New project management articles published on the web during the week of May 19 – 25. We read all of this stuff so you don’t have to! Recommended:
Portfolio Management
- Patti Gilchrist explains what executive leadership can do to ensure the success of their PMO.
- Ira Lehrman suggests replacing the PMO with a Project Delivery Office, which partners with IT and the business stakeholders.
- Andy Jordan makes the case for a Chief Project Officer.
PM Best Practices
- Elizabeth Harrin shares her monthly round-up of project management news.
- Francine Hardaway notes some great (project) management lessons from HBO’s screamingly funny series, “Silicon Valley.”
- Kevin Korterud points out the similarities between race cars and successful projects.
- Timothy Seppala interviews TED founder Richard Saul Wurman, who outlines his criticisms of Big Data, and his vision for data comprehension.
- Duncan Haughey explains how to improve your coaching by following the GROW model.
- John Goodpasture has some alternatives to percent complete that are more focused on inputs and outputs.
- Kerry Wills checks the math, and finds that two resources allocated at 50% do not equal one FTE.
- Jordan Melson tells us how to know if the goals of our project are realistic.
- Cheri Baker offers some techniques for making your presentations and training more accessible to those with visual disabilities.
Agile Methods
- Terry Bunio levels a blast at the extremists in the Agile community, who respond to legitimate customer and management requests with drama and whining.
- Mike Cohn points out that the more detailed and precise an estimate, the more time it takes to produce it, and management needs to be willing to absorb that cost.
- Len Lagestree asks a simple question: where should Scum Masters report?
- Gurpreet Singh defines what he calls the “golden triangle” of Scrum, as opposed to the iron triangle of old-style project management.
Professional Development
- Nick Pisano considers a question raised anonymously a few weeks ago over at PM Hut – should PMI still be considered an authority on project management?
- John Reiling notes that the needed balance between hard skills and soft skills evolves over a career.
- Suzanne Lucas lists four interview questions will help you learn a lot about your prospective new employer’s culture.
- Peter Saddington shares an interesting poster on reading body language.
- Alina Vrabie gives us an overview of cognitive stamina – what it is, and how to get the most out of ours.
- Vicki Vrona says a daily checklist is a productive professional development habit.
Podcasts and Videos
- Samad Aidane interviews Vivek Wadhwa on innovation in emerging and fast-growth countries, global corporations, cultural differences, and Silicon Valley. Just 13 minutes, safe for work.
- Craig Smith and Renee Troughton interview Joel Pobar on how they manage product release at Facebook. Just 41 minutes, safe for work.
- Tom McFarlin links us to a great interview with Robert Herjavec, and adds his comments and insights. Just six minutes, safe for work.
Enjoy!