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Project Management Posts

Toss Negativity into the Trash with Ritual Cleansing

Posted: April 12th, 2011 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

Can't_Do_CanDo you remember the last time something bothered you so much that you couldn’t get it out of your head?  A troublesome thought can consume you and preclude you from thinking of anything else.  It becomes paralyzing.

One way to resolve persistent, negative thoughts is to do something to symbolize the elimination of the source of the negative thought and associated negative energy.  For example, you might write down your thought on a piece of paper and then tear it up or burn it to symbolize the destruction of what’s troubling you.  Psychologists call it ritual cleansing.

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On day 1, we look great. It’s day 2 that kills us!

Posted: March 22nd, 2011 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

In_a_hurry!I heard this from a project team member in a training class recently.  He was referring to the schedules for the projects he works on.  What he was getting at was that the team really doesn’t have a chance from the get-go.  They are behind on projects before they even begin, and it doesn’t take long for that to be evident.

Why do we do this to ourselves? 

Project managers know they should be getting input from the team on planning and the estimates for their work.  And they often do.  It’s what happens after that that’s problematic – namely, the input is ignored.

Continue Reading: On day 1, we look great. It’s day 2 that kills us!

Influencing takes Patience, Planning, and Perspective

Posted: March 1st, 2011 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

Patience_Planning_PerspectiveThe ability to influence without authority is a skill coveted by any project manager. Even if a project manager has complete authority over project team members (which is seldom the case), there are still other stakeholders over whom they have no control and who need to make decisions, review or approve deliverables, or provide resources for the project.

It’s the crux of our job, really, to get people to do things for the benefit of the project.

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Assumptions are Project Killers!

Posted: February 8th, 2011 by Bob Prentiss. Comments »

Let me be candid and up front – I do not like assumptions. Never have, never will. I truly believe that they can be one of the most destructive forces in business analysis. I do not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere. I do not like them I believe, so make them go away and leave! (Thank you Dr. Seuss, you always inspire me). So why is BobtheBA all jacked up about assumptions? Well… let’s just say he has first-hand experience with the pain they can bring. Now even though I do not like them I will also recognize up front that they are a necessary evil. Notice I said evil.

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Successful Learning is a Two Way Street

Posted: January 20th, 2011 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

As an instructor, I am happy to own the success of the learning events I lead.  It is my job to understand students’ needs and then figure out how to best meet them.  In addition, it’s my responsibility to do that in a way that maximizes the student experience, that is, make it fun, engaging, and pertinent to their real world.

What, if anything, do the students own?  Students often see training as a break from the proverbial grind.  They want to have fun, relax, even be entertained.  And that’s fine.  Learning should be fun.  But how is the success in the classroom dependent on what they bring to the experience?

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Critical Path Method – Valuable Techniques in Practice

Posted: December 16th, 2010 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

The  Minnesota Department of Transportation, Mn/DOT, recently completed the biggest project in its history: 3 ½ years and $288 million. And get this: It finished weeks early and was completed within 2% of original contract value.   I visited the project manager, Steve Barrett, a couple of months ago and he showed me around the project site and answered questions I had about how Mn/DOT manages projects.  I wanted to see what project management looked like and how it worked on really big projects, and what better example of “uber” project management than the Interstate 35/Highway 62 exchange project in Minneapolis.

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No Better Time Than Now to Pursue That PMP Certification

Posted: November 4th, 2010 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

I recently learned about a new twist on an old game: Corporate BS Bingo.  

Everyone creates their own bingo card with their most irritating corporate-speak terms.  You know, those corporate terms that get so overused that they devolve into meaninglessness.  Throughout the course of a meeting or maybe the course of a week, players put tokens on the squares when they hear each term.  The first one to get a bingo shouts “BS” (or probably the more robust version of it).

Synergy is on my Corporate BS Bingo card – especially when someone talks about leveraging it.  Leveraging synergy sounds like such a fabulous idea.  What the heck does it mean?

Continue Reading: No Better Time Than Now to Pursue That PMP Certification

What is the value of the PMP?

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 by Andrea Brockmeier. 2 Comments »

What is the value of PMP certification?  I was discussing this topic with a colleague recently and found myself being somewhat defensive.  Obviously, as an instructor for PMP certification, I have a significant bias toward investing in Project Management certification.  So I’ve been challenging myself to ask what difference does it really make? 

One opportunity that recently presented itself for consideration as to the value of certification was a class I taught in which half of the students were PMP certified. I have PMPs in my classes all the time, but I typically don’t have classes in which many or most of them are PMPs. I wondered how, or even if, this would impact the tempo or discussions in this class. 

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Increasing Chances for Sponsorship Success

Posted: September 2nd, 2010 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »

Of all the things that threaten project success, poor or non-existent sponsorship is at or near the top of the list.  No sponsor?  No project. 

Below are three keys for increasing chances for sponsorship success in your organization:

1. Show small successes.  You’d probably like to see huge, sweeping change in this area, but let’s be realistic.  Our organizations and sponsor-level folks simply don’t have the bandwidth for that.  Our best bet may be to think small.  In fact, create an experiment that you can use to slowly, organically grow the idea of sponsorship in your organization.  

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Is the BA a Product Owner or Tester On Agile Projects?

Posted: August 3rd, 2010 by ElizabethLarson. Comments »

There have been many articles lately about the role of the BA on Agile projects. Some postulate that the BA role is closest to the product owner. After all, it is often suggested, they reside with and represent the business. They are in the best position to be the final voice when defining and prioritizing requirements. Others believe that the key role for the BA on Agile projects relates to testing. Since they define the requirements, they should complete the appropriate testing processes to ensure the final solution meets the requirements. I believe that neither of these is a business analyst role. That’s not to say that someone with the title of BA cannot play other roles as well. It’s just that when they are playing these other roles, they are not doing business analysis work.

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