Project Methodologies and Project Failure

Agile Project Management with Scrum

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Author Ken Schwaber
Publisher Microsoft Press
Released January 2004
Pages 163
ISBN 073561993X

Agile Project Management with Scrum describes the process of managing a Scrum software development project. It uses a mixture of definitions and case studies to educate a would-be Scrum manager (aka ScrumMasterTM) on Scrum, the major players in a Scrum project and the ScrumMaster's role. Both success and failure case studies are provided.

Sunday, 22 May 2011 00:00

I Want A Shining New PMO, Too

Last week I gave a presentation at the San Diego PMI Chapter's Tutorials conference. Flanking both sides of my ten o'clock presentation in the leadership track was Steve Romero. His two presentations were on IT governance. His energy, insight, enthusiasm, and passion (not to mention being the IT governance evangelist for CA Technologies) made him an excellent selection. And, what is so news worthy about that? Nothing. However, for someone that has little regard for adding one more layer of management to solve a problem, I was surprised that I sat through both of his presentations. He provided a three hours of information on governance—both PMOs and PPMs—crammed into two intense and valuable hours.

Lean Project Management: Eight Principles For Success

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Author:Lawrence P. Leach
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
Released: Luly 2006
Type: Softcover
Pages: 234
ISBN:0670034576

This book is currently under review, more details will be added when available

The publisher says:
A new eBook by the author of the best selling Critical Chain Project Management, Lean Project Management takes you through the key steps to project success. Written for project managers taking on more challenging projects, or wanting to complete projects faster and with less team stress, Lean Project Management helps you identify and deploy the keys to project success. I consider some of these secrets as hiding in plain sight, because the project literature discusses some of them in one form or another. The first problem is that they are hidden in thousand page books with many things that aren't going to help your project. The second problem is that most project managers don't do them, leading to the high rate of project failure and dissatisfaction. Lean Project Management (LPM) is a simple path to overcome both problems.

Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation

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Author:James P Womack
Daniel T. Jones
Publisher: Productivity Press
Released: June 2003
Type: Hardcover
Pages: 396
ISBN:978-0743249270

Womack is often considered the father of writing on lean manufacturing. Nearly all books on this subject use his books as reference material.

The publisher says:
"Expanded, updated, and more relevant than ever, this best selling business classic by two internationally renowned management analysts describes a business system for the twenty-first century that supersedes the mass production system of Ford, the financial control system of Sloan, and the strategic system of Welch and GE. It is based on the Toyota (lean) model, which combines operational excellence with value-based strategies to produce steady growth through a wide range of economic conditions.

Sunday, 06 June 2010 00:00

Kill the Postmortem

In a recent blog on stupid decisions, a reader asked about lessons learned processes. I had to defer the question since my reply would have been as long as the blog he was commenting on. So here we go: the entire class of retrospectives, postmortems, and lessons learned are a waste of time. Well, to be fair, I have never seen them work. They may have worked for others. Maybe the reason I never see them work is that I am involved only on disasters, you know, those projects everyone talks about for years to come, the ones people cannot get way from fast enough. Surely, the type of work I perform taints my experience.

Project Risk Management

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Author:Bruce T. Barkley
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
Released: July 2004
Type: Softcover
Pages: 229
ISBN:978-0071436915

This book is currently under review, more details will be added when available

The publisher says:
"Risk Management—A Clear and Uncomplicated Approach to Business and Project Risk—Here is risk, simply put, with practical stories and cases.

"Barkley's approach to project risk management includes and enhances the current Project Management Institute Body of Knowledge on risk. Clearly spelling out simplified steps and useable risk matrix format, making risk management a team-based art as well as a science, Project Risk Management shows you why do risk and how to:

The 33 Strategies of War

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Author:  Robert Greene
Publisher: Penguin Group
Released: January 2006
Type: Print (Hardcover)
Pages: 496
ISBN: 0670034576

The 33 Strategies of War is not as much about war as it is about strategies of dealing in an offensive environment and understanding strategies. Whether you are trying to hone your offense strategy or better your defensive skills to thwart other's attacks, this book provides a series of examples and interpretations to help. Mr. Greene's examples are from a wide variety of people and conditions—Napoleon, Alfred Hitchcock, Sun Tzu, Margaret Thatcher, Shaka the Zulu, Lord Nelson, Franklin Roosevelt, Hannibal, Ulysses S. Grant, and many more.

Sunday, 02 May 2010 00:00

Keep Maintenance Out of Projects

Maintenance does not belong in projects. Combining the two violates the definition of a project, mixes deliverables with opposing triple constraints, and sets the stage for scope creep. Maintenance needs to be performed by a dedicated group that can quickly implement changes. Project teams should focus on completing enhancements that will provide additional value to the customer.

Sunday, 04 October 2009 00:00

Multitasking Wastes Time

Multitasking Image How many times have you heard someone say men are poor at multitasking? Well, that is probably a good thing, since multitasking is horribly inefficient. When I first said this in a presentation, people were shocked and took exception to the statement. After a few studies on the subject (summarized in a Harvard Business Review article), people are listening and agreeing. This should be nothing new. Looking at some of the more common methods to reign in red projects—Agile and Critical Chain—one premise they share is dedicating resources.

Graphic Normal Estimation Distribution

Estimates are wrong if you cannot beat them half of the time; they are also wrong if you are not late half the time. Neither condition is one that should make management upset. In fact, matching that score is a great accomplishment. So how can people get so emotional about the statement? The answer is that people do not understand estimates and how they work. Through years of estimates being treated as quotes, we have been brainwashed into thinking our best effort is to meet the date, not better it. Heaven forbid if you are late. This lack of understanding is very evident by the number of blogs on the subject and some of their bewildering comments. The comments point out wildly different views. Some people think that Monte Carlo analysis gives you an estimate that has a 95% chance of being right and others believe that using Agile relieves people from having to make estimates entirely. Both of which are plainly not true.

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Filling Execution Gaps

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