software team

Mar 26 2009   10:22AM GMT

Hello Project Manager - Hare and Tortoise – a Classic case to tackle

Posted by: Jaideep
project manager, project team, project organization, Software Project, software team, Organization culture, Organizational discipline, HARE, TORTOISE

Let me start with the classic story –
This refers to the team of a Project Manager. The team size may vary from project to project and organization to organization, but the story remains the same. Story is quite short and interesting. A Project manager assigns different set of tasks to his team on 5 members individually. Each member has to start the work on Monday morning and finish it off by Friday evening. One member finishes her all assigned tasks on Thursday evening (without compromising with the quality of work), goes to her project manager, reports about the completion of task and requests for an off on Friday with a genuine reason. The project manager refuses although he admits that the work is complete, it is quality work, and the reason for seeking off is also genuine. The reasons for not sanctioning her the day off given by him were – it will spoil the culture and discipline and it may lead to non-quality work production. He was more into favor of her sitting with other team members and helping them in finishing off their individual tasks.

Well said, but this is only one side of the coin. Although project manager trusts all team members but out of fear he is not ready to do a favor to one member as it may spell out wrong signals for others.

But has the project manager understood that there are always HARE and TORTOISE in a team. All have just one responsibility – finish their task in assigned timeframe and produce quality work. It is not HARE’s responsibility to help others. If HARE is able to finish off her tasks earlier than stipulated time, it is a credit and she deserves a reward for that. And above all what about her trust getting hurt and she getting demotivated by not getting a reasonable favor.

I am sure, the reader would have their individual opinion on this – would love to hear!!

Mar 23 2009   10:30AM GMT

20 most powerful and Smart weapons for Project Manager to Lead in Recession Period

Posted by: Jaideep
Quality Assurance, project manager, Project Management, recession, Software Project, scarcity of business, win-win situation, smart weapon, software organization, software business, experience, knowledge, wisdom, quality, QA, QC, quality control, quality manager, product quality, product and quality, software team, project team, Project Plan, quality issue, product knowledge, quality strength, quality dependence, thinking, innovation, brainstorming, linchpin, cornerstone, team management, team culture, ascending approach, organizational interest, best result

Due to recession, there is scarcity of business and projects for software organizations. In such a situation, the projects in hand (and the forthcoming ones) have to be handled very carefully for a win-win situation. To attain that, there are certain smart weapons that a project manager needs to be equipped with which will not only make him and his organization a winner but would definitely have an edge over the competitors to acquire more projects. The weapons are well tested based on experience, knowledge and wisdom.

The 20 most powerful and smart weapons can be listed as:

1. Place importance on Quality
2. Be Sincere and frank in your meetings of all levels
3. Maintain and demonstrate a sense of mission
4. Work hand in hand with your peers – quality manager, development manager etc.
5. Be convinced of the trust between your product and quality
6. Let your team feel the weight of responsibility
7. Plan your course of action on all issues to avoid a crisis
8. Listened attentively to every word of your customer demonstrating great sincerity towards product and customer
9. Have strong interest in quality issues
10. Be highly knowledgeable about your product
11. Your Product and Quality (with your technological prowess and their quality strengths) must work together
12. Higher is the rate of dependence on Quality, higher is the success rate
13. To avoid major problems never leave a problem unresolved for tomorrow
14. Thinking, Innovation, Brainstorming are good tools if used regularly
15. Always have common awareness of all issues, so that your discussions are of highly substantive in nature
16. Be a linchpin (A central cohesive source of support and stability)
17. Consider customer requirements as “cornerstone” throughout the project. (The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained)
18. Build a culture of putting fullest sincere effort by everyone in the team(s) (vertical and horizontal).
19. Maintain a continuous gently-ascending approach (act of changing in an upward direction)
20. As a bearer of the highest level of responsibility reaffirm your determination to safeguard the organizational interest and ensure the best of the results

Mar 20 2009   10:42AM GMT

How to manage new entrant in a project team

Posted by: Jaideep
team management, software team, project manager, team leader, Software Project, Project Management

A new entrant at any level should never be burdened (leave aside “overburdened”), and an ample time should be given to him to prepare himself for the forthcoming project(s). If already there is a load of work, the minimum should fall on the new entrant, rest should be shared among the existing team members. This is to avoid any shock states for the new entrant and moreover he should be given ample time to groom, adopt, accept, learn and understand.

Simple theory is that a plant that has to turn into a tree later can not bear fruits in its plan phase. No wonder if extra burden is put on the new entrant – either he will run away, or will break down. The plant will require proper care, protection, air, water and atmosphere to grow, which becomes the responsibility of the team leader, project manager. A guideline for this should already be there in place through the top management which gets into the culture of the organization and in turn in the heart and blood of the existing team members.

Mar 18 2009   10:37AM GMT

Don’t create panic when team momentum is at bottom of the graph

Posted by: Jaideep
Team momentum, Software Project, software team, implementation phase, Project Initiation phase, Project Management

Usually during the period between first project close-out and next project initiation, most of the team members of project have not much to perform except utilizing their time in non-visible activities. This could include personal web browsing, social sites, pending emails, thinking about improvisations, learning from past etc.

In an organization, management has to understand that if some of the teams of team members are sitting idle that does not mean they are useless. That means that they are undergoing revitalization phase. Surprisingly you will notice that by allowing teams/members to sleep at job when not at the peak of a project will generate an extra bounce of energy which can be utilized at the time when they jump into a project, especially when on a remote site during implementation phase. During this phase most of the team members don’t bother about time and pay their full energy into completion of project in as best possible manner as they can. And probably that energy, zeal and feeling comes from that period when they are allowed to relax.

Feb 11 2009   11:04AM GMT

Project Management – Tasks vs. Milestones

Posted by: Jaideep
Project Management, project manager, Software Project, project task, project milestone, software team, programmer, developer, technical, coder, coding, programming, Development, Project Development, project progress, project completion, PM

A new project is always divided into small tasks and based on the resources available, the task(s) are allocated to individuals by the project manager (PM). A simple metrics is important to follow to monitor (and manger) the completion of tasks and thereby figuring out at any moment of time – the progress of the project. Completion of all tasks automatically declares the completion of the project.

Customer and management will never be interested to go into the detail of each task, PM (you) and your team may be and should be. But your one of the major task during a project is to keep customer and management updated on what is happening, regarding the progress of the project.

Your team of individual developers, programmers, coders or other technical related functions, although have accountability for the tasks assigned to them in individual for which they put in all their efforts to meet your/their completion plans as per the targets set.

So far so good, but as far as satisfaction, and feel of achievement is concerned, you need to group a set of tasks (the important ones that really give sense of achievement) into milestones. The customer and management will be interested in milestones achieved instead of tasks completed. Your team members will feel motivated, inspired and cheerful on achieving these milestones. And above all you will have time to appreciate and celebrate your team’s achievements that you can not do rightfully in case of tasks.

Milestones have more visibility as compared to tasks.