Reforming Project Management » project scheduling

Does Reliability Matter in Project Planning?

Hal — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:20:27 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Ihad an interesting question about plan reliability. "Why does reliability (PPC) matter?" My first thought was, "Where do I start? Of course it matters!" Ok. Breathe in; breathe out. I know what to do.

A good planning system will enable project team members to fulfill their promises just as they make them

Let's start with PPC. We recommend measuring planning reliability using the measurement percent of promises completed. Our thinking is if people can do what they promise to do, then the planning is good. It doesn't mean that the future should be just as we planned it to be. Life's not like that. But, if we're doing a really good job with our planning, then most of the promises we make for completing work will be kept. PPC is a measure of reliability.(...)
Read the rest of Does Reliability Matter in Project Planning? (220 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Looking for 32 or more Dumb Project Management Questions

Hal — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:25:45 +0000

My last post created some interest and a little controversy. I don't think there are any dumb questions among team members. As the cliche goes, only the un-asked questions are dumb. Projects go much better when there is a free exchange among the participants. We all know this. Yet, for whatever reasons, usually having to do with fear, people often fail to ask when something looks unusual. Enron, Madoff, AIG…these tragedies in some way all involve people failing to ask questions.

Help generate a list of great dumb project management questions

I proposed 10 questions that are worth asking on our projects. The list was my list. Not scientific. No survey. Just based on my experience working on projects. A number of people left comments proposing other questions. Some sent me emails. So, let's try something together. I'm getting a book ready based on my project e-tips. It's in editing. I'm not sure when it will be published, although I have it on the front burner. What if we make my list of 10 dumb project management questions your list, but bigger? Let's see if we can generate a list of 42 really good dumb PM questions. (I'll tell you later why 42.) I'm looking for at least another 32 good dumb questions. Once I have a bunch, then I'll create a survey where you can vote up or down the questions. The top 42 will get published.

(...)
Read the rest of Looking for 32 or more Dumb Project Management Questions (134 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Out with Deterministic Project Planning

Hal — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:42:37 +0000

One of the highlights of the PMI Global Congress 2008 for me was my meeting with Greg Balestrero, CEO of PMI. On the last day of the congress Greg met with the PMI New Media Council for lunch. We had an hour-long chat. We heard what was on his mind and we shared some topics with him. Along the way we got into a conversation about standard practice and best practice. Eventually, Greg let out the "T" word. Let me back up…

The reductionist deterministic approach to planning had outlived its usefulness.

The PMI member community routinely misunderstands PMBoK® as PM methodology. It's not methodology. It is a guide to the generally accepted practices. And it is an ANSI standard. All that is meant by standard is that most people most of the time would do the actions described. It is not best practice. As the New Media Council members and Greg were discussing the usual confusion about PMBoK, one of the council members asked about featuring more best practice at the coming PMI Global Congress. Someone went on to say that we needed research into Project 2.0. It was in that conversation that Greg uttered the word "theory".

(...)
Read the rest of Out with Deterministic Project Planning (176 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Rules of Lean Project Management

Hal — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:29:21 +0000

Claude Emonde writes the weblog Surviving the Project Age at Project Times. He recently finished a four-part series on the Rules of Lean Project Management. Overall, he did a good job. Those of us who developed and teach the lean project approach don't refer to these ideas as rules. For us, we tend to think about principles. But, Claude has done a good job.

Make your choices and commitments at the last responsible moment.

Let's take a look at Claude's four rules.

(...)
Read the rest of Rules of Lean Project Management (278 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Why Do Deadlines Matter?

Hal — Fri, 25 May 2007 02:48:44 +0000

Hard to imagine in the world of projects that anyone would ask the question "Why do deadlines matter?" However, in the world of politics and world conflicts the argument is front and center. We learned this week, President Bush just won his battle with the Democrats in Congress. There will be no deadlines in the funding bill for the war in Iraq. To my surprise, I opened the June issue of Business 2.0 turning to Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor, Stanford University, to see his essay Why Deadlines Matter.(...)
Read the rest of Why Do Deadlines Matter? (198 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Don’t Give Up on Gantt Charts Yet

Hal — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:42:27 +0000

Article Series - Using Gantt Charts

The readers' comments on my last two day's postings on Gantt charts have helped me get my thoughts together for a longer up-coming project tip. In the meantime, I'll share these thoughts.

Gantt charts are snapshots of the state of a project. They leave open to interpretation the basic question everyone has about projects, "How is the project going?" The question requires an opinion. A snapshot is a poor basis for an opinion. We want to look across time to provide grounding for an assessment.

People can read a Gantt chart without training.

Progress updates on Gantt charts are misleading. The second question everyone asks is, "When will the project finish?" While done might mean "done", 60% complete doesn't tell you anything about how much time is required to finish the other 40%. If it were just one activity that was 60% complete we might have some idea about the impacts to other activities. As soon as there are more than one activity in a state of (...)
Read the rest of Don’t Give Up on Gantt Charts Yet (171 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

How Are You Using Gantt Charts to Brief Project Teams?

Hal — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:36:55 +0000

Article Series - Using Gantt Charts

Gantt, Earned Value, Critical Path, or Project Jazz?
What Has the Gantt Chart Done for You Lately?
How Are You Using Gantt Charts to Brief Project Teams?
Don’t Give Up on Gantt Charts Yet
Use a Gantt Chart as a Conversation Starter
Visiting Gantt Again with Apologies to Glen

I'm preparing to write another e-Tip on Gantt charts. (I know, it's been quite some time since my last e-Tip.) The Agilists and the Leanies don't use Gantt charts for planning, managing, or controlling their projects. Yesterday, I asked, What Has the Gantt Chart Done for You Lately? Chet and Jerry both left comments saying they see value in using Gantt charts for communicating overall project status, particularly up the organization. I'd also like to know,

"How are Gantt charts being used to brief the project team?"

A Gantt chart can provide a contextual view of the project.

I have the sense that a Gantt chart can provide a contextual view of the project. At the same time, I've been working on some big projects — power station construction — where the only briefing of the project team is done verbally. How do you see Gantt charts could be used to keep a team focused on the project?

Previous in series Next in series

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

What Has the Gantt Chart Done for You Lately?

Hal — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 03:58:19 +0000

Article Series - Using Gantt Charts

Gantt, Earned Value, Critical Path, or Project Jazz?
What Has the Gantt Chart Done for You Lately?
How Are You Using Gantt Charts to Brief Project Teams?
Don’t Give Up on Gantt Charts Yet
Use a Gantt Chart as a Conversation Starter
Visiting Gantt Again with Apologies to Glen

Almost every project has a Gantt chart, but what is it doing for you? I ask the question with a sincere interest in how projects are better managed with Gantt charts. Is it a visual thing? Does it help you to steer the project? How does it aid you to stay in control? Alternatively, are their other tools that you rely on to manage your projects? Please leave your comments.

Previous in series Next in series

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

More Schedule Games People Play

Hal — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:59:30 +0000

Johanna is doing a great job with the series at Managing Product Development. We've all seen these schedule games. We may even recognize the names. Her posts so far:

Have a look. And let's hope she keeps the series going.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Games Project Teams Play

Hal — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:27:10 +0000

A project team has a chance to succeed when team members feel free to fully express how they are doing, what help they need, and what help they can offer. Unfortunately, all too often project teams are engaged in another practice. Johanna Rothman, author of Managing Product Development, calls it Schedule Game #1: Schedule Chicken. Johanna describes the game this way:

(E)veryone claims they're on time. But the reality is that each person is waiting for another person to explain why he or she is not ready. In that case, each person graciously says, "Oh, that's fine with me if you take an extra week or two or three. No problem."

Johanna explains how it's possible to play the game:

Schedule Chicken occurs when PMs only measure the milestones (the date), and not the stuff that's created (the feature set) and the progress towards creating that stuff (velocity) and how good that stuff is (the defect levels) all throughout the project.

Based on Johanna's posting title I'm guessing she'll be treating us to a series on schedule games teams play. Let's help her out. What games have you seen team members playing?

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Project Meeting Protocols: Managing Commitments in a Stand-Up Setting

Hal — Sun, 03 Apr 2005 22:22:56 +0000

Article Series - Project Meeting Protocols

Project Meeting Protocols
Look-Ahead Planning
Weekly Work Planning
Daily Coordination for Managing Promises
Improving the Planning System Performance
Starting a Project Well Begins with a Kickoff Meeting
Project Meeting Protocols: Managing Commitments in a Stand-Up Setting

I've been re-thinking the Daily Coordination Meeting. I've been watching daily meetings. Often, the project participants are taking care of basic coordination — doing last-minute planning — rather than managing their commitments. The name of the meeting Daily Coordination is part of the problem, but only part. Coordinating one group with another is a small part of the the daily meeting. The most important part is taking the time to let each other know that you and your group have done what you said you would do for that day. This builds trust and it creates a basis for the performing groups to take the hedging out of their promising. When one group doesn't have confidence in what another group will do for them, then we understandably get hedging. Hedging leads to work areas being ready but no one working. The aim is for the project work to flow unimpeded from one performing group to another.

Even the most reliable performers have to deal with the unexpected.

A second key aspect of a meeting for managing commitments is to make timely declarations of completion.(...)
Read the rest of Project Meeting Protocols: Managing Commitments in a Stand-Up Setting (311 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

CPM: What Do You Prefer?

Hal — Mon, 12 Jan 2004 06:40:03 +0000

Over a year ago I published a series of postings on the critical path method that produced all kinds of comments and emails from readers. I collected those postings into a two-page article that I published on this site as CPM: Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice. Shortly thereafter, Greg Howell caught some article in ENR on CPM. It was the usual stuff about project managers just need to learn how to use the CPM tools. In an unpublished letter to the editor (with a copy to me) he replied this way:

"CPM is the tool for you if you believe what you know is more important than what you can learn, and if you prefer being "In Charge" to getting the project done, and if out-of-date plans are more useful than a team prepared for action."

Without promising the project is full of delay. That is waste. And it leads to more waste.

While I see what he is saying, and I think the phrasing is clever, many people might not get why he says it. Greg is indirectly pointing to the stasis of the use of the CPM tools. People don't have the habits or the inclination to keep the CPM schedules up-to-date. Little variations and missing task status can throw a CPM schedule out of whack. Soon people lose confidence and ignore the schedule.

Another key issue has to do with the authorization of work. The PMBoK® says something like, "Work is authorized by the schedule." Authorization is not the issue. Coordination among the team is the issue. Team members depend on the completion of work (prerequisites) so they can begin their work. But beginning work is the easy part. Other team members want to know when you will finish your work. They, just like you, want a promise. Without promising the project is full of delay. That is waste. And it leads to more waste.

Team members can make promises on the work they will perform informed by a CPM schedule. That would be wonderful. But we don't see that behavior. In fact, we see, as Greg so aptly puts it,

"The usual project meeting is a commitment-free zone." The CPM schedule is just one of the excuses for not doing what needs to be done."

What do you prefer? I don't know anyone who would identify with Greg's characterization. And teams need some guidance of overall sequence of work. Bob Huber, Scheduling Manager, The Boldt Company, suggests The Marriage of CPM and Lean Construction in his paper co-authored with Paul Reiser presented at last year's International Group for Lean Construction's 11th Conference. He urges people to use CPM at a high level rather than a detailed task level. Further detail is left to the people performing the work. The result is a CPM schedule that is easy to keep up-to-date and doesn't have swings in it from week to week. People will use that schedule.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh