New PM Articles for the Week of September 28 – October 4

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Red BalloonNew project management articles published on the web during the week of September 28 – October 4. We give you a high-level view so you can read what interests you. Recommended:

Must read!

  • Peter Gray summarizes the declining emotional maturity and resilience among college students, manifesting as an inability to handle setbacks and an escalating demand for services.
  • Esther Derby recently reflected on best practices for Agile, and selected seven to share with us. Note: these aren’t just Agile practices, but approaches to problem-solving.
  • Lisa McLeod analyzes the Volkswagen emission spoofing scandal, as a proactive deception driven by the CEO’s goals for the company, rather than adding customer value.

Established Methods

  • Todd Williams points out the pitfalls in organizational change management.
  • Philip Smith notes that that hard part, in these times of rapid change, is making change “stick.”
  • Allen Ruddock argues that the key to a successful project is communicating to the stakeholders what’s at stake for them – “What’s in it for me?”
  • Harry Hall lists nine ways to start a new project, in order to avoid being behind at the point of 15% completion.
  • Dhan Wa says we’re in the midst of a generational change in the practice of project management.
  • Bruce Harpham explains how to grow your internal network, and why you should.
  • Vivek Prakash reports on how the team that translated the PMBOK 5th Edition into Hindi set ground rules for handling disagreement, to meet their project schedule.
  • Glen Alleman explores the unmyths of project duration estimating.
  • Rich Maltzman makes the link between assumptions and risks, and then trots out an example from fish biology to illustrate his point.
  • John Goodpasture identifies some of the crucial innovations that arose from the American Civil War and World War II.

Agile Methods

  • Gil Broza gives us the “why” of working in iterations.
  • Mike Cohn wants to see the Scrum coaches and trainers shift their thinking, to grow the community rather than solidify their market share.
  • Jaap Dekkinga lists six levels of “doneness” that should be considered in Agile planning.
  • Jenny Brown notes some of the organizational challenges that can inhibit the adoption of Lean / Six Sigma methods.

Applied Leadership

  • Peter Saddington does a review of recent research into leadership and employee engagement, and finds evidence that we should be leading from the heart.
  • Art Petty reports on the lessons he learned from delivering two leadership workshops for the Alabama Jail Association. Leading in dangerous situations amplifies success and failure.
  • Tom McFarlin shares his professional approach to dealing with business relationships gone sour.

Podcasts and Videos

  • Elizabeth Harrin addresses questions about online project management training and the level of difficulty of the PMP exam. Just three minutes, safe for work.
  • Alena Kuzniatsova recommends a video from the Agile2015 Conference: a panel discussion on adopting Agile methods. Just over an hour, safe for work.
  • Jesse Fewell shares two brief videos, on #NoEstimates and virtual collaboration. A total of 13 minutes, safe for work.
  • Elise Stevens interviews Amany Nuseibeh on the need for project managers to live the PMI Code of Ethics. Just 17 minutes, safe for work.
  • Ruairi O’Donnellan shares a funny short video on eliminating risk. Less than two minutes, and safe for work as long as you use the enclosed stand.

Enjoy!