Comments on: Prepare Your Team for Uncertainty, the Project Reformer’s e-Tip http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/ The magazine for the project age Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:36:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Bob Wells http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/#comment-277 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/#comment-277 This made me think of project management as a metaphor for war. What's the Powell Doctrine for construction? What kind of Project Manager is Don Rumsfeld? Do you just go and build a project with the team you've got, or with the team you want? And most importantly: What defines victory; how do you know you've won? Think Iraq War and go back and reread the tip. This made me think of project management as a metaphor for war. What’s the Powell Doctrine for construction? What kind of Project Manager is Don Rumsfeld? Do you just go and build a project with the team you’ve got, or with the team you want? And most importantly: What defines victory; how do you know you’ve won?

Think Iraq War and go back and reread the tip.

]]> by: Evelyn Mitchell http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/#comment-278 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/#comment-278 Just last night, I was talking with a new project manager who has had a career in sales. He was wondering if he should buy this fancy software package for project management. My advice was: PM sets business goals. Developers set estimates. Make the developers breakup tasks when their estimates are more than a half-day's work. And, most importantly, check in with everyone once a day. It's a social problem, not a tech problem. I suggested he use index cards for keeping track of status. (It's a tiny project, though with too many developers.) My question is, what's a good structure for having team planning conversations? Just last night, I was talking with a new project manager who has had a career in sales.

He was wondering if he should buy this fancy software package for project management.

My advice was: PM sets business goals. Developers set estimates. Make the developers breakup tasks when their estimates are more than a half-day’s work. And, most importantly, check in with everyone once a day.

It’s a social problem, not a tech problem.

I suggested he use index cards for keeping track of status. (It’s a tiny project, though with too many developers.)

My question is, what’s a good structure for having team planning conversations?

]]> by: Hal http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/#comment-279 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2004/12/14/437/#comment-279 Funny you should ask. There are a series of different team planning conversations. Have a look at today's posting on 'Look-Ahead Planning' meeting protocol. Funny you should ask. There are a series of different team planning conversations. Have a look at today’s posting on ‘Look-Ahead Planning’ meeting protocol.

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