Listen Now: {audio}http://traffic.libsyn.com/pmpodcast/PM_Podcast_211_2012_04_27_-_PM_for_non_PMs.mp3{/audio}This episode is sponsored by The PDU Podcast:The projects that you and I manage are crucial to implement change within our organizations. To succeed, we routinely depend on the functional managers - the person who runs the department or division, who resolves day-to-day operational issues, and who is responsible for ensuring that the project team has the resources it needs and keeps its goals aligned with the company’s overall strategy and vision.Unfortunately, there are only few functional managers who speak our language or even have firm grasp on the most fundamental of project processes. Too often, this knowledge gap leads to poor communications, conflict, schedule delays, cost overruns and lost business opportunity.And who gets the blame? Yup... we do.To help bridge this gap we are interviewing Jack Ferraro, PMP (www.myprojectadvisor.com) who wrote the book “Project Management for Non-Project Managers”. We discuss the many ways in which functional managers can get involved in project success and we also discuss the four key project management skills that any functional manager needs:Articulating the real customer need and business case Staying focused on project deliverables Understanding your key dependenciesBeing proactive about project risk.
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If you remember, in part 1 we discussed that there are four four exceptions you need to be aware of when integrating Agile with PPM and then we looked at how you need to adjust your PPM framework to include include 5 standard metrics for Agile. They were Scheduled Finish Date and Percent Complete.
Here in part 2 we will move on to the other 3 metrics and then David and I open up the white paper from Daptiv and look at the graphic that clearly shows how straightforward integrating Agile and PPM can be. (A link to download the white paper is on our website. Please grab it from there.)
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
One of the seemingly larger challenges out there for corporation that use both Agile and Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is integration of what seem to be two very different philosophies. But more than that... you will have to overcome three fallacies about Agile and PPM.
The first fallacy is that people think that Agile projects don’t provide executive visibility, the second that they don’t have reliable “Scheduled Finish Dates” and the third that Agile and traditional practices simply aren’t compatible.
This is part 1 of our interview with David. In it we discuss how integrating Agile with into a PPM framework is no different than integrating a more traditional project methodology, but that there are four four exceptions, which we’ll look at in detail. And then we move on to 5 areas of estimation how a PPM framework with standard metrics can be created for Agile. We will talk about the first two, which are Scheduled Finish Date and Percent Complete.
Yes... you are not seeing things. This is really a call for your assistance with Episode 017, which was originally published about 6-7 years ago.
In that episode we interview Sabrina Mancini Johnson and every 2-3 months we get a request from a listener if we could please send them the templates mentioned in that episode from way back when.
Unfortunately... we don't have them. But maybe you do?
So if you happen to be a long time listener to the podcast and you still have a copy of those templates from Sabrina, then please send them to info@pm-podcast.com and everyones gratitude will be yours!
http://www.agileprepcast.com - This free lesson of The Agile PrepCast will be describing the Agile method called Lean. The term "Lean Software Development" was first used in the book Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit, written by Mary and Tom Poppendieck. Lean Software Development is a translation of lean manufacturing and lean IT principles and practices used in the Toyota Production System and then adapted for software development. Seven basic principles form the foundation of Lean Software Development, which in turn are implemented on Agile projects by employing a set of 22 supporting tools.
http://www.pm-prepcast.com/agile - In this free Agile PrepCast lesson, we present to you one video from our discussion of the different Agile implementation methods in which we look Scrum. Scrum is by far the most popular method used today by the world's Agile project development teams, and is also one of the most rigid in terms of recommended practices and procedures. At the heart of Scrum is the Agile iterative cycle called the Sprint, which is supported by different types of project team "Roles", meetings called "Events", and documentation and tools called "Artifacts". Scrum is embraced by most organizations that not only want to implement Agile principles quickly on their projects, but are also interested in implementing Agile principles across their entire organization.
http://www.agileprepcast.com - In this free Agile PrepCast lesson, we review The Declaration of Interdependence. The Declaration of Interdependence was published in 2005 by a group of Agile practitioners to help implement guidelines set forth in the Agile Manifesto. It contains six principles essential to "management' in general, not just to "project' or "product' management, and outlines leadership methods used to manage the interdependency of people, processes and value in order to perform work.
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
More and more people are preparing for their PMI Agile-Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Exam. And you may have noticed that in the past 2 years the topics here on The PM Podcast have seen more and more Agile influences. This is partly because of my personal interest in Agile and partly because as a company we decided to develop and launch The Agile PrepCast (www.agileprepcast.com) that helps you prepare for this exam.
In today’s episode we interview Allen Matheson (http://www.linkedin.com/in/allenmatheson) who recently passed his PMI-ACP exam. What I liked about his experience on the exam was the fact that his exam application got audited, which is something that so many people dread. But you will hear from Allen that if you are truthful in your application and approach it right, then being audited is a simple and straightforward process.
As you know, the rules of all PMI exams are such that we are not allowed to discuss specific questions from the exam. But we can discuss his overall experience, general thoughts on the process and his recommendations to you. So you can look forward to an experience and tip filled interview on how to prepare for and pass your PMI-ACP Exam.
This is the Low Resolution version of The Free Agile PrepCast lesson on Scrum. (This is the video that will automatically sync to your iPod or iPhone.)
This is the Low Resolution version of The Free Agile PrepCast lesson on the Declaration of Interdependence. (This is the video that will automatically sync to your iPod or iPhone.)
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
This week I am meeting with Craig D. Wilson (http://www.matincor.com). Craig is an experienced and very senior project manager who has been involved in the management of many large, enterprise wide programs that also included Agile teams.
Because of this background I asked him to meet me in a coffee shop for an interview and answer the following “simple question”, which is: How do you scale Agile to the enterprise?
While Craig does not have a silver bullet for us that solves all our problems in scaling agile to the enterprise, he does have a lot of insight that comes directly from the enterprise front.
Before we get started with this interview here is a warning: If you are an Agile purist - that is to say someone who feels extremely strongly about implementing Agile or Scrum “by the book” and will is easily offended if someone suggests a different approach - then please press stop now. That is because Craig will give us his definition of Agile, will discuss the Agile approaches that he has applied on the programs that he managed, and present ways in which he scales Agile for an enterprise initiative. And he doesn’t do it 100% by the book. Instead he mixes and matches those approaches that makes sense for his environment.
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
Building a PMO is a daunting task. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a “simple” 12 step approach that would guide you through the process from start to finish? We can help you there. My guest today is Bill Dow who wrote The Tactical Guide for Building a PMO. The book will provide PMO Managers with the knowledge and skills to develop, refine, and enhance their Project Management Office.
In todays interview Bill and I will will discuss the 12 steps he recommends you must go through in order to build your PMO and then next week we’ll look at aspects of implementing and growing it
If you want to learn the tactical for building a PMO then today’s episode is for you
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
Today’s discussion with Andy Makar (www.tacticalprojectmanagement.com) is about his book “Project Management Interview Questions Made Easy” that will help you get ready for your next job interview. If your finger is now already hovering over the Stop button because you are currently employed and you don’t have to take a job interview anytime soon and you think that you don’t need to listen to this, then give me just a moment longer to tell you why you should still listen to what Andy has to say anyway.
Well... in fact, let me read a review written by Tim Cermak on Amazon about the book. He says.
"Dr. Makar delivers easy to read information; valuable whether you're new to the PM industry or a seasoned professional. Often PM's find themselves interviewing for positions even when they are fully employed; as companies worldwide hire professional PM's to consult. This is not a one-time read. This book should be a reference source in the desks and bags of every PM out there."
Well then.... have we changed your mind and you’re not going to press stop? Good.
http://www.pducast.com The PDU Podcast is the easiest and most convenient way for certified Project Management Professionals (PMP) to earn their Professional Development Units (PDU): Download and watch the webinars - Earn PDUs - Repeat.
And we have just introduced the "Buy Now" option. So if you are in a hurry you can buy the 12 webinars each from Year 1 and Year 2 for immediate download. Earn 20 or 40 PDUs in a flash. Just press Play.
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
According to a study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, leaders who make mistakes are seen as less competent, less desirable to work for and less effective than leaders who do not. However, in a complex business world, mistakes are unavoidable. What separates us project managers from everyone else is that we often aren’t afraid to make mistakes, are resilient and know how to rebound from them. But how?
Carla Fair-Wright (Optimal Consulting - www.opc-houston.com) is a long-time listener of The PM Podcast. She got in touch with me and asked if her presentation, "How to Recover from Mistakes and Keep the Project Moving" might be a good fit for us. Of course it is. In our interview she explains five of the top ten most common mistakes project managers make and how to avoid them.
We’ll discuss techniques from positive psychology and competitive sports that focus on how to quickly rebound from mistakes and, how to cultivate and use a strategic system for mitigating them. You will also learn how to manage your own reaction along with the loss of trust or damage to one’s reputation that can happen.
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
This is part 2 of our interview with Kevin Reilly and how he prepared for and then also passed the PMI Agile-Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Exam. Hearing him speak is a great reminder for us all that having a plan and sticking to it as we prepare is paramount in our exam preparation. But almost more importantly, hearing someone else talk about how they managed to pass their exam serves as a boost for all of us who are also on the path of becoming PMI-ACP certified. (Disclaimer: Kevin Reilly works as a contractor for OSP International LLC, who produce both The PM Podcast and The Agile PrepCast).
As you know, the rules of all PMI exams are such that we are not allowed to discuss specific questions from the exam. But we can discuss his overall experience, general thoughts on the process and his recommendations to you.
During the interview you will hear us make several references to The Agile PrepCast. So if you yourself are interested in becoming PMI-ACP certified, then sign up to The Agile PrepCast newsletter at www.pm-prepcast.com/agile and be among the first to prepare for your exam using our new sister podcast. We’re furiously working to get it finished.
This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast for The PMI-ACP Exam:
As we are recording this episode there are about 1,500 project managers around the world who have passed the PMI Agile-Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Exam. Last year around this time there were zero. This is because the PMI-ACP certification is the newest exam offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)®.
In today’s episode we have our first interview for you, in which a successful PMI-ACP exam taker opens up to you and talks about what it was like for him. His name is Kevin Reilly and we’ve had him on the program earlier this year. (Disclaimer: Kevin Reilly works as a contractor for OSP International LLC, who produce both The PM Podcast and The Agile PrepCast).
As you know, the rules of all PMI exams are such that we are not allowed to discuss specific questions from the exam. But we can discuss his overall experience, general thoughts on the process and his recommendations to you.
And since Kevin has changed his career and is now a trainer himself, who teaches others as they are preparing for their exam, you can look forward to a great discussion and some excellent advice.
During the interview you will hear us make several references to The Agile PrepCast. So if you yourself are interested in becoming PMI-ACP certified, then sign up to The Agile PrepCast newsletter at www.pm-prepcast.com/agile and be among the first to prepare for your exam using our new sister podcast. We’re furiously working to get it finished.
There have been many changes in the focus of organizations - whether private or public - away from a traditional product-or service-centricity towards customer-centricity and projects are just as much a part of that change. Projects must deliver value; projects must involve stakeholders, and as you will hear in our interview Elizabeth Harrin and her co-author Phil Peplow demonstrate convincingly that stakeholders are the ones who get to decide what 'value' actually means.
Today’s episode is based on their book Customer-Centric Project Management. It is intended as a short guide explaining what customer-centricity means in terms of how you work and its importance for project performance; using tools and processes to guide customer-centric thinking will help you see the results of engagement and demonstrate how things can improve, even on difficult projects. We’ll define what the problem is with how we do things today and then we’ll move quickly into the new paradigm.
In this Episode of The Project Management Podcast, Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, CSM introduces us to The Situational Leadership Theory by Hersey and Blanchard and then shows us on a real life example how the model fails when being used in his current environment and he offers two solutions to address the problem.
In this episode of The PM Podcast we introduce you to The PDU Insider at www.pdu-insider.com, which is our website and newsletter where we teach certified PMPs all there is to know about Professional Development Units (PDU).
We’ll show you some of the features of the website, point out the #1 article called “12 Easy Ways To Earn PDUs” that every certified PMP should read and we’ll explain why subscribing to the free newsletter is more than “just another newsletter” about PDUs.
I have always said that one of the most beneficial actions that I took to further my career and success as a project manager was to become involved with PMI. I started out as an event volunteer and worked my way all the way up to becoming the president of my local PMI Chapter. This volunteering not only helped me to find a job, it also introduced me to colleagues in my field put me on the path of becoming PMP certified and it was the starting point of this here, The Project Management Podcast where I’ve expanded my volunteering efforts out towards a world audience of project managers.
The good news is that I’m not the only one who has seen such great results from volunteering. Kevin Reilly, PMP has seen very similar results. Every since he started volunteering a little over a year ago doors have opened up for him and an incredible number of opportunities have opened up for him.
Kevin has now gone ahead and he has taken his approach and turned it into a process for you. A step by step process that you can follow towards your professional success as a project manager:
Understand the benefits
Analyze your skills
Determine your goals
Select an organization
Leverage your time
Market your skills
We first review these 6 steps in detail and then Kevin tells his personal story of volunteering and networking to illustrate how powerful a driver this approach was in his career and will help you do the same.
I'm going to be in Switzerland for the next 3 weeks. If you happen to be there as well, then drop me a line at info@pm-podcast.com and let's meet for a drink and chat!
This is a Special PM Podcast Episode, in which we introduce you to Gazza's Corner, a new podcast about project management by Gary Nelson, PMP. Here is what Gary has to say about the episode:
You cannot underestimate the importance of the Project Kickoff. It sets the tone for the rest of the project, and it is often the first time all of the key players on the Project will be face to face. In some cases, it may be the only time they all get together - so make it count!
It may also be the first time that you get to review the project objectives as a team, and it is where you will build the collective understanding of what you are trying to achieve - and the first stage in Project Team Development.
But what exactly is a Project Kickoff, and why do we really need it? In this session we will explore what it is - and why it is so important.
What would you say, if I told you that any project you lead is an intercultural project? Even if you have grown up in Paris and all the other project team members and stakeholders are native Parisians... you will still have to deal with culture on your project.
Karin Brünnemann (http://www.4cee.eu) specializes in consulting, project management, and training in intercultural and multi-national contexts on a worldwide basis. She has lived in and lead projects in more countries than I have fingers. So when it comes to projects, culture and how to deal with that, she knows what she is talking about.
In our interview, Karin and I will be:
Answering the question: What is culture?
Discuss some myths and mistakes in regards to culture.
See how the iceberg model applies in this context
Review the two high level challenges that projects face in regards to culture
And we will look at three tools that will help you to thrive in managing culture on your project
In 2001, seventeen software developers met at a ski resort in Snowbird, Utah. They all faced the same problem: the need for an alternative to the slow moving, waterfall approach to improve their software development projects and the “agile” model for software development was born.
So, how does this innovation apply to new product development in the consumer goods industry? The benefits of the agile software development process - increased speed-to-market, reduced costs, enhanced focus, and minimized wasted time in development - apply to any development organization, whether the end result is a consumer product or software application. These gains are especially important in today’s economic climate where development budgets are constrained, competition is fierce, and expectations from both senior leaders and consumers have greatly increased.
To explore how to best do this I invited Matt Priest (www.kalypso.com) onto the program and give us his insights on the topic. He’ll not only answer all my questions but also introduce us to the three simple Agile principles that we should be using when developing new consumer goods, which are:
engage the consumer early
collaborate iteratively throughout the development process
My family and I had a fantastic time earlier this month at the Walk for Autism Speaks Event!
And thanks to the sponsorship of pmStudent readers like you, we raised $12,211 for Autism research.
In this video I thank you for your sponsorship and tell you a bit about what you did, share some pictures and details from the event, and talk a little about the online self-paced project management training I offer for you online.
I hope all of my 455+ new students get a ton of value out of your courses, and give me some feedback about how the training impacts your career in project management.
http://www.pducast.com The PDU Podcast is the easiest and most convenient way for certified Project Management Professionals (PMP) to earn their Professional Development Units (PDU): Download and watch the webinars - Earn PDUs - Repeat.
If you are a business podcaster looking for more listeners, you've come to the right place. Update your RSS feeds using our specs and effectively syndicate your podcasts to AOL, ABC, CBS, Fox, MNG, Hearst and other leading media outlets. For more information, please email us at info@streetiq.com.
Are you creating a special series or covering an event? Submit links to your podcasts and photos along with captions and shownotes to buzz@streetiq.com.
More and more people are preparing for their PMI Agile-Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Exam. And you may have noticed that in the past 2 years the topics here on The PM Podcast have seen more and more Agile influences. This is partly because of my personal interest in Agile and partly because as a company we decided to develop and launch The Agile PrepCast (
This week I am meeting with Craig D. Wilson (
Building a PMO is a daunting task. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a “simple” 12 step approach that would guide you through the process from start to finish? We can help you there. My guest today is Bill Dow who wrote 
Today’s discussion with Andy Makar (
I have always said that one of the most beneficial actions that I took to further my career and success as a project manager was to become involved with PMI. I started out as an event volunteer and worked my way all the way up to becoming the president of my local PMI Chapter. This volunteering not only helped me to find a job, it also introduced me to colleagues in my field put me on the path of becoming PMP certified and it was the starting point of this here, The Project Management Podcast where I’ve expanded my volunteering efforts out towards a world audience of project managers.
What would you say, if I told you that any project you lead is an intercultural project? Even if you have grown up in Paris and all the other project team members and stakeholders are native Parisians... you will still have to deal with culture on your project.
In 2001, seventeen software developers met at a ski resort in Snowbird, Utah. They all faced the same problem: the need for an alternative to the slow moving, waterfall approach to improve their software development projects and the “agile” model for software development was born.
