Perspective PM

Open Source Project Management

Via http://wolphination.com/linux/:

...many Open Source projects fall apart before they see the light of day, mostly due to management reasons. You are receiving this directly from someone who has had an Open Source project disintegrate ... and has had to pick up the pieces, so the common pitfalls listed below are frighteningly genuine and happen to the most motivated of project managers. They all, ultimately, result in developer dropout and thus the death or dormancy of the project...

More here.

I would add to the list: lack of project justification. In the corporate world, the very first step in any project is to define the business need. Whenever decisions have to be made, the initial business reason behind the project is revisited to help determine what path to take. I find that many open source projects start with an idea that's really cool from a programming standpoint, and at the first sign of a challenge everyone asks, "what are we working so hard to accomplish again?" and starts to drop off. There has to be a reason to stick through the times when it just doesn't seem like any fun anymore.

Top 10 Signs You Aren't Cut Out for Anything

Via Tech Republic:

10 Signs you aren't cut out to be a project manager:

1. You're a poor communicator
2. You don't work well with people
3. You prefer the details
4. You don't like to manage people
5. You don't like to follow processes
6. You don't like to document
7. You like to execute and not plan
8. You prefer to be an order taker
9. You are not organized
10. You think project management is "overhead"

More here.

As I commented there, most of those qualities make you unfit not only for project management, but pretty much any job that involves working with the public or a diverse group of people at all. Number 2 implies number 4. If you don't like working with people but you do like managing them, you're probably just bossing them around. That's not managing.

To me, two key attributes that separate those who might be good at project management (in just about any industry) and those who might not are their ability to multitask and their ability to prioritize. Can you separate the critical issues from the minutiae? Can you get neck-deep in an issue but still switch gears smoothly if needed? Can you decide between costing your company lots of money or hurting its reputation? Are you as willing to take the blame if it all falls apart as much as the glory when it all comes together?

If you answered yes to all of the above, you're probably a bit of a masochist. You'd also make a terrific project manager.

It's all fun & games... and maybe some gantt charts

Heather Maxwell Chandler has a great piece on Gamasutra about using project management in the gaming industry. From the article:

Because most game developers are suspicious of formal processes it is natural for them to be wary of any procedures the “suits” want to impose on them. So if the team views the producer as a vital part of the of the development team, the more willing they are to listen to the producer’s ideas how to improve the working conditions through project management techniques.

More here.

To PMP or not to PMP

I'm often asked if I think it's worth getting certified as a PMP. In addition to catapulting your resume to the top of a recruitment manager's pile, it often commands a higher salary and even the envy of non-certified colleagues. Yes, the PMP is a desirable thing indeed.

Unfortunately, it's often desired for all the wrong reasons, namely, earning a higher salary and the envy of colleagues. Worse, after countless hours of studying PMI's narrowly defined processes and cramming for an exam, many people begin to look at their real-world projects as academic exercises and start to get a little crazy with things like formal communication, protocol and documentation. Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with wanting to earn more, and I am all for adhering to standards and using best practices. In fact, I'm a fairly active member of PMI and intend to maintain my certification status. However, only a small part of my value as a project manager can be attributed to what I learned while studying for the credential.

The two best reasons to take the PMP exam are:

1. You want a new job. If you're looking for work as a project manager, having this credential will definitely  give you an edge over the competition. The process you have to go through just to sit the exam is just arduous enough to scare off enough people to boost your chances of landing the job you want.
2. Your company said they'd pay for it. One major deterrent for taking the exam is that it's expensive. I addition to the approximately $500 exam fee, you need to spend a certain amount of time sitting in a classroom, taking online courses, or attending seminars. I spent about $3,000 on the structured learning necessary to sit for the exam. If your company offers to fund your pursuit of the PMP credential, it's wise to take them up on it. It's a good investment for your company too, especially if they have prospective clients who factor professional certifications into their vendor selection process.

If your only goal is to improve you abilities as a project manager, your time is best spent reading up on project management techniques and finding ways to work closely with more experienced project managers.

Pop Quiz!

People who work in technology fall into one of three camps when it comes to their opinion of formal project management practices. Which camp are you in? Take this quiz to find out.

1. What is Project Management?

• A: the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of a particular project
• B: a corporate buzzword used to describe an entire industry founded on the perpetuation of boring, time-wasting exercises that serve no purpose other than to inhibit creativity, destroy innovation, and choke productivity with copious amounts of red tape
• C: knowledge, skills, tools and techniques which, if properly applied, facilitate efficiency, creativity and innovation to produce a high-quality end product, but can also drain time, money, energy and motivation if improperly applied

Pencils Down

That's it! How did you do?