Step 1: Get Out of Your Own Drama

One of the most difficult challenges for aspiring leaders is to “own their stuff”—to acknowledge their own responsibility for relationship shortcomings. So, before you can guide others, you must take inventory of both your interaction strengths (i.e., where you uplift relationships) and the ways you sabotage relationships. The strength inventory is usually easy. The sabotage inventory is more difficult. It requires the vulnerability and courage to seek others’ candid observations and advice about your behavior. To find out your own drama tendencies, you can use self-reflection, ask your colleagues, or take a drama-assessment survey. You can only help others when you are curious yourself. Take a deep breath, get re-centered and get out of your own way.

Step 2: Diagnose the Type of Drama in the Other Person

Once you are committed to authenticity and curiosity yourself, you can determine what kind of drama the other person is displaying. There are four primary drama roles that emerge most frequently in office settings: the Complainer, the Controller, the Cynic and the Caretaker. You’ll need to use different strategies for different personality types—there is no “one size fits all” antidote for drama. Notice the kind of person you’re dealing with. Will they respond more to direct confrontation and setting boundaries (better for Controllers and Cynics), or to appreciation and encouragement (better for Caretakers and Complainers)? Know who you’re dealing with and tailor your approach to maximize your chance for shifting their behavior.

Step 3: Assess the Risk of Confronting the Other Person

Before meeting with drama-prone colleagues, you must identify and evaluate the potential downsides of a confrontation. Without objectively assessing these risks, you might be tempted to either accept a dysfunctional relationship you could have salvaged or make a misstep you could have avoided. So, before launching into a direct conversation with your boss or a team member, consider the possible side effects (e.g., nothing happens, it gets worse, they abruptly leave) and whether you’re willing to face them.

Step 4: Develop Rapport with the Drama-Prone Person

It’s important to establish rapport with the other person so he is best prepared to receive your message. Try opening with a blend of connection, appreciation, ground rules, and expectations. Your goal is to get the person’s full attention and to set him up to be receptive to your ideas. People prefer to collaborate with those they know and like, so this step is powerful in setting the tone for the rest of the conversation.

Step 5: Have a Direct Conversation

While an entire article could be written about direct conversations, when confronting a person about their drama, stay dispassionate and state “the facts” clearly and concisely. Also present the meaning you derived from the facts (i.e., your perceptions), and any emotions you experience—usually some combination of fear, anger, guilt or embarrassment.

This next part is a little tougher. Share with the person how you contributed to the situation (why it’s your fault, too). Then, end with a specific request. Usually these conversations end with an agreement about what will happen next to make sure the drama ends.

While this may sound simple, each component outlined above is worth practicing and mastering so that the entire conversation flows smoothly. For instance, it’s very easy to mix facts and derived meaning. People often say, “The facts are, you are being difficult.” When, in fact, the level of cooperation or difficulty of an individual is derived meaning or perception. One person may consider challenging an idea as difficult behavior and another might appreciate it as a commitment to improvement.

Step 6: Get Their Commitment

The last step of the direct conversation in Step 5 is your specific requests or expectations of the person. A commitment to realize these expectations without excuses, sarcasm, self-pity, or martyrdom is often difficult to obtain from drama-prone people. They’ll dance around the expectation or rephrase them in vague terms. These deflection or evasion tactics are a self-protection mechanism that helps the dramatic person avoid both change and accountability. Don’t get hooked. Reiterate both your specific expectations and your need for the drama-prone person’s commitment to meet them. If she continues to resist or deflect, be prepared to calmly lay out an ultimatum, including specific rewards for meeting objectives and consequences for missing objectives.

Step 7: Validate and Anchor Their Commitment and New Behavior

Praise the person for his positive behaviors during your meeting, and honor the commitments he made. Follow up with a short note or e-mail confirming and affirming the person’s commitments. Ideally, ask them to create a summary of your meeting that includes their specific agreements. People live up to what they write down.

Once you’ve done these seven steps, you have done the hard work. Now you can redirect your energy toward the collaborative, meaningful projects that you enjoy doing, and work in an office free from drama.

Monday Project Roundup: Productivity, mid-life projects, and the myth of agile waterfall projects

2011-08-01T14:01:00.000-04:00

It’s Monday—is there a better time to think about why you are failing to be productive?
Does your project want to go out and buy a red convertible? Read more about projects going through a mid-life crisis.
The Arras People would like to pick your brain about training methodologies and higher PM education. Let them know what you think.
Have an idea for a project management book? Our friends at AMACOM have posted their author guidelines.
Does an agile waterfall project really exist?

The Campaign for Real Sponsors

2011-07-28T14:50:00.001-04:00

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Peter Taylor, a professional speaker as well as the author of The Lazy Project Manager, Leading Successful PMOs, and The Lazy Winner.

Critical to any project’s success is having a good project manager, but after that then it is pretty important to have a good project sponsor. However, like the saying goes, “you can pick your friends but you can’t pick your relatives.” The same is true of project sponsors.

The Job Specification

But what exactly is a project sponsor supposed to do? Well the responsibilities for project sponsors typically include:

Providing direction and guidance for strategies and initiatives
Negotiate funding for the project
Actively participating in the initial project planning
Identifying project steering committee members
Working with the project manager to develop the project charter
Identifying and quantifying business benefits to be achieved by successful implementation of the project
Reviewing and approving changes to plans, priorities, deliverables, schedule, etc.
Gaining agreement amongst the stakeholders when differences of opinion occur
Assisting the project when required (especially in an “out-of-control” situation) by exerting their organizational authority and ability to influence
Assisting with the resolution of inter-project boundary issues
Chairing the project steering committee
Supporting the project manager in conflict resolution
Make the project visible in the organization
Encouraging stakeholder involvement and building and maintaining their ongoing commitment through effective communication strategies
Advising the project manager of protocols, political issues, potential sensitivities, etc.
Evaluating the project's success on completion

Okay, nice list but do we really have good project sponsors out there that work in harmony with project managers the world over?

The Good, the Bad and the Confused

To judge that we need to look in more detail at what makes a good project sponsor.

The project sponsor is the key stakeholder representative for the project and provides the necessary support for the project manager with the primary responsibility of achievement of the project objectives and benefits. An inappropriate choice of project sponsor can seriously impact the possibility of success of the project and provide you, the project manager, with an unwanted additional overhead.

Now you can’t practically ask a sponsor for their CV and put them through a formal interview process, nice as it would be sometimes to utter the phrase “I’m sorry but I just don’t think that this is the job for you right now.”

A potentially bad project sponsor will exhibit some or all of these behaviors.

To be a successful partner in this project then they need to be connected to you the project manager and to the project team, if they are remote then that is a red flag for sure. And if they are too busy to meet, to discuss, and to aid then that paints that red an even darker shade. If they avoid helping in the assignment of project roles and responsibilities and never have time to “timely” approve documents then you have a problem that is reaching critical status. Throw in a dash of blaming anyone but themselves for any problems then it is probably time to walk away. You are in real trouble (and so is your project).

A bad sponsor is potentially your worst nightmare. Conversely, a good project sponsor will behave in the opposite manner in these areas and will happily act as advisor to the project manager and will focus on removing obstacles in the path of project success.

All this is well and good, but to be truly fair to project sponsors around the world, how have they managed to gain this position of importance, and how have the companies that they worked for supported them in this critical activity?

Let the Campaign Begin

It is said that a project is one small step for a project sponsor and one giant leap for the project manager. Wouldn’t you feel so much better if you knew that the project sponsor’s one small step made sure that your giant leap offered a safe and secure final landing?

It has been my experience that the skill profile of project managers continues to grow, and more and more organizations are developing project managers in a disciplined and mature manner. But the same cannot be said of all project sponsors, many wrongly believe that the project sponsor is just a figurehead that is never called to active duty.

How wrong. How very wrong.

There is a lack of personal development support and sources of information and guidance for project sponsors and it is needed urgently I believe. So, I would like to launch the “Campaign for Real Project Sponsors” where we see real investment in anyone who acts in such a key role.

Monday Project Roundup: Conquering risk, ProjectWorld, and actions for PMP certification

2011-07-25T14:25:00.001-04:00

Are you playing with risk? Conquer your risk management strategy by putting a strategic focus on process improvement.
Stepping Into Project Management has a new e-book. A Peek Into the Life of Project Managers is available for download, and includes some great contributors such as Andreas Splett, Deepa Koshy, Elizabeth Harrin, Geoff Crane, Josh Nankivel, Peter Taylor, Raj Menon, Robert Kelly, Samad Aidane. Congrats, all!
Save 20 percent off of ProjectWorld registration by becoming a member of PM Boulevard.
Here are 21 commonsense, but important, actions you can take right now to get PMP certified.
Bas de Baar urges you to think of labels in a “both-and” perspective instead of “either-or.”

Three Ways To Fail Your PMP Exam Audit

2011-07-20T14:53:00.003-04:00

The Project Management Institute’s (PMI)® Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential is a globally recognized certification of project management knowledge, skills and experience. So it’s not surprising that PMI takes great care to insure the quality of its certification process, from application through post certification.

When you apply to sit for PMI’s PMP Certification, you will submit a qualification of your education, quantification of your project management experience and classroom hours. If accepted, you can then take the PMP Exam. And if you pass, you’ll be added to the PMI list of certified Project Management Professionals with all its privileges.

You and every PMI certified professional deserves to know that their hard fought credential will retain its value and integrity year in and year out. PMI takes this responsibility very seriously. One of the ways they insure the integrity of your PMP certification is by auditing applicants as well as certified PMPs throughout their programs.

Your PMP application and, later, your PMP Status, can be audited at any time. There are a lot of rumors about PMI’s audit selection criteria, but the truth is that the audit selection process is completely random. There is no control chart of outliers or red flags.

So don’t focus on whether you might fit a truly non-existent profile of someone who gets audited. Focus on making sure your information and actions are aligned with passing an audit from the start! There is a positive and proactive way to approach your PMP application. Take these simple ideas to heart:

Your Chances of Being Audited

During the application process your chances of being audited are about 50/50 and drop dramatically after certification. Since the PMP Exam audit selection process is completely random, you shouldn’t waste your time listening to and worrying about the rumors of profiling or trigger conditions. Use your energy to properly study for the exam instead and take the time to make your application audit proof.

Being Truthful Means You Don’t Have to Remember Anything

PMI takes its code of ethics very seriously and so should you. The more time you take to make sure your application is aligned with your experience, the better it will withstand an audit.

Document, Communicate, Align

Take the time to document clearly your experience. Make sure you know where you stored your degree, training certificates, dates, documentation, contact names, addresses and phone numbers from your projects. Better yet, create a new project folder of all the background information that supports your application.

When you submit your project management experience application you will be asked to provide contact persons for each and every project. Be sure to confirm their current email address and phone numbers. These contact persons could be your managers, co-workers, vendors, clients and any other applicable stakeholders from your past projects. Let them know you’re applying to take the PMP Exam. Jog their memory of your projects by sharing with them what you’re submitting and ask them if they agree with what you’ve written. Make corrections if they disagree.

The Three Ways to Fail a PMP Exam Audit

According to PMI’s Customer Care there are three ways that you can fail an audit: No Fault, Non-Compliance and Fraud. Let’s look at them in detail. First we’ll see what PMI writes for each, then we’ll give you an interpretation and our recommendations.

1. No Fault

“Cannot verify education or experience through no fault of their own. No suspension period and cannot reapply until candidate can provide the experience hours and document them.”

You should be able to avoid this by making sure you have all your documentation before you submit your PMP Exam application. However, if for some reason, your education or experience cannot be confirmed, through no fault of your own, then PMI will still let you fail the audit. You may reapply as soon as you have your experience hours documented or confirmation of your degree.

2. Non-Compliance

“Candidate chooses not to attempt audit. One year suspension period”

If you are audited and you simply have too much going on in your life to participate in the audit, then you can choose not to give any audit responses. Similar to pleading “no contest,” the candidate is subject to a one year suspension period before he/she can apply for the PMP Exam again.

3. Fraud

“Providing False Information. Permanently suspended from sitting for PMI exams.

This should be obvious to you… Don’t lie! It’s not worth it! If you provide false information on your PMP application and you fail an audit because of it, you will be permanently suspended from sitting for any PMI exams. And they truly do mean forever.

If you’re concerned about not having enough contact hours, consider putting off your application until you do. If you’re looking for projects to fill in those hours, there are a lot of volunteer project management opportunities through community service and other non-profit organizations.

If you need a certification by a particular deadline and you’re short of hours, consider sitting for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® while you’re accumulating the hours you’ll need for the PMP. A CAPM certification requires only a high school (or equivalent) diploma and either 23 hours of project management education or 1,500 experience hours.

Although PMI can choose to change the PMP Audit process at any time, should you be audited, you’ll be asked to provide copies of your diplomas or equivalents, signatures from people that can verify your experience such as managers and supervisors, and copies of certificates and/or letters from training institutions for each educational course you’re claiming.

The PMP Exam audit process is a hiccup, but not a road block on your way to becoming certified. Take a little care up front, and you’ll come through it with flying colors.

Monday Project Roundup: PMO dynasties, swimming in your promotion, and the best career choice

2011-07-18T17:11:00.003-04:00

Catch up on our series on PMO sustainment. Part 1 deals with taking your PMO from practice to action, and Part 2 discusses building a PMO dynasty.
What has the role of agile coach come to mean? Especially for organizations looking to hire them?
According to Fortune Magazine, 90 percent of newly appointed managers had received no leadership training or coaching. How, then, do you swim instead of sinking after your promotion without company support?
English majors have no fear! You can find a career in project management, and it’s the best career choice.

One Lump? Or Two?

2011-07-06T12:09:00.000-04:00

Editor’s Note: Though project managers are focused on scope and schedules, it’s important that they have polished communications skills—including grammar. The quality of your writing reflects the integrity of your work overall. Collin Klamper, proposals manager at Robbins-Gioia, addresses the pet peeve of most editors and good grammarians: The double space after a period.

Let us settle this once and for all: it is inappropriate to use two spaces after a period in your electronic documents. I do not say this as a casual observer; I say this as a fierce partisan in a war against inefficiency and error. I say this as a publishing professional with over 12 years of experience in digital layout and design, and I have an army of professionals to back me up.

Before I go on my fact-fueled rampage, I’m going to start by being gentle and acknowledge that this bad habit may not be entirely your fault. You were trained to be wrong. You were trained to type by people who learned their craft on manual typewriters. You were trained by people who had learned, like any craftsmen, to accommodate for the shortcomings in the mechanics of the device that they used. They used two spaces because they had to deal with monospace type and documents that looked “loose” with traditional typesetting. Without getting too lost in detail, let me just say that you no longer need to worry about the appearance of your monospaced type document. Monospace type was phased out with the introduction IBM’s Selectric typewriters in 1961.

Now it is time for some tough love. It is time for the final smackdown on your two space habit. Let’s start by asking the professionals. English-speaking journalists worldwide use either The Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press Style Guide. The Chicago Manual of Style reads that in our efficient, modern world, “There is no room for two spaces after a period.” It then goes on to remind us that “introducing two spaces after a period causes problems” on several levels, beginning with the following:

1. It is inefficient, requiring an extra keystroke.

2. No proof exists that it improves readability (as is often claimed by two spacers).

3. Two spaces are harder to control in electronic documents.

4. Two spaces can cause problems with line breaks.

Never one to waste words, The Associated Press simply reads, “Use a single space after a period.”

In the world of academia, researchers, students, and professors turn to the Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook and the MLA Style Manual. Both of these books use a single space in their printed examples because, “it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all punctuation marks.” They acknowledge that “most writers, influenced by the look of typeset publications, now leave only one space after a concluding punctuation mark.” In other words, if you are a Luddite, if you are using a typewriter, and if you want people to know it, use two spaces.

Finally, like any successful business, we want to please our customer, and at Robbins-Gioia that means writing to please the federal government. So let’s take a look at the Government Printing Office Manual of Style. On page 16, Section 2.49 of the 2008 version of the GPO Manual we read, “A single justified word space will be used between sentences. This applies to all types of composition.” Of course, if you do not consider the work that you are doing to be a type of composition, feel free to ignore this . . .

…and then turn in your typewriter, because it is time to move on. Single spaces are required after each period. Period.

Optimizing the Initial Program Milestone

2011-07-05T15:38:00.001-04:00

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Keith Kerr, Managing Director of the Project, Program, and Portfolio Practice at Robbins-Gioia, LLC.

Professionals in the Acquisition and Program Management fields have struggled with the urge to stand up programs quickly to satisfy operational needs, against the knowledge that the more time spent planning a program leads to an overall more successful program. The fulcrum for this trade-off is usually around requirements. Have we assessed the underlying business processes and operating conditions prior to selecting a “material solution”? Have we adequately vetted viable alternatives? Do we really understand the operator’s needs and the “solutions” operating environment? Do we have Requirements? A recent Department of Defense (AT&L) memorandum seeks to codify what most would agree is an “expected business practice.”

On June 23, 2011, PDUSD(AT&L) issued direction designed to improve the effectiveness of the milestone review process. The new procedures ensure that there is an adequate opportunity for MDA review of program plans prior to release of the Final RFP, the point at which the Department's requirements, schedule, planned program content, and available funding should be firm and available for review. These procedural changes constitute expected business practice and shall be applied to programs in acquisition categories I and IA and II-IV. [DAU website.]

Regardless of how formalized the gate review process the organization uses to progress programs, a level of consensus on programmatic goals and objectives, and the plan to satisfy those objectives, has to be accomplished prior to committing to a technical-build decision. It is common wisdom that changes made late in a lifecycle are more costly to absorb (i.e. build quality into the product versus inspect quality into the product). Of course, that is much easier said than done, as evidenced by the June 23 AT&L Memorandum. It’s not surprising that there isn’t a quick or easy solution, but there are proven approaches. Value Stream Mapping, Voice of the Customer, Process Engineering, even Lean Six Sigma are techniques that can be used to encourage collaboration across traditional organization silos. Critical to the success of those exercises, and ultimately the program itself, is the recognition by leaders that the planning activities, and particularly requirements management, dictate future program results and reinforce the collaborative planning phases, while protecting program staff against a rush to a solution decision.

Understanding the Ins and Outs of Team Morale During a Project

2011-06-22T09:30:00.002-04:00

This is a guest post written by Ed Langley on behalf of IRIS Project Management Software.

Leading a successful project requires organization, drive, and discipline from both the manager and the team involved. Unfortunately, not all of the factors that lead to successful management can easily be quantified and listed. Our interconnected workplace relies on human input in order to function, so when team members are suffering from lapses in morale, it is critically important for the manager to be able to step in and correct the problem before productivity is derailed and future work is endangered. Project managers who get the job done know that maintaining morale is a balance of communication, teamwork, and subject matter expertise. A manager who understands the ins and outs of morale stands out as a valuable asset in the workplace.

Communication is Key

Often, morale problems arise from simple miscommunications. While any competent manager will take time to inform his or her team about their individual responsibilities and deadlines, not all will take the time to explain the "why" behind the orders. Employee productivity rises dramatically as employees feel more personally engaged with their work. In order to foster this sense of ownership, it is vital to show each worker how his or her contribution affects the project as a whole, and how the project fits in to the overall business plan. When employees feel valued, they will naturally work harder. Strong communication also helps to squash unhelpful rumors before they take hold, eliminating a secondary source of morale problems quickly and quietly.

Teamwork for a Happy Workplace

Managing a team is very different to managing a staff of disparate individuals. Even if every worker on the team is highly competent, their project's future may be in terrible jeopardy if the talented individual group members cannot pull together. If a team is large enough, consider assigning sub-team leaders to help facilitate workflow. Above all, it is vitally important for employees to understand the hierarchy of the group and the proper channels for questions, feedback, and completed work. Group work frequently causes morale issues to appear due to employees feeling under-appreciated for their individual contribution or feeling that others have got away with sub-par performance. To avoid these difficulties, communicate expectations clearly and assign responsibilities within the context of the group.

Consult the Experts

When in doubt, bring in the big guns. Business computing has advanced to the point where managers can frequently find the answers to their difficult situations by employing project management software. Finding a project management suite that works for a company can save that company thousands of pounds in the long term through increased efficiency and worker output. Rather than undertaking expensive and overblown team building retreats touted by management consultants, consider a software package that not only streamlines the team's efforts, but also can provide alternate solutions to difficulties encountered in the workplace.

Maintaining productivity relies on a careful balancing act of personality, leadership, organization, and cleverness. Communicate openly and effectively, keep employee teams manageable, and use productivity software resources to schedule, conduct, and evaluate work sessions. Without a doubt, the secret to successful project management is self-motivated, happy employees.

Monday Project Roundup: Sticking to the budget, disappearing jobs, and the PM circus

2011-06-20T16:17:00.001-04:00

Program managers could be the top sales people in their organization, but many only concern themselves with their immediate work and take the opportunities they have to sell their business.
Do you know how valuable your time is on a project? Manage your time like a budget.
Gartner gave Microsoft Project the highest possible ratings in their recent Project and Portfolio Applications MarketScope. Other companies that received a similar ranking: HP, Innotas, Instantis, Daptiv, and PowerSteering.
Are middle class jobs disappearing?
The next time someone calls your project a circus, you should thank them.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) support improved information for Healthcare markets

2011-06-17T14:16:00.002-04:00

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Keith Kerr, Managing Director of the Project, Program, & Portfolio Practice at Robbins-Gioia, LLC.

Your Econ 101 class will tell you that information is the key to well-functioning and competitive markets for goods and services. However, some markets “clear” more quickly than others. Credit markets, for example, tend adjust aggregate supply and demand so they are seen as being relatively efficient. The price in some markets, often for labor and services, tends to be a bit more “sticky,” and the markets less efficient. Healthcare is an obvious example of a marketplace where supply does not instantaneously adjust with demand though fluctuations in price. The causes of price stickiness is a rich area of discussion (another discussion is the appropriate role of government to improve market conditions). That said, there can be a general agreement that more complete knowledge makes for a more efficient marketplace, and that reduced cost of information improves knowledge acquisition. However, the information must be good, valid data that comes from authoritative and reliable sources.

At the Government Health IT Conference in Washington, ONC director Farzad Mostashari gave the closing keynote address spoke about the need for a better marketplace with the use of Electronic Health Records. Certainly the more ubiquitous use of Electronic Health Records technologies can provide consumers of all types with better information to make purchasing decisions. Of course, technology alone won’t create trusted information. The EHR is one leg of the stool, equally important to a successful EHR project is the integration of improved workflow and all the people that interact with the ‘system’: The patient, doctors, nurses, administration, payers, labs, pharmacy, etc. Misleading information in the marketplace leads to poor decisions just as much as the lack of information. For EHRs then, we need common process that provides data that can be aggregated and used for comparisons and informed decision making. Businesses and other organizations understand the need for common process, and I suspect that holds true for the macro-marketplace. I suspect we will all need to practice working in this remodeled marketplace, and be prepared to rework and adjust as we go.

Colin Powell says cyber security is a shared responsibility

2011-06-17T11:11:00.001-04:00

According to the 2011 Symantec Government Symposium, IT security is getting better. Forty-seven percent of attendees thought that IT security had improved in just the last year. The buzz words at the conference were interoperability, identity management, and cloud—key note speaker Colin Powell was “absolutely convinced” that the cloud is the future. And speaking to skeptics of the cloud, Powell said that new technology should always be welcome, but there should be a balance between capability and vulnerability.

Most interesting was the idea that cyber security should be a shared responsibility between the private and public sector. Powell is convinced that the private sector is tied to our nation’s security. The private sector and the government should be collaborating to provide holistic security for the nation.

How big of a concern is cyber security in your organization?

Monday Project Roundup: Identity crisis, recommended podcasts, and project rituals

2011-06-13T15:40:00.001-04:00

Does your records manager suffer from an identity crisis? Get them involved in corporate performance.
A roundup within a roundup: Recommended podcasts from the Hard-Nosed Project Manager.
Starting a new project on a virtual team? How do you establish first contact with your team members?
Mark your calendar! We’re covering the Symantec Government Symposium, with guest speaker Colin Powell, tomorrow. You can follow along with the events with us @pmboulevard. Also, the Impact 2011 virtual trade show starts tomorrow.
What are your most valuable project rituals?

Monday Project Round-Up: Crowdfunding, Going Green, and How to Balance Work/Life

2011-06-06T18:02:00.005-04:00

See How Crowdfunding Sites Have Helped Ordinary People Finance Truly Amazing Projects!
What Effect Does Going Green Have on Project Management?
Now THAT’S a Project! 16.65 Billion Metro Project to Start Late 2011
What the Millennial Generation Can Teach Us About Work-Life Balance
Hey! Where’d My Cubicle Go? Agile Creates an Open Work Environment

Tips for Handling a Problem Team Member on your Project

2011-06-02T14:27:00.004-04:00

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Margaret Meloni, MBA, PMP, an executive coaching consultant for IT professionals. She helps project managers and teams work together better by improving their soft skills.

Oh...there is a problem alright. And it starts with the fact that you have a boss, peer or project team member who is completely in denial about the chaos that is all around them. If they do see any kind of issues, well, those issues start with you. This is not meant to be spiteful. This is the behavior of someone who is completely oblivious to the fact that they cause problems. If they do have any inkling that there is an issue, then they have a perfect excuse. Do any of these sound familiar?

● "I did not call you back because you never left me a message."
● "I did not forget our meeting; my admin did not put it on my calendar."
● "My office may look messy, but leave it alone. I have a system and I know where everything is located."

What kinds of chaos surround this person? Their chaos can be lack of organization, time related, or memory related. The chaos created by this person looks like chaos created by creative types or even by someone who deceives others into thinking they are organized. The key here is that they absolutely do not own their issue. They really do not see that there is a problem. If they miss a meeting, they can blame their assistant who did not remind them of it. They really think you didn’t leave them a message because their assistant gave it to them and it was buried under the piles of paper on their desk.So what's a project manager to do? Well, let's look at what not to do first - do not blame them. Do not put them on the defensive. Do not constantly harp on them about the problem. Do not argue with them about their excuses; just move on. Find a way to work around the problem because you’re not going to be able to change them. Now step back and look at the big picture. What do you want from this working relationship? Where do they have problems and how can you help? Even if you don't feel like you want to help them, remember you are helping yourself, too! With that in mind:

● Be proactive. If you know their issue will cause a problem for others on the project team, step-in. This may mean you politely remind them of customer appointments or work package due dates. It may mean you hand deliver important memos to them and watch them read those memos. What you are doing (without them knowing it) is nipping a potential problem in the bud.
● Create a simple process for organizing shared information. Stay away from their personal space, but be willing to be responsible for other areas. Enlist the help of others on the project, too. Your problem child may respond to the organization and join in because they want to be part of the group.
● If they work for you as a full-time project resource, be the boss and give them direction. Advise them that missing meetings, deadlines and not returning phone calls is not acceptable. Mentor them away from the damaging behavior and toward a positive outcome.
● Acknowledge that they have other skills. There are other areas where they are strong contributors, which is why they got selected to work on the project in the first place.

You may think that’s a lot of trouble to go to, but it will actually save you time and make your job less aggravating. Hand-delivering memos might seem a bit extreme but you’ll know that they’ve been read. Another method that works is to deliver the memo and have them initial that they have read it. This also serves to create a paper trail that no one can argue with.

If you do have to call them on the carpet about their behavior, ask them how you can help them get control of their disorganization. Knowing that you’re willing to help them will make them much more willing to work on the behavior that is causing chaos for the project. As for their other skills, take advantage of them. You may want to find what they are best at and exploit that. If your problem person excels at something that another project team member isn’t so good at, perhaps he or she could take the burden off their co-worker in exchange for that person handling their calendar. And remember, their behavior is about them, it is not about you. Don't take it personally.

Monday Project Roundup: Control, staying productive, and consulting in Starbucks

2011-05-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

Control over your projects, and other illusions.
Projects at Work says that you should care about the wellness of your workforce before the wellness of your projects.
For the PM that travels: How do you stay productive during business trips?
Brad Egeland wants to know your favorite consulting location. Starbucks? Home office? Vegas hotel lobbies?
Do you know if your CEO is an agilist?

Challenges of a CPMO, Part 3

2011-05-19T13:54:00.002-04:00

In the final part of our series on the challenges of establishing and managing a CPMO, we look at inadequate communications, failing to promote best practices, lack of technology oversight, and the inability to handle special situations. For a broader overview of CPMOs, check out our article on the “uber” PMO.

7. Inadequate Communications

A problem that has always plagued CPMOs is that they are often viewed as very expensive initiatives. It is not enough for the center of excellence to merely gather and integrate data, produce toolsets and measure performance. To fully leverage information for corporate value, the CPMO must communicate with the organization in various ways. One way is to interact regularly with the business and technical community. Through these interactions, the CPMO team members will become more aware of satisfaction levels, strengths and weaknesses of the PM community, and benefits that are being received. In addition, the CPMO may learn of unique uses of information, so that it is in a position to inform others of opportunities to further leverage information in the project environment.

The CPMO should pursue other forms of communication as well. These include newsletters with information about internal activities as well as activities elsewhere, and PM community or user forums where people can exchange ideas and techniques.

8. Failing to Publicize and Promote Best Practices and Procedures

A primary role of the CPMO is to define and document best practices, toolsets, training programs, communication programs, and standards. Unfortunately, this takes time, particularly the “defining” part. The more people who are involved, the more potential there is for differing standards, lack of documentation, conflicting definitions, and overlapping (or gaps in) processes. This is particularly true when the list of projects is long, resources are scarce, and potential for bottlenecks is high. Thus, it is imperative to establish the discipline for processes and documentation early to ensure that new innovations, tools, and technologies conform to or update existing standards. This will allow the CPMO to expand mentoring activities; it will also reduce training times and allow resources to become productive faster. Processes and documents that should be established up front (and refined as necessary) include operating policies and standards, business requirements–gathering templates, standard project plans, change management processes, training programs, and so on.

In addition, skilled and experienced project management practitioners are often in short supply in today’s market, and high demand for CPMO services, along with internal resource constraints, has the potential to cause the CPMO to become a bottleneck. A popular workaround for this common problem is to contract external resources in times of high demand. Best practices documentation is an effective and efficient way to ensure external resources are performing to the same standards as the rest of the PM community.

9. Lack of Technology Oversight

A problem that often plagues a company building a CPMO is that each set of business users selects and acquires tools to meet its needs. We often hear from companies that “we have one of everything,” and often, they don’t even know exactly what they have. While having multiple tools is often advisable, having too many tools can be detrimental to a company. Lack of tool standards limits portability of applications and people, requires additional training courses, limits collaboration among groups, increases software licensing costs, and often requires redundant data marts and other data sets.

The CPMO (as a corporate center of excellence) must get a handle on the technology within its scope of responsibility. As a starting point, it should develop an inventory of installed tools, possibly with assistance from purchasing or the CIO. Once the inventory is established, the center of excellence should review tool use, determine if there are opportunities to reduce the number of tools, and initiate actions, in conjunction with business users, to arrive at the standard tool set. Once this is achieved, the center of excellence should become the focal point for interacting with the vendors and should acquire the skills required to provide the needed support and education within the enterprise.

10. Inability to Handle Special Situations

For most business requests, the CPMO and PM community will follow its documented procedures and processes. However, urgent or special situations will arise when the business organization will need a great of help unexpectedly (for example, an emergency relocation project, consolidation under special conditions, bankruptcy or after a natural or man-made disaster). If the CPMO refuses to consider the request or deal with the special situation, then the business will find another way to solve its problem. Usually this means doing an end‐run around the CPMO and creating a silo or shadow CPMO activity. While it may be a short‐term fix to the situation, this is not good for anyone in the long run.

The CPMO must have a process in place to accommodate urgent requests. The process should include a recognized approach for evaluating the situation so that the urgent request is evaluated with the backing of the governance body. To pursue the urgent work, the CPMO may have to shortcut its own processes and procedures to avoid an end‐run. A stopgap procedure should be developed that streamlines or goes around the normal procedure, perhaps even leading to standing emergency procedures. The key to success in this situation is to ensure that, if a shortcut is taken, the appropriate long‐term solution is pursued once the special situation has been handled. Once that solution is in place, the shortcut should be removed and no longer used.

Monday Project Roundup: EVM, discrimination in the project, and the agile cartel

2011-05-16T14:55:00.001-04:00

Read why the DoD maintenance depots should implement EVM to measure performance. Take our survey: What is the primary motivation for your organization to use EVM?
Discrimination in the project workplace: Recent data suggests that PMs still feel discriminated by their gender and age. How to Manage a Camel has some real-life examples.
Are technology vendors like a cartel? “It sounds like there needs to be better oversight and program managers who can monitor IT programs in the government.”
Some pragmatic steps to make your PMO more relevant, including some dos and don’ts.
And just for fun: The first piece of music composed from Twitter updates.