In This Issue:
From the Editor
DeAnna Burghart on Making Vacations a Company Project
Yes, You Can Negotiate Project Constraints! by Alan Koch, PMP
Site Highlights
- You're Using PM for That?
- Clearing the Path
- It Didn't Work? Inconceivable!
- We'll MAKE It Fit!
- A Budget Even a Math-o-phobe Can Love
- Do You Feel Lucky? Well, Do Ya?
Featured Bundle: Project Planning and Tracking Bundle
Where's ProjectConnections?
Corporate Subscriptions
From the Editor
It's summer, so it must be time to talk about our vacation habits again. It has become something of a seasonal hobby for the last few years. This year, we decided to wade into the fray with some thought-provoking questions about how we might actually alter our poor vacation habits. To complement the discussion, we've highlighted a case study that demonstrates how to apply project management to your vacation planning (yes, really!), or any other not-really-a-project project, without driving you or anyone else around the bend.
Featured Article
Making Vacations a Company Project, by DeAnna Burghart
As I write this, Cinda is exactly where she should be: the middle of nowhere. She has taken a much-needed vacation, which puts her a couple weeks ahead of me for the year. Now, before you think I'm downtrodden and bereft, think again. I'm well stocked with vacation days, and my coworkers have no problem with me taking them. (I believe, in fact, that I've detected a pleading note from certain quarters lately.) But there always seems to be a good reason to stay behind, doesn't there? I've turned staying put into an art form.
When was the last time you took a vacation?
Here around the office we have the occasional debate about the proper use of our vacation allotments. It's not that any of us are particularly deprived; it's rather that some of us are fairly inventive about coming up with all sorts of reasons not to use it! It's too busy right now. We're in the middle of too many projects. It leaves too big a hole when we're not here. The others, the vacationers—the healthy people, you might call them—shake their heads in bewilderment and wonder where we get these strange ideas that we are so indispensible, no matter how indispensible we are. They've given up trying to change minds, I think. They simply turn and calmly schedule their next outing, secure in the knowledge that the world and the company will move on whether or not they see the Grand Canyon or the Left Bank, so why not go see it? Read more »
Featured Article
Yes, You Can Negotiate Project Constraints!, by Alan Koch, PMP
"This is what we need. You can use these resources. And you must deliver it by that date."
Does this sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. Many project managers find themselves in just such a situation. There are lots of dictates, no flexibility, and more often than not little realism in the demands.
Although it may not seem to be true, we can negotiate unrealistic project expectations. And the key is to do a good job of estimating what it really will take to do the project. Read more »
Site Highlights
You're Using PM for That? - Adapting PM Techniques and Templates to a Mini-Project - MEMBEREven tiny projects can have a big impact, and so deserve a tiny bit of project management love—in this case, a few hours and a few scraps of paper to plan a family vacation. One of our staff members tried it out and discovered that it is possible to apply project management to efforts most people wouldn't even describe as a project without burying everyone in paperwork, even if no one on the project is a project manager. The result is a fun take on what project management looks like in miniature, complete with example documents (such as they are). Read the case study »
Clearing the Path - Project Definition - Vision Document - GUEST
Even little projects deserve a clear vision. Bring clarity with a simple one-page document capturing agreement on why you're doing the project, what the customer needs, and the overall scope. Got a one-week mini-project on your hands? You can settle for a few scribbled notes or a quick email capturing the essence of the questions posed here. Just don't settle for nothing at all. Download the template »
It Didn't Work? Inconceivable! - Project Overview Test Plan - PREMIUM
Even brilliant plans aren't infallible. Your project may not require testing in the technical sense, but the idea of a final deliverable overview—"testing" against the customer requirements and original vision—is something every project lead should think through. This template outlines at a high level how your deliverable will be examined and who will be involved. For very small projects, even technical ones, this may be the only test document you need. Download the template »
We'll Just MAKE It Fit! - Tools and Equipment List - MEMBER
It didn't work with your some-assembly-required table in the den, either. No matter what the project, it's always a good idea to make sure you have the necessary parts before they're actually necessary. This simple but effective template helps you summarize what you need and when, so you can follow up or develop alternatives if you have to. A well-considered equipment list is also great for testing budgeting expectations. Download the template »
A Budget Even a Math-o-phobe Can Love - Project Budgets and Cost Tracking Formats - PREMIUM
Small projects may have small budgets, but it still pays off to write them down. The examples in this file take only one page or less, but may trigger recognition of all the other "little" expenses that can add up to big surprises. You can draft a good enough budget for a mini-project by quickly reviewing your action items, tools/equipment list, and milestones—it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes. Bigger projects may take longer, but you can break the task into chunks; begin by drafting estimates as soon as you start outlining scope and continue refining it as you complete the plan. Include your high-level driver tasks in the left column to ensure that all project work and associated costs are included. Download the template »
Do You Feel Lucky? Well, Do Ya? - Product and Project Risk Assessment Tables - PREMIUM
Luck favors the prepared mind. Lucky project managers are the ones that take the time to consider all the angles—even the strange, unlikely, really out there angles. This guideline includes formats for early, high-level product risk factors as well as more detailed risk assessment categories for projects moving into full-blown planning. It doesn't take very long to think through risks for a mini-project—usually just the nuts-and-bolts things like resource shortages and delivery delays—but you'll be much more prepared, and much less unlucky. (And if you're running bigger, scarier, more risk-prone projects, this file has detailed guidelines and templates for thinking through risk on all levels.) Download the guideline »
Featured Bundle
May I Have the Envelope, Please? No, Not That One, the BIG One -
Project Planning and Tracking Bundle
Sometimes hard to fit everything into one little bundle, so we came up with one big one. This bundle of planning and tracking tools will help you get a handle on your project schedule. Learn how to build schedules and estimates that make sense. Go beyond Gantt charts for better visibility into what's really happening on your project. Make sure you everyone involved in the project knows what's going on, and that you know who's involved. Generate status reports that are useful and readable, that can be written and read quickly. If you don't have a Premium subscription yet, this is a great, economical way to get ten of our best Premium resources quickly, for a single low price, and put them to work on your project right away.
Find out more »
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Where's ProjectConnections?
Kimberly Wiefling is organizing another of her inspiring "Creating a Vision for Your Future" workshops on August 9 in Redwood City. The rest of the summer, she's globe-trotting in a big way: Tokyo on July 25-26 to speak on Leadership for Breakthrough Results; Frankfurt, Germany August 18-22 for the Global Leadership Program; and Cleveland, Ohio the next week at Case Western University for their Entrepreneur Program.
Kent McDonald will be in Toronto August 4-8 for Agile 2008 (http://www.agile2008.org/), both speaking and serving as Stage Producer for the Customer and Business Value Stage.
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.