Tag: Facilitation

OUTSIDE THE BOX FORUM: Short Ropes and Long Ropes

Written by Robert Wysocki on January 3, 2017. Posted in Articles. 2 Comments on OUTSIDE THE BOX FORUM: Short Ropes and Long Ropes

Not all project managers and team members should be managed the same way. There are lots of reasons for this observation.

Extensive History

The performance of a project manager with a long history of managing projects is a good predictor of future projects. If their performance has been consistent, they will have earned the long rope. This means that their performance need not be managed as frequently or as closely as lesser experienced project managers. If their performance has been erratic, they will have earned a short rope. Their performance will have to be more closely and frequently monitored.

No History

These are the newbies and until their performance proves otherwise, they will be managed with a short rope. They will be monitored with more specific metrics and smaller tolerances. Corrective actions including learning opportunities will be put in place and monitored for compliance. They will have to earn the right to be managed with a longer rope.

Networking Success for Project Success

Written by Lisa Anderson on December 22, 2016. Posted in Articles. 8 Comments on Networking Success for Project Success

As project managers, the 80/20 of success is in leading, coordinating and facilitating among people.

Of course, the technical knowledge is a base requirement; however, no matter how technically correct, the project manager will not achieve significant results if the people side of the equation isn’t a focus. Thus, project managers must be exceptional communicators and networkers.

In thinking about projects across organization sizes, I cannot think of a project that doesn’t at least involve multiple departments. The pure nature of a project requires some sort of cross-communication and coordination. The ideal situation for these smaller projects is if both departments report to the same executive. Less conflicts will occur. However, 80% of the projects I’ve led or been associated with throughout my career, ranging from small, family owned business projects to private equity backed firms to large, complex, global organizations, do not. These require significantly more coordination with other departments reporting to different executives along with coordination with customers, suppliers, trusted advisors, and others. Thus, networking is a critical skill to develop to deliver bottom line business results with projects.

Networking is the process of connecting with other people to exchange information, develop contacts, to further one’s career and to further project success. Thus, there are countless reasons you’ll need to network for project success. A few of these are as follows:

Find project team members: Since projects are commonplace for delivering critical changes to the business, there tend to be an overload of projects at every company. Thus, it isn’t surprising that there are limited resources to staff a project. Logically, you’ll have to negotiate for team members and/or make your project more appealing than others.
Convince project influencers (such as leaders with resources, those who can influence decisions etc.) to support your project: These people can be some of the most important to achieving project success. If your influencers do not support the tasks or resources, your project will stall.
Explain the whys behind your project: For project team members, influencers and even sponsors, it will be important to explain the whys behind your project. Why is the project important? Why is it important to the company’s success and vision? Why should your team members want to be involved?
Negotiate conflicts: Hands down, this has proven to be the largest detriment to project success. Undoubtedly, your project will run into a conflict between departments, resources, personalities, or some other issue. Ignoring the issue is the best way to ensure failure. Instead, the better equipped you are to handle these conflicts and get everyone on the same page moving forward, the better your success.
Publicize results: Although promoting project success doesn’t always seem that important outside the team, it is vital. People need to be reminded why the project is important and feel a part of the success.

Becoming as effective as possible at networking will contribute directly to project results. Thus, a few strategies for networking success seem appropriate.

Know your networking partners: Not every person is the same. If you know of the person, get to know what is important to him/her. Do not assume what is important to you is what is important to him. And, if you don’t know your networking partner (which is quite common), find out something about them in advance. If you don’t know the specific people, make sure you know the types of people likely to attend. Find out what is likely to be important to that group of people so that you can start the conversation off with something in common ground.
Quality not quantity: Networking is not about collecting the most business cards. Get to know the people you talk with and follow up after you meet them. Tailor your phone call or email to what you learned about them. No one wants to be seen as a number. Find out about the person.
Provide value: This is one of the most important keys to success. Think about what you can provide to the other person. What resources could you share? What expertise or information might they need? Do NOT think about what you want from them; start by thinking only about what you can give to them.
Follow up: Follow through and provide the value you offered. And, then follow up and see whether it was helpful and if there is anything else you could provide. Again, think solely about the other person and helping them be successful.
Smile and be energetic: Smiling can go a long way! No one wants to network with a grump. Think about it. Also, if you are excited about your topic, it is likely to carry over to them. It must be genuine of course, and success will follow.

Since projects will have a substantial effect on your customer loyalty and bottom line – the two most critical aspects of any business – it is worthwhile taking a few steps back to think about how to ensure success with projects. Networking can have a profound effect on this success as it impacts project communication, coordination and results. Follow these networking strategies and success will follow.

From the Archives: 4 Key Project Monitoring Steps to Help You Succeed

Written by Lori Benson on July 19, 2016. Posted in Articles. 8 Comments on From the Archives: 4 Key Project Monitoring Steps to Help You Succeed

Trust, but verify.

Whether you believe this sound piece of advice first came from former President Ronald Reagan or derives from an old

Russian proverb, the fact is that for decades these three words have become a mantra for both corporations and government agencies that want to affect meaningful change in their organizations and need to know that it is really and truly taking place.

Given the pace of change, and the necessary steps to make meaningful, long-term change happen—especially in a large organization—verification typically needs to take place frequently, throughout the lifecycle of any project. In other words, organizations could just as easily embrace the motto: “Trust, but monitor.”

Project monitoring is a necessary component of all project management plans. Without project monitoring, organizations may fail to understand why projects go awry, and even successful projects may have insufficient impact. The project coordinator (or project leader) and their supervisor should plan from the start on project monitoring being an important, integrated, and continuous part of the project management cycle.

Within the project monitoring feedback loop, the information and results from the ongoing project should not only be reported back up the chain (to supervisors, managers, the top executives and potentially the board or other invested parties) on a regular basis, but also back down to the project participants. When necessary, information should also go out to the frontline employees as well. It is the role of the project coordinator and the project coordinator’s supervisor to monitor project information and use this two-way flow of project monitoring to ensure the implementation of projects as efficiently and effectively as possible.

By following these four steps, project leaders can better ensure the successful flow of information, results, feedback and advice throughout the project monitoring process:

1. Begin with a plan for project monitoring.

It may sound simplistic, but many an important project was started in a hurry and bluster, with the plans for any kind of project monitoring pushed to the side (to an undecided ‘later date’) in the interests of quickly moving forward. This kind of ‘act first, think later’ strategy has led to myriad of planning challenges, and can ultimately lead to ineffectual results or a lack of learning or benefit from the project in the long-term.

Project leaders must begin with at least a basic plan for how, when, and what about the project they plan to monitor. Base the plan on realistic targets. If the project leader cannot commit to monitoring and reporting results back on a bi-weekly basis, plan from the start to report back findings on a monthly basis. The project leader should make sure to consider the resources they will need to monitor adequately and report back information about the progress of the project. Resources may include technological resources and personnel (on the project team or potentially outside of it)— ensuring those resources can be available to them as needed for the purpose of project monitoring. Monitoring a project is often not a linear endeavor. Oftentimes, the project will require more frequent monitoring, results review, and feedback early on to ensure that the progress is moving along, that all the participants know their roles, and that the project is generally meeting its objectives in general.

Related Article: Project Check-Ups to Keep Your Projects Healthy

Increasingly there is a greater emphasis on demonstrating performance rather than simply producing outputs, which could change the way monitoring and reporting on projects is handled. But, it is important to remember that monitoring is the continuous process of assessing the status of the project and how it is developing in relation to the approved work plan and budget. Successful project monitoring plans, while they may seem superfluous, actually help to improve performance and achieve results.

2. Report to management.

Project monitoring may be carried out informally through weekly meetings, or formally through written reports. But what is most important is that there is a regularly scheduled time each week, month, or quarter when results or progress about on-going projects is expected.

Regular monitoring enables the project leader to identify actual or potential problems as early as possible so that they can make timely adjustments to project plans and move forward. In addition to tracking the outputs and measures of their project team’s contributions and periodic results, project leaders should be mindful of spending and milestone tracking. Particularly in today’s budget-conscious environment, the C-suite must be cognizant of the bottom line. If a project looks like it may go over budget, or if earlier results are indicating a need for greater spending or extending the project, top managers must be alerted.

imilarly, it is important for the top brass to be made aware of how the project is faring in meeting its prime objectives, and the milestones that lead up to these goals. When reporting to organizational leadership, project leaders should focus on results that indicate whether a strategy is relevant and efficient or not.

3. Recommend actions to improve on the project.

This is the step that tends to come to mind first when people think of monitoring a project. It’s important to remember that recommendations without the previous foundation of solid planning and feedback from management and the project team itself, based on budgeting and meaningful goal-setting, will be relatively pointless.

Project leaders should think in terms of priorities—reference the project plan or the mission statement to keep focus on the ultimate goals of the project. What are the key process improvements that will offer the greatest bang for the buck in terms of keeping that project running smoothly, efficiently, and on-time? Recommendations could include corrective actions, preventative actions, or changes in the plan or the project execution.

When making recommendations, guidance should be as specific as possible: direct the project team member deemed responsible to make a specific action by a specific date, and make certain they are slated to report back to the project leader on the results of their action. Keep in mind the team’s own health and feedback: offer constructive criticism and praise when it makes sense to strengthen the goals of the project and the team individuals’ work too.

4. Confirm that actions are being followed.

Trust that your team, with proper guidance and oversight, will make the appropriate corrections as needed. But again, the project leader must verify that recommendations are being followed and the project as a whole is staying on track.

Project leaders should consider the use of automated tools and technologies in order to track team members’ performance and response; share documents, feedback, on-going recommendations and suggestions, and forecasts; and communicate among team members about meetings, and updates in the project management plan. At the most basic level, the project leader must track the differences between what was planned, and what is actually happening to ensure that project objectives are being met, the accuracy of initial cost estimates and planned resource requirements, and whether the expected outputs are being created.

**This article originally appeared on our site on October 15, 2015

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9228-pokemon-go-business-strategy.html

Is Your Project Manager-Business Analyst Collaboration a Pressure Cooker?

Written by Angela Wick on April 11, 2016. Posted in Articles. 3 Comments on Is Your Project Manager-Business Analyst Collaboration a Pressure Cooker?

Is your project’s red-yellow-green status for requirements based on percentage complete of the requirements document?

Or percentage complete of the JIRA stories documented?

Maybe this is why requirements are taking so long!

Is the focus on the status of the document or the progress toward shared understanding of the problem and solution?

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It is important to honor the priorities of both the project manager and the business analyst. One can’t win out over the other or the end users might suffer. So, how do we find the right balance? How do PMs and BAs come together to support each other while standing up for the essence and integrity of their roles?

Project Managers – Do you know what it takes to collaborate with BAs to get great project results? Are you encouraging BAs to be leaders of their domain?
Business Analysts – Do you understand the value of the BA role and how the PM can support and enhance your practice?

Tight timelines and fixed solutions apply tremendous pressure to interactions between PMs and BAs. The pressure triggers negative PM and BA behaviors. I’ll highlight some of these behaviors below and offer insight to inspire better collaboration.

Pressure #1: Tight Timelines

Tight timelines put pressure on the entire project team. When documents like BRDs are tied to unreasonable durations in the project plan, BAs feel like document dispensers:

Tight Timelines Mindset to Change – Get documents done NOW!

What does the “Get Documents done NOW” mindset look like:

The PM lets the BA know timelines are really tight.
The PM asks the BA to draft documents ASAP.
BAs start filling out templates and then use the review process as an elicitation technique to get them reviewed approved “quickly.” (FYI-It’s not faster! It’s actually a long, painful process that stakeholders loathe, BUT…)
Stakeholders get used to reviewing text-based documents and tolerate the process because it’s the only process they know.

Tight Timelines – A Collaborative Alternative

Modern PMs and BAs understand the drawbacks of the “write-review-repeat” cycle—it actually takes longer and produces unstable, ever-changing requirements.

Related Article: A Collaborative Stakeholder Process

Why? Well, because the team never gets a chance to collaborate and develop a shared understanding of the big picture and the real problem the team is trying to solve. They only understand their piece of the puzzle and cannot see connections or gaps that may have prevented defects or maximized the value of the solution.

Instead of forcing text-based document review from day one, the team should support a requirements process that includes dialog and analysis with stakeholders. The BA should be using elicitation and modeling techniques to facilitate structured conversation with stakeholders about the current state, future state, people impacted, process, data, rules, etc.

Once there is a shared understanding, document writing, review and approval move along quickly. Overall, this collaborative approach is faster and yields higher quality requirements.

Tight Timelines Mindset to Change – Minimal BA Planning

What does the “Minimal BA Planning” mindset look like:

The PM owns the project plan. (What BA plan?)
The PM sets a milestone for requirements sign-off or sprint commitment on the plan.
The PM focuses on the date/deadline and the document (or tool) vs. the quality of the requirements process.
BAs may or may not have experience or training in creating BA plans and a quality requirements process. Either way, they may follow the PMs plan without discussion or negotiation.

Tight Timelines – A Collaborative Alternative

PMs should encourage BAs to design their own approach. PMs and BAs should collaborate on the plan, timelines, who is involved, and what is truly needed to get to good requirements. The team should meet with the sponsor and get agreement on the quality expected and plan for requirements accordingly.

Tight deadlines may be ok if time and cost are the drivers of the project. Rework and quality issues might be worth the pain to get it done by a date. But, if quality, user experience, data integrity and getting users to love the solution are the drivers, then speeding up requirements and focusing on deadlines and documents will spell disaster.

Pressure #2: Fixed Solution

It’s always surprising to me how common it is for project teams to start their work wearing the blinders of an assumed solution. BAs are basically asked to reverse engineer requirements for a solution that floats down from above:

Solutions tossed down to the BA, before analysis, tend to promote the following behaviors:

Fixed Solution Mindset to Change – Don’t Ask Questions!

What does the “Don’t Ask Questions” mindset look like:

The stakeholders communicate their want (not their true needs).
The stakeholders (sometimes on their own) identify a solution, and it is rarely a complete solution that is analyzed and well thought out.
The PM and the stakeholders pressure the BA to crank out a requirements document.
No one explores the true needs of the end-user and, therefore, no one knows if the predefined solution meets the true needs of the end-user or the organization.
Gaps/issues are ignored, placed in a parking lot, or found along the way or after go live, creating a long backlog of enhancements.

Fixed Solution – – A Collaborative Alternative

In my experience, stakeholders rarely ask for the right solutions. There is always more—a twist and a turn that yields a different solution than requested. Rushing a solution that was never really vetted, yields endless scope changes, increased defects, and unhappy users.

That’s why, as tough as it is, BAs need to appropriately challenge predetermined solutions and help their stakeholders think.

PMs need to support the BAs, even under tight deadlines, to explore true needs and generate options/alternatives. The PM and BA should work together to help the sponsor understand the risks of moving forward without analysis.

Fixed Solution Mindset to Change – Deep Rooted Bias

What does the “Deep Rooted Bias” mindset look like:

Everyone (PMs, testers, developers, product owners, end-users, etc.) is aware of the solution at the beginning of the project.
The sponsor and the stakeholders agree to validate the solution.
The awareness of the predefined, but not yet analyzed solution creates bias that limits the team’s ability or motivation to see/identify alternatives.
The BA doesn’t push for deeper discussion because the team is ready to move forward with the stakeholders’ plan.

Fixed Solution – A Collaborative Alternative

The BA’s primary role is to advocate for value! This should be a ruthless focus—much more important than the perfect document. BAs need to courageously ask the PM and the team for time to make sure the solution is value-oriented, not just first-idea-oriented.

Easing the Pressure

A collaborative partnership between PMs and BAs requires:

• PMs and BAs who understand their role and are leaders of their domain.

• PMs and BAs who can clearly communicate and advocate their perspectives and priorities.

• A shared understanding that trust and teamwork will maximize solution value.

How do you build bridges between business analysis and project management in your organization? Please leave your comments below.

Success or Failure? Collaboration is Key to Success

Written by Lisa Anderson on March 21, 2016. Posted in Articles. 5 Comments on Success or Failure? Collaboration is Key to Success

How important is collaboration to project success? Several years ago, it was important but not critical; however, within the last 5-10 years, it has become a cornerstone to success.

In today’s Amazon-impacted world, customers have higher expectations of rapid turnaround, 24/7 accessibility, and increased levels of service. These expectations drive complexity. Additionally, we are in a global economy. Executives are hard-pressed to find a product sourced solely from the country of origin. Most likely, at a minimum, your suppliers’ supplier will be from another country. On the customer side, typically, those who export grow sales more rapidly than those who don’t. The bottom line is that we are more interconnected than ever before; thus, collaboration is critical to success.

Although external collaborators are what we typically think of in a global, Amazon-impacted world, it is often just as important if not more important to consider your internal collaborators. Does your sales team talk with production? Does R&D talk with marketing? Does your Ohio location talk with your California location? Often times, different sites within the same country can be more collaboration challenged than when coordinating with sites in other countries. How often have we heard the challenges in collaborating across the U.S. yet we seem to be able to coordinate across borders? Quite frequently! It is as if we are speaking a different language even though it might be the culture of the south vs. the hustle of New York or the laid-back nature of California.

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No matter whether we are collaborating across functions, sites or countries, these keys to success will give you an advantage:

Provide background – Instead of jumping into a conversation and assuming your internal or external partner knows about the initiative, take the time to provide background information. Make sure they are comfortable with the topic and understand what you want to accomplish, why it is important, etc. If you are on the receiving end, make sure to ask questions. Starting on the same page makes all the difference in the world.
Take a breath – This tip relates just as much to collaboration as it does to everyday communication. Do not run on for several minutes on a tangent without pausing to see if your audience is following along. Don’t assume the lack of questions is good news. Ask for confirmation that you are answering their questions and whether what you are saying makes sense.
Build a framework together – What reason are you collaborating? Most likely you are working on an initiative together or need help or advice from the other person. Either way, build the framework together. Thus, if you are putting together a project plan, make sure to put it together with a give-and-take perspective. Suggest a place to start. Ask the other person where you should go next. Trade off consistently if you need a way to force yourself to remember to ensure fairness. If you have become more expert at collaboration, mix it up. Start with the first few tasks, if you are strong in those areas, and defer to the other person for the areas they are strong in. Build upon each other’s strengths.
Compare resources – Another way to collaborate is to compare resources. For example, if you are rolling out a product, you could have internal and external resources involved in the project. Compare the resources of different team members vs. your objectives. Most likely, each person will be more successful supplying inputs and resources to the areas of the project within their capabilities and resources. It seems quite obvious; however it can often be an overlooked key to success. In the new product rollout, the engineering group is likely to have access to resources to optimize the production process whereas the logistics group will have more resources available to optimizing packaging. Match up resources with project plans.
Share successes – Sharing in successes and creating opportunities for quick wins encourages collaboration. It is always a good idea to look for opportunities where you can turn 1 + 1 into 22 instead of 2. Collaboration will achieve 22!

Collaborating has emerged as vital to success for any project or major initiative. We must communicate internally among departments, facilities, and levels of the organization. That alone can put most companies over the edge. However, in today’s Amazon-impacted, global environment, we must collaborate externally as well. Customers, suppliers, supply chain partners and other business partners such as trusted advisors must come together and collaborate with a clear, shared objective to achieve dramatic business results.