In This Issue:
From the Editor
Geof Lory: Lego My Schedule
Career Corner: On Monkeys and Silk Pajamas
Site Highlights
The Days of Auld Lang Syne…
Looking Back to the Future
Take the Road Less Traveled
Because Not Everyone Has a Rudolph
Give the Gift of Credit for Work and Results
Burning Questions
Because the Schedule Says So, That's Why!
From the Blogs
Where's ProjectConnections?
From the Editor
'Tis the season (at least in the northern hemisphere) for end-of-year holiday madness and the search for the best new tech toy for that special project manager in your life. In this midst of all this holiday hubbub, Geof Lory has a decidedly low-tech solution for scheduling scuffles: Legos! Yes, for the cost of a few plastic bricks, you too can buy scheduling clarity -- or at least a whole lot more fun putting it together. Check out our featured article this week to find out how they did it.
On the other hand, sometimes new technology really is a great alternative, and with that in mind, we're jumping into the social networking pool with both feet. Now, instead of waiting for a bi-weekly newsletter, you can get a regular dose of ProjectConnections through our Twitter feed (@ProjectConnections) or on our Facebook Fan Page. We know not everyone's all over the social thing, but we've been surprised at how fun it is to use these channels, and we look forward to staying connected.
Read on for some end of year project reflection, as well as some thoughts on moving forward into the next decade with our eyes on the goal and a clear vision for the future.
Featured Article
Lego My Schedule
by Geof Lory
Today, most of the training I do has some form of physical and experiential element to it because I believe and have seen that this is the most effective method of creating behavior change. However, when I get back to my projects, I fall back into the habitual mode of audio, visual, and conceptual. E-mails, meeting minutes, schematics, diagrams, and even dialog can be enhanced by the richness of a physical experience.
On a recent project, we were having numerous discussions regarding the complex scheduling of incrementally adding functionality to a new system (using an Agile approach) while simultaneously rolling it out to a large number of users over the period of a year (using a Six Sigma approach). The interdependencies were complicated and the combination of the two different approaches made it all the more challenging.
So like all good project managers we went to our tool of choice (Microsoft Project, right?) and built a beautiful representation of the proposed rollout and product development to communicate the plan. While this was a valuable exercise to understand dependencies and forecasted resource demands, the look on our stakeholders' eyes as they glanced at the Gantt chart said they needed something else: Legos. Read how Legos saved the day »
Career Corner
On Monkeys and Silk Pajamas (reprise)
by DeAnna Burghart
"Just be grateful you're working" has become the new refrain, and though it may grate in some ears, few would debate the basic principle. In a shaky and uncertain economic climate, it's a rare person who isn't grateful at least for the income. But there's more to life than money, as the saying goes. Is the secret to go chasing rainbows? For some, absolutely; for many of us, it may be more practical -- and more rewarding -- to find rainbows where they are.
During our last recession (we will leave aside for a moment how creepy it is that we can recall it so vividly), Doug DeCarlo, then a columnist with us, questioned whether some of us were "Dressing the Monkey in Silk" -- his way of describing the silk-purse:sow's-ear relationship some people end up in with in regards to their career. His point is valid; if you have a deep sense that your life's purpose has diverged from your current work, it may very well be time to reinvent yourself. But I believe it is also possible to reinvent your job with a different perspective on your work. Perhaps project management isn't the thrilling paper chase you imagined, but are you managing projects because you love it and want to be a Project Manager? (Don't laugh; some people do!) Or are you doing it because it's the best way you can contribute to a project, a product, or a service that you believe in, something that is contributing value to the world?
I didn't grow up saying that I wanted to work with and for project managers, but I'm aware every day that the work we do at ProjectConnections may be helping someone go home at 5pm instead of 8pm, may be giving a time-strapped team lead the chance to leap frog an obstacle and make time for his kid's game this weekend or a date with his S.O. As a huge proponent of work/life balance, that's a purpose I can get behind, and it's one that drives me to stay involved even when the deadlines are challenging and the goals seem out of reach. We all have those days, but there is something beyond "just be glad you're working" in almost any job, I think. We may not all make a living by running into burning buildings, but even firemen need to buy and cook food, drive and maintain cars, repair their homes, put their money in a bank, and invest for their future. Thousands of people are managing projects every day that make those things possible, and make them better. You don't have to wield a hose and an axe to help people.
So how about it? Where's the "more than a paycheck" in your project work? Some of you will have an answer immediately; lucky souls! Others may have to search deeper; having spent so much time among the trees that it's hard to see the forest. But it's worth finding that broader view -- that anchoring purpose behind the project that's keeping you up at night. Someone somewhere is grateful for what you're producing, even if they never give a thought to how it's done. And for all of you who have worked to make our lives easier and more productive this year -- which probably includes just about everyone in one way or another -- thank you, and happy holidays.
Related Resources
Mike Aucoin, "The Project Is Life!" Make sure you've got your eyes on the goal at least some of the time.
Are the things you're doing serving that larger goal? Kimberly Wiefling's Priorities, Goals, and Actions Alignment Worksheet can help you take that first (or next) step. Fill it out and do just one thing that crops up on the list. We dare you.
As a manager, help your team find the WOW factor for your project. Doug's article includes a list of powerful prompts to help you elevate your project from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Site Highlights
The Days of Auld Lang Syne… – Project Closeout Meeting Agenda – PREMIUM
It was a bumpy ride, but everyone learned something from it. As project managers, most of us are familiar with the concept of a formal closeout and lessons learned session, to celebrate accomplishments and capture lessons for the future. As the year winds down, we want to remind you of our example agenda and guidelines, which should make organizing this meeting with your team a bit less intimidating, and recovering from the project a bit less painful. Consider combining it with some of our Reward and Hoopla ideas to end the year with a bang, not a whimper, and get 2010 off to a smoother start -- for you, and for anyone else that reads the lessons you record. Download the template »
Looking Back to the Future – Agile Technique Brief - Retrospectives – SPECIAL
This Premium resource is free to registered Members until January 6, 2010
Often, the best forward progress comes from looking backward. Retrospectives are a technique that teams can use to inspect their progress in a project to date and identify opportunities for improvement in their processes, team dynamics, and decision-making as well as areas for continued excellence. The retrospective approach helps the team to take a look backward to move forward, with a key difference: there's no need to wait for the end of the project or even the end of a phase to collect and act on the team's lessons. This technique brief guides you through the agile retrospective process and—shows you how to make sure your team is using the results effectively. Get the technique brief »
Take the Road Less Traveled – Lessons Learned Meeting Report – PREMIUM
If your recently terminated project is more traditional in nature, you might prefer a more traditional approach to your Lessons Learned meeting. This sample agenda and report provides a useful model for avoiding Frost bite caused by retreading the well-worn missteps of projects past. The example report shows how to incorporate key project information into the meeting information in order to jog memories, and emphasizes positive actions and constructive next steps based on the lessons uncovered. Completed with your team's lessons and suggestions it can be a useful reference for future projects, no matter who's on the team. Sometimes, taking the road less traveled by can make all the difference. Download the example report »
Because Not Everyone Has a Rudolph – Handling the Endgame of a Project - MEMBER
The hairy hindquarters of a project are often the least fun and the most dangerous, and poorly lit to boot. Skidding on icy customer parking lots, careening through crowded airspace on a tight deadline, surrounded by a cloud of ash and soot ⦠Sure, the prep work was fun, but about halfway through the Delivery phase I think I'd be tempted to chuck it all off the sleigh and go home for a cup of cocoa. While it may be tempting to "just finish the work," the best PMs will manage this critical stage with the utmost care. This paper provides an in-the-trenches look at typical breakdowns and crises that occur in the late stages of a project and offers tips, tools, and advice on dealing with them without losing sight of the goal or riding herd on the team. Now dash away, dash away, dash away all! Read the paper »
Give the Gift of Credit for Work and Results – Project Manager and Team Member Performance Appraisals - MEMBER
Yearly performance reviews often focus on functional skills. That's easy and understandable, but it neglects the important contributions people make in working on or managing cross-functional projects. Now that you're closing out the year, add the gift of credit to your appreciation for their help. This file includes process suggestions and forms to promote recognition of project performance as part of a normal performance appraisal. You and your team members deserve credit for all your contributions, including the ones that don't necessarily show up in the departmental metrics. Download the guideline »
Burning Questions
Because the Schedule Says So, That's Why! – How do we know if we're done? – PREMIUM
Q: The artificial deadlines created by the turning of a calendar page or the big diamond at the end of a Gantt chart can create very real pressures to "just release it," but that's rarely the best approach. How do the project manager and team judge that we're done? What does it mean for a particular deliverable of a project to be done, and the project itself to be truly complete?
A: A great way to judge whether you're done is to set completion criteria earlier in the project. Those criteria can cover what it means for major deliverables of the project to be done, and what "complete" for the whole project includes.
Completion criteria are a communication and management tool. For particular deliverables, they provide an important aspect of quality management. At the project and deliverables level, completion criteria help ensure that all features are included, all required issues are corrected, the right people have been involved in reviews, etc. Read the rest of the answer »
From the Blogs
Ann Drinkwater offers a great year-end post on stepping back and thinking, along with a thoughtful list for us to reflect on.
Jerry Perone reminds us to communicate respectfully, frequently, and appropriately to increase the odds of project success.
Cinda Voegtli reflects on a teachable moment illustrating how project management (and project pitfalls) can apply to almost everything in life.
Lisa DiTullio provides a rich, detailed, and timely post on how to stand out in a job search, along with career planning and interview advice, and a reminder that it's not over when you land the job!
Kent McDonald points out that Projects don't care if you've been naughty or nice, and no amount of wishing will make a "wish list" of features appropriate on some projects. (Bonus points for a great example of leadership in action -- a team member who spoke up to introduce a dose of reality.)
Sinikka Waugh encourages us to take a year-end inventory of our stock in trade, arranged in order from the things that matter to the things that really matter. Do you know what you're carrying into the New Year?
Where's ProjectConnections?
We're roasting chestnuts on an open fire starting Thursday the 24th, and we'll be AFP (Away From Phones) until the New Year. We're almost never AFK though, so you can still reach us via email throughout the holiday break, and we'll be back in full swing on January 4. Meanwhile, the wassail's on us! Have a wonderful holiday, and here's to a Happy and Profitable New Year for all of us!Corporate Subscriptions and Licensing
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