New PM Articles for the Week of May 11 – 17

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Decision SignNew project management articles published on the web during the week of May 11 – 17. Our theme this week is decision-making. Recommended:

Must read!

  • Seth Godin lays out the precepts of decision hygiene – improving your ability to be decisive by clearing away the clutter that slows down decision-making.
  • Paul Ritchie frames the new requirements for PMP continuing education in terms of what happens when “technical, leadership, and strategic and business management expertise” are absent.
  • Kailash Awati and Simon Buckingham Shum look at the metaphors that drive our understanding of technology, especially Big Data.

PM Best Practices

  • Glen Alleman points out key differences between two probability-based forecasting approaches: Bootstrapping and Monte Carlo Simulation.
  • Peter Tarhanidis promotes the basics of establishing a decision-making process.
  • Bruce Harpham provides his analysis of the new PMP continuing education requirements.
  • Henny Portman explores ways to apply the concept of organizational energy to project portfolio management.
  • Bart Gerardi begins a series on organizational agility – what it is, the forces driving it, and the defining characteristics of an agile organization.
  • Gina Abudi introduces a series of case studies that demonstrate how to convert change resistors into change champions.
  • Ryan Ogilvie disputes the old saying, “Good, fast, or cheap – pick any two.” We need to find the appropriate balance between the three.
  • Fintan Manning notes five exciting improvements coming in Microsoft Project 2016.
  • Kerry Wills gives us a preview of his latest book, “Assessing IT Projects,” due in June.

Agile Methods

  • John Goodpasture considers where verification and validation fit in to Agile practices.
  • Mike Cohn gives us a nice explanation of that time-boxed research activity known as a spike.
  • Gil Broza explains the Agile concept of deferring decisions, and some related decision-making principles.
  • Kelsey van Haaster looks at the way that the growing complexity of Agile practices has brought us away from Agile principles.

Management without the Pointy Hair

  • Mike Griffiths identifies the counter-productive attributes of open space offices, co-location, and “managing by walking around.”
  • Pawel Brodzinski explains why he wants more women on his development team. Entirely aside from the fact that they constitute more than 50% of the population …
  • Allen Ruddock details the process of hiring the right project manager, from strategy to tactics.
  • Harry Hall recalls a “project superhero” who might have done more long-term harm to the organization than short-term good.
  • Bruce Benson shares what he learned about setting goals from not finishing his first two marathons.

Podcasts and Videos

  • Elizabeth Harrin shares her daily video diary from the PMI Global Congress EMEA in London. Three parts (links to the other days on the page), 16 minutes, safe for work.
  • Dave Prior interviews Mike Cohn following his keynote for the recent Scrum Gathering, on being open to admit you might be wrong. Just 14 minutes, safe for work.
  • Cornelius Fichtner interviews Profess Stephen Wearne on managing urgent projects. Just 25 minutes, safe for work.
  • Craig Smith interviews Ian Jones and Korrine Jones at the LEADit service management conference in Melbourne. Just 34 minutes, safe for work.

Enjoy!