Learning to Love the PMBOK®–It Wasn’t Easy
Years ago, I begrudgingly took my project management certification (PMP®) exam. I passed. Almost a decade later, I now teach PMP® preparation classes and see the value of the Project […]
Tag: Managing Projects
Scrum vs. Kanban: What to Choose?
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 […]
Culture and Successful Projects
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 […]
Agile and the Product Mindset
Adopting a product mindset is critical when transforming to an Agile development methodology, like Scrum. Shifting our thinking from project to product expands our view beyond the confines of the […]
If Agile is Better, Why is Adoption So Low?
Agile software projects have significantly better outcomes than Waterfall methodologies. Statistics from the 2015 Standish Group’s Chaos Report show that, on average, Agile projects are three times more likely to […]
Controlling the Runaway Meeting
It is a common phenomenon. Something happens, usually something bad. Daily meetings are organized. Anyone connected with the event is there—from senior executives to junior staff. There is incredible focus. […]
The Project Manager and the Scrum Master Should be Friends
There is a debate in the Agile community regarding the role of the project manager and the scrum master. These discussions remind me of a song from the musical, Oklahoma. […]
Failing Fast for the Rest of Us
Fail fast entered the business lexicon from the high-tech sector. It has become a powerful buzzword and has ignited a small movement. FailCon offers a series of global conferences for […]
Successful Projects: What We Really Know About
The Standish Group has published its annual CHAOS Report on the state of software development since 1994. The Report is often cited as a key metric for the industry’s performance […]
Time: Conserving the Precious Resource
Time is the dominant constraint on all projects. There is a constant race against the clock. Many projects have fixed completion dates determined by external forces. Projects that fall behind […]