Leadership and Agile Project Management

LeadingAnswers: Leadership and Agile Project Management Blog

Leadership and Agile Project Management ideas, observations and resources.

• — Timebox Alternatives

     (Monday, 06 February 2012 06:47)

   

  By Mike Griffiths The Mayans may have had the first timeboxed project. They had a strict 2012 timebox cut off with little room for extension since the world would no longer exist. Although agile methods have been preaching the benefits...

• — PMI-ACP Exam Prep Material

     (Wednesday, 25 January 2012 05:58)

   

  My PMI-ACP Book is coming along nicely and today RMC released some more content including sample questions and walked through explanations of the answers. Visit the RMC Site to access it and also sign up for future previews and special...

• — PMBOK v5 Update.

     (Wednesday, 18 January 2012 04:27)

   

  I am overdue for providing an update on how my work on The PMBOK v5 Guide is going. Well, it is on its way. The process is slow (sometimes painfully slow) but this is because of the number of people...

• — Agile Productivity

     (Wednesday, 18 January 2012 04:24)

   

  SMEs, SM0s and the Deluded Developer Day We all want Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), but what happens if we get a Subject Matter Zeros (SM0s)? How does that impact your schedule, and what about team members who have “other project...

• — Presentation: Smart Agile Metrics

     (Thursday, 05 January 2012 01:46)

   

  I will be presenting on “Smart Agile Metrics” at the upcoming Calgary Agile Methods User Group (CAMUG) meeting Tuesday January 10th. Here is the outline: “Collecting and reporting effective metrics can be a tricky business. Einstein captured it well when...

• — PMI-ACP Steering Committee

     (Sunday, 04 December 2011 01:19)

   

  I am currently in Miami at the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner Steering Committee Meeting. We have been reviewing the pilot program that just wrapped up and discussing proposed changes for the full program when it gets rolled out next year....

• — Agile PMO Slides

     (Friday, 25 November 2011 22:04)

   

  I have uploaded the slides from my “Agile PMO” presentation and they can be accessed from the link below . I presented them last week at the Calgary APLN meeting and this week at the PMI-SAC Professional Development Conference. My...

• — The Agile PMO

     (Tuesday, 15 November 2011 05:00)

   

  On Wednesday Nov. 16th I will be presenting on how “PMOs often Present Multiple Obstacles for agile projects yet can also Provide Many Opportunities”. This is for our local A(P)LN chapter and is a dry run for next week when...

• — Using ANT to Measure Project Success

     (Sunday, 30 October 2011 00:31)

   

  What is project success? Is it just on time, on budget, with required functionality, and to a high quality standard? Or is there more, some missing X factor, a good after-taste, or resonance that we just know is great? I...

• — Agile Conspiracies

     (Sunday, 30 October 2011 00:01)

   

  Conspiracies can be fun. Based on just enough superficial evidence or correlation, they allow us to indulge our imaginations and let off some steam. But what happens if we stumble onto a hush-hush cover-up that we were never supposed to...

• — Calgary APLN Social Event

     (Wednesday, 05 October 2011 00:47)

   

  The Calgary Agile Project Leadership Network (Calgary APLN) 20011/2012 season kicks off with a social at the Barley Mill in Eau Claire, Thursday Oct 5, 4:00 – 6:00pm. "To help build a vibrant Agile community in Calgary, we would like...

• — PMI-ACP Value Stream Mapping

     (Monday, 26 September 2011 20:46)

   

  I have been away attending the excellent “Agile on The Beach” conference recently, but when I returned I had an email waiting requesting some PMI-ACP study help on Value Stream Mapping. So here is quick outline of the topic. Value...

• — Value Driven Delivery

     (Thursday, 08 September 2011 05:46)

   

  (This post, a draft sample from my upcoming PMI-ACP Prep book, takes a look at the “Value Driven Delivery” domain.) Value, specifically the delivery of business value, is a core component of agile methods. This concept is woven into the...

• — The New "Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide"

     (Tuesday, 06 September 2011 06:17)

   

  I was in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago for the kick-off meeting for the “Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide”. This initiative sponsored by the PMI and IEEE is developing additional guidance for project managers on software projects....

• — RMC's PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book

     (Saturday, 03 September 2011 01:11)

   

  I am excited to announce I will be working with RMC to create a PMI-ACP Study Guide book for the upcoming PMI Agile Certified Practitioner exam. When I was studying for my PMP exam many years ago, I used Rita...

• — Agile Outside of Software

     (Monday, 01 August 2011 09:11)

   

  Agile adoption outside of software is nothing new--it dates back very close to the origin of today’s agile methods, predating the term “agile”. However, what is new and noteworthy is the rate and scale of non-software agile adoption being witnessed...

• — Agile Prioritisation

     (Friday, 15 July 2011 21:15)

   

  A uniting thread through the variety of different agile methods is the fact that they all employ work prioritisation schemes. While the terminology varies--Scrum for instance has a “product backlog”, FDD a “feature list” and DSDM a “prioritised requirements list”--the...

• — Summer

     (Friday, 15 July 2011 20:54)

   

  ♫ It is summertime, my posts are short, the days are long Caught somewhere between work and play (This blog just is not getting written in between) It is summertime in North America! ♫ Summer in the Canadian Rockies is...

• — PMI Agile Update

     (Monday, 27 June 2011 07:50)

   

  Here is an update on the agile happenings at the PMI that I have been involved with. The pilot program for the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner filled up fast. 2,649 people opened applications for the program, a record for the...

• — Back to Our Roots

     (Monday, 27 June 2011 07:32)

   

  The 2011 Agile conference goes back to its roots this year, returning to Utah 10 years after the creation of the Agile Manifesto there in 2001. I won’t be there this year, since I’ll be taking advantage of Canada’s short...

• — The Washboard Anti-Pattern

     (Tuesday, 07 June 2011 04:58)

   

  Washboarding is an instability that occurs when vehicles move on dirt roads. What starts off with a small bump turns into a whole series of small bumps as vehicles travel the road. Washboard roads are more dangerous than smooth dirt...

• — PMI Agile Cert to be called “Agile Certified Practitioner”

     (Friday, 13 May 2011 02:33)

   

  It turns out the original suggestion of “Agile Project Practitioner” (PMI-APP) was too close to “App.” as in an Application or phone app to easily trademark (in this case service mark). So the name will now be “Agile Certified Practitioner”...

• — Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

     (Saturday, 30 April 2011 01:32)

   

  "Calling Hallelujah Always Offends Someone" I am glad the PMI is finally recognizing agile methods, Ken Schwaber recently posted about the PMI Agile Certification, saying that he “…welcomes this and looks forward to PMI shifting from its previous approach to...

• — Inside the PMI’s Agile Certification Examination Content Outline

     (Monday, 25 April 2011 20:22)

   

  The PMI has now published the Agile Certification Examination Content Outline, you can download it here. It outlines the “Tools and Techniques” and “Knowledge and Skills” areas that the exam will be broken into. As we have it now, 50%...

• — Money For Nothing, PDUs For Free

     (Friday, 08 April 2011 04:38)

   

  The PMI employs a Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program to encourage members to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. This basically means that to maintain your certification (be it PMP, CAPM, or PgMP) you have to meet the...

• — Agile as a Solution for "Miscalibration Errors"

     (Friday, 08 April 2011 03:31)

   

  Malcolm Gladwell (author of Blink and Tipping Point) was in town a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed a great presentation he gave on what happens when we think we have complete information on a subject. The Problem Gladwell...

• — Periodic Table of Agile Adoption

     (Monday, 04 April 2011 03:02)

   

  I created the following fun periodic table of agile adoption to explain some of the ranges of adoption, adaptation and blending that we see in the workplace. The Model On the left to right (X axis) we see varying ranges...

• — PMI Agile Work

     (Monday, 04 April 2011 02:52)

   

  It has been a busy week for PMI Agile work. Last week I was in San Antonio with the PMI Agile Certification Steering Committee reviewing the latest market research and next steps for the certification launch. Things are also moving...

• — Agile Contracts - Part 2

     (Thursday, 17 March 2011 04:16)

   

  Part 2 of my article on Agile contracts has been published on Gantthead.com. Part 1 reviewed the existing agile contract samples from the DSDM Consortium that speaks to “Fit for business purpose” acceptance criteria and “Passing Tests” rather than meeting...

• — More Details about PMI’s Agile Certification

     (Wednesday, 09 March 2011 02:44)

   

  The new PMI Agile certification will come on stream in two waves. The first is the pilot program starting in May where participants get the chance to sit the 120 question, multiple choice, 3 hr exam and instead of pressing...

• — PMI Unveils Agile Certification Program

     (Thursday, 24 February 2011 16:19)

   

  The PMI took the wraps off their new PMI Agile Certification program today. If that sounds like an oxymoron then take a closer look. There have been a growing number of agile sessions at PMI conferences over the last 6...

• — Training in New Orleans - Updated: Now Full

     (Wednesday, 09 February 2011 06:12)

   

  The next occurrence of my Agile Project Management class will be in New Orleans on February 28 and March 1st (Feb 18 Update: and is now full ). After that there is: Savannah, GA - April 11, 12 Dallas, TX...

• — Agile Mythbusters Update

     (Wednesday, 09 February 2011 05:58)

   

  So we had our Agile Mythbusters session and it went really well. I was a little concerned that we would present a myth to the audience and there would be no discussion, debate or dialogue, just crickets chirping and tumbleweed...

• — Agile Mythbusters

     (Tuesday, 18 January 2011 05:47)

   

  I like myths and have written on Leadership Myths previoulsy. For our next Calgary APLN Meeting we are hosting an Agile Mythbusters discussion. The idea being to debate some agile myths and through group discussion determine if they are Busted,...

• — Functional Teams

     (Tuesday, 21 December 2010 05:56)

   

  A big part of project management is working to grow a high performing team and then caring for that team so it stays healthy and productive. Agile concepts around empowered teams and team decision making support these goals and so...

• — Customer Engagement

     (Tuesday, 07 December 2010 04:05)

   

  Agile methods encourage partnering more closely with the business customer to benefit from shorter customer feedback cycles. When this works, it is great; we get quick confirmation of deliverables and engage in collaborative evolution towards the true business requirements as...

• — 8th in Top 50 Leadership Blogs

     (Tuesday, 07 December 2010 03:55)

   

  LeadingAnswers recently placed 8th in the Top 50 Leadership blogs list, rated by The Entrepreneur Blog. This was a great surprise and I did not even know it was nominated for reader voting. First and second spots went to Seth...

• — Agile Star Quiz

     (Thursday, 02 December 2010 06:33)

   

  So you think you know agile? Well then why not take the Agile Star Quiz and find out if you are really an agile star or more of an information black hole. The questions in each category start out easy,...

• — Agile Project Wins PMI Award

     (Tuesday, 16 November 2010 04:57)

   

  This was a regional competition, not the national one, but I am really pleased to report that the IPS project I managed for the last 3+ years won the PMI-SAC Business & IT “Project of the Year” award at last...

• — Aligning PMOs using Game Theory

     (Friday, 05 November 2010 09:20)

   

  Does your PMO Produce Multiple Obstacles for your project or Promote Many Opportunities for success? A Project Management Office (PMO) can act as an obstacle to agile projects. This can take the form of asking for inappropriate planning detail by...

• — PMBOK Guide: Highway Code or Highway Map?

     (Friday, 05 November 2010 08:49)

   

  Most people studied the Highway Code before taking their drivers licence exam. They had to learn (enough of) it to pass the exam, but then most likely did not reference it again, except until helping a friend study for the...

• — Ultra Agile

     (Tuesday, 19 October 2010 04:08)

   

  Agile methods are best suited for small projects. Women are not suited for extreme endurance events like marathons and ultra (beyond marathon) races. Oh, how conventional wisdom seems ludicrous after being proven wrong time and time again. “The heresy of...

• — PMI Global Congress

     (Saturday, 09 October 2010 05:11)

   

  I will be at the PMI Global Congress in Washington D.C. next week presenting on “Reoccurring Resistance to Agile Adoption and Lessons Learned” for successful implementation. Later in the week I will be teaching my SeminarsWorld 2 day Agile Project...

• — PMBOK v5

     (Saturday, 09 October 2010 05:01)

   

  Q: How do you write a new version of the PMBOK Guide? A: Very carefully Development of the PMBOK v5 Guide is underway and I was on the content creation group for Chapter 12 Procurement as explained previously. However, I...

• — Traditional and Agile PM Integration Pains - a Positive Sign?

     (Monday, 13 September 2010 09:12)

   

  There has been some hubbub on the PMI Agile Yahoo Group these last couple of weeks. A lively back-and-forth about a slide deck published by the PMI Network magazine entitled “Is Agile Right for your project?” The original slides were...

• — Correct but not Sufficient

     (Thursday, 26 August 2010 09:55)

   

  Project management has matured with many professional organizations, certifications, and bodies of knowledge, yet we still hear of numerous project failures. What has gone wrong; is project management broken? I don’t think it is broken in terms of any of...

• — PMBOK 5 - Accepted

     (Thursday, 26 August 2010 09:15)

   

  Well, what an on / off / on-again relationship this has turned out to be. After explaining how I was rejected from the PMI PMBOK v5 initiative previously, I received news this week that I have been accepted onto the...

• — 5 Things to Think about After Stand-up

     (Tuesday, 10 August 2010 13:05)

   

  Following my post on 5 Things to Think About Before Stand-Up, it is only right that I follow it up with the 5 things I think about after Stand-up. 1) Issues – Anything that was reported as a blocker, impediment,...

• — 5 Things to Think About Before Stand-Up

     (Tuesday, 10 August 2010 07:06)

   

  Stand-up meetings are familiar to agile teams and as the saying goes “familiarity breeds contempt” or at least complacency. It is all too easy to drift into a daily routine of holding a stand-up meeting without getting the full set...

• — Agile Adoption Anti-Patterns

     (Thursday, 22 July 2010 05:51)

   

  Agile methods are powerful approaches that bring many benefits to how we undertake project work. However, they are not immune to misuse or failure. The following list of 5 common pitfalls are often seen in organizations switching to agile. “To...