Comments on: Project Performance Reviews Meets Microblogging http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/ The magazine for the project age Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:20:14 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Elroy King http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21810 Elroy King Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:37:20 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21810 You are absolutely right, "assessments" should be a continual thing. The problem arises that when you are in the middle of the project you are more concerned about the fires than about documenting. You can get a reminder of what to document as lessons learned while the project is still going to <a href="www.pmexamready.com" rel="nofollow">www.pmexamready.com</a> and searching on lessons learned. You are absolutely right, “assessments” should be a continual thing. The problem arises that when you are in the middle of the project you are more concerned about the fires than about documenting. You can get a reminder of what to document as lessons learned while the project is still going to http://www.pmexamready.com and searching on lessons learned.

]]> By: Project Management Systems http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21234 Project Management Systems Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:26:54 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21234 In my opinion it doesn’t produce much value. The current project is over so can’t benefit from what is said. The project team is often broken up sending people to different projects. Instead, do project assessments all the time. On lean projects people have many practices for assessing learning and performance. The practices range from simple plus|delta reviews at the end of a meeting, to formal retrospectives at the end of a milestone or whenever a breakdown occurs. ..... In my opinion it doesn’t produce much value. The current project is over so can’t benefit from what is said. The project team is often broken up sending people to different projects. Instead, do project assessments all the time. On lean projects people have many practices for assessing learning and performance. The practices range from simple plus|delta reviews at the end of a meeting, to formal retrospectives at the end of a milestone or whenever a breakdown occurs. …..

]]> By: Veronica Brown http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21059 Veronica Brown Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:45:25 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21059 I agree, I feel tools like these will totally change project management. I will take a look at Rypple, thanks for the post. Veronica I agree, I feel tools like these will totally change project management. I will take a look at Rypple, thanks for the post.

Veronica

]]> By: Dina Garfinkel http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21019 Dina Garfinkel Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:23:12 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21019 Such an interesting idea, to use a yammer or Rypple or Twitter type tool to gather feedback about a project. I definitely want to try this out. I always wonder why the books recommend waiting a few weeks after the project has finished to hold the review, it's harder to remember a lot of the details when time has passed and you're already well into the next project(s). But, to have a place to provide instant project feedback/lessons learned is a great idea. I started a folder on a shared drive for this on one project, but I love the idea of using a twitter-type system. Coincidentally, LiquidPlanner has a Twitter type collaboration feature build into its project management system, so I could make a folder or task in my LiquidPlanner project called "Feedback" and have people post there on what's going on at the moment and what we could be doing better. Exciting stuff, thanks for sharing this! Such an interesting idea, to use a yammer or Rypple or Twitter type tool to gather feedback about a project. I definitely want to try this out. I always wonder why the books recommend waiting a few weeks after the project has finished to hold the review, it’s harder to remember a lot of the details when time has passed and you’re already well into the next project(s). But, to have a place to provide instant project feedback/lessons learned is a great idea. I started a folder on a shared drive for this on one project, but I love the idea of using a twitter-type system. Coincidentally, LiquidPlanner has a Twitter type collaboration feature build into its project management system, so I could make a folder or task in my LiquidPlanner project called “Feedback” and have people post there on what’s going on at the moment and what we could be doing better.

Exciting stuff, thanks for sharing this!

]]> By: Hal http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21018 Hal Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:28:47 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21018 Hey Dennis, My point exatly about the post project review. They are generally not used for learning, where the assessments made lead to action. Regarding Dr. Deming's point on ratings, I also agree. The online tool is not used for ratings. Rather, it is used for very timely short assessments and observations. It starts with someone asking, "How did I just do?" Now that could be quite useful. Hal Hey Dennis,
My point exatly about the post project review. They are generally not used for learning, where the assessments made lead to action. Regarding Dr. Deming’s point on ratings, I also agree. The online tool is not used for ratings. Rather, it is used for very timely short assessments and observations. It starts with someone asking, “How did I just do?” Now that could be quite useful.
Hal

]]> By: Dennis Sowards http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21017 Dennis Sowards Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:18:53 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21017 I feel there is a value for post project reviews but few companies learn from them. Even though the project is over and the team goes different places there are system and method improvements that can be identified and improved for future projects. What's more, a company can look at all post project reviews done in a year to see what common issues exist and address the bigger picture. I have seen how one company used the reviews to really improve. The idea is not bad, it just isn't used as a learning tool. Regarding the Business Week article about how technology can be a used - it is a tool with great potential, but if the focus is on surveys that do performance ratings it will not be a learning opportunity. Dr. Deming was right about getting rid of performance ratings. Technology may make ratings faster but making something that is useless better is waste. If the ratings are then tied to promotions, rewards or salary increases, it will compound the problem and create games useful only for Dilbert cartoons. I feel there is a value for post project reviews but few companies learn from them. Even though the project is over and the team goes different places there are system and method improvements that can be identified and improved for future projects. What’s more, a company can look at all post project reviews done in a year to see what common issues exist and address the bigger picture. I have seen how one company used the reviews to really improve. The idea is not bad, it just isn’t used as a learning tool. Regarding the Business Week article about how technology can be a used – it is a tool with great potential, but if the focus is on surveys that do performance ratings it will not be a learning opportunity. Dr. Deming was right about getting rid of performance ratings. Technology may make ratings faster but making something that is useless better is waste. If the ratings are then tied to promotions, rewards or salary increases, it will compound the problem and create games useful only for Dilbert cartoons.

]]> By: Ron Rosenhead http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-21010 Ron Rosenhead Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:57:26 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-21010 Thanks for this. I am just putting my fingers to the key board looking at learning in project management; your posting is good timing. I believe we have forgotten how to learn. I recently attended the Lovelace Lecture in London where the "Sins of IT projects and why they fail (some times)" were described. In total some 8 sins were talked about. ALL of them are known but we still make the same mistakes. So, if we make the same mistakes we cannot be learning - post project or not. Whetehr trechnology is the asnwer I would be interested in any feedback - always willing to learn! Thanks for this. I am just putting my fingers to the key board looking at learning in project management; your posting is good timing. I believe we have forgotten how to learn.

I recently attended the Lovelace Lecture in London where the “Sins of IT projects and why they fail (some times)” were described. In total some 8 sins were talked about. ALL of them are known but we still make the same mistakes. So, if we make the same mistakes we cannot be learning – post project or not.

Whetehr trechnology is the asnwer I would be interested in any feedback – always willing to learn!

]]> By: David Priemer http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-20993 David Priemer Thu, 28 May 2009 18:21:46 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-20993 Thanks for the post Hal. You're bang on! With Rypple, we've seen the same principles you discuss in the realm of project management applied to personal performance as well as a similar applications in higher education (with professors and educators requesting ongoing feedback from both students and their peers). The other interesting thing we've found is that there are many uses for Rypple where the veil of anonymity isn't as important as having an easily digestible, threaded feedback loop that you simply can't get with email, surveys, or even tools like Yammer. For example, asking your project team for their "best suggestion on how to improve the post go-live transition process may" not be a terribly ego-driven question that requires anonymity, but using Rypple to collect and present the feedback while ensuring that people's answers are focused is still of interest to many. Feel free to check out some of the use cases our users have suggested at the bottom of Rypple.com. Thanks for the post Hal. You’re bang on! With Rypple, we’ve seen the same principles you discuss in the realm of project management applied to personal performance as well as a similar applications in higher education (with professors and educators requesting ongoing feedback from both students and their peers).

The other interesting thing we’ve found is that there are many uses for Rypple where the veil of anonymity isn’t as important as having an easily digestible, threaded feedback loop that you simply can’t get with email, surveys, or even tools like Yammer. For example, asking your project team for their “best suggestion on how to improve the post go-live transition process may” not be a terribly ego-driven question that requires anonymity, but using Rypple to collect and present the feedback while ensuring that people’s answers are focused is still of interest to many.

Feel free to check out some of the use cases our users have suggested at the bottom of Rypple.com.

]]> By: David Schmaltz http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-20991 David Schmaltz Thu, 28 May 2009 09:19:26 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-20991 Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank had a brilliant column about anonymous commenting last month: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041702639.html Peter Block asked, "If performance reviews work so well, why don't we give them to our spouses?" My opinion: whatever continues the conversation is ultimately a good thing. My recommendation: Read Project Retrospectives by Norm Kerth (Dorset House Publishing) for some innovative ideas about eliminating post mortems (unless somebody died) and replacing them with retrospectives. No reason to wait until the project's over to conduct these, either. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank had a brilliant column about anonymous commenting last month: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041702639.html

Peter Block asked, “If performance reviews work so well, why don’t we give them to our spouses?”

My opinion: whatever continues the conversation is ultimately a good thing.

My recommendation: Read Project Retrospectives by Norm Kerth (Dorset House Publishing) for some innovative ideas about eliminating post mortems (unless somebody died) and replacing them with retrospectives. No reason to wait until the project’s over to conduct these, either.

]]> By: Project Management Tools & Techniques http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/05/27/968/comment-page-1/#comment-20989 Project Management Tools & Techniques Thu, 28 May 2009 04:37:37 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/?p=968#comment-20989 There are lots of good tools for this. Yammer is one, as is Etherpad (it's real time, and can be used anonymously). Writeboard is also effective. There are lots of good tools for this. Yammer is one, as is Etherpad (it’s real time, and can be used anonymously). Writeboard is also effective.

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