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Quality versus quantity

Qualitative decisions often lose out to quantitative decisions. Every one of us lives this every day, quite often without realizing that we are doing it. It's not enough to define our process or methodology and let it settle in. Yes, we absolutely need to have a clearly defined and adopted set of processes and procedures. But at the same time, it's important to never let it become too rote.

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Why heroes are bad

Most project leaders have been there before: The hero saves the day, yet again. Everyone is grateful because, obviously, if not for the hero the project would have crashed and burned. It seems so lucky that the team can benefit from this all-star who pulls the project out of the fire time and again. So, what exactly would we do without him (or her)?

Making Scrum work: Common failings in adopting Scrum

Scrum can be remarkably beneficial in many kinds of software projects. But, as with any process, methodology or management technique, when used inappropriately it can cause more problems that it solves. In this article I'll discuss some of the common misconceptions and "lessons learned" as related to Scrum.

Asides

• Sometimes we forget that some of the best tools are the simplest ones. If you had to pick just one tool for project management what would it be? I think in my case a whiteboard comes out pretty near the top, if not the top. My point is, focus on the work at hand, not the tool that gets it done. Too often we can become distracted by the dazzling, whiz-bang features of the latest software, methodology, book or trend. Focus on what works, and get the job done. #
• Is ALM at odds with Agile? Application Lifecycle Management is often perceived as a traditional waterfall technique, but not always. Collabnet clearly believes there's a convergence between ALM and at least Scrum, a process that is well-known as an "agile-oriented" technique for improving project efficiency and visibility. According to Bill Portelli, CEO of Collabnet, we could be seeing "by and large, a move away from waterfall because it is sequential and it doesn't have the customer intimacy" of more Agile-oriented processes. He's quick to point out that there's no single right answer to every situation though. Read more about Collabnet's product acquisition and hear an interview with Mr. Portelli. #
• Organizations that are "training challenged" must learn to do things differently. This includes delegating authority along with responsibility, being inspirational to employees, building trust and improving communication -- all of which are direct benefits of a comprehensive process that incorporates training. Take a look at part two of Should Training be an Integral Part of a Project Budget to Increase Project Profitability? #
• Hyrax International LLC is running a short survey on training industry focus. Please take a few moments and participate -- it's only six questions long and will be tremendously useful. #
• Usability testing is important. It needs to be an integral part of any project plan, which is why I'm glad Steve Krug has written a follow up to his usability classic Don’t Make Me Think. The sequel, Rocket Surgery Made Easy, is an easy read and absolutely gets the importance of practical usability testing across. #
• Automation can be a wonderful thing when used right. With information overload at an all-time high (see Is Google Making Us Stupid) it's a challenge to reap the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls. Systems such as OmniFocus and other GTD-oriented solutions can be hugely successful when adopted -- and consistently used. Fraser Speirs has documented a handy OmniFocus tip to help "guide us" through the mundane wool-gathering tasks that we hate to bother over. #
• 90% of projects do not meet time/cost/quality targets. Only 9% of large, 16% of medium and 28% of small company projects were completed on time, within budget and delivered measurable business and stakeholder benefits. [Standish Group Chaos Report, 1995] There are many reasons for such failures. As per a KPMG survey of 252 organizations, technology is not the most critical factor. Inadequate project management implementation constitutes 32% of project failures, lack of communication constitutes 20% and unfamiliarity with scope and complexity constitutes 17%. Accordingly 69% of project failures are due to lack and/or improper implementation of project management methodologies. [citation] #
• In Releasing Early Is Not Always Good? Heresy! author Jason Cohen discusses the reasoning behind "release early" and the argument against. He points out the pitfalls of the rapid-development-early-release paradigm, and introduces a few practical ideas to avoid them. While I don't agree with all his points (and would add many of my own), it's a good discussion piece. #