4 PM Anti-Patterns

PM Anti-Patterns@bertheymans - Barcamp VRT Jan 21, 2012

experience is something you dont get until just after you need it - Steven Wright (stand-up comedian) disclaimer: experience actually comes from doing things that are a bit harder than the other things you already did in your life

memories; theyre the only things you have to think back on... - Reddit user Phlux

those who can not remember the past are damned to repeat it - Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

people suck at learning from past mistakes but we dont have to

@bertheymans 7 years of online and mobile projects, writes down stuffI hope I can help you recognise a few anti-patterns

The Anti-Patterns1. Fighting Visual Priority2. Black Hole Planning3. Is That a Triangle In Your Pants? (or are you just happy to see the budget)4. Delegation without Authority

Project Management Anti-Pattern #1 Fighting Visual Priority

The Stroop effect

Out of scope:- Facebook integration, any kind- Video, any kind- Search functionality

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #1Fighting Visual Priority● dont put visuals in contracts● be there to explain a graphic in words● be complete with diagrams, dont leave essentials out● brief designers on functional requirements and do a functional internal review before presenting to the client

Associated Popular Anti-patterns● Throw it over the Wall passing on responsibility between groups as a result of too little communication● Smoke and Mirrors pretending something already exists● Mushroom Management intentionally keeping people in the dark

Project Management Anti-Pattern #2 Black Hole Planning

ignoring project fade-out in planning(let’s crunch that planning as if it was Christmas and ignore maintenance or bug solving time entirely)

especially look out for this anti-pattern in ashared resource environment where projects compete for resources

I like agile!

but some projects only get this kind of resource planning authorized ...

What could possibly ever happen after the deadline, nothing right?!

in web consultancy projects this happens all.the.time possible causes: ● low budget doesnt allow for iterations ● agile is not part of the culture ● bottleneck skills in production team dont allow for people to stay with a project ● a maintenance or operations group is expected to help out after delivery

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #2Black Hole Planning● distribute a bit of your budget for small fixes after the deadline in your planning request etc. etc.

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #2Black Hole Planning● agree on a tolerance with the client for work that has not yet been defined● defend additional resource time early on (dont add or switch people if you dont have to)● if you have the budget for it, dont plan for waterfall, define an approach with iterations

Associated Popular Anti-Patterns● Waterfall model: organizational model that ignores change● Molar hazard: insulating the decision-maker from the consequences of his or her decision● Silos or Stovepipe: structure preventing cross organisation communication

Project Management Anti-Pattern #3 Is That a Triangle in Your Pants?

I was going to call this anti-pattern Quality Cover-up but it sounded too boring

expecting or pretending budget canbe a substitute of required time for delivering quality

The Triple Constraints

The "Pick Any Two" Diagramfast and good, but expensive makes sense right?

the triple constraint model can not be applied in a situation where quality comes from invested time PMI took it out of the PMBOK for a reason

if 1 Time == 1 Quality well end up with this ...... low quality despite of a high budget

just crunching a shedule is not a model

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #3ITATIYP aka Quality Cover-up● respect estimations● balance risk and resources together with cost and quality● defend time by illustrating risk and the impact on resources

Associated Popular Anti-Patterns● adding people to a late project only makes it later● Death march everybody knows the result is going to be bad except the sponsor

Project Management Anti-Pattern #4 Delegation without Authority

expecting people to implicitly have the same authority as you have

I thought I wasnt allowed to call the client

I dont have thatcontact information

Actually I didnt see those files just until now, I dont havepermission to see them on my machine

sometimes you may need to go through all the red tape, dont underestimate this

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #4Delegation without Authority● think about what authorization is required for a job and explain to the one youre giving the work to● dont be(come) the bottleneck (dont tell people theyre allowed to do something, but always see you beforehand or report all actions)

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4 PM Anti-Patterns

by Bert Heymans on Jan 22, 2012

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4 PM Anti-Patterns — Presentation Transcript