What’s That PMO Doing?
I was running a workshop on project management yesterday, and one of the first things I did (as usual) was to go around the room to ask what people were looking for in the session. One person volunteered that back on their project, they have a PMO that drives things, and what he wanted to get out of the session was to “find out what goes on behind those doors”. I may not know what does go on behind those doors, but I do have thought or two to share. Read more
Misguided Consistency
In almost every process improvement initiative I have seen, whether based on some sort of guidance (such as CMMI, ISO, RUP, Scrum, or…pick your favourite) or not, there is significant emphasis on standardization of process. PMO implementations usually provide a process binder, maybe a bunch of templates to complete on each project. Often, the people that drive these implementations see the job as done once these ‘deliverables’ are delivered. All this consistency is completely misguided. Read more
Working with People You Hate
Quite often, there are situations where a couple of teammates have stepped on each other’s toes too many times. While the easy way out might be to go find another team, this is not always possible. How to continue to work with someone you currently loathe? Read more
Simplify
One of the greatest challenges with conflict is that by the time we deal with many issues, after there has been some unbearable situation that forces us to do something, the conflict has become a gnarly hairball of different issues, some actually related to each other. In many situations, trying to find a solution to the conflict as it presents itself is impossible. Instead, try to divide and conquer. Read more
Hero Worship
My son is just starting a new season of soccer (yes, we play through the winter out here). Last year, there was a ringer on another team that clearly outclassed everyone else in the league. When my son’s team played against them last year, our coach’s focus on teamwork prevailed, and we managed to win. This year, as they tend to scramble the teams each season, my son now happens to be on the same team as that ringer. Read more
Resilience
Particularly in these challenging times, over and above the uncertainty that is usually associated with technology projects, there is one attribute that should guide us in building our teams, and support us in weathering the current storm: resilience. Read more
Rotten Carrots
In a recent TED Talk, Dan Pink waxed eloquently about the ‘surprising science of motivation‘, describing the problems with how we run our businesses. I agree with what he has to say, and would take it even one step further. Read more
Cultural Barriers
When I travel, whether it is overseas or to a part of the city I am not familiar with, I come away with the impression that we are all closer than we originally think. The same is true as I work with organizations that have grown to the size where they are split into separate teams: we are closer than we think. Read more
Congruence, Empathy, Transparency
I recently finished working with groups that had a wide range of personalities and backgrounds, and were split into teams to deal with a comprehensive project. It never ceases to amaze me the differences in the way some groups manage to get along just fine, while others never seem to gel. Read more
Insourcing
I received an e-mail recently from someone that had taken a requirements course with me in the past. He was looking for wording to use for an RFP to bring in some external consultant to wrangle the requirements of one of their systems together. Expectations were in the 2-6 person-months range, likely a contract that would entice some of the big players to bid on the proposal. I had no suggestions that directly addressed his needs, but did have some thoughts on what could be more effective. Read more
