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 […]
“You are not in the room for the conversations that impact your career.” Farley Price I was having dinner with an old friend and colleague. We were talking about the arc of our careers and the events that brought us to this point. Farley remarked that […]
“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 […]
“Improving Communications with DISC,” George Washington University’s Masters of Project Management Program Webinar, October 30, 2018. Communications theory tells us that communications are about the receiver. As project managers we can become more effective communicators by adopting our style to be more compatible with our […]
Well facilitated brainstorming sessions are amazing. A creative, sharing atmosphere is built. Numerous ideas are generated. Participants feel productive, valued, and are enthusiastic. By contrast, poorly run meetings are horrible. Little is accomplished. People feel frustrated and that they wasted their time. Brainstorming is a […]
Go to Boston. In the Beacon Hill neighborhood, you will find the Paramount Restaurant. The Paramount is both a great eating experience and a fine example of Lean production. The restaurant was opened in 1937. Its unusual service policy that is prominently posted on the […]
Organizations starting their Agile journey are confronted with an array of choices. One early decision is, what methodology and process to follow? The authors of the Agile Manifesto represented many approaches, methodologies, and frameworks. The common theme was that they had uncovered better ways of […]
Project management has a consistent and unimpressive performance record. The Standish Group’s on-going survey of project performance finds the percentage of projects that were deemed “successful” has hovered in the 25% – 30% range since 1994. Successful projects are defined as those meeting expectations of […]
Many of us are “knowledge workers.” We do not physically create a product. We work in areas that are important to our enterprise, but do not directly serve customers. We work in finance, marketing, technology, or similar functions. As knowledge workers it is hard to […]
Effective communications are the cornerstone to successful projects and productive teams. The Agile Manifesto extolls the virtues of collaboration, individual interactions, and face-to-face communications. Projects represent our ability to coordinate the work of many people to accomplish a goal. It is no surprise that project […]