Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Which Type of Project Manager Are You?

Project management is like putting together a puzzle: you have an idea of what the finished product will look like, but the steps that you take to get there depend on the group to work together and arrange the pieces in a way that guarantees a successful result. No matter the size or scope of the project in reach, it’s crucial to have a good project manager to guide the team.

According to Zoho, the following are the seven essential characteristics of a project manager:
  • Guidance: possess great leadership qualities
  • Adaptable: easy-going and accepts others’ opinions
  • Detail oriented: pays attention to every detail
  • Delegator: calls in the team to help when there’s a lot of work to be done
  • Vision: plans to achieve the result on time
  • Creative: thinks outside the box
  • Resourceful: takes on a never-give-up approach

These traits form different project manager personalities as shown in Zoho's infographic below:


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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Top Business Analysis Trends of 2013: BAs Will Be Seen as the Keystone to Adopting Agile

Modern businesses require effective business analysis in order to be successful in a competitive world. Business analysis involves taking information gathered from a variety of sources and analyzing to forecast future trends, find ways to make improvements in business strategies, improve businesses operations, and make smart business decisions to improve the bottom line. Understanding key marketing areas is essential to helping a business generate revenue and cut down on excess waste. 

According to Nancy Nee, vice president of Global Product Strategy, ESI International, there are some key business analysis trends that will be prominent in 2013.

At its core, Agile is all about requirements from the perspective of user stories, according to Yee. In 2013 if organizations are going to embrace Agile, they need to focus on the keystone to success of Agile, which is business analysis.

If they don’t have a current business analyst role, they will at least embrace the function of business analysis because at the end of the day Agile success is all about requirements and that is what BAs do because they are able to define user stories and be able to deliver value which is what Agile is about.

Check out Nee’s entire video below:


Want to learn more about how BAs will affect Agile business this year? Attend Project World & the World Congress for Business Analysts in September: http://bit.ly/14Vo3Bh

P.S. Listen to Nee’s archived recording of her recent webinar entitled, “Developing Agile Requirements.” To hear her interesting insights on PMs and BAs in agile, click here!

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Top Business Analysis Trends of 2013: BAs Will Become the New PMs through Agile


Modern businesses require effective business analysis in order to be successful in a competitive business world. Business analysis involves taking information gathered from a variety of sources and analyzing to forecast future trends, find ways to make improvements in business strategies, improve businesses operations, and make smart business decisions to improve the bottom line.

So, understanding key marketing areas is essential to helping a business generate revenue and cut down on excess waste.  According to Nancy Nee, vice president of Global Product Strategy, ESI International, there are some key business analysis trends that will be prominent in 2013.

Nee says that BAs will become the new PMs. From the Agile perspective, project management disappears and we focus on project leadership, project delivery, project execution. The role of the BA in agile is about delivering value from the user story perspective. “The role of a project manager become obsolete? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell,” she said.

In 2013, the focus of the BA will be more on upscaling themselves in the traditional role of what we know as PM. They will learn the skills of scheduling, planning, managing risk, controlling costs – so that they came become the new PMs of an Agile project.

Watch the full video below:


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Monday, May 20, 2013

PW&WCBA: Deliver Projects On-Time & Under Budget


The London 2012 Olympics, one of the world's biggest and most complex projects, had been completed on time and significantly under budget. The teams working on the Olympics were able to deliver savings on security, transportation and construction costs through effective project management. 

At ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts Ralph Luck, former Property Director of the UK Olympic Delivery Authority will share the thinking behind the master plan and delivery on the Olympic Park, Village and the venues for the games and in legacy use. Walk away with the insights and tools needed to deliver your projects on-time, under budget and within stakeholder expectation.

In addition to Ralph, keynotes include:
·         The Business Case for Project & Portfolio Management and its Link to Strategy Execution: Convincing the Value to Your CEO
Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, Head of Transversal Portfolio Management, BNP Parabis Fortis, Author, The Focused Organization
·         Lessons in Leadership and Creating High Performing Teams
Carey Lohrenz, First Female F-14 Fighter Pilot, U.S. Navy, Team Building, Leadership and Strategy Expert
·         20 Neuroleadership Insights in 60 Minutes
William Greenwald, Director, Performance Coaching and Advisory Practice, Humana Inc.
·         Embracing Change: Transforming Ideas and Challenges into Opportunities
Naomi Karten, Author, Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals, Changing How You Communicate Change, Gaps and How to Close Them and Managing Expectations

Plus, PW&WCBA offers you the opportunity to earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs in one conference package. That's almost half of the credits needed to maintain your certification and more than any other conference option!

Download the brochure for the full agenda and speaking roster: http://bit.ly/15MCj43

PW&WCBA
September 9-11, 2013
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Orlando, FL

Mention code PW13BLOG & Save 15% off the standard rate.
Register today: http://bit.ly/15MCj43

Join us and know that you are investing in yourself and your career. We hope to see you in Orlando!

Best,
The PW&WCBA Team
#PW13

P.S. Don’t miss the Developing Effective Agile Requirements webinar with Nancy Nee, PMP, PMI-ACP, CBAP, CSM, Vice President of Global Product Strategy, ESI International.
To register, click here: http://bit.ly/15pDmGU


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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Top Business Analysis Trends of 2013: Forget Consensus, it's About Collaboration and Convergence


Requirements in the form of a user story are all about the business analyst focusing on delivering convergence vs. collaboration and consensus. The new trend of collaboration and consensus is a way to get everybody on the same page, but it takes a long time to be able to get those requirements developed.

“Remember, in agile from a BA’s perspective user stories are supposed to be there to deliver value that provide a way for everybody to converge on the same path so that you can deliver every four to six weeks. That’s the package and the focus of what agile is all about,” said Nancy Yee, vice president of Global Product Strategy, ESI International,.

In 2013, Nee thinks we will begin to see that the BA’s are going to need to focus their elicitation skills more on convergence than on consensus. To get there, BAs can focus on collaboration and choosing the elicitation methods that will bring everybody into that convergence path.

Check out Nee’s full video below:



Nee is presenting a webinar next week entitled, "Developing Effective Agile Requirements." To register, click here! 
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

15 Leadership Lessons for Project Managers


Sports can teach some of life’s greatest lessons like how to be a good teammate and how to prepare for success. One of the greatest teachers of these lessons was Coach John Wooden.  In his book, “Wooden,” he shares life lessons from on and off the court. The wisdom in Wooden’s words can be applied to all areas of life – especially business leadership. He recently sat down with Business2Community to share his pearls of leadership wisdom.

”Apply yourself everyday to just becoming a little bit better.”
Marcus Sheridan, author of The Sales Lion blog and Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy, exemplifies this principle, according to Wooden. Sheridan’s journey is unique. He started out selling pools, but everything changed when he started to apply the inbound marketing methodology. The work that he invested into the online marketing tactics transformed their business into one of the largest companies of its kind in the world.

“Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.” 
Dan Zarrella, Social Media Scientist at Hubspot, provides advice for marketers, backed with statistics on everything from words to use on your landing page to the best time to send a tweet. So, consider taking time each month to evaluate which of your methods are working and which aren’t working as a self-evaluation based on numbers could help you take your game to the next level.

“Mix idealism with realism and add hard work.”
Glen from ViperChill showcases this attitude in the way he approaches his businesses, said Wooden. Glen sets goals each month for himself and for his businesses. When you read his blog posts you can see that Glen isn’t afraid to put in the work that is required for success. By defining what he wants to accomplish each month, Glen can decide how he is going to spend his time.

”You can make mistakes, but you’re not a failure until you start blaming others for those mistakes.”

Darren Rowse, founder of ProBlogger, accidently emailed over one million people with an email that was meant for a few thousand, causing people to unsubscribe and send complaint emails. So, the company drafted an apology email to its users. This quick and honest response did more in the end to improve their relationship with the readers.

”While you can’t control what happens to you, you can control how you react.”
Gary Vaynerchuck, author of Crush It! and The Thank You Economy, is a passionate guy, according to Wooden. One thing that makes him stand out from the rest is his desire to get to know real people. When someone leaves a negative review on Amazon, he responds by asking to talk about their experience.
”People want to believe you are sincerely interested in them as person. Not just for what they can do for you.”

Mark Schaefer is a recognized speaker and marketing consultant. Wooden says he demonstrates his sincere interest in people through the way he communicates on Twitter, the way he writes on his blog, and the way he interacts with people in real life. Social media channels provide companies with an opportunity to engage and he showcases this brilliantly.

“When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur.”
Brian Moran was trying to build an online baseball training business on the side. After months of trial and error,  Brian found something that worked for his business: Facebook. Soon Brian had built up a following of over 10,000 Facebook fans. Next, he decided to start Get 10,000 Fans, a business dedicated to sharing his formula for converting Facebook fans to customers. Today, Get 10,000 Fans is one of the largest Facebook marketing brands on the Internet.
“We must be challenged to improve, and adversity is the challenger.”
Pat Flynn’s honest approach to teaching passive income techniques is the cornerstone of his brand. One of the essential elements in his “be everywhere” strategy is the Smart Passive Income podcast. When you look at the success he has experienced in a short amount of time, you realize that he is a guy who has risen against odds, according to Wooden.

”When the opportunity arises, it is too late to prepare.”
During the power outage during Super Bowl XLVII, people were all over Twitter asking questions about when the lights would come back on. The marketing team at Oreo recognized that there was an opportunity to jump into the conversation. They put together an  image and sent the tweet, ending up with over 16,000 retweets and a massive amount of new followers.

”Focus all your effort on what is in your power to control.”
According to Wooden, Lewis Howes was attempting to make a career in football when an injury brought his dreams to a halt. In a time when a lot of people would have just quit, Howes focused on what he could control. He set himself to becoming an expert of LinkedIn networking. Today, Lewis is considered a thought leader in sports networking and webinar marketing.

“A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example.”
Scott Monty, the Head of Social Media for Ford Motor Company, epitomizes this philosophy. Scott is viewed as a thought leader among the social space as his philosophy of “letting the customer tell your story” has been Ford’s social media strategy. “Dialogue with people in a way they can understand, not corporate-speak,” Monty said.

“Progress comes slowly but steadily if you are patient and prepare diligently.”
Jason Fried and David Hansson are the founders of software company 37signals. Fried and Hansson started off as a design agency that was seeking a collaborative project management solution that could manage their international team. When they couldn’t find anything that fit their needs, they designed their own. They have proven to keep their products simple, not being afraid to lose customers who have out grown their solution.

”Balance means keeping things in proper perspective.”
Anne Deeter Gallaher, CEO of Deeter Gallaher Group  is an on-ramper who has never lets the odds against her dictate her future. Anne was a stay-at-home mother before becoming an entrepreneur.  Anne says, “My experiences at home as CEO of family and volunteer prepared me for the business world in many ways. Have you ever tried to get three, very energetic young boys to bed on time? That demands serious negotiating skills – and a healthy dose of patience and clear communications!”

“Act quickly, but don’t hurry.”
FedEx displayed for us all how to exemplify this truth in reaction to a YouTube video of one of its deliverymen throwing a new computer monitor over a fence. In a situation that would have people scrambling, FedEx took to their Twitter account. It reassured people that they take pride in the quality of their service and that this type of behavior from one of their employees.

”If you spend too much time learning the tricks of the trade, you may not learn the trade.”
Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, has pioneered the idea of a minimal viable product. You can’t sit back and prepare forever, it is better to launch and learn than to not launch at all! It can be tempting to spend all of one’s time “learning up” to do something great, according to wooden. One trait that unites all of the great business leaders is their willingness to take action. 

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Improve the Collaboration & Effectiveness of Your Project Teams


The recent growth of global teams and the virtual workplace has created the opportunity to work on international projects and collaborate with project management and business analysis colleagues from around the world.

Are you prepared to not only be a part of, but also lead a diverse project team?

New for 2013, PW&WCBA features a half day summit focused on Creating Engagement in Project Teams, as well as a breakout track devoted to PM & BA Collaboration. From creating team engagement, to soft skill development, to metrics and measurement tools and techniques, ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts covers everything you need to increase the effectiveness of project teams.  

Featured Collaboration & Team Engagement Sessions:
  • The Value of Diversity: Increasing the Odds for Success in Decision Making, ALSAC/ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
  • Successful Projects Across Borders: How to Achieve Unity, THOMSON REUTERS
  • It's the Goal, Not the Role: Work of Project Management and Business Analysis in Agile, EBG CONSULTING
  • Soft Skills for Effective Collaboration, FEDEX 
  • Keys to Successful Communication in a Global Project Environment, STAGE STORES, INC
  • Let's Collaborate Not Tolerate: How to Build a Successful BA/PM Partnership, PAULA A. BELL CONSULTING 

Download the brochure for the full agenda and speaking roster: http://bit.ly/13hWMtG

Plus, earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs in one conference package. That's almost half of the credits needed to maintain your certification and more than any other conference option!

PW&WCBA bridges the gap between theory and practices by championing and celebrating the role of the PM and BA as true contributors to the overall business with specific examples of how and why, and new ideas to help you achieve more.

Mention code PW13BLOG & Save 15% off the standard rate.
Register today: http://bit.ly/ZHLYRl

Join us and know that you are investing in yourself and your career. We hope to see you in Orlando!

Best,
The PW&WCBA Team
#PW13

P.S. Don’t miss the Developing Effective Agile Requirements webinar with Nancy Yee, PMP, PMI-ACP, CBAP, CSM, Vice President of Global Product Strategy, ESI International.

To register, click here: http://bit.ly/15pDmGU


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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Best Project Manager for the Job


Having the right project manager (PM) is crucial to successful project delivery. But, what attributes does a great PM have? According to Hemant Kogekar, principal of Kogekar Consulting, here are findings from a CIO Executive Board Study on what differentiates a good PM from an average one.

Experience
Many organizations look for PM candidates who have a project management certification. But, the study found that certification does not predict PM effectiveness. Turns out that PMs with diverse experience across technology and business areas are more effective.

Knowledge of the Business
Effective PMs understand not only ‘how’ but also ‘why’. They know the goals of their projects and how the goals fit within the organization. High performing PMs become ‘business partners’ and not just ‘order-takers’. Business partners improve their credibility due to their understanding of project scenarios. Effective PMs develop relationships across the organization so that they understand dynamics within the organization – enabling PMs to steer through complex issues.  

Leadership Ability
The importance of leadership skills is often underestimated when businesses select PMs. Effective PMs understand what the team needs and tailor their communications to drive performance. These PMs leverage team members’ skills, and gain the team’s trust. Poor PMs run the team into the ground while the project is delivered. Although PMs with a poor track record of  leadership may achieve short-term gains, these PMs constrain the success of the project. Good PMs not only deliver the project outcomes, but build a team’s capabilities throughout the project.

Commitment
According to the study, two of the top three drivers of PM effectiveness are “passion to succeed”, and an “ability to meet internal deadlines”. When selecting PMs, leaders should seek candidates who demonstrate these attributes. Good PMs become demonstrate passion in the project and holding themselves accountable for the project’s success. Effective PMs follow the standard processes, but look to improve these processes to remove bottlenecks, time consuming steps and other inefficiencies.



Risk Management
Effective PMs are skilled in anticipating the risks throughout the project life-cycle. These PMs not only identify risks, but also develop strategies to avoid them. The study found that there was a big difference in the ability to anticipate and manage risks between the top and bottom performers.

Crisis Management  
Projects are stressful; a smoothly running project is a rarity. Good PMs maintain their cool in times of crisis. They maintain composure and guide their teams through the myriad of crises and challenges that projects encounter.

Quick Problem Solving
The best PMs are experts at solving the problems that a project encounters. These PMs deal with insufficient information and are quick learners who draw lessons from unfamiliar situations and concepts.

Ambition
Good PMs are success-driven. Organizations need to recognize this and create pathways for PMs to progress to senior roles. If organizations fail to look after good PMs, they will find and opportunities elsewhere.

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Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Top Business Analysis Trends of 2013: Strong User Stories Will Drive Effective Requirements Analysis

Now more than ever, businesses of all shapes and sizes require effective business analysis to be successful in this highly competitive business world. Business analysis involves taking information gathered from a variety of sources and analyzing to forecast future trends, finding ways to make improvements in business strategies, improving operations, and making strategic decisions to improve the overall bottom line.

Moving through 2013, according to Nancy Yee, vice president of Global Product Strategy, ESI International, there are key business analysis trends that will be prominent and that businesses should embrace this year. The second significant business analysis trend of 2013 is strong user stories will be the force driving effective requirements analysis and product backlog prioritization

If the BA is already working with the product owner the BA needs go back to the roots of what they know, being able to elicit and analyze requirements in the form of a user story.

In 2013, BAs must return to the grassroots of what you know in requirements management development and get in sync with your inner elicitation and analysis requirements, focusing on the perspective of developing user stories.



“Using what you already know from an analysis standpoint, you will create successful user stories that will help your product owner prioritize their product backlog and deliver value at every iteration,” she commented.

Be sure to register for Yee’s upcoming webinar, Developing Effective Agile Requirements. Click here for more information:  http://bit.ly/10haSfj

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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

5 Things the CEO Can Learn From the Project Manager


Since leadership is part of the foundation of being a successful project manager, I will be writing a series of posts about the importance of leadership and best practices that project managers can utilize to grow from a manager to a leader.

Today, the CEO is the leader of the organization. In order to be an effective leader, the CEO needs to be in charge of the company in terms of where it’s headed, how it’s going to succeed over the year, five years, and beyond. Not only do they have to understand today, but they also need a complete view of the organization, the industry, the competitors, and the economy.  Sometimes, what makes the company what it is and what it can be can fall through the cracks.  

With that being said, according to Brad Egeland, a business Solution Designer and IT/PM consultant and author, here are the five things that most CEOs can learn from the project manager:

Customer Management
Most CEOs aren’t closely involved with each customer or with customer management.  Handling each customer properly, assessing needs, and that their needs are met is what the project manager’s job is all about. The CEO that takes look at his customer landscape - not just the ones who mean the most to the organization’s bottom line - will play a role in those customers’ satisfaction and retention rate.

Financial Management
The CEO must be concerned about the bottom line financially at a very high.  With a staff devoted to the details, the CEO is typically only making very broad financial decisions. So, the CEO could learn a lot from the project manager who is responsible for the daily financial status of each project. The ability to focus on problem areas and make decisions for today – not just next year – could be beneficial for the CEO.

Resource Planning  
Resource usage is another area where the project manager could teach the CEO some lessons.  Resources are at the disposal of the CEO, but the project manager must plan resource usage so as not to cause harm to the project budgets. Smart resource planning and management is a key aspect of profitability for projects and for the organization.

Negotiation
Most project managers are faced with many negotiation points during each project they are managing. It’s a skill and a great business strategy and most CEOs could probably use a refresher course.

Asking Probing Questions
In order to get the project started on the right course the project manager must ask questions of the customer right from the outset.  It’s necessary to define the requirements of the engagement and to understand where the project is going, what the customer wants, and what their end users are expecting. The CEO is given lots of information, but to ensure they are keeping the organization on the right path, they must ask questions.

CEOs see the big picture and have to always be thinking of how that big picture affects their organization. And, the project manager is concerned about today and the immediate future of each project he is managing. So, the CEO could learn things from the project manager that would bring his or her view down from the 10,000-foot level to the day-to-day operations.  

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