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Not a panacea, but trying: Comindwork is attractive

Management tools probably don’t bring to mind excitement and visions of “getting things done” the agile way. Nevertheless, it’s an important aspect of running any project — whether agile or not — and there are some tools, believe it or not, that are easy to use, hugely helpful in managing a project and sometimes even [...]

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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

• 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. #
• Good management needs good memory. That means being able to remember everything, no matter when you think of it: While I was at the beach getting ready for some ocean kayaking, it occurred to me that I hadn't spoken with Chris about some new widget development concepts. I tap the screen on my phone, and say "remember to meet with Chris regarding the widget, first thing on Monday." When I arrive at work Monday, my phone pings to tell me I've got a meeting with Chris. Sure enough, my calendar has me scheduled for 9:00am, Monday morning: "meet with Chris regarding the widget." It's not scifi. Take a look at reQall and see what it can do with Evernote and your smartphone. #
• According to an informal poll conducted by Cranky PM, Agile methods (Scrum in particular) has been penetrating deeply into the enterprise. Specifically, in 2006, you reported that a sizable majority of product development used a waterfall methodology (55%), with Scrum garnering a mere 7%. In 2008, the picture is very different. Scrum and its Agile cousins account for nearly 60%, where waterfall has dropped to a mere 28%. While it's a small statistical sample, the figures are encouraging. #
• It may still be a bit rough around the edges, but Rational Scrum is open for business! Welcome! #