Here is the article:  PM Network Magazine - Nov 2008 - Connect the Dots (PDF)

Interviewed for the article by Neil Hodge via trans-atlantic phone call between the UK and the USA, I offered Neil a wide perspective of how project managers could benefit by expanding their network and by leveraging their networking tools.  Unfortunately Neil only took a minor fraction of what we discussed for his article, as he had other subject matter experts who provided input and all this good advice had to fit into 2 1/2  magazine pages.  The good news (and I appreciate this tremendously) is that Neil gave Planphoria a really good plug within PM Network.  (This is Planphoria’s first industry trade mag shout out!)  Despite this, much of what was said was lost as it never made it to the article, so I thought it prudent to clean up some of the notes that I had prepared for the interview and offer them here.

Key Benefits of Project Manager Networking

• Projects, by definition, are temporary and good people are sometimes hard to come by. Knowing who they are before you need them and where they are is important.  The circle of people you know is only so big and that is where networking is important.

• In many circumstances, we know where the bodies in our buried within our management style and we do the same thing over and over, because it is the system that we know and nothing yet has burned us bad enough to change it.  Networking with a mentor offers an opportunity to break from these habits and use a new technology or process.

• It is important to get an unbiased, objective opinion from other Project Managers. I am aware that CEO’s use this technique with other CEO’s to gain situational clarity.  I believe that it is helpful for PM’s to have the same thing.

• We understand Project Managers to be self-starters, disciplined toward delivery.  We are the the ones who ensure fingers remain on keyboard (in the IT community) to produce value.  We are the Jungle Guides who machete’ the vines and obstacles in front of our team so that work can progress.   We need to meet the leaders we can learn from.

• All Project Managers should be on the path of learning their craft, some are farther along than others.   Like other professionals it is important for Project Managers to find a mentor the business term for guru, whether a favorite author, network and communicate with them on a regular basis.  Without them, it is difficult to grow beyond what we believe our potential to be and expose ourselves to  growth path oriented opportunities.

• I like the word guru.  It represents mastery, while representing humility – traits necessary if you want to learn anything.   To be a guru I believe one has to be both a teacher and student in the same body, and at times teach oneself.  Therefore I believe that those who can achieve guru status have a responsibility to mentor in order to be a better student.

Project Managers and Networking Opportunities

• There are Project Managers who make good use of networking opportunities, as there are those who find it difficult in their 60+ hour work weeks to find time for it.  For those managers, I think my colleague said it best, (quoting the nephew of Alexander Graham Bell) “anyone who works forty hours a week will never meet the people who will make him rich and famous”.

• Many Project Managers have not learned the art of professional face-to-face networking other than to find a job, or as a night out away from family to eat a meal and drink with colleagues.  They do not question what they want out of it, and do not realize that it should not only be about work, but professional advancement.

• On the virtual side, I have received numerous connections from services like LinkedIn from other PMP’s around the world.  I think that this is a valid service when it comes to meeting people, however I don’t think that managers have really figured out how to use it to its full potential.   Understanding and enhancing the value of networking with other PMs should be a cultural element of PMI membership, and a realized benefit of one’s own professional growth.

Networking Approaches - Internet  or Face-to-Face Contact?

• To some extent project managers make this determination on if they are an introvert or an extrovert. I am an introvert so my natural bias is to say virtual is better.  However, even introverts need a good night out, and to some extent I believe face-to-face networking and virtual networking go hand in hand.

• I think that the recent Web 2.0 technology Internet Networking paradigm, coined by O’Reilly and Associates, works well to help  organization members network for all the time they are not face to face, and allows us to identify, if not search for, synergy.

• Back in the early days of the Web, web pages were static essays, faq’s and database driven row and column data.   Websites became stale because webmasters were the central point of update.  With Web 2.0, we create a sense of community, trusting visitors to contribute, and allow the virtual community of visitors to come down on those who contribute negatively, throw fire or who are otherwise out of line.

• Web 2.0 is a new way of using the internet allows us to use two different kinds of computers during our surfing experience, the electronic kind on which you type to discover information sources and data,  and the organic computer within your head that you use to interpret the data, develop a position, formulate an opinion and post it to the collective organic Web 2.0 mind.   Different from the old ways of the web which was more like a cluttered bulletin board, Web 2.0 networking is an organic networking ecosystem where visitors are encouraged to  contribute their interpretation of the topic in the name of discovering truth or fact.

So You Think Virtual Networking is Better… Can you prove that?

• Before I  select the “best” way to network, my opinion should have basis by being the networking method that contains the most value to the person networking.  Let me take you through that.   When I think of an organization of people, whether it in a network, association, company, or project team, I imagine it as a big box into which talented people are placed and on which the leader has drawn the name of the organization with magic marker.  Without people, the box is empty, bearing just the name and the cardboard sides and from the outside appears to hold little value.   As the box fills with people, talent, opinion, decision and experience - the box begins to increase in value.

• As a Project Manager, I am a metrics guy, so I tend to seek metrics that describe the value of a box containing people networking.  I call this metric: Potential Network Power.  To identify Potential Network Power, I use a simple formula (based on the communication interface formula found in the PMI PMBOK) that identifies the number of interfaces between people communicating and then multiplies the number of interfaces against interaction frequency. The formula is: (n(n-1)/2) * a, where “n” are the total number of users networking and “a” is an assessment of interaction frequency  between people between 1 (smallest) and 10 (greatest).  In virtual networks such as MySpace, you will find Web 2.0 generates user loyalty to the point where  interaction frequency is quite high.  By comparison, the last PMI Chapter meeting I went to, there were approximately 350 people attending. This is a tremendous tunout.   It also means that if everyone shook hands least once, there would be 61,075 individual handshakes.  Despite this, I would have to rate the frequency of those handshakes at a 1 on the interaction frequency scale for the hour of networking time that was available before, after and between presentations.  In contrast, most virtual networks have greater interaction frequency in excess  of 5.  And that evening, I can’t say that I interacted with more than fifteen people.

• Let’s  experiment.. If my goal was to meet all the people there individually and seek to understand what each person did and was about in order to advance my objectives, I would only be able to spend 10 seconds with each person. Consider that there are also precious seconds wasted approaching the next person,  seconds spent on handshake and greetings, and at the same time, they are trying to meet me, because after all, networking is a two way street.  Considering that all 350 of us are organized enough to make good use of the time, we each get 1-2 seconds to figure out what the other is about and what we can do for each other.  Of course, as we meet people, we tend want more time with the ones that can help us, and less with others that cannot.   This kind of face-to-face networking this scenario is ridiculous, and impossible to do without severely breaching professional rules of ettiquite!

• Virtual Internet Networking is open 24×7x365,  networking happens on your free schedule time, and saves time by discovering the people you want to meet face to face.   Virtual Networking is also a good way to do your homework and get more out of face to face networking.  Once you have limited a whole ocean of people to a small swimming pool, face to face meetings become much easer and productive.
• Virtual Networking is better, but face to face networking includes beer.  There is a tradeoff.

Using Networking Within One’s Present Job to Improve Performance of  the Team or Organization

• It’s not all about finding a new job.  I think that finding another job is one purpose of networking and one that has worked so well for so long that it is sometimes ill interpreted as all networking is good for.  At one of my previous jobs, I would throw on my suit in the morning, rather than my regular business clothes in support of my evening plans to attend a networking opportunity.  It was not uncommon for people at work to act surprised and ask me where I was interviewing.

• I encourage Project Managers to consider networking, another form of training, or collaborative learning  and network to seek the synergies, information that can be adopted and enhanced or jointly arrive at a conclusion that advances the objectives or understanding of you and the person with whom you are networking.   Whatever you learn, can later be disseminated to the team, or organization and label you as the guru for that subject.

Top Networking Tips - Network as Effectively as Possible

1. Represent the company to which you are employed – even if you are job seeking.  You will come off as a better professional that they will want to hire, and will increase your value by being talent that is not so desperate to leave.  Carry business cards, and your own name tag.  You can do the name tag yourself with more flair which helps you stand out as a professional.  Remember, it goes on the right lapel of your suitcoat as this is your on your handshake hand.  As you shake hands, your tag is easily noticeable.  Your first name should be in big letters, last name under it in small letters.  Dress the rest up graphically if possible.
2. Remember that others may be using the networking event to find another job.  Have a firm understanding of available job opportunities within your company, and be on the prowl for new talent.  This empowers you with the people you meet as it gives you more creds as a “player” with your employer.
3. Start your own virtual networking clique’.  I receive business cards all of the time from a wide variety of sources.  If you don’t interact with people, you lose them.  Ning, at http://www.ning.com is an easy and free way to do this.  By working a virtual network, they new people can interact with other people you know.  When you need them, they will be there.
4. Let the other guy talk – then talk.  Let people you network with talk about anything they want to, and learn where it is appropriate to discuss your objectives, where you can talk shop, and where you should just talk about the weather.  Learn these words: “Do you play golf?” I heard a recent statistic that mentioned that 35% of American Business happens on the golf course.  I cannot say this is accurate, however sometimes, it is unfruitful to worry about some things.
5. Smile, be outgoing and introduce those you meet to others you know.  By doing so you share your influence and grants you referent power by making it easier on those you meet and those you know to meet new people.  If you get good at this, you can achieve “Godfather” status, where one day the people you meet can be called upon to perform a service for you.
6. Remember that while you are pursuing your objectives, the people you are networking with are pursing their own.  Assume a helpful stance, even if it is a matter of introducing them to someone who can help.
7. Don’t drink a whole lot.  You are there to meet new people, learn, influence, advance your objectives, and gain referent power.  It’s not a party – it is about advancing your project, your company, and your status.  Drinking has a tendency knock you off your game,make you seem like an ass, and make you ramble on like an idiot that nobody wants to talk to.   Remember, you only have a single chance to make a first impression!

-Saul Rosenberg, PMP

Are you ready for an easier path? If you have already been thinking you are ready for an easier way, please contact: Saul Rosenberg or Dick Davies. Perhaps we can show you some things will work better. Web Site: Planphoria, LLC

Planphoria Principal Interviewed by Project Management Trade Magazine - Notes on Project Manager Networking

Col. Mullane conveyed that the responsibility and duty all project team members must have to contribute to project success, regardless of their position. He discussed that Astronauts share credit for their success with their team, and despite being the most visible part of the mission, the NASA team extends to the people that man mission control, to the engineers that build the spacecraft, to the specialists that develop and configure human life support systems, to the nutritionists that prepare the meals for the voyage, to the janitors who sweep the floors.  He describes that when it comes to preventing mission risk transforming into issues, the perception of ALL team members must be considered.  This philosopy is fully amplified and fictionally illustrated by the “West Wing” character, Toby Ziegler, who when hearing that the shuttle mission on which his brother was a specialist had problems with the shuttle bay doors remarked, “Mr. President, thank you for your concern, however in space, there is no such thing as a small problem.”

To counter these effects, he described that his first act working with any member of a team is to assure that they understand what Normalization of Deviance, in addition to the consequences that  occur.  Normalization of Deviance was the primary contributing factor to creating both Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters.  The technical reasons for both disasters are well documented and too lengthy to discuss here.  Mike Mullane’s reasoning for why both shuttles experienced catastrophic failure, coincides with my own understanding of why projects fail.  We seldom fail from the technical, we most always overlook management over the implementation.  For the most part this is because the technology is sexy, and we lead ourselves to believe the fallacy that technology works automatically, that it has been tested to work, and should be trusted to always work without failure.This is certainly the case of the “unsinkable” HMS Titanic.

Within a PMI project management approach, one of the core activities to performing Risk Management is Risk Identification. I have been in organizations where Risk Identification was generally overlooked as a point of normalized deviance.  The process requires that we perform a risk assessement, so we do. “We don’t have the time to get our technical staff involved, they will only slow us down to fill out our risk register.” How many times have you seen that?  Why do a risk assessment this way?  “We have to be prepared for the audit.” Who does the audit? Corporate Quality Assurance, who observes that indeed the risk register is up to date, and identified risks are being entered and monitored, and they checkmark the box.  This is a failure waiting to happen from habitual deviance from core principals of the established standard, which enables an organization to place their full trust behind the process in place, with complete disregard to its consequence.  Mike Mullane describes that the only result that comes from this practice is “Predictable Surprise”.

Col Mullane defines Normalization of Deviance as the working or mission environment created when established standards are subverted incrementally over time without consequence, by routinely rewarding shortcuts from the established norm.  As team members continue this practice (normalization), it leads to “predictable surprise”, incursion of risk, technical failure, and in the worst cases complete and catastrophic failure and loss of property and life. To demonstrate his point, Col. Mullane provided the detailed insight of an astronaut and engineer to explain the failures that caused the Challenger disaster, citing specifically that NASA knew that the O-rings had a specific temperature tolerance, and that recovered solid booster rockets were being recovered with burnt interior O-ring walls, something that should never happen. He also described how after recovery of the cockpit, it was discovered that all the panels had their switches in emergency position, meaning that the crew was still alive immediately following the explosion.  He also described that the space shuttle was the first NASA vehicle to not have an emergency egress, unlike former “rocket” style vehicles that had all had emergency capsule escape towers that would pull the capsule off the top of the rocket at nine G’s away from the catastrophic failure of the rest of the rocket.  With the shuttle, this could not happen as it was not part of the shuttle design as any attempt to escape would cause the astronaut to get hit by the shuttle wing.

NASA Engineers began seeking a new way to egress, using rockets.  NASA Engineers tested the “Emergency Egress Fixed Rocket Package” which pulls an astronaut from the shuttle by connecting a rocket, to a lanyard, to a parachute harness to the astronaut.  This apparatus was designed to fire astronaut horizontally from the shuttle door.  Engineers used rockets for this design because rockets HAD ALWAYS been used. It was a maddening and dangerous design.  It took a flight surgeon, not an engineer, playing his role as part of the bigger team to suggest a telescoping firepole, a design that they use on the shuttle today.

This stressed to me the importance of maintaining one’s team presence.  Col. Mullane distinguished the difference between team members who are team players, and those who have chosen to be passengers. He amplified this point by by describing one of his early flights over Vietnam where as a REO (TopGun “Goose” position) and he chose to remaining silent when his pilot called Bingo Fuel (point of safe return to base) and desired to continue to the next objective. Even as a rookie pilot, Col. Mullane knew this was a really bad idea, however he let his pilot’s longevity and experience influence his judgment, and by remaining silent, he chose to be a passenger and not a functioning member of the team. The consequence of this decision was a short landing where the pilot and REO ejected, and the plane crashed in pieces on the runway.

Col. Mullane helped me understand the relation between process and risk, to better understand the projects I manage, and reduce the potential for predictable surprise.  He an excellent keynote speaker with a terrific mastery of his topic. Col. Mullane’s highly inspiring and educational presentation was worthy of the standing ovation that he received from PMI. He is clearly an accomplished deutrolearner (student and teacher within the same body), and explains the traits necessary to use these talents within ourselves to reach the stars.  Within his presentation, he mixed autobiographical elements that demonstrated how we all have the capability to strive for the stars and how destiny was not the primary driver toward him becoming an astronaut. On this point he offered many self-deprecating examples from his high school yearbook where he showed what destiny had to work with. My favorite: the only autograph on the last page read, “You missed Korea, I hope you make Vietnam!”

Web Site of Col. Mike Mullane: http://www.mikemullane.com/

Are you ready for an easier path? If you have already been thinking you are ready for an easier way, please contact: Saul Rosenberg or Dick Davies. Perhaps we can show you some things will work better. Web Site: Planphoria, LLC

Normalization of Deviance: A Formula for Predictable Surprise

We have all seen it, and have likely been there at one point or another. A Project Manager is assigned a new project and instantly follows his impulse to crack open his laptop, start MS-Project and begin the planning process. In doing so, he immediately, without hesitation, dives headfirst into his project and begins to waste time in the name of advancing it. Realizing his own shortcomings while experiencing major difficulty developing “the plan”, he tries to include those more knowledgeable than himself in the process, which unknown to him, only serves to double, triple or quadruple the amount of time (effort) wasted. His laptop is open, his two to four key people are around the board room table with the MS-Project “plan” up on the Proxima screen so that everyone can be on the same page.

Producing an MS-Project Project Plan may seem like an appropriate goal to rapidly bridge between concept and execution, however I can assure you that in months to come as this project plan incurs several re-writes and the painful impact of a myriad of issues, the Project Manager in the scenario above, will likely develop a different opinion and wonder why his planning team didn’t develop the plan correctly the first time.

Within the scenario, I described a situation where the Project Manager became drugged by the technology, preventing him from doing three major things. First, as he began his planning process, he forgot (or did not realize) that there is an actual process to planning. He just opened up the laptop, and began typing stream of thought of what he thought the plan should be.

Second, he confused the activity process of Project Planning with its intended result called a Project Schedule. In many circles the Project Schedule is inappropriately called the Project Plan, also known as Project Management Plan (PMP) which is a narrative based document developed to guide project operations. Two entirely different things as you start the planning process with one and end with the other. Talk about doing things in a backward manner! Such commonly bad usage of these terms by those who do not know the differences between a PMP and a schedule, often creates confusion.

The activity “guidelines” within the graphic below are defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). As you can see, Develop Project Management Plan is the first activity that should be completed followed by 19 other activities before we are prepared with enough information to produce a project schedule, where MS-Project can be used.

PMI Project Scheduling Process

Aside from calling the Project Schedule the wrong thing, he also forgot that his desired result is not only to develop a Project Schedule, but to develop one that is realistic and achievable. Within the scenario, the manager was having difficulty building the plan because the plan definition was not defined and therefore, he was building it in a vacuum. This means that by doing most, if not all of the activities that occur before Schedule Development in the graphic above, we would stage our schedule (and therefore the project) for success, armed with enough information to develop the schedule correctly the first time.

Of all the things that the Project Manager did wrong, he did one thing correctly, albeit for the wrong reasons. He eventually included his team in on the planning effort realizing his own shortcomings. The purpose of a project manager is to lead the team through an optimum path through the project, clearing away the jungle vines and debris so that work can be done. Though Project Managers often analyze the information available to make project critical decisions, they are not unusually intelligent people that know all and see all. To other people this point is usually understood, although it may not be understood by the Project Manager themselves. To prevent the planning process and project schedule from being developed in a vacuum, the project manager, must communicate with his team and and capture the result within a number of planning artifacts. Typically, the project definition artifacts that result from these activities are too much work for one person, requiring a team to help fully define and plan the project.

Are you ready for an easier path? If you have already been thinking you are ready for an easier way, please contact: Saul Rosenberg or Dick Davies. Perhaps we can show you some things will work better. Web Site: Planphoria, LLC

The Blind Leading the Blind Into the Dark

The steps below comprise the 32 “things you need to do” to support a Value Management System to be compliant with ANSI/EIA 748-a.  One should recognize that depending on the size of your project, typically these “steps” are tailored back  so that only 10 or so are used.  This is usually dependent on the total project value so that the cost of implementing Earned Value does not outweigh the cost of supporting all 32 elements of the standard.  Also, one should recognize that the wordl “system” equates to “structured process”, not necessarily “software”.  When it comes to establishing an Earned Value Management System, you should structure the software around the process, not the process around the software.  Back in 1999, people were Y2K happy, and everyone was trying to get an edge by making products Y2K compliant, from Y2K TV sets, to Y2K cement blocks. (I exaggerate.)  The same can be said about EVM software.  Though EVM software helps you be compliant, it is your process that makes you compliant, not the software.  In fact, ANSI/EIA 748-a, does not mention software, or a brand of software to use.  Beware of Snake Oil Salesmen who will claim to make you ANSI 748a compliant by selling you their software!

Standard 748-A-1998 EVMS Guidelines

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Earned Value Management, ANSI Style, In 32-Steps

Are you ready for an easier path? If you have already been thinking you are ready for an easier way, please contact: Saul Rosenberg or Dick Davies. Perhaps we can show you some things will work better. Web Site: Planphoria, LLC

What is the Value of Earned Value Management?