Asides
Whiteboard as a PM tool
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 [...]
Collabnet acquires Danube
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 [...]
Should Training be an Integral Part of a Project Budget to Increase Project Profitability?
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 [...]
Workshop and training topic survey
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.
Rocket science made easy
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.
The Weekly Review as an OmniFocus Project
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 [...]
Why projects fail 101
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 [...]
The case against releasing early
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 [...]
Memory aids
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 [...]
Scrum and Agile becoming widely accepted
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 [...]
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