I like keeping project tasks really, really short. A week-long task is sometimes too long, but obviously satisfying when finished. I also like keeping product releases very short. A release might have only a few of these short tasks. That ensures that the product is always within a few days of release. Project scheduling is simpler when tasks are short.
Predictive Analytics
Predictive analysis uses historical records to predict future trends or outcomes. That got me thinking; could that be applied to timesheet records? The most common field for predictive analysis is credit reporting, where lenders hope to predict a buyer’s ability to pay.
Do you have a 900 credit score? Me neither…
So, back to timesheet data… What could we possibly learn from predictive analysis of timesheet records? Here are some possibilities:
- Cost and duration of certain projects in your portfolio
- Employee contributions to strategic projects
- Typical project contribution histogram overlaid on today’s projects
–newshirt
Let’s do a meeting!
Does your company do too few meetings? Yeah, you heard me right… too few.
If you’re like most corporate employees, you’ll answer, “Definitely not!”
Most of the scenes in the Dilbert comic are in meeting rooms. That should tell you what Scott Adams thinks of them. Meetings are the first signs of death in a once vibrant company. But beware; lack of meetings may spell the same results.
Meetings done right should get your blood pumping for action. You should go away wanting to try something new, or hoping for change, or at least inspired to follow. Make that the aim of your next meeting!
Project Documents
A project manager has many things to administer…time, scope and cost, to name a few. These items are always considered in the very basics of project planning. It’s second nature.
What about managing all the various documents involved with project planning? Some software will accommodate document management, while many others do not.
It is important to have critical documents available to key resources, or all resources. Standard Time allows you to attach files to tasks. This makes related documents easy to locate and available for viewing when necessary. Many document management companies utilize Standard Time for their time tracking and project management. When considering project planning, make sure you have a solid software system that will help you be more efficient with document management.
Timesheets are boring
Why get passionate about a boring timesheet tool? They are little more than cells and dropdown choices that collect your time and expenses. An endless bucket. Pointless. Employees reluctantly fill in those monotonous little cells every Friday afternoon or Monday morning for the week prior. Time tracking is a chore with little value.
Okay, that’s one perspective…
But have you ever viewed them as an investment? Like pouring value into your organization that you can mine later? Consider that for a moment.
What if you could magically predict how long your next project would take? Or cost? What if you could walk into the next meeting with hard evidence that your company talents are unfocused and distracted? That you are fighting too on many fronts? And in too many battles without clear endpoints? Wouldn’t that be worth documenting your time for.
That’s what time tracking gives you, among other things. Still see it as a boring chore?
Define: Percent Complete
Percent Complete: The portion of a project task that has been finished. Calculated by dividing the duration by the actual work. In most cases, this the portion of the task with timesheet hours actually logged for.
Example: a 200-hour task with 50 hours logged is 25% complete.
Why is it called ‘Waterfall?’
Warren has been expounding on project management methodologies lately, so I figured I’d throw in with him. Consider this explanation of the ‘Waterfall project management model.’ It might be useful to some.
Here goes…
Why is the old project management model named ‘Waterfall?” What, exactly, does that mean?
I believe the term stems from the notion that water falling over a dam is hard to scoop back up to the top. Virtually impossible, one might argue. The term ‘herding cats’ comes to mind.
So how does that apply to project management?
In real life, some projects are like that. Not all, but some. Consider building a skyscraper, for example. You absolutely have to get that foundation right the first time, because you cannot go back and work on it after the ironworkers have laid a million tons of infrastructure on top of it. In other words, reworking the foundation would be as hard as scooping up water that has already fallen over the Hoover Dam.
But are all projects like that? How about software?
No.
Software is malleable. You can work on any part at any time, even after the product ships. So the Waterfall model doesn’t apply as neatly. Or at all. But it’s still applicable to certain projects where it’s hard to rework ‘foundational’ stages.
–newshirt
Projects…Time…Projects…No Time
Talk with many PM’s around the world and, no matter the project or project type, properly allocating time and resources is a never ending critical part of the job. Estimates based on the most solid metrics are subject to change and cost overruns. So goes the life of a project manager.
What’s surprising is how many PM’s don’t take advantage of the software tools available to them and deployed in their environment. Sure, most PM’s use the resource assignments, task dependencies and many of the software features available, but many do not put the simplest of task items into the software’s calculations such as the estimated task start and end dates.
I have seen tons of project plans that include the basics…task hierarchy, resource assignments, and maybe…the tasks start date. Why not use the tasks due/end date too? It takes a few extra seconds to enter and will help better identify resource overload and task delays. Standard Time has a resource allocation chart (pictured below).
Standard Time also displays the inverse, Resource Availability (also shown below).
I know a good number of PM’s utilize these tools properly, it’s to their advantage. But, many do not. I have seen it a hundred times. Aside from the obvious project idiosyncrasies, why not take a few seconds and save hundreds of minutes?
Do you like Project Robots?
You just buried your mom and returned from the funeral. You’re a Project Manager on a high profile project for one of the largest tech companies in the world. It has only been one day since the funeral and you are still raw with emotion. Now imagine that you get an email informing you that you are not getting a break from the loss of your mom, but in fact, your workload has been increased. How about a spouse fighting cancer? Need a little time? No! Instead, how about an increased workload? Sound crazy? Well, imagine no more…these are true stories. This brings me to an important point.
In talking with a friend of mine with 26+ years of project management experience about Agile vs. Waterfall methods, he said, “You can have all the methods and processes you want but it all comes down to personal relationships and human intervention”. This gentleman was responsible for one of the largest SAP installations in US history. I was taken aback by the simple answer when he stated another simple cliché, “Take care of your team and your team will take care of you”, which means that they will take care of the project.
The examples given in the beginning of this blog are not meant to say that we shouldn’t be tough or suck it up. However, besides being in my opinion morally wrong, it is flat bad for business. Is the man whom just buried his wife still ready to climb that mountain for the team? Or, is he waiting for the first chance to jump ship?
All too often we pay lip service to our employees, “Let me know if you need any more resources”, while completely ignoring the realities of life.
I guess the bottom line is we can keep on pushing the machine, but what happens when the machine navigator gets ran over? Does the machine keep going and if so, who is driving…a robot?
Make sure when you ask someone if they need help that you don’t ignore the reality that is staring you right in the face — unless you like robots.
My list of project risks
There are at least a hundred reasons projects fail. Expect anything from vague requirements to budget shortages to waning passions to unreasonable project schedules. All novice mistakes… But we can’t all be experts on every topic. About the best we can do is identify the most common areas for failure, and discuss these with the team. At least the team will be aware.
Here’s a quick starter list. You’ll probably have to make it a little more diplomatic before presenting it to your group. “:)
1. Newbies don’t know how long things actually take.
2. Unfamiliar technologies need extra research time.
3. Virtual development teams don’t communicate the same as in-house.
4. Team members without a passion for the product won’t perform.
5. Vaguely defined projects either go on forever or burn up in debate.
6. Projects without top-level commitment get lost in the minutia.
7. If the company doesn’t need it bad enough, it will fail.
8. Pick only two: Cost, Quality, or Time. Let the third fall where it may.
–newshirt