If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
This is one of those annoying questions that philosophy professors like to pose as thought experiments to students pondering the nature of reality. A true student of philosophy may launch into a heavy discussion of metaphysics. Those who prefer their questions to be answerable would do well to respond: It depends. Define "sound."
The American Heritage Dictionary...
How do you determine whether a project is "successful?"
That it was on time? Partially.
That it was within budget? Certainly helps.
That the end product meets business objectives and performs to specification? Bingo.
"Quality Assurance" is sometimes (incorrectly) thought of as being synonymous with "Testing." And, many designers & developers treat Quality Assurance, or QA, as an afterthought--a task to be done after a product is developed. But quality assurance is an integral part of the development process, not...
Sep.01.09 , In
Project Management , by
Niki Hammond
According to the press release, the Microsoft/Yahoo! search deal is expected to take approximately 24 months to implement following regulatory approval. This estimate has some people wondering why it should take so long and others doubting it will happen that quickly.
To get a sense of what’s likely to be happening during those 24 months, note that this is not just one big technology integration project. The deal is comprised of multiple points, each of which...
George Bernard Shaw once said, “America and Britain are two countries separated by a common language.” As an American married to a Brit, I can personally attest to the truth of this statement. Minor differences in culture can create a language barrier even when we think we’re speaking the same language.
While our countries of origin create a bit of a cultural gap, an even bigger one is created by the fact that I am a...
Now.
I recently overheard this comment regarding a project that was initiated four months ago and has a deadline of July 30. "We're still sort of in the planning stages right now, but once the work begins we'll need to hire a PM to see it through." This was said by a non-technical staff member of a very technical project.
While textbooks may not define it as such, Planning IS work. It is perhaps the most undervalued,...
"Gee I'd love to help, but can you be more specific about what you want? Please tell me the exact time of day you need this done, how much detail you need, and the color of the shoes you were wearing when you first made the request."
Have you ever sent a relatively simple request to someone and gotten a delayed response requesting more information? Was the request for more info justified, or did it just...
Apr.24.08 , In
Project Management , by
Niki Hammond
Most of us know how to behave in someone else's meeting, but what if someone is being disruptive or unproductive in YOUR meeting? Here are some tips on how to gracefully handle some of the worst meeting etiquette offenders.
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Sep.20.07 , In
Project Management , by
Niki Hammond
Via http://wolphination.com/linux/:
...many Open Source projects fall apart before they see the light of day, mostly due to management reasons. You are receiving this directly from someone who has had an Open Source project disintegrate ... and has had to pick up the pieces, so the common pitfalls listed below are frighteningly genuine and happen to the most motivated of project managers. They all, ultimately, result in developer dropout and thus the death or...
Sep.19.07 , In
Project Management , by
Niki Hammond
Heather Maxwell Chandler has a great piece on Gamasutra about using project management in the gaming industry. From the article:
Because most game developers are suspicious of formal processes it is natural for them to be wary of any procedures the “suits” want to impose on them. So if the team views the producer as a vital part of the of the development team, the more willing they are to listen to the producer’s ideas...