Archive for Project Management

November 2017 – Three Reasons Your Project Will Fail

We all start projects with the best intentions.  Sometimes we experience so much pressure to start working, that we don’t do what’s required to prevent failure at the beginning.  Avoid these three common pitfalls:

1)   Poor sponsorship.
Just as there are important characteristics in team members, there are also critical qualities in good sponsors.  Sponsors tend to be in management level positions so they can removebarriers and obtain resources to get things done.  However, that doesn’t mean that they know what else they need to do to be a good sponsor.  Identify what behaviors you need in your sponsors, and then have a collaborative and respectful conversation with them.  Just like you, they appreciate knowing what they need to do to make the project successful!
2)   Missing agreement.
Every project requires a SMART objective – a Specific, Measurable, Agreed Upon, Results-oriented, and Time-based description of what it’s supposed to accomplish.  Once your project objective has been written, you must get agreement from your key stakeholders.  If you’ve done a good job of uncovering your stakeholders’ requirements, then getting agreement will be much easier.  If you haven’t then conflicts will arise throughout your project, which are usually symptoms of uncovered requirements.
3)   Incomplete requirements.
Most people haven’t had training on how to elicit, clarify, and validate requirements, so it’s no surprise that this is the most common reason for project failure.  Since requirements make up the scope of a project, if you are missing requirements you are missing scope. And if you’re missing scope, your stakeholders will be unhappy with the deliverables. Make certain you identify all of the stakeholders and then get a complete, correct, and clear set of requirements.

A common practice is to rush through the initiation and planning of a project and start executing before requirements are clarified and agreement is obtained:  This is a recipe for failure.  You certainly don’t save any time or money by producing deliverables that don’t meet expectations.  All three of the above pitfalls must be addressed at the start of your project.  Only then can you execute a well-crafted plan according to the needs of your stakeholders.  Slow down to go fast.

Contact us when you’re interested in learning more about successful project management.

September 2017 – What’s your Emergency Plan?

What’s your Emergency Plan?
 
By Tiffany Dahlberg  
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have affected the lives of millions of people and thousands of businesses.  Natural disasters notwithstanding, you could have a personal emergency that impacts you, your family, and your sept 2017company like when my husband was diagnosed with cancer.  What’s your plan when the unexpected happens?
Depending upon the size of your company and the impact of a disaster, you may need a risk assessment and mitigation plans for both projects and the organization.  However, I’m advocating two emergency plans that cover most situations:
1) Your Personal Plan and
2) Your Company’s Plan.

Here are six steps to follow for both plans:
1)    Get crystal clear on your values to determine what matters most in an emergency.  For me, it’s that my clients, employees, and family are safe, informed, and protected.
2)    Decide which timelines are acceptable for disasters.  For example, a two day disaster plan will be different than a six month plan.
3)    Create your plans by keeping them simple and allowing for flexibility aligned with your values.
4)    Ensure that all contact information is included (full names, email addresses, and phone numbers) along with your instructions of who to contact, when, and why.
5)    Distribute your plan to multiple people who need to execute it and be informed.
6)    Ensure that your plan is understood and updated regularly.

Although developing these plans can be emotionally difficult, think about how hard it would be to need a plan and make decisions under duress, or worse yet, having someone else do it and not know your wishes!  Keep it simple. Mine is one page. I hope you never have to use these plans!

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Project Management Workshops and Speaking Engagements

Ready2ACT’s highly interactive training involves your real-life projects and situations– not some irrelevant case study. Not only do you gain knowledge but you also get real work done that you can take back to your teams and hit the ground running. We promise not to bore you with PowerPoint. Our people are known for being dynamic, energetic, and knowledgeable. When you attend Ready2ACT courses, you get an experienced PMP® to help you plan your projects and address your challenges. We care about your results after the training. Let us help.

Comprehensive Project Management

  • April 7, 14, 21, and April 28, 2017 : 9:00 am – 5:30 p.m. (Fridays only)
  • $2200 per person (included resources: workbook and templates)
  • 7 PDUs/day x 4 days = 28 PDUs for full attendance
  • Location: TBD in Denver metro area
  • PMBOK is optional and students may buy their own in advance. Use the link to order. PMBOK Guide
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Comprehensive Project Management with PMP® Prep

  • April 7, 14, 21, 28, and May 5, 2017 : 9:00 am – 5:30 p.m. (Fridays only)
  • $2500 per person (included resources: workbook,  templates, and practice test)
  • 7 PDUs/day x 5 days = 35 PDUs for full attendance – note: 35 PDUs are required for the PMP exam application
  • Location: TBD in Denver metro area
  • Students must purchase their own PMBOK and Prep books in advance. Use the links below to order.
    PMBOK Guide   and   PMP Exam Prep
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PMP® Prep

  • May 5, 2017 : 9:00 am – 5:30 p.m.
  • $497 per person (included resources: workbook and practice test)
  • 7 PDUs/day x 1 day = 7 PDUs for full attendance – note: 35 PDUs are required for the PMP exam application
  • Location: TBD in Denver metro area
  • Students must purchase their own PMBOK and Prep books in advance. Use the links below to order.
    PMBOK Guide   and   PMP Exam Prep
pay now

Comprehensive Project Management with PMP® Prep

  • June 12 – 16, 2017 : 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (includes 30 min. lunch and 30 minutes of breaks)
  • $3250 per person (included resources: workbook, templates, practice test, and “PMI’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, and “Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep”).  Workshop participants will also receive an online PMP practice assessment and exam.
  • 7 PDUs/day x 5 days = 35 PDUs for full attendance – note: 35 PDUs are required for the PMP exam application
  • Location: BMGI, downtown Denver

The Exceptional Project Manager

  • April 11 & 12, 2017: 8:30 am – 5:30 project management
  • $995 per person (workbook, templates, and real project planning included).
  • 7 PDUS/day 1 2 days = 14 PDUs for full attendance
  • Location: 6145 Broadway – Denver, CO, www.tradecraftindustries.com
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To register, call 720-373-2601 or send us an email to info@Ready2ACT.com with your name, phone number, and email address.

We accept cash, credit cards, and checks written to Ready2ACT. We guarantee your satisfaction!

Project Management : The Triple Constraint

Project Management Constraints

There’s a concept that I love because it applies to both professional and personal lives: the “Triple Constraint”.

In Project Management, when we measure project success, most people typically look at Time, Cost, and Scope. The “Triple Constraint” means that when (not if) one of those project constraints changes, it impacts at least one other constraint.

For example, if my client suddenly needs a project done sooner than originally planned, then I may not be able to complete all of my scope and/or it’ll cost more to get it done faster.

If my manager slashes my project budget, then I may need more time to do the project, or I may not be able to meet all of the original requirements. When stakeholders add to my project scope, it usually takes longer to execute and/or costs more money.

Good project managers know how to skillfully balance all three of these project constraints in relation to the stakeholders needs, but it is certainly not easy.

Knowing what is important to the sponsor of the project is the key. Ask at the beginning of the project, “Which element of the Triple Constraint is the most critical to you for the project to be successful? As I manage the project, how I do prioritize Time, Cost, and Scope?” This is an important question to ask yourself as the sponsor of your own projects, especially at home.

For example, when tackling the landscape project, do you want it done faster, cheaper, or better? Of course, we want all three! But people know that there are trade-offs in life and business.

Choose the most important (perhaps cost), then the next (maybe time), and the last (scope), so you know which trade-offs are the most likely to be acceptable to your boss (or spouse). And keep asking the question throughout the project, especially when things change, so that you are both on the same page.

I hope this Tip has been helpful. Refer to the very short Dilbert clip below to illustrate our point.

Five Tips to Improve Your Project Management Success

Success In Project Management

Previously, I discussed the challenges associated with “Scope Creep” and how to address them. As a review, there are two types of scope: 1) Project Scope and 2) Product Scope. This month, let’s focus on product scope, what it is, and how to control it better.

Product scope as defined by the Project Management Institute as “the functions and features that characterize a product, scope, or result”. Most people don’t know the term “product scope”, so they commonly refer to it as “technical scope” or more broadly as “requirements”.

The biggest reason why projects exceed their original scope is because most project managers have never learned how to elicit, validate, document, and communicate requirements associated with Product Scope. Are you expected to do this yet you haven’t had training on how?

That happened to me as an employee, so I figured it out the hard way; but I still had challenges and didn’t know how to fix them. Then I was exposed to the field of Business
Analysis. This is a Profession and Body of Knowledge issued by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).

Sometimes, Project Management includes having project managers who also play the role of a business analyst. As a result, the product scope is more clearly defined for their projects. If you don’t, then you need to know how to do it yourself.

Five tips:

  1. Put on your consulting hat. Get curious and ask intentional questions of your stakeholders to discover the problem focusing on the cause.
  2. Once you understand the problem, avoid jumping to the solution. Instead find out what your stakeholders want and need. Translate these desires into requirements.
  3. Validate, document, and communicate the requirements so that they are good, quality requirements that everyone understands them using the 3Cs: clear, concise, and correct.
  4. Let the requirements dictate the solution. Keep an open mind, concentrating on the stakeholder’s needs, not what’s cool, the latest, or most convenient solution.
  5. Make sure the solution truly meets your stakeholder’s requirements and keep refining it.

Having done this myself without training, I know the benefit of having the right tools and techniques and learning skills that make it easier for all stakeholders including
me.

by Tiffany Dahlberg

Who is more important: the Project Manager or the Business Analyst?

Project Manager or Business Analyst?

To survive in today’s economy, companies must maximize their time and money while they work with limited resources. Organizations that haven’t invested in their human resources are struggling because they used on-the-job learning as a cheap alternative to formal training. Like most things, “you get what you pay for.” We value education because, in most roles, knowledge is essential to increase efficiency and effectiveness. People learn by doing, but experience will only take you so far; education is what helps us get to higher levels of performance.

This is especially true for Project Managers and Business Analysts. Most people have learned their jobs through observation, trial, and error. Over years, we gain hard-earned experience and some degree of expertise. Our success fuels our feelings of accomplishment and proficiency. However, without formal learning, the danger is that “we don’t know what we don’t know”.

As an employee, I performed the role of a Business Analyst for ten years before I even knew organizations had a title for it. Similarly, I was a Project Manager for ten years before my previous employer brought in formal project management training. In both cases, once I completed classes in these professions, I was in awe over how much more successful Icould have been. If only I had learned these formal tools and techniques earlier, they could have made my job so much easier.

And, if I’d known there was a better, faster, and cheaper way to do my job, I could have made even a larger contribution to my employers. Knowledge always brings awareness, and sometimes it also gives you power. Those of us who choose to teach, do so to contribute to the greater good by spreading knowledge to others. Once I learned how to do Project Management and Business Analysis in more meaningful and impactful ways, I wanted to share my experience and knowledge with others.

At Ready2ACT, we teach Project Management and Business Analysis so you can improve your business. Find out Why Project Management Is So Important in helping to propel organizational growth.

By Tiffany Dahlberg, Ready2ACT