This week we dealt with the great blizzard of 2010. It provided me extra time to write. Then again, it took that extra time I thought I was going to spend on vacation. My wife thinks I live in a world where everything is related to project management. I go on a little rant about treating your customers right and then also lend an ear to my colleagues. Read how I handle being both the sponsor and the project manager on a project.
2/7/2010
Snow Removal From an Agile PM Perspective
With our home getting hit with over 30 inches of snow in one weekend, I compared our HOA and the snow removal team to an Agile team. Read how they went from failure to success, in one customer's eyes...
2/8/2010
My Big Fat Greek Project
My wife compares me to the father on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I'm no Gus Portokalos, but give me a word, any word, and I will show you that the root of that word is Greek. Actually, show me a scenario, any scenario, and I will show you how it can be related back to Project Management. If that doesn't do it for you, just put some Windex on it...
2/9/2010
The FedGov Fail Day 3
Jhaymee (@TheGreenPM) Wilson inspired this post. I was frustrated the Federal Government would be closed for 3 days in a row. I believed we could all be working, at least in a limited capacity, from home. If the Federal Government could have a plan in place for H1N1, why the hell couldn't plan for snow?...
2/10/2010
MS Project Task Types – Fixed Work – Units – Duration
Upon reviewing a vendor’s Integrated Master Schedule, created in MS Project, I noticed something very peculiar. Where some tasks could clearly be marked as Fixed Duration, everything was Fixed Units. In the post, I include a YouTube video to help you understand the difference between Fixed Work, Fixed Units, and Fixed Duration...
THE most important thing is the customer
...You’re welcome? Did I say thank you? No, I didn’t. I offered a pleasantry. Just have a nice day. Goodbye, our business relationship has completed. Have a nice life...Listen to them. Be polite. Deliver value.
2/11/2010
How Do You Know Your Metrics Are Worth It
So you want to create some metrics. More importantly, someone has told you that you need to create some metrics. How do you know if you’re just making work for yourself or if you’re just putting a spin on the same old data?...
2/12/2010
Sometimes It Is Best To Just Listen
It was the first day our team had been together in a week. The DC FedGov closures have really rattled people. As contractors and consultants, we are not Government employees. We play by different rules. Depending on your contract, if the FedGov is closed, you may not get paid...
2/13/2010
The Difficult Task of Managing My Logo Selection Project
Using 99Designs has allowed me to crowd source a design. I listed the price I was willing to pay, the duration of the contest and provided as much background information as possible to enable designers to provide me with quality submissions. We immediately entered a rapid prototyping stage...