Int. PM Day is November 7th. this year

As usual you get for free 4 hours seminar as a Webinar with live feed from International Experts in PM:

Register here (you can even earn 12 PDU or your PMI certification)

Enjoy!

Change Management - A Practical Guide

In a limited period you can get this Little Guide from PMI here.

News from the Risk Doctor - do we forget something important?

David Hillson points out that with Risk Management we are really only looking at the project's explicit risks while implicit risks concerning the decision-making BEHIND the project are completely overlooked. In other words, we look only at whether the project "is screwed firmly together" and not on whether it is "the right project" (in relation to strategy, needs, ideas or problems, etc.).

Read his newsletter here.

From where and to where?

Projects are temporary occurrences in systems with a past and a future. Therefore one of the best 'trick' I've learned in the understanding of an organization or an individual or in general any organic always asking about: "What's happened over the past 5-10 years?" And "Where are you in 5-10 years? ". It provides 100 times as good understanding that even the best analysis of the present situation.

Moreover it is also one of the techniques you need to learn if you want to become a better networker!

New category added: Networking Competences

Concentrate on the important stuff

As a rule of thumb expect that between 10% and 20% of the problems in a project are of technical / professional nature that requires technical / professional knowledge to be resolved.

Yet,9 out of 10 companies see it as important that their project managers have a technical / professional background! So they grab the best technical / professional to solve the 80% to 90% of the problems, which is about something completely different! Is that stupid or what?

More of the same issue here

You make your own fortune

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." -Charles Swindoll

plus:

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

So maybe you should do something new in this week-end

It might be the most important week-end in the rest of your life...

Have an interesting week-end

You're still a clown at estimation....

... But it's not necessarily your fault. The main reason is surely that you work in an environment or a culture where expectations are that you are presenting low costs and potentially high income (or savings or whatever benefits might be). If (and I mean really if ..) you presented the truth, people would look at you like you were crazy and the proposed project would be immediately binned - or given to "a rmore easonable person".

That's the truth in the construction industry according to Prof. Bent Flybjerg that you can hear talk about the subject here on a visit to Harvard.

But you do not have to go to construction in order to find this pattern of deliberately manipulating the figures. It is found in all industries and also in yours and in your workplace. You will find managers who dare not show the director the real costs. Sales persons who will have orders for almost any price. HR people who dream wishful thinking on employees' potentials. Economy People who believe that SAP can save a decaying business etc.

They are all around you and you are never in doubt about the "right figures".

We should have a Whistleblower mailbox where we could drop our sincere estimates.

What do you instinctively?

Situation: Projector does not like input from a Mac. 80 people coming in about 5 minutes and then it has to Work!. Called technician (coming in only 45 seconds!) begins to fumble around on the Mac and mumbles "well I'm not a Mac user really ...". By the wall is a PC - without power cord.

Question: Which of these do you choose:
1. Hope the best you've learned in 4 minutes then playing the victim-role?
2. Beg the technician temporarily stop fumbling and instead just put power to the PC which presumably are more likely to work with the Projector but in any case doubles the chance of getting the problem resolved?

If you instinctively choose 2) you have the right helicopter pilot genes.

2) is obviously the most difficult to implement, because the technician will feel:

a) it is a waste of time because the problem will been solved in about 2 minutes (or maybe 3 ...)
b) you interfering in something you have no sense of
c) you do not show respect for the technician's professionalism

You can either ignore  this and insist or if there is time ask if it is ultimately safer when 80 people are now dependent on a solution right now?

This little situation you can transfer again and again at the specialists you are surrounded by.

When documents are cheating - you!

Especially with early documents such as Project proposal,s Project Idea Descriptions etc. one must be careful because they are often formulated and written by PA's or similar ministering spirits. Therefore it may very well be the case that one half thought out idea from the boss suddenly appears as an articulate, organized and such straight-to-go-to document. But the reality is just that the writer has made ​​it from own experience of the situation and not least of possible approaches!

Well you say - will it not be discover it when the boss sees it through? No, a good boss will only look at whether the overall things are in place and not the details.

The problem is that your imagination that this particular puzzle solving approved is made by the boss and therefor following it too far.

So what do you do? You go through the document with the writer and then asks into the whole process and get clarification on what is decided and what is open. Expect that 80% of the solution space is open for discussion - if you want to discuss!

Newsletter from The Risk Doctor

David Hillson philosophize this time about trends (more, less or?) in the Risk discipline. Read the newsletter here.

The art of giving Bad News

When we relatively often have to give bad news why not become good at it?

Jennifer Whitt, director of ProjectManager.com has added another fine video on her site. See it quickly here.

I would just add:

Dos

Understand anger and disappointment sand try to accommodate blame
Don'ts

Defend yourself and do not blame others

Summer thoughts

Got my house sold  in 24 days here in June / July, and summer relaxation was replaced by intense work. Well done I thought about the project and once again realized that one is too narrow minded in dealing with the risks - in this and all other projects. We tend to focus only on actions to reduce or neutralize risks, but forget to look at the opportunities that are always hidden in the situation.


 








We make every effort to get rid of the risks, but we do not seem to let our thoughts continue over in the possibilities. We should spend a little more time to ask ourselves, "What if I do even more .... what opportunities would that give?" Or "what is the opposite of this risk, and how can I take advantage of the opportunity?".

Risk Mgnt. - again!

David Hillson - The Risk Doctor celebrates his 10th anniversary with an update on this delicate discipline. Something has improved but there is still much to ask for he concludes in this newsletter.
You can put a little pep in a risk management process by measuring out the sum of the risks in a project - not by a number - but by delay. How much delay gives the greatest risk? and what about the second highest? etc. When we have to deal with the delay, we are forced to think about risk, problem and possible its solution in details. You can also choose money: How much will the greatest risk cost us?
It is also a fine way to cover the risks in a leader- or steering committee. They wake up when there is spoken about delays and additional costs.

Create the reputation before somebody else does it!!

When you  have shut your project down and has received the client's praise for delivering on time and on budget, it is time to create the project's reputation as a successful project. Box 'stories' about the project. Brew a short story: "It was hard ... we fought ... so we were near but so ... anyway we did it ... right in the eye ..." and let everyone in the team begin to tell it at every opportunity.

A great reputation is your only defense against a bad reputation if it turns out later that the project never reached the client's purpose and thereby Success Criteria's. In that situation everyone can remember that you were the project manager (and thus you will quickly be the guilty) while they rarely remember who the commissioners were (the real culprit).

It's big manipulation this blog post!

Yeah exactly!

PM's are not like everybody else!

A study mentioned in the latest issue of PMI's Project Management Journal shows that project managers more likely than the average population are Extraverts and Result oriented. That might be expected when project managers are leaders and must be goal-oriented, but now it is finally proved. The dimensions are taken from the MBTI and include:

Among project managers most are NTs (Intuitive and Thinking) but unfortunately this combination causes the majority of failures! Successes are created at much higher degree of SF'er (Objective perciving and Sentient in decisions).

What do you think? Free test here.

The crisis stopped yesterday!

I am sure that you can feel and see it around you! Something has happened the last few days! Pessimism is gone! There are more Yes than No!

I think it has changed now. We are heading upwards again, and it's going to go faster than ever. Thousands of projects put on hold will soon rbe eleased. It will be fantastic.

Believe in it and spread the Word

Mr. 3Angle and Worklife balance

We all sign up for project management courses though it might be life management courses we really need!

Good project managers are the safest investment of all ...

PMI regularly examine the conditions for and the development of our profession as project managers.

Now the report Pulse of the Profession is on the street with scary findings.


The last five years reluctant to invest in good project managers and thus good projects and thus higher success rates has taken its toll. Companies and organizations are now less successfull in completing  Projects and it leaves its traces in the return on the investments that projects are at the end of the day. The good risk 2% of every dollar invested in projects - the bad 28%! One can say that it is a safe investment to develop project managers because the good project managers reduces the risk of any other Investment!

See key findings in great interactive graphics here or download the report here. Other reports in the series here.

Mr. 3Angle and value creation...

It's hard to be a businessman when you're a professional ...

Yes, it is true that our success is measured by our ability to deliver the agreed deliverables on time and budget, but honestly, would you do business with a company that just delivered exactly what you asked for without asking "what are you going to use it for? "and just leave it up to you and just let you experience a huge blunder? No I don't think so!

It is time to switch from the project manager as a supplier to the project manager as a consultant - from delivery focus to focus on both value creation and delivery. From What do you want to Why do you want? From agreements at the beginning to ongoing agreements that meet the conditions for value creation which are constantly changing. From contradictory steering committee meetings to meetings filled with fighting spirit and enthusiasm.

Whether it's easy? No it's not thanks god. What is sought is seldom easy, and hurray for that because otherwise anyone could well match you as a business-oriented project manager!

Do you have Madonna curves?

As one of few Madonna has managed to innovate just quickly enough to avoid oblivion - it is said that she has carefully assessed when she was about to peak and then turned into a new style. She didn't wait until it was necessary! She did something before it was needed! And she did it again and again.

The same idea or stubborn struggle for success project managers should use in:

1. project team in long-term projects
2. external communication in medium and long term projects
3. handling of key stakeholders - including the customer
4. ones Family
5. personal development (sorry about that!)
   

I Wonder how close to success you have been ?

"If people knew how close to success they were when they gave up, they would have continued a little longer."

It is the most challenging quote or the most challenging statement I have ever read and heard.

Better than energy drinks and epo and what is worse.

Scary!

Project Models and Japanese gardens?

Japanese gardens are created by eliminating one thing at a time from the garden untill you can see and feel that now you have reached the most critical and important elements - the soul of the garden so to speak!

Likewise with project models. Most are overloaded and users of the 'gardens' lose track, are getting easily lost and basically do not understand the idea of them.

Much could be achieved if each organization cleaned up once and a while and assessed the elements in their models - and threw away the less important! This would focus everybody on the most important elements in the models. Managers and project managers could practicing and gain benefits for themselves and especially for the organization's project maturity. Getting so far you could consider going the a 'gardencenter'.

Some ideas for what can be prioritized:

Try these thoughts on yourself: what exactly is the most important for you in a project model? I wonder what it says about you? - And are you happy with it? - And what do you do about it?

News from The Risk Doctor

For your collection of risks this time you get from David Hillson five categories of risks connected with delivering project deliverables across borders. Read the newsletter here.

A project is just a qualified attempt!

People today are so tone deaf to the word project that they no longer associate the word with what it is, namely an attempt to achieve a goal. An often very well prepared attempt; but still just an attempt. If you as a project manager does not articulate the project as an attempt, then participants will focus on their own needs in stead of getting things done, steering committee comes because there is cookies and not because there are decisions to be taken, stakeholders wrap themselves in the role of victims and the client quickly turns to new projects. You are figuratively the only one who keeps watch on the dangerous expedition, while the rest are snoring.

I'm not saying that you now have to run around and scare them all. I say that projects are a serious sport, and only the skilled and conscientious are winners. It can quickly go wrong if you relax. This is exactly what separates the professional from the amateur. The professional will continue to be diligent and responsible. That's what the word alludes to. One who masteres his profession.

Who's the superstar in your project?

The last many years focus on the importance of better projects and better project management has had the unfortunate effect that the project manager is often more exposed than the client. It is the project manager hailed for success and not the client. The Project Manager will have the flowers - sometimes by the client. This corresponds to the director at the theater or the cinema gets applause and the actors stand behind.
In my world as a consultant it has always been the case that the client stood on the stage and received the people's tribute, while I was standing in the wings. The client knew that a good part of the reason for the success is due to me - and that is precisely why we use consultants - professional (or cynical if you will). And that's fine enough to stand out in the wing knowing this. In a little moment the curtain goes and I disappear, but the client lives on in the new reality created, and I am not part of that - it is best for all as soon as possible to forget me and just stand up behind the client.
Try implementing this thought in your project - and think your stakeholder analysis through - and think your relationship with your client through once more.

Nanny for your supplier?

The worst situation you as a project manager can end up in is the where you have to help your supplier to deliver that which this particular supplier was originally carefully selected to be best at. Now it turns out, unfortunately, that the supplier  nevertheless not really has the capability, but since you did have large fingerprints on the choice and the decision of the supplier, you can not quite tell you free of guilt, and you feel therefore pressured to help the supplier. Once you've done this a few times, you are so entangled in the case that you can not stop. Either the supplier succeed and therefore you or you will go down together!
What went wrong? Yes, it was either in the selection or in your handling of the first signs of a lack of ability to deliver.
In the selection process could be: 1) No supplier met the requirements you had set. Instead of realizing that you and your client / boss / management may reduce the requirements, you get it legalized taking the best of them instead - and then you're already into it!
2) You thought that it is the supplier's own problem if they claim they could provide and then can not do it! But the reality is, because your client / boss / management can not wait for the supplier to get a grip on things, or you find another - "there are millions at stake ..." echoes in your ears when you try to fall asleep. It ends again to be your problem.
At the first sign it could be: You failed to use the contract to what is actually being written for
You showed confidence rather than seek certainty
You showed understanding in the hope that they probably would quickly solve the problems

So you have been warned! It is not about being tough on suppliers. No, it is about certainty!

The Risk Doctor

David Hillson is celebrating his 10th anniversary as The Risk Doctor. Thanks for a great effort in an area most still perceive as important oh yes, but which certainly must give way when problems occur and there is really important work to do!
For those interested many of Hillson's lectures are found on his Youtube video channel here.

Advantages in not knowing very much...

When I question whether you have to have some or maybe very much knowledge about a profession to be or become a project manager in that area people usually have lots of arguments for the need of professional knowledge – actually it seems like they cannot imagine themselves being able to manage project without professional knowledge.

In a lot of incidences the background is that these project managers used to be very good if not the best in a specific area and therefore they might have been appointed project managers. So of course they will keep on working from this base of authority and how should they know if it is possible to step down from the knowledge base and step up on another – the good leadership base?

From time to time one should think about these things because they give a perspective to ones development – more technical stuff or more leadership?

Here are some input to your thoughts:

Fewer technically questions.. with fewer disturbances you have got more time to think ahead - the manager's main task!
Project participants know that you professionally are"blank" .. participants use you to other, more personal things such as to ensure good working conditions, high motivation, job, etc.
You do not know much about the profession.. you can concentrate fully on project management and facilitate eminent workshops to ensure that the project and the participants have very good understanding of and control over the project
You can not answer all the questions from the outside world.. you will need, but also an opportunity to promote your skilled participants to the world - they will rejoice and grow with the responsibility
You do not have just the solution to an urgent technical problem.. you will not be sucked into the matter and therefore can stay organized and escalate the matter properly if and when necessary. You can also ensure that the experts are left alone to solve the problem
You can not help a participant who is stuck in a challenge.. you can instead consider to grow the person by coaching through the necessary decisions if confidence is actually the problem, otherwise you can allocate the necessary knowledge for a period.
Your leadership colleagues can ask about anything professionally that you can not answer.. you can ensure that it is a fully correct answer that will be given by finding the right person.
Your boss knows you are not a specialist.. you are being assessed, receive recognition and is remunerated as a project manager.

Trust is something they have to ... you!!

When I first worked at Price Waterhouse, I often wondered over the boring slides my partner Ole Heise always used. When questioned he said one day: "I want to be absolutely sure that they do not take attention away from me."
He got it right. Nothing sells itself! Even the best idea does not sell itself. There must always be someone who pushes on. One showing clear belief in the idea. We are, after all, pack animals, and would prefer to follow a trustworthy person up front.

What you should think of when you plan time for a presentation: How much time to PowerPoint and how much time to train your performance and your verbal presentation? You spend probably too large a share of your PowerPoint? "As long as it is really right, nice and logical then the rest goes by itself". No, it's not true! You can with the PowerPoint only avoid being taken in error s- the belief you still have to create!
Start next time in preparing youself for presenting WITHOUT aids! Then, if necessary add aids!

Project Management is a choice

The funniest (and incidentally easiest) is just starting up, mix something together and try if it works, adjust and try again. Especially if you yourself are a specialist or maybe even an expert on the current field of study, it is the way of working that people would most like to work on.
But the real world demands predictability of the completion date, budget and quality. Here you must make a choice: either trial-and-error or add an appropriate amount of project management. It's your choice!

As with craftsmen project managers can also see in advance what the challenges are and therefore what tools and methods to be applied in order to bring the ship safely into port.

The choice involves, for example that you will:

- See particularly much at stakeholders
- Make extra effort in getting the project organized
 - Analyze risks extra carefully
- Involve the client and users active in the planning
- Use extra energy to make a good team
- Ensure great realism in estimates and schedules

The more aware you become of these choices, the more proactive you also become in your thinking, and you will find that you are going ahead with the project and can begin to shape it rather than hang behind the project and grapple with all the problems.

The bottleneck in projects

The bottleneck is always decision speed. If management or steering committee groups are not fast and efficient enough the decisions pile up, projects comes to a standstill and last but not least absent of the impact of the projects and that it is especially serious.
Although most things today have become more efficient and run faster there is still problems with getting specially the steering groups to run in a reasonable manner. Have a chat with your management about what they are doing to keep up with the speed of the many projects? and do not laugh too obvious if the answer is "Ummm .......".

After 20 years it goes a little better!

Things are moving forward in the battle to get project management into the map as a respectable discipline, but there is long way to go before we as doctors and engineers are trademarks of a well-defined product with a reasonable balanced quality.

Try to consider the last five responses you got when you said "I am project manager at Company X". How often did they understand the answer to their question? 20 years ago there were virtually no immediate understanding.

For your own sake, keep the flag high no matter how small it is. If you are not proud of your discipline as a project manager and radiates it you can not expect that the others respects your job as a project manager.

A problem every 823 years

If you have experienced problems with following your schedule for this month is might be because of the overwelming number of weekends in this month and they are always a threat for even the best schedule - long weekends, handovers, absenteeism etc. March has got five Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays!!

and you have never seen that before besause it is 823 years since last time..

With this little insight I wish you a pleasant Easter.

 

To Buffer or not to Buffer!

Many are too optimistic that they'll be "getting things back on track" if something goes wrong in a project.

I realized many years ago on their way into Yugoslavia from Austria, that it is good with buffers along the way in a schedule. Do not put a little buffer in the end - at the time, you've already lost.
In Austria they give you security against brake problems like this:

In Yugoslavia (dengang!!) Did like this:

Which model do you like best?