The Hard-Nosed Project Manager

Agile Kool-Aid

At lunch time I listened to the PMI Agile CoP “Confessions and Coaching for Leading Agile Projects” webinar.  Once again I fail to see the difference between a project manager, a scrum master, and in this case an Agile coach.  Someone is drinking his own Kool-Aid.  I won't be claiming the PDU; this lasted about 30 minutes...

I had a colleague who is not a PM listen in with me for a while.  I kept my mouth shut and his comment was “What’s the difference between that and what we already do?”  I guess that says it all.

 

Although I am interested in Agile because I love project management, it sounds like another fad or even a sect.  The more I listen to these webinars the more I think that I will not shell my hard earned money for a scrum master course; I feel that most are just a money grab.

 

What do you think?  As always comments are welcome.

 

Connect with me on LinkedIn.  I am a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION); you can use “Friend” to add me to your network, please mention the blog in your request.

Off topic

This is totally unrelated to project management but listen to this short clip and you will be introduced to someone who might well be the toughest, hardest man on this earth and also damn interesting.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is an amazing person; you might want to read two of his books "Living Dangerously" and "Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know: The Autobiography".  Actually both are autobiographies but heck, with all he's done...

What do you think?  As always comments are welcome.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.  I am a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION); you can use “Friend” to add me to your network, please mention the blog in your request.

Earned Value for software development projects is not a myth

I was minding my own business this morning, installing software on my home computer, when I decided to do my email.  There was an email from PMI-ISSIG about the ISSIG Review 2010 Vol. XIV No. 1.  One article that got my attention was “The Myth of Earned Value! (for Software Development Projects)” by Richard Fox.  I’m not including a link because it is copyrighted material and anyway I think the article is plain wrong.

You have to read most of the article before you get to the meat of the matter; basically, Mr. Fox states that EV and software development don’t mix because (my order so it makes sense to me):

• Software project have imprecise requirements. So, you don’t know what you want to achieve?
• Sotware projects are harder to estimate and it is harder to get an accurate progress report from a developer. Never worked construction, have you? This is not a software development exclusive.
• Until the software tests successfully we don’t know that we are done. Well then, claim nothing before then and then claim 100%.  Better yet, have clearly defined milestones with clearly defined deliverables and clearly defined %complete associated to them.

Add these 3 to this quote from the article:

The magnitude of trying to decide how much of the work of many software development activities has been completed may be best expressed by an old method of estimating the “ETC.” This is the 95% rule - “It takes “95% of the estimated schedule/cost to complete 95% of the work and ANOTHER 95% TO Finish it!”

Is it any wonder he claims EV and software development don't mix?  You could also guess who I’d be nominating for the CHAOS award this year…  For those who want to learn something about EV go to Glen Alleman’s blog, Herding Cats and type EV in the search box.

What do you think?  As always comments are welcome.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.  I am a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION); you can use “Friend” to add me to your network, please mention the blog in your request.

Off topic

I just finished reading " How to Make an American Job Before It's Too Late" by Andy Grove in the July edition of Bloomberg Business.  Even if that does not make me particularly original, I’ll say that this is exactly how I feel except that I’d say Canadian job instead. 

What do you think?  As always comments are welcome.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.  I am a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION); you can use “Friend” to add me to your network, please mention the blog in your request.

Project management blogs I recommend

Here is the updated list of project management blogs I currently recommend:

• Herding Cats

• PaperCut Edge

• Project Management Knowledge

• *new* Mel Bost – PMO Expert

Connect with me on LinkedIn.  I am a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION); you can use “Friend” to add me to your network, please mention the blog in your request.