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There are many tools to help project teams manage their work, collaborate, and track performance. The number of options is overwhelming— Capterra has published over 900-project management tool reviews. I teach project management classes and am often asked, “Which tool should we use?” MORE
Selecting a project management approach and framework is complicated. Not that long ago, it was like buying a Model-T Ford; you could have any color you wanted, as long as it was black—our only option was Waterfall. Today Waterfall is still a choice. MORE
If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Edwards Deming Our work and home lives our bounded by standard operating procedures and process—and too many of them stink. We all have encountered Byzantine-like bureaucracies where the lines are long, the rules are contradictory, and nothing makes any sense. Poor user experience (UX) design can even be. Source. Agile DevOps Value Stream MORE
when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.” Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow In the midst of the pandemic, we have and will continue to face numerous complex decisions where there are many unknowns and no clear choices. Organizations and individuals are grappling with challenging issues. What is safe? Source. Agile Leadership Project Management Decision-Making MORE
Lean and Agile organizations have harnessed the power of the stand-up meeting as a valuable process tool. The stand-up is an efficient and effective way to communicate. It promotes transparency into the progress of work and highlights issues. The meeting fosters a collaborative work environment and creates accountability. In this article, I share best practices and the “what”, “who”, “when”, “where” and “how” for conducting a successful stand-up meeting. MORE
Organizational change and transformation efforts are often challenging. Most fail to meet their planned objectives with 30% failing outright. In last month’s article, ”Road Trippin’ Organizational Change: The Beginning” , I recommending using adaptive-agile planning practices and treating the effort like a road trip: Set the direction, not the destination. Set high-level goals and the strategic direction of the change, motivate the “what” and “why,” but do not dictate the “how.” MORE
This year was like living through a 500-year storm. COVID has infected 1 in 20 Americans, and 1 in 1,000 have died of the disease. Nearly 15 million people are still out of work. Thirty-three million have been remote for 9-months and are not likely to return soon. MORE
Most organizational change efforts do not succeed. They fail to achieve the desired results. They are disruptive and sometimes leave the company worse-off. An oft-cited statistic is that 70% of organizational change efforts fail. This metric is attributed to Hammer and Champy’s 1993 classic, “Reengineering the Corporation” and is reinforced by a 2008 McKinsey survey of executives. MORE
Knowledge Management (KM) is broadly defined as the process of creating and sharing information across the organization. Its goal is to enable learning. KM became a formal business disciple in the 1990s even though it dates back centuries. I believe that project management follows the apprenticeship model. Throughout my management career, creating a learning environment for my teams has been a constant pursuit, and often a challenge. MORE
Agile is now part of the general business lexicon. On the news, non-technology leaders keep mentioning the need to be “agile” or “pivot.” MORE
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is making a bold pivot toward agile. As a project manager and an agilist, I am excited by these moves. At the same time, it is hard to envision both this transition and the future state. In this article, I share some of my thoughts about the upcoming changes to the Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam and PMBOK® Guide. Two years ago. Source. Agile Project Management Managing Projects Training MORE
Remember the last time you joined a new team or organization. What was it like? Was it awkward? Did you make decisions easily? Were expectations clear? Did the team gel immediately? You probably answered “No” to these questions. High-performing teams do not form quickly or naturally. As a manager or project manager quickly moving your team through the early stages of group development is critical. It can also be challenging. MORE
Kanban is a versatile and powerful tool to help you manage your work. It can be used to track personal projects, complex operations and large programs; for example, it can be used to: Efficiently manage the flow of inventory in a factory, Help students manage their homework and papers, Track the progress of project tasks and activities, Organize the preparation and set-up for a holiday meal, and. Help non-profit boards manage programs and events. MORE
“All good lessons come at a cost. Try to learn them inexpensively.” Howard Zucker. When I made a mistake as a child, my father would remind me that all lessons come at a cost. The goal was to learn them cheaply. I did not always follow this maxim. But, this pearl of wisdom stayed with me throughout my life. I have passed it on to my children. It also shaped my approach to management and leadership. MORE
We are living in interesting times. All countries are struggling to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Societies are challenging their histories of racial and social injustice. Fundamental beliefs are being scrutinized. MORE
If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Edwards Deming Our work and home lives our bounded by standard operating procedures and process—and too many of them stink. MORE
Productivity is defined as our ability to create value. Traditionally manufacturers and farmers became more productive by adding resources—people and machines—to the process. Knowledge workers can generate more value by working smarter, rather than harder. MORE
Feedback is a critical and valuable management tool. For managers, it is the engine of continuous improvement. For employees, it is the gift of valuable insight. Unfortunately, many managers feel uncomfortable giving regular feedback, which deprives them of the ability to affect change. MORE
Large enterprises struggle to manage their project portfolios effectively. They fall prey to the fallacy of optimizing resource allocation. Or simply stated, they focus on making sure everyone is busy rather than getting things done. MORE
Project management theory established the Triple Constraint (aka, the Iron Triangle) as the key to project success. If the scope is known and fixed, then the schedule and cost must adjust to accommodate scope changes. The simplicity of this proposition is appealing. MORE
Agile teams using the Scrum framework commit to delivering value in each development sprint. Sprints are generally 2-weeks long, and the goal is to create working software that can be deployed into production. MORE
Modern management theory is built on the premise of trust. If management creates a values-based culture, employees will make the “right” decisions. Douglas McGregor described Theory X (not trusting) and Y (trusting)managers. MORE
The coronavirus pandemic is the most frightening, disruptive, and widespread crisis of our lifetime. As managers and leaders, none of us have faced challenges of such a magnitude or scale. MORE
Everyone tells me they are busy. They are on video or conference calls from morning until evening. On average, workers receive over 100 emails per day and send at least 40. A common complaint is, “I spend my entire day meeting and doing email; and have no time for my ‘real’ work.” MORE
In one of my training classes, there is an exercise to conduct a daily stand-up meeting. The meeting should be no longer than 15-minutes and be well structured. In class, we challenge the leader with common distracting and unproductive behaviors. Watch the clip, the results are often hilarious. MORE
Disciplined Agile (DA) has the potential to become a leading agile framework because it creates harmony in this congested thought-space. DA recognizes practices from across the spectrum and offers a pragmatic and context-driven approach to agility. Currently, DA is not widely used. MORE
when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.” MORE
I called an old colleague just to say “hello” and see how he was doing. We have worked together at different companies over the past dozen years. He is an inspirational finance executive and counted on me to implement his vision. MORE
Feedback is a critical and valuable management tool. For managers, it is the engine of continuous improvement. For employees, it is the gift of valuable insight. Unfortunately, many managers feel uncomfortable giving regular feedback, which deprives them of the ability to affect change. And, many employees mistake feedback as criticism and miss the message. The Feedback Model—when practiced and. Source. Agile Leadership Project Management Management Organization PM Skills MORE
Assumptions and risks are embedded in our daily lives. We expect the day will unfold as planned, and risks will not materialize. Most of these assumptions are benign, like thinking the weather report will be accurate; or no major calamities will occur. Projects are built on assumptions. MORE
Experienced agile coaches and practitioners develop a sixth-sense. They can quickly assess the health of an agile project or team just as doctors do with their patients. In 2013, Mike Cohn coined the term scrum smells to describe the signs that a scrum team is in trouble. In my agile training and consulting practice, I have witnessed similar symptoms when an organization is struggling with its agile adoption. MORE
Many organizations struggle with project governance, oversight, and control. The truth is that most projects are not successful. Over the past 25-years, only 30% of all projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and with the desired scope. MORE
The virtues of high-performing teams are well documented. They are 50% more productive. They are more creative, and members are 76% more likely to be engaged. Gallup studies of organizational performance find that companies with highly engaged employees are twice as likely to be successful. MORE
Agile teams using the Scrum framework commit to delivering value in each development sprint. Sprints are generally 2-weeks long, and the goal is to create working software that can be deployed into production. While commitment is one of Scrum’s core values, in reality, teams do not always complete the work. This is commonly known as a “failed sprint. Source. Agile Planning & Scheduling MORE
Project Management Essentials
NOVEMBER 30, 2021
Assumptions and risks are embedded in our daily lives. We expect the day will unfold as planned, and risks will not materialize. Most of these assumptions are benign, like thinking the weather report will be accurate; or no major calamities will occur. Projects are built on assumptions.
Project Management Essentials
NOVEMBER 1, 2021
Large enterprises struggle to manage their project portfolios effectively. They fall prey to the fallacy of optimizing resource allocation. Or simply stated, they focus on making sure everyone is busy rather than getting things done.
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Project Management Essentials
OCTOBER 4, 2021
Selecting a project management approach and framework is complicated. Not that long ago, it was like buying a Model-T Ford; you could have any color you wanted, as long as it was black—our only option was Waterfall. Today Waterfall is still a choice.
Project Management Essentials
AUGUST 2, 2021
Everyone tells me they are busy. They are on video or conference calls from morning until evening. On average, workers receive over 100 emails per day and send at least 40. A common complaint is, “I spend my entire day meeting and doing email; and have no time for my ‘real’ work.”
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Outdated or absent analytics won’t cut it in today's data-driven applications. And they won’t cut it for your end users, your development team, or your business. Learn how 5 companies used embedded analytics to achieve huge returns and greater value than anticipated.
Project Management Essentials
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
Project management theory established the Triple Constraint (aka, the Iron Triangle) as the key to project success. If the scope is known and fixed, then the schedule and cost must adjust to accommodate scope changes. The simplicity of this proposition is appealing.
Project Management Essentials
MARCH 1, 2021
There are many tools to help project teams manage their work, collaborate, and track performance. The number of options is overwhelming— Capterra has published over 900-project management tool reviews. I teach project management classes and am often asked, “Which tool should we use?”
Project Management Essentials
JULY 1, 2021
Modern management theory is built on the premise of trust. If management creates a values-based culture, employees will make the “right” decisions. Douglas McGregor described Theory X (not trusting) and Y (trusting)managers.
Project Management Essentials
JUNE 3, 2021
The virtues of high-performing teams are well documented. They are 50% more productive. They are more creative, and members are 76% more likely to be engaged. Gallup studies of organizational performance find that companies with highly engaged employees are twice as likely to be successful.
Project Management Essentials
JANUARY 30, 2021
I called an old colleague just to say “hello” and see how he was doing. We have worked together at different companies over the past dozen years. He is an inspirational finance executive and counted on me to implement his vision.
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The right analytics capabilities will turn data into valuable insights for your end users. This research-based guide, derived from insights of industry professionals, will allow you to create an optimal strategy for acquiring those capabilities.
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Project Management Essentials
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
Agile is now part of the general business lexicon. On the news, non-technology leaders keep mentioning the need to be “agile” or “pivot.”
Project Management Essentials
JANUARY 1, 2021
This year was like living through a 500-year storm. COVID has infected 1 in 20 Americans, and 1 in 1,000 have died of the disease. Nearly 15 million people are still out of work. Thirty-three million have been remote for 9-months and are not likely to return soon.
Project Management Essentials
MAY 31, 2020
Feedback is a critical and valuable management tool. For managers, it is the engine of continuous improvement. For employees, it is the gift of valuable insight. Unfortunately, many managers feel uncomfortable giving regular feedback, which deprives them of the ability to affect change.
Project Management Essentials
AUGUST 31, 2020
We are living in interesting times. All countries are struggling to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Societies are challenging their histories of racial and social injustice. Fundamental beliefs are being scrutinized.
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Every year Dresner reviews the state of the BI market as it stands today. This 12th annual report breaks down customer perceptions of BI and how well each vendor performs. See for yourself how all the major BI vendors stack up.
Project Management Essentials
JANUARY 5, 2020
Agile teams using the Scrum framework commit to delivering value in each development sprint. Sprints are generally 2-weeks long, and the goal is to create working software that can be deployed into production.
Project Management Essentials
AUGUST 3, 2019
Experienced agile coaches and practitioners develop a sixth-sense. They can quickly assess the health of an agile project or team just as doctors do with their patients. In 2013, Mike Cohn coined the term scrum smells to describe the signs that a scrum team is in trouble. In my agile training and consulting practice, I have witnessed similar symptoms when an organization is struggling with its agile adoption.
Project Management Essentials
JULY 30, 2020
If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Edwards Deming Our work and home lives our bounded by standard operating procedures and process—and too many of them stink.
Project Management Essentials
JULY 1, 2020
when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.”
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Self-service analytics are vital for how your users interact and engage with your application. As you explore analytics solutions for your application, see why self-service analytics can prove critical to the adoption and stickiness of your application.
Project Management Essentials
JANUARY 29, 2020
Disciplined Agile (DA) has the potential to become a leading agile framework because it creates harmony in this congested thought-space. DA recognizes practices from across the spectrum and offers a pragmatic and context-driven approach to agility. Currently, DA is not widely used.
Project Management Essentials
APRIL 29, 2020
Productivity is defined as our ability to create value. Traditionally manufacturers and farmers became more productive by adding resources—people and machines—to the process. Knowledge workers can generate more value by working smarter, rather than harder.
Project Management Essentials
MARCH 2, 2020
Many organizations struggle with project governance, oversight, and control. The truth is that most projects are not successful. Over the past 25-years, only 30% of all projects are delivered on-time, on-budget, and with the desired scope.
Project Management Essentials
MARCH 25, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic is the most frightening, disruptive, and widespread crisis of our lifetime. As managers and leaders, none of us have faced challenges of such a magnitude or scale.
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As the analytics landscape continues to evolve, application teams who need to embed dashboards, reports, and other analytics capabilities in their applications can choose from dozens of solutions. How do you differentiate one solution from the next?
Project Management Essentials
MAY 1, 2019
Organizational change and transformation efforts are often challenging. Most fail to meet their planned objectives with 30% failing outright. In last month’s article, ”Road Trippin’ Organizational Change: The Beginning” , I recommending using adaptive-agile planning practices and treating the effort like a road trip: Set the direction, not the destination. Set high-level goals and the strategic direction of the change, motivate the “what” and “why,” but do not dictate the “how.”
Project Management Essentials
MARCH 31, 2019
Most organizational change efforts do not succeed. They fail to achieve the desired results. They are disruptive and sometimes leave the company worse-off. An oft-cited statistic is that 70% of organizational change efforts fail. This metric is attributed to Hammer and Champy’s 1993 classic, “Reengineering the Corporation” and is reinforced by a 2008 McKinsey survey of executives.
Project Management Essentials
MARCH 1, 2019
Lean and Agile organizations have harnessed the power of the stand-up meeting as a valuable process tool. The stand-up is an efficient and effective way to communicate. It promotes transparency into the progress of work and highlights issues. The meeting fosters a collaborative work environment and creates accountability. In this article, I share best practices and the “what”, “who”, “when”, “where” and “how” for conducting a successful stand-up meeting.
Project Management Essentials
MAY 31, 2020
Feedback is a critical and valuable management tool. For managers, it is the engine of continuous improvement. For employees, it is the gift of valuable insight. Unfortunately, many managers feel uncomfortable giving regular feedback, which deprives them of the ability to affect change. And, many employees mistake feedback as criticism and miss the message. The Feedback Model—when practiced and. Source. Agile Leadership Project Management Management Organization PM Skills
Speaker: Melissa Wilks-Cunningham, VP, Marketing + Brand at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach | Clark Fuller, Engagement Manager at Wrike, a Citrix Company | Renee Thomas, Head of Customer Success - North America, East at Wrike, a Citrix Company
In this fire-side chat, Melissa Wilks-Cunningham and Clark Fuller will detail the most effective way to manage a successful hybrid team
Project Management Essentials
JANUARY 6, 2019
Kanban is a versatile and powerful tool to help you manage your work. It can be used to track personal projects, complex operations and large programs; for example, it can be used to: Efficiently manage the flow of inventory in a factory, Help students manage their homework and papers, Track the progress of project tasks and activities, Organize the preparation and set-up for a holiday meal, and. Help non-profit boards manage programs and events.
Project Management Essentials
JANUARY 5, 2020
Agile teams using the Scrum framework commit to delivering value in each development sprint. Sprints are generally 2-weeks long, and the goal is to create working software that can be deployed into production. While commitment is one of Scrum’s core values, in reality, teams do not always complete the work. This is commonly known as a “failed sprint. Source. Agile Planning & Scheduling
Project Management Essentials
JULY 30, 2020
If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Edwards Deming Our work and home lives our bounded by standard operating procedures and process—and too many of them stink. We all have encountered Byzantine-like bureaucracies where the lines are long, the rules are contradictory, and nothing makes any sense. Poor user experience (UX) design can even be. Source. Agile DevOps Value Stream
Project Management Essentials
JULY 1, 2020
when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.” Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow In the midst of the pandemic, we have and will continue to face numerous complex decisions where there are many unknowns and no clear choices. Organizations and individuals are grappling with challenging issues. What is safe? Source. Agile Leadership Project Management Decision-Making
Speaker: Tim Hughes, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Leadership Associates
Join Tim Hughes, Author of Social Selling – Influencing Buyers and Changemakers and Co-Founder/CEO of Digital Leadership Associates, as he details how investing in sales coaching will teach your team how to navigate social media and therefore create greater sales success.
Project Management Essentials
JUNE 2, 2019
Knowledge Management (KM) is broadly defined as the process of creating and sharing information across the organization. Its goal is to enable learning. KM became a formal business disciple in the 1990s even though it dates back centuries. I believe that project management follows the apprenticeship model. Throughout my management career, creating a learning environment for my teams has been a constant pursuit, and often a challenge.
Project Management Essentials
DECEMBER 2, 2018
“All good lessons come at a cost. Try to learn them inexpensively.” Howard Zucker. When I made a mistake as a child, my father would remind me that all lessons come at a cost. The goal was to learn them cheaply. I did not always follow this maxim. But, this pearl of wisdom stayed with me throughout my life. I have passed it on to my children. It also shaped my approach to management and leadership.
Project Management Essentials
NOVEMBER 1, 2018
Remember the last time you joined a new team or organization. What was it like? Was it awkward? Did you make decisions easily? Were expectations clear? Did the team gel immediately? You probably answered “No” to these questions. High-performing teams do not form quickly or naturally. As a manager or project manager quickly moving your team through the early stages of group development is critical. It can also be challenging.
Project Management Essentials
AUGUST 30, 2019
The Project Management Institute (PMI) is making a bold pivot toward agile. As a project manager and an agilist, I am excited by these moves. At the same time, it is hard to envision both this transition and the future state. In this article, I share some of my thoughts about the upcoming changes to the Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam and PMBOK® Guide. Two years ago. Source. Agile Project Management Managing Projects Training
Speaker: Brynne Tillman CEO | LinkedIn Whisperer at Social Sales Link
In this 1-hour session, Brynne Tillman from Social Sales Link will teach you why Sales Enablement teams should own Social Selling
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