Always an enigma, here’s a post for you about a tool!

I caught up with my RSS reader today and came across a post by Alec Satin that caught my attention.

Alec was talking about an AutoFocus task management system that I had never heard of before.  He has been using it for awhile now and really likes it.  Now they’ve come out with a version 2 of the system.

I browsed around the site and found this video.  I think this one is on the original system, but it’s a good overview at any rate.  No technology besides a notebook, pen, and a highlighter.

I’ve put up a page to bring you directly to the video, just click the screen shot from the video below.  Let me know what you think about this system!  I’m thinking about giving it a go myself…

business task management

A good chunk of you are asking about tools.

project manager tools - by Svadilfari via Flickr

Tools, tools, tools.  MS Project.  Primavera.  Wrike.  Basecamp.  So many others big and small.  There’s a lot of money and attention in the “project manager tools” market.  I am contacted nearly once a week by some company who wants me to do a review of their new wiz-bang software that slices, dices, and makes julienne fries.  You’ll notice however that I do not normally take them up on their offers.

It’s not that I think their products are crap.  I’m sure they are probably very good.  Here’s the thing…

Project Managers Focus Too Much On Tools

This is especially true for new project managers.  If you’ve never drawn a network diagram on a sheet of paper and done a forwards and backwards pass to determine your critical path and slack, STOP EVERYTHING!  Go do it for a small sample project.  I can personally recommend the text I learned it from, “Project Management – The Managerial Process“.  See Chapter 6 in particular.

Tools Don’t Manage Projects.  You Do.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love tools too.  They can be very helpful and allow analysis or rigor that just would not be feasible otherwise.  In fact it is very common for me to create my own tools that are customized to my own projects.  I’m a big believer in solid up-front effort to realize ongoing gains in productivity going forward.

I can only do this because I took the time and put in the effort to understand the concepts first.

So, as I always do in email and in forums where the topic is brought up, I urge you who are starting out in project management to seek an understanding of the concepts for formal project management first.

Then you can become a tool head.

Table of contents for Easy PM Definitions

1. Easy Project Management Definition Series
2. What Is A Project?
3. What Are Requirements?
4. What Are Stakeholders?

stakeholders - by bryancrump via flickr

The stakeholder was invented in 1847 and is a stylish display case to store your favorite vampire-killing wooden stakes.  Advanced designs include a quick-release mechanism for convenient access in case of emergency.  Mine has an elegant drawer to also store garlic cloves, holy water, and my favorite crucifix.

Just kidding.

Mine doesn’t have that fancy drawer.  I had to buy the cheaper model they had. 

Seriously Now

“Stakeholder” is just a fancy term for someone who cares about the project.

(Gee, that was easy!)

Who Has a Horse In This Race?

For example, the project I am currently working on has a multitude of stakeholders.

• My program manager has a vested interest to see the project succeed for the benefit of the company
• My staff are the people doing the project work, so they automatically are stakeholders.
• The agency who contracts with my company own the end result of our project
• Other agencies also have a stake in the project.  For instance, NASA is the agency who will launch the satellite into orbit and we work very closely with them.
• Elected officials have an interest in our project because the results could be used their state or federal agencies for various programs and to inform policy decisions.
• US taxpayers have an interest in our project because their tax dollars are being used to fund it!
• Many individuals also have an interest because our product as well.  Scientists can use our data to study climate change, forestry and agriculture, and a multitude of other applications.

Focus On The Individuals

Organizations or individuals can be thought of as stakeholders.  When you really do an analysis and find out what everyone is looking for though, it’s important to have individuals identified as stakeholders, and not just organizations.  (Remember, projects consist of people!)

A matrix of some sort where you do an analysis of your stakeholders is always helpful.

Don’t Go Too Far

It is usually helpful to only include direct stakeholders for the sake of analysis on a project.  Otherwise, you may end up including the entire population of planet earth.  You could say that the families of my project staff are also stakeholders, but what someone’s 12-year old son thinks we should do is probably not going to make it into project planning.

During this current economic decline, many of us are exposed to situations that are not necessarily what we signed on for in the beginning of our PM career.

Companies are forced to evaluate cost margins and that generally means project cutbacks. Our sponsors and/or customers have to choose which projects to keep and which to close.

Of the projects that survive the hit list, we as project managers are handed a budget reduction target to achieve. Typically this forces us to make tough decisions as cuts are generally derived from staff reductions. This is a major disruption to the project environment as there is among other things demise to social relations, a negative impact to motivation, and the staffs’ perception of the PM is altered. If the PM does not handle this situation correctly, instantly the staffs’ perception of the PM transforms from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. This is what I am calling the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde syndrome.

So I ask the PMStudent community to share some of their experiences. Tell us about some of your good (Dr. Jekyll) & bad (Mr. Hyde) experience during the past few months. Share your insights on how a PM can best plan for and implement such an endeavor as a budget reduction exercise. Socialize on how a PM can control against the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome during these most uncertain times that lie ahead of us?

Independence Day - by J.W.Photography via Flickr

Jerry Stone, Travis Anderson, Duncan Haughey and myself all have posts featured in this great article by Timothy Johnson for Independence Day here in the United States.

I met Timothy back in early 2007, and wrote about the time he was a guest speaker at my local PMI chapter.

I’m very flattered that he thought of pmStudent when writing this, and I think he did a great job tying much of the great content here together!

I’m also very glad that several guest authors here on pmStudent.com are starting to get their names and what they have posted here out to a wider audience!  Readership on pmStudent.com has exploded recently, and it’s awesome to start getting more attention from outside sources.

Check it out at the link below!  Leave a comment and let Timothy know you came from pmStudent.com and what you thought of his post!

http://www.iowabiz.com/2009/07/preamble-your-project.html

Bill Duncan and Dr. Paul Giammalvo are regular commenter and contributors to pmStudent.com, and I know they are proponents of the IPMA/asapm credential.  Bill and Paul, I’m very interested to get your take on the Prince2 exam.  What do you think about it?

I’m obviously very interested in everyone else’s opinion too!  Leave a comment!

About the Prince2 Exam

Table of contents for Easy PM Definitions

1. Easy Project Management Definition Series
2. What Is A Project?
3. What Are Requirements?
4. What Are Stakeholders?

Requirements - by secretlondon123 via Flickr

Requirements are descriptions of the end-result of your project.  They are a way to gain consensus on exactly what it should do, and impose some constraints as well.

Good requirements DO NOT impose a particular solution unless there is a valid business reason.  Let me explain.

A Tale Of Two Requirements

• Perform [function] with less than [some constraint or specification] delay using [specific software program or system].
• Perform [function] with less than [some constraint or specification] delay.

I am NOT saying these are great examples of requirements, I could do a whole training course just on the topic of requirements.  Just note that in the first example, the requirement mandates a particular solution.  This may be valid, but watch for it like a hawk.

Many times, the solution is assumed.  Instead, it should be up to the experts on the project team to figure out the best solution.

Oh, and if you want some more info on this topic, keep the following in mind and click through to the article:

Good Requirements ARE SORTA NUTS

Table of contents for Easy PM Definitions

1. Easy Project Management Definition Series
2. What Is A Project?
3. What Are Requirements?
4. What Are Stakeholders?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to help you, especially if you are new to project management.

Frustrated By Project Management? - by albbyy via Flickr

You may have contacted me to express your frustration with trying to learn about project management.  You go to read something educational and find that half the terms used are unfamiliar.  One project management definition relies on another.

Even more telling is the general tone I sense from the masses of email I get daily.  You may not have asked these questions…perhaps you were too uncomfortable to raise your hand.  Instead, you may be banging your head against a wall trying to collect bits and pieces of information and work them into a whole picture.

You keep following the trail back further into the rabbit hole until finally, you find out what those 15 pieces of lingo mean (kind of).

But by now you forgot what you were trying to learn in the first place.

It’s My Fault

I didn’t mean to do it, honest!

Everyone tends to take knowledge for granted once they have gained it.  I am no exception.  The “Curse of Knowledge” strikes again!

Let’s address the problem head-on, shall we?

Learning About Project Management Doesn’t Have to Suck

No, really!  I mean it.

This kicks off a series of short posts.  In this series, I will throw out commonly-used terms in project management and tell you what they mean to me.  This will NOT be an academic exercise.

My goal is to offer definitions in light-hearted, everyday language.  I’ll avoid the “replacement for sleeping pills” drone you find most places.  I will avoid using unfamiliar project management terms to explain unfamiliar project management terms.

Do you have a project management term you would like to see added to the series?  Connect with me and let me know.

>>>>>   Let’s Get Started   <<<<<

For Those “Academic” Types

If you already know the lingo and want an academic definition, see the Wideman Comparative Glossary of Project Management Terms.  It is excellent as a reference, but not if you are brand new to project management.

You will drown in acronym soup and sleep for 75 years.  Seriously.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love Max and what he does.  I use his website all the time.  I’ve met him in person, and he’s an all-around wonderful guy.  Max’s glossary is for people who are diving into advanced subjects and want a sense for what the “proper” way to define something might be among many options.  His target audience consists of reasonably experienced project managers though…not newbies.

>>>>>   Let’s Get Started   <<<<<

Table of contents for Easy PM Definitions

1. Easy Project Management Definition Series
2. What Is A Project?
3. What Are Requirements?
4. What Are Stakeholders?

by Andrew Abogado via Flickr

A project has a few qualities:

• Has the goal of creating a unique product at the end of it
• Has a start
• Has an end (at least that’s the plan)
• Has people involved (at least 1)

That’s about it.  If a group of activities fits that list, it’s a project.

Examples include creating anything that isn’t mass-produced:

• Building a house
• A science-fair project
• Writing a book
• Creating a website
• Launching a satellite into orbit

Not All Projects Are Created Equal

Obviously, you are not going to need the same level of project management for a science fair project as you do for launching a satellite.  A project with 100 people working on it has very different needs from a project with one person.

Some definitions out there say that if you have 1 person working on it, it’s not really a project.  I think that’s bull.

It IS certainly true that the level of complexity and effort on a project directly determine how much “project management” needs to happen.

My rule of thumb:  “Only do what adds value.”

If you spend time and money on lots of formal project management practices when you don’t really need them, you are wasting resources.

More questions?  Leave a comment below or connect with me, and I will update this post as needed to provide the best definition possible.

When considering these two dichotomies, it is virtually impossible to have a standing that is purely conservative or absolutely liberal. Life is not binary and the discipline of project management is far from being black or white in practice. However, as a philosophy or ideology people have propitious tendencies toward conservatism and liberalism. As project stakeholders, we are exposed to these ideologies. Like it or not, ideologies of our project managers, sponsors, and other project stakeholders impact our lives. To understand the ideologies of others, we must first determine and understand our own individual ideology.

So what are the principles of these two dichotomies? According to conservative resources.com conservative vs. liberal are contrasted as follows:

Reference:

O’Sullivan, Patrick Sean, Liberal vs. conservative, Conservative-resouces.com,

Retrieved 7/3/09, http://www.conservative-resources.com/liberal-vs-conservative.html

One could deduce that a conservative PM places ideas and principles above personal desire. For example, “What is best for the project?” vs. “What do I think is best for the project?” A conservative PM would then be of the philosophy that a project is comprised of autonomous individuals working toward a goal vs. an organization driving a communicable respect for project goals. It then would be the expectation that a conservative PM values institutional establishment of process and procedures that guide individuals as they progress the project to complete. A conservative PM would thrive in an organic firm that is decentralized, where executive management is only there to look out for the best welfare of the greater organization.

Self-awareness is a lifelong commitment. As our journey progresses it is our experiences that determine who we are as individuals and shape our expectations of what we wish to become. Therefore, I implore you to evaluate your own ideology and ask the question, “What kind of PM am I?”

It helps me to know that real people are out there somewhere behind the screen of my laptop.

I can’t believe you all fit in there.  Technology is amazing.

How do you break into project management when you have been running your own business for over a decade?

How to get your foot in the door - photo by phos365 via Flickr

C. D. from New York City wrote to me recently asking about this.

I’m going to jump in and out of first to third person, and I’ve updated this to be much more robust than my original reply via email to C. D.

Stay with me.

Here’s the Skinny

C. D. has been running her own freelance business for many years, and even though it’s been great and she does good work it’s time for a change.  Her whole life has been running projects, just not in a formal way aside from the processes that have emerged in her business.

C. D. had read my post Run Away! (And Other Helpful Advice For A Career in Project Management) and is confident she possesses all of the qualities we discussed in spades.

“Although I have been managing projects for a while, and I believe I have a natural aptitude for it, I have no formal training in the field, and many of the industry terms tossed around on pmstudent.com and elsewhere are foreign to me.  I’ve been heartened to find so much information on the Web, and yet, with so much, it’s hard to know where to begin.” – C. D. in New York City

Seems Like a Good Fit To Me

“It certainly sounds as if you have all of the attributes of a good PM.  I completely understand where you are at, I was there about 5 years ago.  I had managed a lot of projects, but with an operational mindset and without formal knowledge of project management.”  – Josh, from the front of the computer screen

I don’t think she was pulling my leg about being suited for this kind of work either.

I got a distinct sense through our communication that she is a go-getter, very intelligent, and has both the people skills and experience to go places very fast once she gets her foot in the door.

My Take

A few considerations come to mind:

Get Your Foot In The RIGHT Door

I think this is a critical thing that many job-seekers miss, regardless of your role.  Look for an environment in which you can flourish first.  I have a LOT of experience looking for jobs (hey, I didn’t get fired OK?) due to having been laid off 5 times (so far).

Things have rarely happened to me by throwing my resume out to the job boards.  I stopped doing that long ago.  When I started researching companies (not jobs),  networking as a way of life by helping others (not just when looking for a job), and reaching out directly to people in my prospect companies, things began to happen.

It’s a lot of work and produces results.  There is no easy button.

1)  Look for companies that are very project-oriented.  Medium to large firms who’s business model is geared towards completing projects for their customers are best.  Several benefits here:

• Once this kind of firm gets to a certain size, it’s inevitable that they will develop solid, formal project management practices for their business.  Otherwise, they die.
• This is likely to be a mentor-rich environment.
• You are more likely to be provided with formal PM training in a company like this.
• You can join in a capacity you are already very comfortable with as a member of the project team; be a sponge, volunteer as much as possible for things related to project management….generate new ideas where you can volunteer even!

One Step Back Now, Two Steps Forward Soon

2)  Look for jobs that have titles like “project analyst”, “project coordinator”, “business analyst”, etc.  This is a bit hit-and-miss, because different companies call these positions by different titles.  I had a job where I was an “MIS analyst” and doing development/process improvement to start out, then transitioned the % of my time spent doing project management up over time.

You will be more likely to land a position like this right out of the gate than to have a significant project handed to you.  This goes well with the last bullet from the previous section; make sure you are in an organization where you can volunteer to run small projects, go out of your way to assist and learn from veteran project managers, and establish a great track record in the organization.

Training

As far as training goes, I’m working on something to make getting into PM much easier than it was for me.  I floundered around for a long time and ran into a lot of the same things you are describing.  Right now, I’m working on training material  that gets people past the “beginner” stage.  The intent is for this training to be more like “look over my shoulder and see how I do it” rather than a theory-based abstract course.

Hopefully my project management career newsletter helps too.  I keep making it better as I get feedback, so if anyone has suggestions for me to improve it, connect with me and let me know!

Your Turn

You right there reading these words right now.  Yeah, you!

It’s time to offer up your own advice for C. D. and others in a similar situation.  Leave a comment below and let’s have a conversation!

Table of contents for Behavioral Profiles of SUCCESSFUL Project Managers

1. Behavioral Profiles of SUCCESSFUL Project Managers- A pilot research study
2. Behavioral Profiles of SUCCESSFUL Project Managers- Results

Predictors of Project Management Success

The results were:

Illustration 1 shows those attributes or Essential Traits that were reliable predictors of success within the Project Management Template. (other templates or profiles would have different attributes) That is, ALL of the 28 people in the pilot study scored high in these traits. To explain a bit:

1. Takes Initiative- ALL 28 scored substantial or strong in this attribute. These are all self starters
2. Enthusiastic- Likewise all 28 scored substantial or strong in this attribute as well. These people are able to motivate and energize those around them;
3. Finance/Business- Again, all 28 scored very high in this attribute. They had a “natural head” for business.
4. They wanted to lead- So much for project management being the “accidental profession”.
5. They were Analytical, but not OVERLY so. They did not succumb to ”paralysis by analysis”. They were able to gather enough facts to make sound business and technical decisions, but did not agonize over making them.
6. Handle Autonomy- These people did NOT have to be told what to do nor when to do it. Not only did they take initiative, and were enthusiastic, but they were able to figure out what needed to be done and when’
7. Wanted Challenge- This group tended to be impatient and easily bored.

Subsequent partial studies have validated that in fact, people who score high in these attributes (and did not score low in the other areas) are highly likely to make successful project managers.

Desirable Traits of Project Managers

Then there was a second grouping of attributes, called Desirable Traits. Where,  if a person scored low in these, it would detract from their overall score. Explained another way, it was not important that they scored high in these traits, only that they DIDN’T score low or negatively otherwise it would lower or reduce the probability that they would be successful as a project manager.

As noted above, scoring high (to the right) was not important but IF they scored to the left, it would lower their overall suitability (see Illustration 4)

This part of the research proved to be very interesting, because when I first started out, I expected that Organized, Planning, Handling Conflict, Managing Stress and Systematic would be the top ranked predictors.

Undesirable Traits of Project Managers

Lastly, there is another set of attributes that were “killers”. That is, IF a person scored to the left on any of these, it would be unlikely that they would succeed as project managers…….

If a person scores even moderate to strong to the left, it is unlikely he or she will succeed as a project manager. While these traits are pretty obvious, and would probably be unacceptable to anyone working in a management position, the primary impact would be to lower the overall score.

Overall Project Manager Behavioral Impact

Illustration 4 shows the overall score, which includes all of the pluses from the Essential Traits, less the minuses from the Desirable and Negative traits, to provide an overall score.

Since developing this profile, it has been validated twice, both by large telecommunications companies in SE Asia. One of them is an equipment manufacturer and systems installation contractor and the other is a major telecommunications services provider. Because of Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s) I am not able to disclose the specific results, but suffice it to say that the preliminary evidence supports the validity of the pilot research.

Thus having already validated this with 28 people in the pilot study, what we are hoping for next is a company that is willing to work with us to extend this validation by expanding the research population. By selecting a larger sample group including their average project managers as well as their successful project managers and to validate the Negative behavioral traits by selecting another group of marginal or poor performing project managers.  Unfortunately, while all the companies want to test for their superstars, few of them are interested in testing the average or below average performers.

If there are any questions or people would like to learn more or to test themselves or their team against this profile, email me, pauldgphd@gmail.com or John Suermondt, john@harrisonassessments.com

Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE, MScPM
http://www.getpmcertified.com

Table of contents for Behavioral Profiles of SUCCESSFUL Project Managers

1. Behavioral Profiles of SUCCESSFUL Project Managers- A pilot research study
2. Behavioral Profiles of SUCCESSFUL Project Managers- Results

I am a lifelong project manager with some 40 years of project management experience under my belt, most coming from construction project management.

Over the years, I had noticed that some people are just naturally better project managers than others. Looking back over the years, it didn’t seem to matter whether they were engineers, nor did it matter if they were men or women, and having spent most of my life working around the world, it didn’t seem to matter what country they called home or what language they spoke or how they worshiped their God. It also didn’t seem to matter what astrological sign they were born under, nor did it appear obvious that those who were naturally good carried lucky talismans.

And most certainly, it didn’t matter if they did or did not have their PMP, PRINCE2, MBA or PhD behind their name!!

So what was that elusive “something” that made some people just “natural” project managers?

As I began my PhD research, trying to answer the question “Is project management a profession? And if not, what is it?” I intended to include part of that research a chapter on behavioral attributes, but as with most projects, time and quality constraints won out and I had to “descope” and the part that got descoped was the research about behavioral attributes.

Behavioral Attributes Rise From The Dead

But that was only a temporary diversion, and now, PhD in hand, I am resurrecting my interest in the behavioral attributes.

To start with, I relied on previous research done by my good friend and mentor, R. Max Wideman. Max chose to use Myers Briggs, and his research proved not to be sufficiently detailed for the work I had in mind. http://www.maxwideman.com/papers/profiles/myersbriggs.htm

So my quest for something more granular finally turned up a Dr. Dan Harrison, and his Harrison Assessment. http://www.harrisonassessments.com/ Unlike Myers Briggs or Kiersey, the HA Instrument tested for some 155 different behavioral attributes. Furthermore, HA has a feature that measures the CONSISTENCY of the responses, which provides and accurate measure of how truthful the respondent is being, or are they trying to game the system. Having found what I was looking for, I contact Dr. Dan and he suggested I contact his regional representative, Mr. John Suermondt, john@harrisonassessments.com and work with him at least in setting up a pilot. John is originally from the Netherlands, a former commercial diver, now living in Perth, Australian and a really dynamic and cool global kinda guy. And with over 19 years working with Harrison Assessments and was just as excited as I was to pilot this.

All of the participants in the pilot study came from people in the various in-house classes that I teach for our Fortune 500 clients. These classes were either the PMP or CCC/E Prep, or in my graduate level university classes at either ESC Lille Masters of Science in Project Management http://esc-lille.audaxis.com/en/Programmes/MS_MSc/Project_Management_Supply_Chain_Organisation/Specialised_Master_in_Project_and_Programme_Management or the University of Western Australia’s Masters of Energy Systems or the Masters in Petrochemical Engineering degree. http://www.blendedlearning.ecm.uwa.edu.au/

Project Manager Pilot Group

What I did was select a pilot group of 28 practitioners who were deemed “successful” project managers. In order to be deemed “successful” they had to pass three tests:

1. They had to hold the job title of “Project Manager” in their company
2. They had to have demonstrated to me in the classroom environment that they had exceptional leadership skills (top 5% of the class) and
3. They had to have at least 5 years of working experience

This initial pilot study group of 28 consisted of:

• exactly half men, half women;
• about 30% were Muslim
• about 10% were Hindu or Budhists
• remaining 60% were Christian
• 9/28 = 32% Asian
• 6/28 = 21% North American
• 5/28 = 18% Australian/New Zealand
• 5/25 = 18% European (including Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and Turkey)
• 3/28 =11% Central or South America

The industries they represented were:

• Oil, Gas or Mining 9/28 = 32%
• Telecommunications or IT 9/28 = 32%
• HR, Sales or Marketing 5/28 = 18%
• International Development 3/28 = 11%
• Finance 2/28 = 07%

The test was facilitated by John and administered on line (it only takes about 20 minutes) and in all cases, it was conducted in English, although the instrument has been translated into some 15 languages.

Results

Tune in tomorrow for the second part of this series, with the results including predictors, desireable traits, and undesireable traits for project management success!

Learn the Hard Way - by laverrue via Flickr

When I started getting interested in formal project management, I was lost.  I didn’t know where to start, and when I found some information I usually didn’t fully understand it because I was not familiar with the lingo.

One of my goals for pmStudent.com is to save other people the pain I went through while trying to get into project management.  I am working on some things now behind the scenes (top secret, sorry but this information is classified!) that will help me acheive that goal for everyone out there who is interested in project management but needs the fundamentals.

I’ve shared many of my personal learning experiences on this blog over the years, and now I am asking you to share yours for the benefit of all so we don’t have to learn the hard way.

Tell the pmStudent community a story when you learned a lesson the hard way in relation to project management.

• Who are the players on the stage of your tale? (no names or companies please)
• What happened?
• What could you have done differently?

Scroll to the bottom and leave your comment now!

Run Away! by Cirofono via Flickr

I am passionate about project management in general, and helping people new to the field more specifically.

But let’s be honest.  We’re all nuts.

Not Everyone Should Be a Project Manager

There is a specific form of gluttony for punishment that comes with the territory (some consider it a clinical condition).  The decision to head down the project manager career path should not be taken lightly.

When I started out, there was a specific resonance I felt as I learned more about the role of a project manager.  Everything I had really enjoyed about my previous positions seemed to be a part of this crazy thing called project management.

“You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya punk?” – Dirty Harry (1971)

Hmmmm….actually I’m going to ask 2 questions instead.  And maybe some sub-questions…what the heck.  Being a contrarian is just part of my personality… though, it’s not a “desired skill” for project managers.  Especially not when you are contradicting a quote you picked yourself like I just did.  See what project manager employment does to you after awhile?  Koo Koo…Koo Koo

Do You Fit In?

Those shiny, flashy careers in project management may seem inviting, but do you really have a passion for this kind of work?  Does your personality lend itself to the type of work?

Do you like working with people? I don’t mean like social work, (although I might have something there) I mean being able to relay technical concepts to business people and get geeks excited about what upper management wants.  You need to understand “Projects are about humans,” as the Project Shrink says.  The importance of communication in project management has become a cliché, but nonetheless, it’s true.  You need to do it effectively and fearlessly.

Are you passionate about this stuff? I really enjoy the process of creating something that never existed before.  Even if it is not a tangible, physical product it is very rewarding for me to be able to think about what we did as a team.  I love process improvement and change.  That’s one reason why out of the various project management careers out there (project manager, business analyst, project controller, program manager, etc.) I chose to be a project manager.

Do You Like Challenge?  (Glutton for Punishment Helps)

One of the great things about project management is that at least once a week someone starts running around the place wildly yelling “My hair is on fire!  My hair is on fire!  My hair is on fire!”

Seriously though, I can’t even smell burnt hair anymore.

Do you like thinking about a project from every possible angle? Because that is what you will need to do in order to be effective.  The customer, the team, the sponsor, external stakeholders…they all have to be happy.  You need to be able to change shoes every 10 minutes or so.  The nature of projects is changing requirements and approaches as you go, so there will always be situations where you are the hostage negotiator that has to make everyone come out alive and feeling happy.

Do you thrive on change? The idea that a project plan is finalized and then very little changes from there is a fantasy… a theoretical construct that only lives in the pages of your project management textbook.

This doesn’t mean you throw your hands up in the air and let chaos rule… but it does mean that effective change management needs to be a key strength.  Uncertainty and change happen, and it is all in how you deal with it (and anticipate it) that makes the difference.

What other questions should someone ask themselves before jumping into the alligator pit?

Get more smart-alec advice for new project managers.

Creation, Growth, Change, Improvement

Project Management Is About.... - by Paulpod via Flickr

These are the elements of project management I really enjoy.  Making something great that didn’t exist before is where I find my passion for the discipline.  Does your passion come from a similar place?

Project management is what enables entrepreneurship to flourish, even if it’s not recognized as project management it is what people are doing.  The start-up phase of any company is a project.

This is why I am also passionate about micro-lending to entreprenuers.  Let me explain.

Why I Support Entrepreneurs

People who start and run businesses are in the process of creating value and prosperity.  Economics is not a zero-sum game.  Given a free market and honest participants, when two parties make an exchange both sides are better off .  Otherwise, the transaction would have never occurred.

“Entrepreneurship is the engine that drives economic prosperity. Capital is part of the fuel mixture that allows that engine to run. I want to see our global community prosper.”  – from the pmStudent.com Kiva Lender page

Why YOU Should Support Entrepreneurs

I’ve been a lender on Kiva.org since the beginning of 2008, and have made 10 loans so far.  It has been a richly rewarding experience for me.  I enjoy getting updates from the entreprenuers about how their business is doing.  I like the fact that I’m not giving someone a hand out.  I am enabling them with the cheapest capital available to them so they can make strides towards making the lives of their family and community better.

You should support the hard-working and trustworthy entreprenuers through Kiva.org for these reasons too.

There Is a Ton of Talent Out There

I’ve had discussions with people who are from the same countries I’m loaning capital to.  They are bright, motivated, and very interested in project management.  Interacting with people through pmStudent.com, Kiva.org, and a multitude of other online resources has done nothing but bolstered my respect and admiration.

Every day I get a little more optimistic and grateful for the awesome potential my brothers and sisters around the world possess.  Turn off the TV for awhile and actually interact with people from around the world.  They are amazing!

More Information

For more information, please go to Kiva.org!

You can check out the video below from CNBC as well.  (Please bear with their 15-second advertisement in the beginning, it was choppy for me but the rest of it plays just fine)

The Lazy Project Manager: Peter Taylor

‘Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.’ Robert Heinlein (1907 – 1988)

By advocating being a ‘lazy’ project manager I do not intend that we should all do absolutely nothing. I am not saying we should all sit around drinking coffee, reading a good book and engaging in idle gossip whilst watching the project hours go by and the non-delivered project milestones disappear over the horizon. That would obviously be plain stupid and would result in an extremely short career in project management, in fact probably a very short career full stop!

Lazy does not mean Stupid. No I really mean that we should all adopt a more focused approach to project management and to exercise our efforts where it really matters, rather than rushing around like busy, busy bees involving ourselves in unimportant, non-critical activities that others can better address, or indeed that do not need addressing at all in some cases.

Science behind the laziness – being focused

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) states that for many phenomena 80% of consequences stem from 20% of the causes. The idea has rule-of-thumb application in many places, but it’s also commonly misused, for example, it is a misuse to state that a solution to a problem ‘fits the 80-20 rule’ just because it fits 80% of the cases; it must be implied that this solution requires only 20% of the resources needed to solve all cases.

The principle was in fact suggested by management thinker Joseph M. Juran and it was named after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of property in Italy was owned by 20% of the Italian population. The assumption is that most of the results in any situation are determined by a small number of causes.

So ‘20% of clients may be responsible for 80% of sales volume’. This can be evaluated and is likely to be roughly right, and can be helpful in future decision making. The Pareto Principle also applies to a variety of more mundane matters: one might guess approximately that we wear our 20% most favoured clothes about 80% of the time, perhaps we spend 80% of the time with 20% of our acquaintances and so on.

The Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule can and should be used by every smart but lazy person in their daily life. The value of the Pareto Principle for a project manager is that it reminds you to focus on the 20 percent that matters.

Woody Allen once said ‘80% of success is showing up’, I’m not so sure about that, I have seen projects where there was a physical project manager around but you would never have believed that looking at the project progress, or lack of progress.

No, better I believe to appreciate that of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matter. Those 20 percent produce 80 percent of your results.

So, you should identify and focus on those things during your working day.

See www.thelazyprojectmanager.com for more

PMP Training Course $99 dollars

Orange Belt – Microsoft Project $850 dollars

Advanced Project Management in Primavera P6 $1,200.00 dollars

Advanced Earned Value Management Techniques $1,800.00 dollars

Having a mentor?

PRICELESS

project management mentor - by fuzzcat via Flickr

I learned more in two year under my mentor, Carl, than I did in the four years of college. Fortunately a major change occurred in my work place, which opened a huge opportunity that allowed me to work more directly with Carl. Right away he took me as his Padawan and started to challenge my abilities. He gave me his vision and set the standards high. This was my first big project of significant size and was a green project controller. He gave me the tools I needed to be successful and share his program management experiences.

Carl taught me many important lessons such as the importance of watching body language. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. He also showed me how to think at a micro-level, but then to present information to executives at a macro-level. Last but not least, the power of a high five after

nailing a planning drill translates into the power of having fun at work. He showed me that leadership can make all the difference in an ever changing program environment, because he led by example. Often he was the first one in the office and the last one to shut the lights off at night. Carl is sincere when he speaks, deliberate when analyzing any given situations, and most importantly he is a consistent leader.

Thank you Carl.

Do you have a mentor that changed your career or taught you valuable lessons? Recognize those who make a difference by sharing your mentor stories.  Leave a comment!

Accurate Scope - photo by bk1bennett via Flickr

When you come to initiating a project, determining the project scope can at the outset seem like an easy thing to do. After all everyone must be clear on what the project is delivering because otherwise there wouldn’t be project, right?

Sadly no. Accurately determining the scope of a project is one of the hardest tasks in initiating a Project. It may not seem so at the time. In fact at first glance it appears to be simplicity itself. However beware. Get this wrong or leave any possibility for “interpretation” and you will be well on the way to a flood of Change Requests and then the dreaded Project Failure.

Now many Project Managers think that the more vague they detail the project scope as, the better. Firstly it stops all the arguments with project stakeholders over scope and allows the project to actually get started. After all, at the initiation stage it is usually still unclear what the project is able to deliver, because requirements haven’t been documented yet. But the problem is that by doing this you are simply storing up numerous problems for the future.

For example, well meaning business stakeholders have a knack for changing their minds once the project initiates. By that I mean they keep demanding you deliver more functionality, but of course for the same budget and to the same timeframe. Unfortunately since the scope of the Project is vague, it’s virtually impossible for the Project Manager to insist that deliverables for the project have changed. It then becomes an uphill battle to fight against the constant scope creep.

To stop you getting into that position there are 5 steps you should follow. These are:

1. Insist on proper Business Stakeholder input from Day 1. Yes they will kick and scream but if the project doesn’t deliver, it’s your reputation on the line.

2. Ask the Business Stakeholders to tell you what they think the Project is delivering. Do this individually as it will make it clear where the differences of opinion are.

3. Once you have the high level information, move down into the detail of the deliverables. At this stage get the input of the Business Analysts and Development Teams so you can quickly clarify what is achievable in the timeframe.

4. Remember that what is Out of Scope for the project is possibly even more important than what is In Scope. So don’t overlook it.

5. When you have completed detailing the project scope, remember to pass it by the Business Stakeholders first, for their comments and feedback. Once you have their buy in, your project stands a good chance of delivering.

Of course there is much, much more, but at a high level following these steps will give you a chance of not falling at the first obstacle.

my-project-management-expert.com provides additional tips on how to complete the vital Project Scope Statement and deliver this by writing a Project Scope Statement in a Project Initiation Document. You will also find much more useful information there on how to deal with the whole complex area of Project Scope and ensure it doesn’t overwhelm your project or cause it to fail.

Then we realize that this PMP credential has to be maintained. Those 60 PDUs (20 per year) can seem like a not only time-consuming but also expensive requirement to keep those three letters next to your name.

It’s not as hard as it seems.

While PDUs a presented first as training hours, it doesn’t have to be just paid training.

• Working full-time in project management earns you 5 PDUs per year, of the required 20.
• Volunteering for your local PMI chapters earns you another 5 PDUs per year.

Already, half the PDUs are accumulated. What else is there?

• Get involved with your project management community. Most PMI local chapters offer activities such as luncheon conferences, meet-and-greets, and the like. You can claim (some of) the time spent at those events. For example, my local PMI chapters organizes a conference to present the changes to the new PMBOK. That’s worth 1.5 PDUs. You can easily grab between 5 and 10 PDUs per year.
• Learn online. Be on the lookout for free webinars on project management. Many training companies will offer 1- or 2-hour free webinars that can help top off your PDU requirements.
• Write. Publishing an article in a journal can get you between 10 and 30 PDUs.
• Blog. There is talk in the community of getting blog posts recognized for PDU claims.
• Talk. Presenting at your local PMI chapter meeting can get you 5 PDUs.
• Read. Self-directed learning means one hour of reading related to project management give you 1 PDU, up to 15 PDUs per 3-year cycle.

Not so hard, is it?

If you keep up with the news and the events in your community, you’ll get all the PDUs you need, without having to spend extra money for project management courses.

For more info

Mateusz Jasny from Project Management in IT has a great table with all the details regarding PDU classes and limits.

The PMI has a very detailed (if a little dry) guide on PDU reporting and rules.

pmStudent.com offers this free monthly newsletter “Maintain and Leverage your PMP”.