Category: Article

Birds of a Feather: Project Managers and Business Analysts

July 12, 2010 by aguanno

I sit down to write this article knowing that my initial proposition is going to cause some debate – even anger – among readers. Yet, I believe that the point still needs to be discussed, so I am going to take a risk and put these thoughts into writing.

The proposition that I would like to make is that the roles of project manager and business analyst are not very different from each other. In fact, I’ll even go further than that: I believe that these roles eventually merge together the higher one rises in either profession.

Now, before you start writing a strongly-worded rebuttal, please take the time to consider these facts:

Why do Most Project Managers Fail?

June 14, 2010 by aguanno

I spend a portion of my time recovering troubled projects or helping project managers avoid traveling down the road towards a troubled project. In doing this, I keep making the same observation over and over again: most project managers are failing.

The Amazing World of E-mails

June 8, 2010 by morley

For Your Eyes Only

Have you ever typed an e-mail with information for the eyes of the recipient only, then find out that they have forwarded it on to someone else without editing the e-mail first! This could be embarrassing. If you are going to forward an e-mail with a thread, read the complete thread and edit if necessary. A lot of trouble can be caused if the wrong information or privileged information is sent to the wrong person.

People say things in e-mails that they regret later when the words fall into the wrong inbox, like their bosses. Be very careful what you say about people or clients, etc. You have to be very careful not to put something in an e-mail that could have negative consequences for you. You can not depend on the recipient not to forward your e-mail unedited.

Is There any Value to PM Certification?

May 18, 2010 by aguanno

I have been asked to participate in a panel discussion at a conference on certification. The session is called “There is NO Value in Certification!” At first, I thought this statement was ridiculous, and couldn’t imagine too many people wanting to support this premise; however, as I have talked to people, I realize that this position is not too uncommon.

The main criticism that people have of PM certification programs is that the well-known ones (at least in North America) all seem to be knowledge-based assessments. Yes, many of them (like the PMP) have experiential components, but the core of the assessment is testing whether someone has memorized material from a standard syllabus.

What this means is that the assessing body has verified that these PMs have acquired knowledge of a common set of project management terms, processes, and techniques. What it doesn’t verify is whether a specific project manager is any good or not at the practice of project management.

Staying Away From Project Lawsuits

May 10, 2010 by morley

You’ve started the project or project phase, had a kick off meeting with the client /contractor/vendor, everyone has shaken hands to seal the deal, you’re excited and happy, as this will be the best project ever. You have a working relationship with the other parties and the project starts smoothly. The project is underway when something happens, the other party has issues with you and a lawsuit is coming your way. It doesn’t take much for the project to turn sour and animosity set in. The majority of projects do not turn out this way, but you can not predict the future so you have to be prepared.

The Change Control Myth

April 21, 2010 by aguanno

You can always spot the project managers who have just received their PMP – they are eager, idealistic, and prone to proclaim at length the necessity for “Change Control” as if it were the cure for all project management evils. Don’t get me wrong – I am glad that the level of training that new project managers receive is increasing, and I am glad that they are learning that change can derail a project; however, new PMs appear to have a naïve view of how projects work in the real world, and I would like to do my part to correct that.

To start with, there is NO SUCH THING AS CHANGE CONTROL. Yes, you read that correctly. The idea that we can control change is a myth.

Project Managers Can Shine in Today’s Tough Economy

March 26, 2010 by aguanno

In service companies, people have characterized sales people as the ones who bring in revenue to an company, but project managers as the ones that translate that revenue into profit. Project managers are the ones who lead in the creation of value for project stakeholders.

Yes, I admit that, in most projects, project managers are not creating deliverables that will drive business value for their clients; however, project managers are the ones who focus the rest of their teams on the right goals, and then lead the team on a journey towards meeting those goals. If the right goals are chosen, then incremental business value can result from the project.

AGM Speech by Miles Shepherd

December 27, 2009 by morley

At the AGM on December 5, 09 one of the speakers was Miles Shepherd who gave a talk on Project Management as a Profession. A topic of interest to many project managers. Miles started his speech with a timeline of the evolution of IPMA which started in 1964.

AGM Speech by Dr. Lew Ireland

December 27, 2009 by morley

At the AGM on December 5, 09 Dr. Lew Ireland gave a speech titled “The Changing Face of Project Management”. Lew gave an informative speech on the changing face of project management which included project management goals, current issues in project management, competence, trends in project management, and the future of projects.

AGM Photos

December 11, 2009 by morley

Here are photos from the AGM held on December 5, 2009 in Toronto. The speakers were very informative, the networking was great, a lot of work got done, plans made, and everyone who attended had a great time.