In This Issue:
From the Editor
Kimberly Wiefling: Great project leader who need their jobs
New Template Bundle: Project Status Reports
Site Highlights:
What is this Agile stuff again?
The writing's on the wall
Along with most of Joe's desk
Somebody must be "Somebody Else"
(Maybe it's this new contractor of ours ... or not)
All Your Base... Oh, Forget It
Where's ProjectConnections?
Next month, Iowa, Toronto, Arizona, New York, Philly ...
(It's almost easier to list where they aren't)
Corporate Subscriptions
From the Editor
Agile doesn't mean disordered. Even the history of this supposedly unstructured movement traces a defined path. This week, Kent McDonald provides an overview of the agile movement: what it is, how it started, and what it really means for the teams that choose to follow it. Plus, columnist Kimberly Wiefling concedes that it is possible to be a fearless project leader even if you depend on your paycheck. The secret? Be excellent to one another.Featured Article
Being a Great Project Leader with a Mortgage and Kids in College, by Kimberly Wiefling
One of the strong beliefs that I have about effective project leadership is that it cannot be done by someone who has a mortgage, kids in college, or a spouse who doesn't work. I don't have kids, my spouse does work, and I am totally open to living in my car, if necessary. In my experience, a project leader must often operate in an environment where the very people who sign their paychecks are also the biggest obstacles to success. That's why I developed Scrappy Project Management, a take-no-prisoners approach to getting the job done no matter what, with little or no regard for your own professional future beyond the end of the project.
But some people have asked what can be done if they DO rely on their job for the little niceties of life, like food, shelter, electricity and running water. And even I admit that my perspective is rather polarized—even cynical. There are some perfectly effective project managers who manage to maintain good working relationships with uncooperative executives, vendors, team members and customers. After deep reflection on the matter, I am forced to admit that tact and diplomacy, while somewhat time consuming, may still have a place in the project leader's toolkit. Read more »
Want to hear it straight from Kimberly? She's at the Global Leadership Program in Frankfurt, Germany this week, but you can catch her at the Silicon Valley Indian Professional's Organization on April 16. Her Creating a Vision for Your Future workshop is on April 19 in Redwood City, CA.
New Template Bundle
Project Status ReportsAnother day, another project, another status report. Once again, you find yourself designing something from the ground up, hoping everyone can understand it, let alone read it. Does anyone ever manage to fit these things on just a page without spending an hour explaining it? Absolutely. This bundle provides more than 20 variations on status report formats for different situations, many with sample data so you can see the level of detail other teams and managers use. Save time and save face with real world examples that will make your status manageable, understandable, and presentable for all those who need to know.
Want to license these templates for your organization? Contact us for licensing terms.
Site Highlights
NEW - Agile: Overview and Core Methods - MEMBERWhat is this Agile stuff, and why does it work? Kent McDonald, who was loitering around when some of this started, provides a history of the Agile movement and outlines its basic principles in this overview, with a focus on the overall value system behind the various approaches referred to as "agile development" and why those values can lead to better projects. In addition, Kent provides seven key actions you can take to begin stretching toward agility today. Read the overview »
The Writing's On the Wall - Agile Technique: Information Radiator - SPECIAL
This Premium resource is free to registered Members until April 2, 2008
Give your teams a taste of agile with something really visible: a status report that no one can miss. They're already on their way over to interrupt someone and ask, "Where are we?" so might as well hang the answers on the wall. These prominent displays communicate quickly, effectively, and easily, no matter how often the information changes, as long as you keep in mind the guidelines in this technique brief. You just need a few office supplies and the willingness to let everyone to know what's really going on. Download the guideline »
A Beautiful Theory Killed by an Ugly Little Fact - Software Bug Fix WBS - MEMBER
That bug fix worked great … except for that unfortunate little incident with Joe down in testing. (Have they replaced his desk yet?) For the next round, consider this WBS. It provides an efficient but reasoned bug-fix process that avoids duplicated effort and conflicting changes -- and takes into account little things like side effects and documentation. Expand it for a minor enhancement or re-engineering effort, or use it as a checklist for small cleanup projects. Good bug-fixing discipline will help your project's beautiful theory recover from all those ugly little facts. Download the WBS »
Getting Past the SEP Field - Project Team Organization and Assignments - SPECIAL
This Premium resource is free to registered Members until April 2, 2008
Funny how it always seems like it's Somebody Else's Problem, isn't it? Make sure everyone else on your cross-functional project team understands their role as well as everyone else's. This checklist will help you organize and document the relevant information -- including roles, responsibilities, and contact information -- so everyone knows who is doing what and how to find them. You may even find that people are a little less breezy about what they sign up to deliver when it's down on paper for the world to see. Download the template »
Hi, I'm Bob, I'll Be Your Contractor This Year - Getting Aligned and Staying In Sync with Outside Partners - MEMBER
Using outside partners to get access to additional resources and or competencies seems logical. But truly synergistic partnerships--and ultimately successful projects--don't just wander in off the street. These teams must be created and managed properly, or they can seriously threaten critical time-to-market goals. This paper provides some ideas for assessing and selecting team members, planning a project considering the specific ramifications of remote members, and managing communication and project activities to successful completion. Read the paper »
All Your Base... Oh, Forget It - Localization Guidelines - PREMIUM
The dollar's weakness may leave you with a yen for export, and for many businesses it makes good sense. But don't sell yourself short by running the software through a $50 translation package while you buy your tickets. Whether you're preparing your product for a new market in another country close to home or an entirely new corner of the globe, you need to consider factors ranging from language adaptation and cultural context to local regulations and business practices. Our guidelines will walk you through the many different considerations. Download the guideline »
Where's ProjectConnections?
When they're not writing for ProjectConnections, our expert contributors and columnists keep a pretty busy calendar. The following appearances are not associated with ProjectConnections, but we think you ought to know about them anyway. These folks are worth hearing.ProjectConnections President and CEO Cinda Voegtli is out and about in April. She'll be leading two half-day workshops—"Becoming Great Project Managers" and "The Business-Savvy Project Manager"—at IEEE ProCon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on April 29. Cinda is now scheduling private speaking engagements as well. A Manhattan financial services firm's community of project managers will be hearing from her about "Adopting and Adapting New Project Processes in an Organization" on April 1, and she'll be a guest lecturer for the UC Berkeley Hass School of Business on April 14 ("Successfully Implementing Project Management in an Organization").
Alan Koch, our resident Quality advocate, can be found in Toronto April 14-18 at Project World Canada. His tutorial and track presentation are both titled "BA (Business Analysis) Tools of the Trade: Process Modeling Techniques."
Risk guru Carl Pritchard is living up to his billing with Risk Management courses at PMI SeminarsWorld April 24-25 (Scottsdale Hilton Resort) and PMI MegaSeminarsWorld in Orlando on June 25-26. He'll provide a Breakfast Keynote Address in Orlando as well. Information and registration for both events can be found on the PMI website. For a slightly more exotic setting, consider the PMI New Jersey Seminars At Sea cruise to Bermuda from May 17-22. Carl will be conducting an 8 PDU seminar on "How to Be a Great Consultant" when he's not lounging on deck.
Agile proponent Kent McDonald will be demonstrating his devotion to the cause in a pair of presentations on April 15: Agile Project Leadership Network NYC at 8:30 a.m., and Agile Philly at 6:30 p.m. In keeping with the spirit of agile development, he'll be speaking on his "newest favorite topic" at both events: "Helping Product Owners Define Value and Prioritize Requirements." If you're planning a working vacation in June, you can also hear him at the Better Software Conference in Las Vegas from June 9-12.
Corporate Subscriptions and Licensing
Want your team members to have their own access to templates and how-to resources for their project work? Need to share documents and deliverables beyond your project team? We make it easier with affordable corporate subscriptions and licensing. Detailed information regarding corporate options is available online. Give your whole team, or even the entire organization, cost-effective access to our comprehensive online library of resources. You already know how helpful it's been for you. Now it's time to share with everyone else. Find out more »Not sure if corporate terms apply to you? Check out our licensing terms at the top of our Terms of Service page, in refreshingly ordinary, everyday English.