Comments on: Looking for 32 or more Dumb Project Management Questions http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/ The magazine for the project age Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:20:14 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Phil - Gantt Chart Definition http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20917 Phil - Gantt Chart Definition Mon, 04 May 2009 10:31:17 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20917 Why did we start with critical path but ended up implementing a waterfall approach? Interesting post as dumb questions are usually the ones the project managers forget to consider. Why did we start with critical path but ended up implementing a waterfall approach?

Interesting post as dumb questions are usually the ones the project managers forget to consider.

]]> By: Alec Satin - Making Project Management Better http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20862 Alec Satin - Making Project Management Better Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:21:36 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20862 Hi Hal, "Is this project answering the right question?" Great topic, Alec Hi Hal,

“Is this project answering the right question?”

Great topic,
Alec

]]> By: whyohwhy http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20860 whyohwhy Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:14:08 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20860 Usually questions that begin with "why", "is", "are", "does" etc. are bad because they are closed questions. Why-questions are especially bad unless you are doing root cause analysis. Usually questions that begin with “why”, “is”, “are”, “does” etc. are bad because they are closed questions. Why-questions are especially bad unless you are doing root cause analysis.

]]> By: Project_LA http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20859 Project_LA Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:01:56 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20859 What are the main problems with the way things are done today? What are the main problems with the way things are done today?

]]> By: Hal http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20851 Hal Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:22:01 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20851 Thanks everyone for your proposals. Voting has now begun. So, please post all future additions to this list at <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/dumb-project-management-questions" rel="nofollow">Not-So Dumb Project Management Questions</a>. Thanks everyone for your proposals. Voting has now begun. So, please post all future additions to this list at Not-So Dumb Project Management Questions.

]]> By: Jennifer Revill http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20850 Jennifer Revill Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:50:38 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20850 1. What have I forgotten to ask? 2. Is anyone uncomfortable with any aspect of this? 3. Does anyone have any questions? and my favorite: 4. How can we avoid having another meeting on this topic? these work well for construction projects but can be generalized to any PM. 1. What have I forgotten to ask?
2. Is anyone uncomfortable with any aspect of this?
3. Does anyone have any questions?
and my favorite:
4. How can we avoid having another meeting on this topic?

these work well for construction projects but can be generalized to any PM.

]]> By: Chris Hall http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20849 Chris Hall Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:24:31 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20849 One of my favorites is: Can you explain that to me? I like getting stakeholders to fully explain complex situations so that everybody (paying attention) ;) has the ability to understand what's going on. Even if its super boring, because something will usually be said that will trigger a reaction either in me or another team member and we'll be on our way to a solution. One of my favorites is: Can you explain that to me?

I like getting stakeholders to fully explain complex situations so that everybody (paying attention) ;) has the ability to understand what’s going on. Even if its super boring, because something will usually be said that will trigger a reaction either in me or another team member and we’ll be on our way to a solution.

]]> By: Jeff Loeb http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20848 Jeff Loeb Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:22:20 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20848 Hi Hal - three of my favorites: 1. What do you think we’re missing? 2. Is there anything bothering you? 3. Who else should we bring into this discussion? Hi Hal – three of my favorites:

1. What do you think we’re missing?
2. Is there anything bothering you?
3. Who else should we bring into this discussion?

]]> By: Josh Nankivel http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20847 Josh Nankivel Sat, 14 Feb 2009 08:09:40 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20847 The answer is 42, but what is the question? ;-) Here's another one: "What does this mean to you?" Josh Nankivel http://pmStudent.com The answer is 42, but what is the question? ;-)

Here’s another one: “What does this mean to you?”

Josh Nankivel
http://pmStudent.com

]]> By: Basil Vandegriend http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20846 Basil Vandegriend Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:13:11 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20846 I recently posted an article on 100 interview questions to ask employers: http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2009/100-interview-questions-to-ask-employers There are a number of questions relevant to project management - check out especially the sections on Management, Teams, and Project Management (obviously :). I don't really consider these 'dumb' questions :) I recently posted an article on 100 interview questions to ask employers: http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2009/100-interview-questions-to-ask-employers

There are a number of questions relevant to project management – check out especially the sections on Management, Teams, and Project Management (obviously :) . I don’t really consider these ‘dumb’ questions :)

]]> By: Josh Nankivel http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20845 Josh Nankivel Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:13:37 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20845 Question asked of a technical lead on a complex project: "Tell me about xxx. What does that entail?" Josh Nankivel http://pmStudent.com Question asked of a technical lead on a complex project: “Tell me about xxx. What does that entail?”

Josh Nankivel
http://pmStudent.com

]]> By: Hope http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/comment-page-1/#comment-20844 Hope Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:36:47 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/12/897/#comment-20844 I got involved with the second phase of a major project with existing requirements documentation. I realized quickly that the documentation was not even near complete (!) and started fighting with our software provider and internal departments to get at least a big picture of all the elements we need. I thought we had it all. Everyone said the document was complete. Then I asked one dumb question: "So, what reports are you using now that you'll need with the new system?" - Wow!!! Amazing all the major issues that came to light based on that one question!! There were big features completely missing (I didn't know about them, being relatively new in the company) and others they thought weren't important that are going to be very difficult to solve. Then I was talking to the software developer and asked another dumb question: "Please, can you explain how you are going to solve this?" This led to a long explanation, followed by "Ok, but you mentioned X. Can you explain it?" and then "Can you explain Y?" which, at the end, led to us all realizing they had no clue what we wanted and none of us had realized we had not communicated what we wanted / had not been understood. The good part? By recognizing it now, we still have a chance to "fix" it with low-cost and low-aggravation (nothing worse than getting a delivery and it's useless!). I got involved with the second phase of a major project with existing requirements documentation. I realized quickly that the documentation was not even near complete (!) and started fighting with our software provider and internal departments to get at least a big picture of all the elements we need. I thought we had it all. Everyone said the document was complete. Then I asked one dumb question:
“So, what reports are you using now that you’ll need with the new system?” – Wow!!! Amazing all the major issues that came to light based on that one question!! There were big features completely missing (I didn’t know about them, being relatively new in the company) and others they thought weren’t important that are going to be very difficult to solve.
Then I was talking to the software developer and asked another dumb question:
“Please, can you explain how you are going to solve this?” This led to a long explanation, followed by “Ok, but you mentioned X. Can you explain it?” and then “Can you explain Y?” which, at the end, led to us all realizing they had no clue what we wanted and none of us had realized we had not communicated what we wanted / had not been understood.
The good part? By recognizing it now, we still have a chance to “fix” it with low-cost and low-aggravation (nothing worse than getting a delivery and it’s useless!).

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