Pm decision tools 2e

A.S. Sorokin, MBA, PMP
abigfinger@hotmail.com

#1 Brainstorm
2 stages: 1 – Proposals. 2 – Analysis and proofing.
RULES FOR 1st stage:
• Do record any idea
• Don’t judge any idea, even silly
• Don’t give up
• Do welcome unusual ideas
• Don’t prove the idea immediately
• Do approve and motivate any proposal, including
unreal, bad or stupid ones
RULES FOR 2nd stage:
• Try to rationalize every proposal
Types: Delphi, 6-3-5 Brainwriting, Brainsiege, Ship’s
council
Purpose: to find out as many as possible ways to resolve an issue

#1-a Reverse Brainstorming
Get a start from a reverse meaning -
1. Try to identify all possible ways to create
a similar issue
2. Define ways to cope with them
3. Select those ways which are more
suitable in your particular situation

#2 Mind-map
• Mind-map allows:
§ to write ideas in structured way by
hierarchy of branches
§ to enforce the idea by clear and color
images
§ to enforce the topic by color type, size
or bolding
§ to show relationship between topics
§ to make comments by different signs &
etc.
This is a very useful tool to record Brainstorming results or to remember things
Purpose: It helps to present ideas in a clear, attractive and persuasive way, give it a holistic
vision, to promote generation of ideas and understanding
One of the most effective tool to write results of the brainstorm

#3 Planning Poker. Preparation
YOU NEED:
§ the list of tasks
§ a few decks of cards (all shell be similar)
It can be used usual decks, including Ace, 2, 3, 5… King or
Joker (meaning “it is hard to evaluate or task too big, it has to
be divided”), or use the special deck, followed the Fibonacci
row, including 1/2: 0, ½, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100, ?
(meaning “uncertainty”) and “coffee cap” for a break.
The value of the card could be possible duration of task in
man-day or relative difficulty of work. This rule should be set
clear before discussion.
THE MAIN RULE: more value - an uncertainty is greater
Purpose: a kind of brainstorming tool to make an expert solution on duration of project tasks

#3 Planning Poker. Procedure
§ Every participant got an own deck of cards
§ Chairman just moderates the discussion, but NOT be
involved.
§ Use the timer to structure up the discussion.
§ Project manager should make a short review of every task
§ Team should discuss tasks and risks, ask questions; Project
manager’s job - to record results (corrections to the list of
tasks).
§ Every participant choose one card and put it on the table
top by deck.
§ Each participant in turn flips and calls his card
§ Every high or low vale should be explained. Person who is
the most possible to be assigned to this particular task has
more influence than others (be sure you considered his
experience and workload)
§ Follow the procedure until all tasks be discussed
§ Follow up result. Check if everybody agree

#4 Preparations for a meeting
§ DON’T make appointment at Friday evening or Monday
morning. Usually people are less active and attentive that time.
§ DON’T invite more than 10-12 people
§ DO invite only people, who make value or take a decision
§ DO make announcement and invitation prior to the meeting:
agenda, exact time and place
§ DO make sure YOU ARE clear with the point of the meeting
§ DO make sure all invited ARE CLEAR with the point of the
meeting too
§ DO make a proper plan of the meeting: who are the moderator,
minutes taker, kick-off part, who are speakers, how much time
he/she needs to explain the topic, Q&A session, breaks etc.
DON’T held a meeting on issues which can be resolved by other way!

#4 Holding a meeting
• DO track the time. Make sure meeting members follow the agenda.
Stop deviations. Make an appointment for another meeting if any
important issue risen.
• DO keep business attitude. Avoid unseasonable humor or dog talks
between members
• DO separate good news from bad and routine.
• DO accept all questions from members, but answer one-by-one. If
nobody can’t answer right now – write it down for further
development.
• DO motivate a dialogue and positive discussion instead of a monologue
or BLAME GAME.
• DO breaks for refreshment. TIP: It is better to make ONE long break
instead of some short.
• DO follow up. Make sure that important things were being heard. Think
how to check it.
• DO try to make minutes to help understand topics and made decisions
for those who couldn’t attend the meeting
Be sure that your meeting does not last longer than 1.5 hr

Dark side of meetings
§ Requires a good training - Chairman and participants usually
have no time for that;
§ Waste of time by high cost;
§ One meeting quite often is followed by the next meeting.
§ Great TALK-ers are LITTLE DO-ers;
§ NO-point- LESS information;
§ Vague agenda or purpose - not clear;
§ He who says what he likes, shall hear what he doesn't like;
§ Almost certainly there will be at least one idiot who will spend
the whole time on the useless things;

#5 “Fish-bone” (Ishikawa’s chart)
Purpose: to find root causes of issues
The most effective in use with the brainstorm
For proper making used maximum found factors for characteristic which registered to be out of
predicted value.
RULES FOR USE:
§ Be sure everybody agreed on effect and key issue(-es)
before the start
§ Use same nodes for analysis: Manpower, Materials,
Machines, Methods, Management, Environment
§ Be brief
§ Think about root cause(-es) for each node
§ Follow each node till its root cause
§ Check “overcrowded” nodes. Split them into smaller
“bones”
§ Decide which root causes should be analyzed more
precisely?

#5 “Fish-bone” (Ishikawa’s chart)

#6 PRO & CON
STEPS:
1. Collect the information about all options
2. Set up a spreadsheet with each option. Include
columns “PRO” and “CON”
3. Fill the arguments into the proper columns
4. Make a weighting of an each argument
5. Select and strike off same arguments in different
options
6. Level an important arguments
7. Exclude an inappropriate arguments
8. Check what is left and what kind of arguments In
options give maximum weight
9. Make your choice
Purpose: to find proper arguments for proposed options

#7 Gap Analysis
1. Analysis of
current state:
“Where we are?”
А
2. Vision of the goal –
desirable state:
«Where we want to
be?»
B
GAP
3. What prevent us / or we lack of –
to be where we want?
4. What have we do to get all lack things / or
to remove obstacles –
to be where we want?
Purpose: to work out a proper plan to achieve a goal

#7 Gap Analysis. RADAR
Purpose: to visualize gaps
The most effective in use with the gap analysis

#8 – “5 Why?”

#9 Problem tree
1 – List all found – only really existing, NOT risks or
possible – issues. Make them short and clear.
Remember: issue is not yet unfound/unseen
solution
2 – Select main issue. This analysis could consist of
many steps or repeatable because of made
mistakes.
3 – Decide which other issues are - “causes” or
“consequences”
4 – Set up the tree of “cause-consequence” chains.
5 – Your problem tree is ready!
The most effective in use with the brainstorm, 5-WHY and Grouping tools

#9 Problem tree (example)
Solution
development

#10 Decision tree (example)
TICK-TACK-TOE
Purpose: to find proper solution

#11 Grouping
• Resulting unsorted set of ideas (issues,
tasks & etc.) after the brainstorm or
other activity
• Set up affinities for items - attributes.
Group them by these attributes.
Purpose: to set up some relationship
The good practice is to use it just after the brainstorm happened

#12
Rules for organizing and remembering elements of the plan
The Goals should be SMART:
• Specific
• Measured
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely
…. written down
The Plan should be SCHEMES:
§ Space
§ Cash
§ Helpers
§ Equipment
§ Materials
§ Expertise
§ Systems
Purpose: structured approach to set up goals and action plan
The good practice is to use it with any activity

#13 RACI: Responsibility matrix
Purpose: structured approach to set up responsibility
The good practice is to use it with any action plan

Pm decision tools 2e

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