1. Project Management That Works! Rick A. Morris, PMP, OPM3, MCITP rmorris@rsquaredconsulting.com

2. How Did I Get Here?

3. Change Happens

4. My Defining Moment “Projects fail because of context, not content.” (Thomsett, Radical Project Management, 2002, p37)

5. Understanding You!

6. Understanding You  DiSC Profile  How to Deliver Proper Messages  High D – Direct  High I – Feeling, Social  High S – Balanced and Friendly  High C – Detail Oriented

8. Is This True?  Projects with realistic budgets and timetables don’t get approved.  The more desperate the situation the more optimistic the progress report.  A user is somebody who rejects the system because it’s what he asked for.  The difference between project success and failure is a good PR company.  Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn’t have to do it.  A freeze on change melts whenever heat is applied.  You understood what I said, not what I meant.  If at first you don’t succeed, rename the project.  Everyone wants a strong project manager - until they get one.  The worst project managers sleep at night.  A failing project has benefits which are always spoken of in the future tense.  Projects don’t fail in the end; they fail at conception.  Visions are usually treatable.  Overly ambitious projects can never fail if they have a beginning, middle and no end. - Adapted from Michael Krigsman – TechRepublic.com

9. The Value of Project Management

10. The Status of our Profession  The Halo Effect………Gone Wild!  Not everyone can be a Project Manager!

11. Key Executive Questions  How often do your priorities change?  Who makes the strategic decisions?  What percentage of your staff is available to do projects?  How did you pick the budget or date?  Are your project managers facilitators or managers?

12. Finding Value in Project Management  PMI Study  Dr. James Norrie – Breaking Through The Project Fog Strategy Projects$

13. Finding Value in Project Management  PMI Study  Dr. James Norrie – Breaking Through The Project Fog StrategyProjects $ Business Value Capacity

14. Exercise  Pick any number between 1 and 10  Double that number  Add 8 to the number  Divide the number by 2  Subtract the number you started with  Now select the letter that corresponds to your number (i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.)  Now pick a country that starts with that letter.  Take the next letter that comes after that letter and choose a typical zoo animal that starts with that letter  Pick a logical color for that animal

15. Results  Denmark  Elephant  Gray

16. Making Emotional Conversations Unemotional

17. What causes emotional conversations?  Mandated Dates  Stressed/Overworked Team Members  Estimates That Are Not Reliable  The Project Blame Game  Post-Project Negotiations  What else?

18. Examples  That date is impossible!  We don’t have enough resources!  I thought you said 40 hours!  It’s not my fault, the developers missed their target!  That’s a scope change!

19. Step One  Establish your mindset….  Don’t say the negative statement  Learn not to say no, instead say yes with the condition.  Understand the long term effect of the conversation

20. Step Two  Get to the data!  Data rules all. Data takes an emotional based conversation and turns it into an unemotional fact based discussion.

21. Step Three  Once the data is presented, accept the answer given.  This may be difficult, but again our focus is on the end game. Not the immediate win.

22. COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT Communications Management

23. Qualify the Questions  How’s everything going?  Don’t Lie! – It is what it is  Deal with fear  Admitting when you are wrong  Sometimes it can’t be fixed….the sooner you deal with the issue the better.

24. Unreliable Estimates  Ask all of the questions, not just how long  Name That Tune!  I can write that code in 4 hours  Define the word “done”  Utilize PERT  (BC + (4*ML) + WC) / 6

26. Triple Constraint 26 Cost Schedule Quality Customer Service SOW

27. Work Breakdown Structures

28. What is a WBS?  Graphical representation of the work. Deliverable oriented.

29. Rules to Abide By  It is created with the help of the team  The first level is completed before the project is broken down further  Each level of the WBS is a smaller piece than the level above  The entire project is included in each of the highest levels of the WBS  Includes only work needed to create deliverables  Work not in the WBS is not part of the project  4/40 or 8/80

30. Benefits of a WBS?  Helps prevent work from slipping through the cracks.  Provides the project team with an understanding of where their pieces fit into the overall PM Plan and gives them an indication of the impact of their work on the project as a whole.  Facilitates communication and cooperation between and among the project team and other stakeholders.  Help prevent changes  Focuses the team’s experience on what needs to be done  Provides a basis for estimating staff, cost, and time  Provides PROOF of need for staff, cost, and time  Gets team buy-in and builds the team  Helps people get their minds around the project

31. WBS Exercise

32. Dealing with Mandated Dates  First, if possible, don’t share the mandated date with the team. Not until true estimates are given.  Don’t speak in dates, speak in time, commitment, deliverables, and predecessors.  Let the date “fall” out in a project plan.  Adjust thinking based on the results of the project plan.

33. Dealing with Mandated Dates  Now baseline the plan. (Very Important)  Present the DATA to the project sponsor.  Be truthful and honest  Present options, not problems  Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need  If you don’t get what you need, baseline the “new” plan for future reference.  Track the plan and report results. Use this as a basis for the next mandated date.

34. Stressed / Overworked Team Members  Protect your team at all costs  Do we have to work weekends and overtime?  Know their utilization, be factual  Don’t forget, “Drop everything” doesn’t mean drop everything!

35. The Project Blame Game  Avoid blame, take it on yourself  100%/10% rule  “I own 100% of project failure”  “I share only 10% of project success”

36. Patriots and Scuds  Understand your own missiles  Using Patriots  Using Scuds  Missiles on Public  Missiles in Corporate Culture

38. A Real Risk Assessment

39. Current Process  …so we are told: Create WBS

40. Current Process  …so we are told: Create WBS Identify Risks

41. Current Process  …so we are told: Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks

42. Current Process  …so we are told: Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Quantify Risks

43. Current Process  …so we are told: Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Pick Strategy Quantify Risks

44. Current Process  …so we are told: Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Pick Strategy Quantify Risks Residual Risks

45. What Really Happens Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Pick Strategy Quantify Risks Residual Risks PM Creates Plan

46. What Really Happens Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Pick Strategy Quantify Risks Residual Risks PM Creates Plan PM Identifies Risks

47. What Really Happens Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Pick Strategy Quantify Risks Residual Risks PM Creates Plan PM Identifies Risks PM Fills Out Spreadsheet

48. What Really Happens Create WBS Identify Risks Qualify Risks Pick Strategy Quantify Risks Residual Risks PM Creates Plan PM Identifies Risks PM Fills Out Spreadsheet Start Project

49. Why Risk Assessments Fail  End up with an ambiguous answer:  This project has a risk level of “medium”  Your risk assessment score is 4.87  Thanks….but now what?

50. Two Constraining Laws  Parkinson’s Law  Work will naturally fill the timeframe allotted.  Murphy’s Law  Anything that can go wrong will.

51. Two More Constraining Laws  O’Malley’s Law  If it can’t possibly go wrong, it will.  Sod’s Law  It will go wrong in the worst possible way  So, Murphy, O’Malley, Sod, and Parkinson are alive and well…..and working on your project.

52. Our Dilemmas  How to capture risk when our team / sponsor / management does not believe in risk or will not attend risk meetings.  How do we account for risk without allowing Parkinson’s Law.  How can I use a risk assessment to help drive the contingency that I need?  How can I create a risk assessment that means something?

53. Simple Approach  Set up your Microsoft Project Plan using best practices (i.e. no manually typed dates, everything linked, etc.)  Save a copy and “break” your plan.  Figure out if you can recover the plan. If so, what kind of lead time do you need?  If not, deal with the risk now!

54. More Involved Approach  Correlate risk score to time and cost guidelines  Utilize real incidents and lessons learned to baseline risk  Create a repository of items to avoid repeatable issues  Create a system that updates real time as new risks are identified or old risks that are nullified  Approach begins with general risks, then over time, moves to specific risks

55. Start General

56. Second Step  How to Capture Real Risk  Create a real project plan:  No manually entered dates  Everything has a predecessor  Baseline, Baseline, Baseline

57. Second Step  Track variances

58. Example of Variances VarianceCauseProjectImpact 15 days Legal did not review contracts in time. Project Management System Delayed the project completion date. $10,000 / 10 days Key resource left the project midway through. Had to bring in a contractor to complete the job. New Website Delayed project completion date 15 daysServers were delivered late.UpgradeNo delay to the project, other items were in progress.

59. Third Step  Gather real variances and categorize them.  Use actual risks and actual impacts  Using historical information, correlation can be made between risk and cost/time impacts  Instead of a “general” feeling when sales or a customer inquires about the amount of risk, the answer could be, “In project A with product B, an overrun occurred due to …”

60. Examples of Categories Original Assessment CategoriesNew Assessment Categories Executive Support (18%)Upper Management (12%) Information Technology (18%)Scope/Business Case (10%) User Involvement (15%)Contract/Legal (16%) Experienced Project Manager (13%)IT Department (14%) Clear Business Objective (11%)Vendor Risks (8%) Team Experience (9%)Resources (11%) Standard Infrastructure (7%)Technology/Product (8%) Firm Basic Requirements (5%)Schedule (9%) Other Criteria (4%)Project Management (5%) Other (7%)

61. Fourth Step  Create new risk assessment utilizing actual risks and actual impacts. Utilize actual variances to determine impacts.  Create weightings for categories and questions within the category: Question Weight Are external customers impacted? 10% Will there be a pilot group for user testing? 25% Has the team seen a demonstration of the product? 10% Is this new technology for the organization? 20% Is the organization the first to use the technology? 25% Has the quality of the technology or the performance of the technology been identified? 10%

62. Sample Answers QuestionProbabilityImpact Are external customers impacted? MediumLow Will there be a pilot group for user testing? High Has the team seen a demonstration of the product? Low Is this new technology for the organization? Not Applicable Is the organization the first to use the technology? High Has the quality of the technology or the performance of the technology been identified? MediumLow

63. Sample Calculations Question Question Weight Category Weight BCMLWCProb.ImpResult Are external customers impacted?10% 8%0512210.085333 Will there be a pilot group for user testing?25% 8%0515331.05 Has the team seen a demonstration of the product? 10% 8%055110.033333 Is this new technology for the organization?20% 8%0522000 Is the organization the first to use the technology?25% 8%0530331.5 Has the quality of the technology or the performance of the technology been identified? 10% 8%055210.066667

64. The New Report

65. The Process

66. Remember the 2 Laws?  How do you plan for risk, put it in your project plan, but not give it away to your team?

67. Turning Around Failing Projects

68. Mayday!  59% to 94% of Projects Fail!  Some Bad Signs:  Poor project planning or no plan at all  Disagreement on project requirements  Lack of team involvement  Lack of a clearly defined end  Unrealistic demands  Failure or fear to stop or plan again

69. What Causes Projects to Fail?  This may not be the list you are thinking of:  The Halo Effect….gone wild!  Mandated Dates  Stressed/Overworked Team Members  Nobody agreed on what the project was going to be in the first place

70. Someone Isn’t Being Heard  Groupthink: The act or practice of reasoning or decision-making by a group, especially when characterized by uncritical acceptance or conformity to prevailing points of view.

71. When It’s Wrong, It’s Wrong!  Sometimes it can’t be or shouldn’t be saved!  Technology can be the biggest issue!  If we had just two more weeks………

72. It Is What It Is  Sometimes, you just have to make a move.  Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.  If you don’t get what you want, document that and move on.  Sometimes, it is you or them.

73. Options  Does this work? You have three choices  Persevere  Accept  Move On

74. Lessons Learned  Be honest, at all costs! It is what it is!  Get to the data, it truly does rule all!  Use the Six Sigma process of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)  You do not have to be right!  Listen to your people. In my experience, when projects fail, someone knows why and is not being heard.

75. I will start tomorrow……

76. No Day But Today There's Only Us There's Only This Forget Regret Or Life Is Yours To Miss No Other Road No Other Way No Day But Today -Jonathan Larson

77. What If I?

79. October 11, 2010

80. Social Media  Blog: www.pmthatworks.comwww.pmthatworks.com  Twitter: @rickamorris  Linked In & Facebook updated often  Website: www.rsquaredconsulting.comwww.rsquaredconsulting.com

81. Questions?