Cautionary note to self (and other bloggers): remember what happened to the author of Petite Anglais - fired for a) mentioning work (or her boss) unfavourably in her Blog, b) posting a picture of herself on her blog, and c) working on it during office hours.
Could that happen here? Perhaps some discreet inquiries are in order....
Friday, July 28, 2006
Kissinger and a glass of house red
There are some jobs where you have to do pretty much the same thing every day. You know the ones I mean - factory workers, shop assistants, dentists.... Sorry, but I am really glad I don't have one of those.
My job is like a corked bottle on the ocean. Sometimes it rides the crest of the wave, and I have barely a spare moment to myself. And sometimes it lolls in the trough, gathering energy for the next effort.
I like that.
This week has been a perfect example. On Tuesday I had a 5-hour practice meeting that was participative, interactive and really quite enjoyable. And it appears my managerial colleagues have indicated their desire to conduct 1:1s with their staff! Cool.
I voluntarily spent most of Wednesday drafting a PMs guide to conducting One-to-Ones, shamelessly plagiarising the content on Manager Tools (why not? they have the best advice on the subject). A nice and slow, but productive day.
On Thursday I had a half-hour meeting at 2:30 to review my Terms of Reference document for (what I will call) Project Condor. It lasted until 5:15, and I came out of it with a good half-a-dozen new entries on my to-do list. Surprise! Good job I don't get all possessive about my written work, and can take professional criticism.
In case you're wondering, it's only 6 pages long and no, the criticism did not in itself consume 165 minutes! It took so long because for the most part the critics could not always agree among themselves. Negotiating the final wording was like playing Henry Kissinger. By the time I left the meeting, I was so knackered I packed up and went home.
Oh, and today I had lunch at the local Italian restaurant. A lovely Fettucini alla Peppino and a glass of very tolerable red wine, and that was the end of my week, enthusiasm-wise. The resultant lethargy was of course perfectly predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless.
On the subject of my latest endeavor, it's just a feasibility study according to the Business and a Strategic Options Analysis according to the chief Infrastructure techies. Whatever. Anyhow, we had the first workshop on Monday, and the next one is next Tuesday. I spent some time today (one of the new items on my to-do list) planning the content of the agenda for Tuesday, and attempting to come up with a plan to produce all the information we need in four weeks.
I have but one cause for trepidation. When this FS / SOA is complete, it will take the Board weeks and weeks and weeks to decide what to do and when. Which means that I will be assigned another piece of work. No, you misunderstand, I'm not being lazy, it's just that I don't want to be distracted when the project kicks off for real. When they finally make up their minds and agree to spend the money to get "Condor.com", I want to be available to take on the job. It's mine!
My job is like a corked bottle on the ocean. Sometimes it rides the crest of the wave, and I have barely a spare moment to myself. And sometimes it lolls in the trough, gathering energy for the next effort.
I like that.
This week has been a perfect example. On Tuesday I had a 5-hour practice meeting that was participative, interactive and really quite enjoyable. And it appears my managerial colleagues have indicated their desire to conduct 1:1s with their staff! Cool.
I voluntarily spent most of Wednesday drafting a PMs guide to conducting One-to-Ones, shamelessly plagiarising the content on Manager Tools (why not? they have the best advice on the subject). A nice and slow, but productive day.
On Thursday I had a half-hour meeting at 2:30 to review my Terms of Reference document for (what I will call) Project Condor. It lasted until 5:15, and I came out of it with a good half-a-dozen new entries on my to-do list. Surprise! Good job I don't get all possessive about my written work, and can take professional criticism.
In case you're wondering, it's only 6 pages long and no, the criticism did not in itself consume 165 minutes! It took so long because for the most part the critics could not always agree among themselves. Negotiating the final wording was like playing Henry Kissinger. By the time I left the meeting, I was so knackered I packed up and went home.
Oh, and today I had lunch at the local Italian restaurant. A lovely Fettucini alla Peppino and a glass of very tolerable red wine, and that was the end of my week, enthusiasm-wise. The resultant lethargy was of course perfectly predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless.
On the subject of my latest endeavor, it's just a feasibility study according to the Business and a Strategic Options Analysis according to the chief Infrastructure techies. Whatever. Anyhow, we had the first workshop on Monday, and the next one is next Tuesday. I spent some time today (one of the new items on my to-do list) planning the content of the agenda for Tuesday, and attempting to come up with a plan to produce all the information we need in four weeks.
I have but one cause for trepidation. When this FS / SOA is complete, it will take the Board weeks and weeks and weeks to decide what to do and when. Which means that I will be assigned another piece of work. No, you misunderstand, I'm not being lazy, it's just that I don't want to be distracted when the project kicks off for real. When they finally make up their minds and agree to spend the money to get "Condor.com", I want to be available to take on the job. It's mine!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that I have added a counter to the bottom of the sidebar on my site. Not uncommon, but I have found a link to the unofficial Blogger Top 100.
What I found highly amusing is that the site itself is in position 40, twenty places below Crochet Me Online Magazine! Who woulda thunk it?
What's No. 1? Go check it out for yourself - that's what hyperlinks are for, no?
What I found highly amusing is that the site itself is in position 40, twenty places below Crochet Me Online Magazine! Who woulda thunk it?
What's No. 1? Go check it out for yourself - that's what hyperlinks are for, no?
Motivating from scratch
When I was one of only two people left in the office last night, a colleague of mine came round to my desk, pulled up a chair and said, "I have an interesting conundrum."
That got my attention. He's a managerial newbie, but bright and enthusiastic, so I am happy to help.
He went on to explain that he has been asked to manage a small project to implement a tool to automate the deployment of Java code. The project has no Business owner (it comes from the Production Support team) and no real future, because once we migrate to Websphere, the tool will become redundant. It therefore has little priority and therefore no resources. No-one wants to do it either for the reasons already mentioned - it's pretty pointless really.
His conundrum is that it's his job to deliver it, but how can he get some motivation into his team when everyone thinks they should be doing something more worthwhile?
Good question, I thought.
After a little consideration, I suggested getting the guy who originally asked for the thing to come along to the project kick-off meeting and present his objectives and requirements. It will also allow the team to ask questions like Why? If that doesn't work, he'll have to consider bribery :)
That got my attention. He's a managerial newbie, but bright and enthusiastic, so I am happy to help.
He went on to explain that he has been asked to manage a small project to implement a tool to automate the deployment of Java code. The project has no Business owner (it comes from the Production Support team) and no real future, because once we migrate to Websphere, the tool will become redundant. It therefore has little priority and therefore no resources. No-one wants to do it either for the reasons already mentioned - it's pretty pointless really.
His conundrum is that it's his job to deliver it, but how can he get some motivation into his team when everyone thinks they should be doing something more worthwhile?
Good question, I thought.
After a little consideration, I suggested getting the guy who originally asked for the thing to come along to the project kick-off meeting and present his objectives and requirements. It will also allow the team to ask questions like Why? If that doesn't work, he'll have to consider bribery :)
Monday, July 24, 2006
Pod(cast) racing
I have been trying to catch up on some of the historical stuff from the Cranky Middle Manager Show, since I have only recently started watching and listening to it.
I thought that this one on virtual teams was appropriate, since so many of the large organisations here in the UK have employees scattered across numerous sites, often in different countries.
Another reason for choosing that topic is that I have already listened to this excellent offering on the same subject from M-T, and I was struck by the different styles of the two. The podcasts line up side-by-side at the starting gate...
While CMMS has a casual interview sort of style, the M-T 'cast is more presentational. Wayne Turmel's CMMS is chatty and witty, and deals with the subject at a high-level describing the problems and possibilities, and what needs to be done.
Mark Horstman on Manager Tools on the other hand, presents the lower-level details of how to do it. I would recommend listening to both shows. CMMS first, then M-T.
Let me know what you think. Which one wins?
I thought that this one on virtual teams was appropriate, since so many of the large organisations here in the UK have employees scattered across numerous sites, often in different countries.
Another reason for choosing that topic is that I have already listened to this excellent offering on the same subject from M-T, and I was struck by the different styles of the two. The podcasts line up side-by-side at the starting gate...
While CMMS has a casual interview sort of style, the M-T 'cast is more presentational. Wayne Turmel's CMMS is chatty and witty, and deals with the subject at a high-level describing the problems and possibilities, and what needs to be done.
Mark Horstman on Manager Tools on the other hand, presents the lower-level details of how to do it. I would recommend listening to both shows. CMMS first, then M-T.
Let me know what you think. Which one wins?
Kick-Off
To me the most exciting part of any project is not the Go-Live, but the kick-off. The point at which I first get involved.
Today, we kicked-off in earnest.
Sixteen people in one conference room. I had asked the Business rep to give us a presentation on the background to the project, and after a delay finding the projector, all went swimmingly. The presentation generated a number of questions, which showed that people were interested and listening, and we got into the technical stuff later than I had hoped. Never mind, it went pretty well I thought, for a kick-off meeting. Everyone now knows where we have come from and where we need to be in the latter part of next year.
All we need now is to figure out how to get there. And we have six weeks to accomplish that.
Today, we kicked-off in earnest.
Sixteen people in one conference room. I had asked the Business rep to give us a presentation on the background to the project, and after a delay finding the projector, all went swimmingly. The presentation generated a number of questions, which showed that people were interested and listening, and we got into the technical stuff later than I had hoped. Never mind, it went pretty well I thought, for a kick-off meeting. Everyone now knows where we have come from and where we need to be in the latter part of next year.
All we need now is to figure out how to get there. And we have six weeks to accomplish that.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Cranky
The recent heat wave in Britain is making me cranky. Although it's in weather like this - when the temperature is in the mid-thirties - that an air-conditioned car is THE way to commute, and the office air-conditioning is tolerable on most days, it's being at home that is getting to me.
Apart from the usual chores, I am not doing much of anything. The heat is sucking up all of my energy and enthusiasm. The nights are, if anything, worse than the days. When the sun finally goes down, the air becomes still and the faint warm breeze that earlier flapped at the curtains disappears. It takes me ages to get to sleep, bathed in my own perspiration, trying in vain to find a cool spot on the sheets.
I'd almost rather be at my desk. At least there I'd be cool, comfortable and productive.
Speaking of cranky people :-), I got my first comment a few days ago. Wayne Turmel - host & producer of The Cranky Middle Manager show - has obviously noticed his site on my blogroll, and took the time to welcome me to the blogosphere. Thanks Wayne.
Apart from the usual chores, I am not doing much of anything. The heat is sucking up all of my energy and enthusiasm. The nights are, if anything, worse than the days. When the sun finally goes down, the air becomes still and the faint warm breeze that earlier flapped at the curtains disappears. It takes me ages to get to sleep, bathed in my own perspiration, trying in vain to find a cool spot on the sheets.
I'd almost rather be at my desk. At least there I'd be cool, comfortable and productive.
Speaking of cranky people :-), I got my first comment a few days ago. Wayne Turmel - host & producer of The Cranky Middle Manager show - has obviously noticed his site on my blogroll, and took the time to welcome me to the blogosphere. Thanks Wayne.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Exciting times lay ahead
Yesterday, I attended a workshop of Business managers on the subject of a new business proposition. Someone in the company has recognised a growing threat to our revenue stream, and people are now working out what to do about it.
I have been asked to undertake a feasibility study - actually it will be more of a Solution Development process - to investigate how the IT systems would cope with the proposed solution to this threat. The study starts with a workshop on Monday, and in six weeks time I hope to have completed the study and have compiled a presentation with a recommended approach, high-level designs and time and cost estimates.
No, that's actually not the exciting part. The exciting part is that there seems to be a genuine enthusiasm to get a solution in place as rapidly as possible, and I am in the forefront of candidates to manage the project. As far as I am aware, there are no other candidates. It wil be, by the standards of my previous experience, a massive undertaking, but I am confident that I am up to the job.
It will be a VERY exciting project, resulting in the creation of a new brand name, with national exposure. If all goes well, and it's sucessful, it will look very impressive on my CV. And there's nothing more motivating than the start-up phase of a big, exciting project with real benefits.
I have been asked to undertake a feasibility study - actually it will be more of a Solution Development process - to investigate how the IT systems would cope with the proposed solution to this threat. The study starts with a workshop on Monday, and in six weeks time I hope to have completed the study and have compiled a presentation with a recommended approach, high-level designs and time and cost estimates.
No, that's actually not the exciting part. The exciting part is that there seems to be a genuine enthusiasm to get a solution in place as rapidly as possible, and I am in the forefront of candidates to manage the project. As far as I am aware, there are no other candidates. It wil be, by the standards of my previous experience, a massive undertaking, but I am confident that I am up to the job.
It will be a VERY exciting project, resulting in the creation of a new brand name, with national exposure. If all goes well, and it's sucessful, it will look very impressive on my CV. And there's nothing more motivating than the start-up phase of a big, exciting project with real benefits.
Surveys, bloody surveys
Apparently, two recent surveys contradict each other (what was I saying the other day about surveys?). According to this article in Management Issues, a survey conducted by Investors in People showed that fewer than half of British workers were happy with the way their careers were progressing, while a more recent survey by The Work Foundation concludes that fewer than one in ten of us finds his or her job meaningless.
Now, I suppose that you could argue that the two statements are unrelated, and it is perfectly reasonable for someone to feel that their job was meaningful, yet be unhappy with the way their career was progressing.
You could also argue that, depending on how questions are phrased, you could get whatever results you wanted from a survey.
You might also want to question which company had a vested interest in the results....
Oh. and here's a surprise - "...people earning more than £50,000 per year were more likely to be satisfied compared with those who earned less money". I'm shocked!
Has anyone surveyed the surveyors, and asked if they find their jobs meaningful and fulfilling?
Now, I suppose that you could argue that the two statements are unrelated, and it is perfectly reasonable for someone to feel that their job was meaningful, yet be unhappy with the way their career was progressing.
You could also argue that, depending on how questions are phrased, you could get whatever results you wanted from a survey.
You might also want to question which company had a vested interest in the results....
Oh. and here's a surprise - "...people earning more than £50,000 per year were more likely to be satisfied compared with those who earned less money". I'm shocked!
Has anyone surveyed the surveyors, and asked if they find their jobs meaningful and fulfilling?
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Staff engagement - missing the target
Having been through the process with a couple of companies, a recent article in Management Issues on managing change in the workplace struck a chord.
The article makes the very good point that, contrary to the popular myth, people love change – provided they are included in the process. And that’s where a lot of companies fall short in the eyes of their employees.
Some companies undertake staff opinion surveys to gauge how their people feel about the company and the work place. If the results come back showing lower levels of satisfaction than the Board (or HR Director) would like, the priority changes to how to improve those scores.
Having listened to their staff complain about lots of things, one company I know of went about getting staff to volunteer to participate in workshops to discuss the most pressing problems (those questions that returned the least favourable responses). In groups of 6 to 8, they discussed leadership, employee engagement, strategic planning and other high-profile problems. The process utilised was known as Workout.
Full marks for trying, guys, but you missed.
Firstly, Work-Out was designed to “identify and eliminate unneeded processes and tasks…”. It relies on people from all affected areas getting together to discuss the issue and come up with workable suggestions for improvement.
The company I am talking about bent the rules.
Firstly, the subjects selected for discussion were HUGE! Issues such as Leadership, Engagement, Efficiency and Innovation and others were on the agenda. Tough ask to change anything material like that in the allowed 90 days.
Secondly, participants were volunteers, not selected on their knowledge of the problem area. There were also only a handful of them present. So no guarantee of meaningful solutions, but the important thing was that the workforce felt engaged, right?
Third, while it generates a lot of ideas and thoughts, only a few of them are taken forward for action. There is also little rigour to ensure that the most important issues are taken forward for resolution.
It was completely the wrong tool for engaging the staff in the change process.The world's most loyal employer?
Loyalty in the workplace is a two-way street. If you show some loyalty and dedication to your job, your employer should reward you accordingly, and try to make sure you stay on. Help you out when personal problems get in the way, and try to make life easier for you.
Some employers are really good at this; others stink.
The story that really puts a lump in my throat is that of two young men, who were kidnapped a couple of weeks ago and taken across the border, away from their colleagues, family and friends. No-one has heard from them since, but their employers? They have been very actively involved in ensuring they are returned safe and sound. In fact, they have even started a war over it. The employer I am referring to, of course, is the Israeli army - surely the world's most supportive and loyal employer.
Some employers are really good at this; others stink.
The story that really puts a lump in my throat is that of two young men, who were kidnapped a couple of weeks ago and taken across the border, away from their colleagues, family and friends. No-one has heard from them since, but their employers? They have been very actively involved in ensuring they are returned safe and sound. In fact, they have even started a war over it. The employer I am referring to, of course, is the Israeli army - surely the world's most supportive and loyal employer.
Monday, July 17, 2006
The problem with tele-commuting
I am getting more and more ticked-off with survey results protrayed as News. You know, "according to a recent survey...". Most I regard with amusement as they either contradict the results of a previous survey, or tell us something we already know. And no industry or subject seems immune to the phenomenon either.
I noticed this article in Management Issues, which states that Americans, even those who are encouraged to do so, are reluctant to work from home. Apparently only eleven percent of working Americans telecommute either full- or part-time. This one falls into the 'already knew that' category.
What this article, like so many surveys, fails to inform us all, is why. It comes across as something one would find in a corporate magazine, encouraging their employees to work from home, freeing up desks so they can squeeze more people in.
From personal experience, I know the reason why more people do not work from home part-time is that far from being more productive, it is actually much less productive most of the time. While the technology exists to allow people to work from home, companies are reluctant to provide high-speed connectivity. In my case, all I had to work with was a secure dial-up facility that was limited to the speed of my phone line. I probably got three hours work done in ten. And it tied up said phone line while I was working.
The company said that they would not supply a broadband modem, nor would they install non-approved third-party software on company laptops for security reasons. I can understand their stance on security, but surely there is a solution to be found.
On the up-side, it was pretty convenient being able to raid the fridge for lunch, and fetch my son from school.
I would still not do it again if I needed to be productive. About the only time I can see it making real sense is when I need to spend a large amount of time, free from distractions, writing a document, or some such similar task which does not require a lot of traffic across the network.
Anyone else had better experiences, or know of a secure, inexpensive and workable solution?
I noticed this article in Management Issues, which states that Americans, even those who are encouraged to do so, are reluctant to work from home. Apparently only eleven percent of working Americans telecommute either full- or part-time. This one falls into the 'already knew that' category.
What this article, like so many surveys, fails to inform us all, is why. It comes across as something one would find in a corporate magazine, encouraging their employees to work from home, freeing up desks so they can squeeze more people in.
From personal experience, I know the reason why more people do not work from home part-time is that far from being more productive, it is actually much less productive most of the time. While the technology exists to allow people to work from home, companies are reluctant to provide high-speed connectivity. In my case, all I had to work with was a secure dial-up facility that was limited to the speed of my phone line. I probably got three hours work done in ten. And it tied up said phone line while I was working.
The company said that they would not supply a broadband modem, nor would they install non-approved third-party software on company laptops for security reasons. I can understand their stance on security, but surely there is a solution to be found.
On the up-side, it was pretty convenient being able to raid the fridge for lunch, and fetch my son from school.
I would still not do it again if I needed to be productive. About the only time I can see it making real sense is when I need to spend a large amount of time, free from distractions, writing a document, or some such similar task which does not require a lot of traffic across the network.
Anyone else had better experiences, or know of a secure, inexpensive and workable solution?
Diary
After another quiet weekend, I experimented with a new route in to work this morning, suggested by a colleague. It was great on paper, but did not save as much time as I had hoped. It's a good route, though. More interesting than my previous staple, so for the meantime, I'll stick with it.
As always, the first thing I do on a Monday morning is look at my diary and to-do list for the week. It's an old habit, but I'm sure most people do something similar. I have known people to miss an early Monday morning meeting because they had forgotten it over the weekend and were getting coffee when the meeting kicked-off.
My diary for the week has the usual regular daily or weekly meetings, some of which I know will be cancelled, others I may write off as not worth the effort. One stands out, though. It's on Wednesday, and is a meeting of senior Business people to discuss their research into a project known only by a code name, due to its highly confidential nature - obviously I'm not going to tell you all about it here, not until it's about to be launched anyway. Suffice to say that I am attending because I will be managing the project arising from that research.
I love this phase of a project, when it's all optimism and excitement. It never lasts, but I enjoy it while it does. Roll on Wednesday.
As always, the first thing I do on a Monday morning is look at my diary and to-do list for the week. It's an old habit, but I'm sure most people do something similar. I have known people to miss an early Monday morning meeting because they had forgotten it over the weekend and were getting coffee when the meeting kicked-off.
My diary for the week has the usual regular daily or weekly meetings, some of which I know will be cancelled, others I may write off as not worth the effort. One stands out, though. It's on Wednesday, and is a meeting of senior Business people to discuss their research into a project known only by a code name, due to its highly confidential nature - obviously I'm not going to tell you all about it here, not until it's about to be launched anyway. Suffice to say that I am attending because I will be managing the project arising from that research.
I love this phase of a project, when it's all optimism and excitement. It never lasts, but I enjoy it while it does. Roll on Wednesday.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Performance Appraisal (1)
I had my Performance Appraisal recently. I was a little apprehensive going in to the process, because I had not had a formal review for over ten years. As a contractor, the only feedback you ever get is "we’re renewing your contract for another 6 months, okay?" How contractors receive negative feedback is fairly obvious.
The process in effect here is that we choose a handful of people to provide feedback, and give the names to our Practice manager. He/she then contacts those individuals and collates all the comments before scheduling the 1:1 formal review meeting. I had asked for feedback from my Business Relationship manager, the Release Manager, and two of my subordinates. The two subordinates were the only ones not to provide any comments at all, which is a matter of some concern to me. I need to follow that up.
In the review, I came out alright actually. The only project I have been working on since starting here, was delivered on time, with no outstanding defects, and only 5% over budget. I was reasonably satisfied with that, and my boss’s comments reflected a similar view. There are, of course, some things I need to work on. I need to be more politically-sensitive when it comes to communicating with our Business colleagues, for instance. Fair enough, I’ll learn.
Surprisingly, I learned that a number of programme managers (like my boss) are actually at the same grade as me. I was asked if I would see that as something I would want to do should an opportunity arise.
I am still thinking about it.
The whole episode got me thinking about the appraisal process in general, though.
The mistake most companies make is to establish a link between appraisal ratings and salary increases or bonuses. It causes far more problems than it solves. There is only so much money available so no matter how well the staff perform, some of them will not receive commensurate increases.
More on this subject soon.
The process in effect here is that we choose a handful of people to provide feedback, and give the names to our Practice manager. He/she then contacts those individuals and collates all the comments before scheduling the 1:1 formal review meeting. I had asked for feedback from my Business Relationship manager, the Release Manager, and two of my subordinates. The two subordinates were the only ones not to provide any comments at all, which is a matter of some concern to me. I need to follow that up.
In the review, I came out alright actually. The only project I have been working on since starting here, was delivered on time, with no outstanding defects, and only 5% over budget. I was reasonably satisfied with that, and my boss’s comments reflected a similar view. There are, of course, some things I need to work on. I need to be more politically-sensitive when it comes to communicating with our Business colleagues, for instance. Fair enough, I’ll learn.
Surprisingly, I learned that a number of programme managers (like my boss) are actually at the same grade as me. I was asked if I would see that as something I would want to do should an opportunity arise.
I am still thinking about it.
The whole episode got me thinking about the appraisal process in general, though.
The mistake most companies make is to establish a link between appraisal ratings and salary increases or bonuses. It causes far more problems than it solves. There is only so much money available so no matter how well the staff perform, some of them will not receive commensurate increases.
More on this subject soon.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Requirements - to update, or not.
I was copied on an email the other day. It was (yet another) notification of a change in Process.
Basically, it dictated that any change to requirements (aren’t we all familiar with those?) needs to be reflected on both a formal change request form and an updated Business Requirements Specifications document and distributed to Release Management for presentation to the Change Board for approval.
'So what’s wrong with that?', you ask. Well, nothing really. Apart from the fact that it could take a week to get the change approved, the email sparked a lengthy debate regarding the purpose of the Requirements document. You see, there are those who view it as the definition of the Requirements and nothing more, and those who believe it should be used as a basis for test planning and to validate what is delivered to Production.
If you decide to update the Requirements with every clarification or technical compromise, then that document must come under change and version control, with each new version being distributed for signoff.
If you believe that the Requirements are just that, and should always reflect just the baselined requirements, then a separate document is required to capture the Functional Specification. This will be an IT document; signed-off by the Business, and used to define what will be delivered. This is then the document used for test planning as well, while the Requirements document remains in its original baselined form. It is then the Functional Specification that is updated on the basis of an approved change request.
I think both approaches are valid, and the official methodology - sorry, framework - is not specific, and I don't believe that CMMI is, either. PRINCE2 doesn't go down to that level of detail. In the end, it comes down to how your organisation works, or if they have no stipulated preference, then it's your choice.
It is obviously best to define the approach you are going to use (being a lazy PM and not wanting to create another document is not a good reason to ask the Business to update the BRS either) in advance, and agree that with the Business representative. NB. Document the decision in your official Terms of Reference or Project Plan.
Because the change request itself is seldom, if ever, detailed enough to use as a basis for test planning, and cannot easily be appended to the BRS, it is not sufficient to rely solely on the CR. If you are not going to update the BRS with changes, make sure that they are reflected in a Functional Specification, or some other IT-generated document that is signed-off by the Business.
Basically, it dictated that any change to requirements (aren’t we all familiar with those?) needs to be reflected on both a formal change request form and an updated Business Requirements Specifications document and distributed to Release Management for presentation to the Change Board for approval.
'So what’s wrong with that?', you ask. Well, nothing really. Apart from the fact that it could take a week to get the change approved, the email sparked a lengthy debate regarding the purpose of the Requirements document. You see, there are those who view it as the definition of the Requirements and nothing more, and those who believe it should be used as a basis for test planning and to validate what is delivered to Production.
If you decide to update the Requirements with every clarification or technical compromise, then that document must come under change and version control, with each new version being distributed for signoff.
If you believe that the Requirements are just that, and should always reflect just the baselined requirements, then a separate document is required to capture the Functional Specification. This will be an IT document; signed-off by the Business, and used to define what will be delivered. This is then the document used for test planning as well, while the Requirements document remains in its original baselined form. It is then the Functional Specification that is updated on the basis of an approved change request.
I think both approaches are valid, and the official methodology - sorry, framework - is not specific, and I don't believe that CMMI is, either. PRINCE2 doesn't go down to that level of detail. In the end, it comes down to how your organisation works, or if they have no stipulated preference, then it's your choice.
It is obviously best to define the approach you are going to use (being a lazy PM and not wanting to create another document is not a good reason to ask the Business to update the BRS either) in advance, and agree that with the Business representative. NB. Document the decision in your official Terms of Reference or Project Plan.
Because the change request itself is seldom, if ever, detailed enough to use as a basis for test planning, and cannot easily be appended to the BRS, it is not sufficient to rely solely on the CR. If you are not going to update the BRS with changes, make sure that they are reflected in a Functional Specification, or some other IT-generated document that is signed-off by the Business.
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
It was raining when I woke up yesterday morning. It hasn't done much of that recently, but it immediately made me feel less like getting out of bed. So I eventually got up, made some breakfast and brought the tray back upstairs.
While sipping our mugs of tea, the wife and I discussed our plans for the day. Since the rain scuppered a lot of our ideas, I suddenly came up with something we hadn't done for a long time.
Since England were ignominiously ejected from the World Cup, and Maria Sharapova was knocked out of Wimbledon (surely the only reason to watch tennis), there was nothing of note on TV. No Grand Prix this weekend, no MotoGP, no DTM race, and not even Clarkson on BBC2 in the evening. The Tour de France is boring as hell, and Sky show only kids movies during the day, so what were we to do?
We ended up going to Blockbuster and renting a few movies, then spending the rest of the day curled up on the couch with corn chips and ice cream. It was lazy, completely unproductive, a little romantic, and very enjoyable too.
While sipping our mugs of tea, the wife and I discussed our plans for the day. Since the rain scuppered a lot of our ideas, I suddenly came up with something we hadn't done for a long time.
Since England were ignominiously ejected from the World Cup, and Maria Sharapova was knocked out of Wimbledon (surely the only reason to watch tennis), there was nothing of note on TV. No Grand Prix this weekend, no MotoGP, no DTM race, and not even Clarkson on BBC2 in the evening. The Tour de France is boring as hell, and Sky show only kids movies during the day, so what were we to do?
We ended up going to Blockbuster and renting a few movies, then spending the rest of the day curled up on the couch with corn chips and ice cream. It was lazy, completely unproductive, a little romantic, and very enjoyable too.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Leadership
Related to my last post about management material on the net, I recently came across this article in Lisa Haneberg's blog Management Craft and couldn't help but express my own thoughts on the subject.
The article discusses an anonymous company's vision stetement that it's leaders should be less visible because they focus on preventing problems.
The word 'visible' is used here in a figurative sense. Leaders are invisible if they are never needed, never need to exercise their authority, power or control in an overt way. They prevent problems, rather than solving them. In her article, Ms Haneberg concludes "If I am doing my job as a leader, you will know it - not because I get accolades at meetings or make big and flashy wins. You will know it because the workplace is engaged, on fire, and performing better than you could have imagined."
I agree, but let's not get confused. To their staff, Leaders should be visible. Highly visible. In the literal sense of the word. Of all the people in the management hierarchy that I have ever been a part of, the best were those who walked the floor, bought a round at the bar after work, and greeted people by their first names the second time they met. They are inspirational leaders. They are good communicators and ensure that everyone understands the corporate direction.
Their power may be invisible, but their presense is certainly not.
The article discusses an anonymous company's vision stetement that it's leaders should be less visible because they focus on preventing problems.
The word 'visible' is used here in a figurative sense. Leaders are invisible if they are never needed, never need to exercise their authority, power or control in an overt way. They prevent problems, rather than solving them. In her article, Ms Haneberg concludes "If I am doing my job as a leader, you will know it - not because I get accolades at meetings or make big and flashy wins. You will know it because the workplace is engaged, on fire, and performing better than you could have imagined."
I agree, but let's not get confused. To their staff, Leaders should be visible. Highly visible. In the literal sense of the word. Of all the people in the management hierarchy that I have ever been a part of, the best were those who walked the floor, bought a round at the bar after work, and greeted people by their first names the second time they met. They are inspirational leaders. They are good communicators and ensure that everyone understands the corporate direction.
Their power may be invisible, but their presense is certainly not.
Still learning
Despite the fact that I have been a project manager since around October 2000, I still feel almost... new to the job. Does that make any sense?
Perhaps it's because time flies when you're having fun. Perhaps it's a sign that I am getting older. More likely is that there is more to learn about it than anything I have ever done before.
Learning to be a programmer took no time at all - I did my Data Processing and CoBol course in about three months. Learning to be a good one took a lot longer, but I got there. After a couple of years, I was one of those techies that the others came to when they wanted to know something; someone my boss came to when they needed a difficult piece of work done. It was a technical - a hard - skill.
Management, I think, is totally different. There is so much to learn, so many theories, techniques and processes, so many people espousing them for free or for profit. I did my part-time university course on project management in six months. At the end of it, I felt not that I was now A MANAGER, but that I had taken the first few steps along a long, winding and wearying road.
When I lost my first management job, my wife told me not to worry, that I was a good manager. "No," I replied. "Not yet. But I will be."
I firmly believe that I am now a reasonably good manager. I base this on the fact that my projects (or at least the aspects of them that I controlled) have been successful, on the feedback I have received from my peers and most importantly my customers, and on my own sense that I have been improving all the time.
I still feel, though, that there is so much more to learn. Both on the job from raw experience, and from other sources - reading material, the internet, etc. The trick, I think, comes from sifting out the nuggets of knowledge from the self-promoting claptrap.
My findings in the former category will be making it into my blogroll soon.
My findings in the latter might just be mentioned in passing in an uncomplimentary review or two.
Watch this space.
Perhaps it's because time flies when you're having fun. Perhaps it's a sign that I am getting older. More likely is that there is more to learn about it than anything I have ever done before.
Learning to be a programmer took no time at all - I did my Data Processing and CoBol course in about three months. Learning to be a good one took a lot longer, but I got there. After a couple of years, I was one of those techies that the others came to when they wanted to know something; someone my boss came to when they needed a difficult piece of work done. It was a technical - a hard - skill.
Management, I think, is totally different. There is so much to learn, so many theories, techniques and processes, so many people espousing them for free or for profit. I did my part-time university course on project management in six months. At the end of it, I felt not that I was now A MANAGER, but that I had taken the first few steps along a long, winding and wearying road.
When I lost my first management job, my wife told me not to worry, that I was a good manager. "No," I replied. "Not yet. But I will be."
I firmly believe that I am now a reasonably good manager. I base this on the fact that my projects (or at least the aspects of them that I controlled) have been successful, on the feedback I have received from my peers and most importantly my customers, and on my own sense that I have been improving all the time.
I still feel, though, that there is so much more to learn. Both on the job from raw experience, and from other sources - reading material, the internet, etc. The trick, I think, comes from sifting out the nuggets of knowledge from the self-promoting claptrap.
My findings in the former category will be making it into my blogroll soon.
My findings in the latter might just be mentioned in passing in an uncomplimentary review or two.
Watch this space.
Mind mapping
For those familiar with the process, mind-mapping is a very useful way to take organised notes on virtually any subject. It's only limitation is usually the fact that it exists only on a piece of notepaper.
Not so. Here's a nifty piece of free software to download, which allows you to create and store your mind maps electronically. Cool.
Not so. Here's a nifty piece of free software to download, which allows you to create and store your mind maps electronically. Cool.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Car watch
I love Friday mornings on the motorway. This morning I spotted four new Ford GTs, and four Ferrari 360/430s, all in the space of ten minutes. Wow!
I will now spend the rest of the day wondering where they were going and why.
I will now spend the rest of the day wondering where they were going and why.
Time management
A few weeks ago, I had a discussion with my practice manager, who told me that she is getting loads of managers telling her that they are stressed, under pressure, and do not have the time to do all of their work.
As project managers (PMs), we often find that meetings of one form or another occupy the major part of our days. The majority are those weekly recurring progress meetings. Then there are the occasional one-off's to deal with specific situations, and the periodic ones like interviews, appraisals etc. So how do I manage to do my job?
Constant re-prioritisation.
I get into the office early each day because it gives me time to plan and prioritise the tasks facing me for that day. There are times when I have a long to-do list of tasks on my to-do list, but a day jam-packed with meetings too. The key is to decide which items (meetings or tasks) get priority.
It's important to decide whether that one-off meeting about proposed changes to some process or another is more important than the publication of your Terms of Reference document, for example. If I need more time to get tasks done, I cancel or reschedule the meetings, or delegate them to someone else. Then, whenever a new item gets added, either to my diary or my to-do list, I re-prioritise. Focus on what is most necessary to keep your project (if that is your ultimate priority) on track.
As project managers (PMs), we often find that meetings of one form or another occupy the major part of our days. The majority are those weekly recurring progress meetings. Then there are the occasional one-off's to deal with specific situations, and the periodic ones like interviews, appraisals etc. So how do I manage to do my job?
Constant re-prioritisation.
I get into the office early each day because it gives me time to plan and prioritise the tasks facing me for that day. There are times when I have a long to-do list of tasks on my to-do list, but a day jam-packed with meetings too. The key is to decide which items (meetings or tasks) get priority.
It's important to decide whether that one-off meeting about proposed changes to some process or another is more important than the publication of your Terms of Reference document, for example. If I need more time to get tasks done, I cancel or reschedule the meetings, or delegate them to someone else. Then, whenever a new item gets added, either to my diary or my to-do list, I re-prioritise. Focus on what is most necessary to keep your project (if that is your ultimate priority) on track.
Ever found that your to-do list gets too long? Me too. So I have come up with just 3 priority categories –
- Priority 1 items must be done NOW; they cannot wait.
- Priority 2 items must be done by close of business today. They cannot be deferred, but they can be delegated.
- Priority 3 items must be done within the next few days, usually because there are other items dependant on them
Anything that does not meet these criteria does not get assigned a priority at all; I will get around to them when I can.
Although I often find that at the end of a day, I still have items on my to-do list that have not been ticked off, the high-priority ones have generally always been done. I can always catch up tomorrow with what happened in that earlier meeting that I delegated to my tech lead.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Anniversary
On this day in 1923, the USSR was formed.
It is one year today since London was awarded the 2012 Olympics.
A year ago today, I joined my present company.
Not as momentous an occasion as the first two I admit, but I mention it because it does not feel like a whole year ago. The time has flown, which is usually the sign that one is having fun, no?
I joined as a contractor, after a protracted period of looking for work – more on this later – but applied for and accepted a permanent position in December last year.
It is one year today since London was awarded the 2012 Olympics.
A year ago today, I joined my present company.
Not as momentous an occasion as the first two I admit, but I mention it because it does not feel like a whole year ago. The time has flown, which is usually the sign that one is having fun, no?
I joined as a contractor, after a protracted period of looking for work – more on this later – but applied for and accepted a permanent position in December last year.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Quiller's laws of Project Management
If you are new to the profession, here's my top 5 'laws'
- If you are not busy, you’re missing something.
- A PM is only as good as the people he has working for him. Treat them that way.
- Project Management can be broken down to just two major tasks – risk management and people management. Everything else – planning, tracking, resourcing, budgeting, change management, etc. all fall into one or both of those two categories. Think of everything in terms of what risk it represents to the project or the project team.
- You can control the products and activities required by your project, but you cannot control the people assigned.
- A Manager’s job is not to make people work, but to make it possible for them to work (Peopleware - De Marco & Lister).
Welcome
Hi and welcome to my weblog.
I started this because I wanted to record some of my thoughts, my actions, my successes and failures, so that I could go back and review them later. When I joined this company, I started doing this in a Word document, but didn’t want to store this on my personal drive (took up valuable space), nor on the shared drive (too public).
The document I put together contained loads of interesting comments that, reading back over them today, do not adequately reflect the chaos that prevailed at the time. Taking over a project in crisis half-way through development was…um…interesting. Perhaps I will post some of the more amusing anecdotes here some day.
I welcome comments on any of these posts, provided they are submitted in a responsible and professional manner – even if they are critical. I am the first to accept that I am no expert, no ‘guru’ on IT management, but I have been in the industry for more than 20 years and have learned a thing or two about how things work. I have been a manager since 2000, and have now passed the point (I think) where I believe everyone else knows more than I do, although that does not mean I know more than everyone else either.
It is my fervent wish that this blog becomes a vehicle for me not only to record my own thoughts, but also for you, the reader, to share some of yours with me.
I hope you will be entertained and will come back again. In the meantime, please check out the links I have supplied. Manager-tools, particularly, I have found to be very useful and entertaining at the same time.
I started this because I wanted to record some of my thoughts, my actions, my successes and failures, so that I could go back and review them later. When I joined this company, I started doing this in a Word document, but didn’t want to store this on my personal drive (took up valuable space), nor on the shared drive (too public).
The document I put together contained loads of interesting comments that, reading back over them today, do not adequately reflect the chaos that prevailed at the time. Taking over a project in crisis half-way through development was…um…interesting. Perhaps I will post some of the more amusing anecdotes here some day.
I welcome comments on any of these posts, provided they are submitted in a responsible and professional manner – even if they are critical. I am the first to accept that I am no expert, no ‘guru’ on IT management, but I have been in the industry for more than 20 years and have learned a thing or two about how things work. I have been a manager since 2000, and have now passed the point (I think) where I believe everyone else knows more than I do, although that does not mean I know more than everyone else either.
It is my fervent wish that this blog becomes a vehicle for me not only to record my own thoughts, but also for you, the reader, to share some of yours with me.
I hope you will be entertained and will come back again. In the meantime, please check out the links I have supplied. Manager-tools, particularly, I have found to be very useful and entertaining at the same time.
