The Savvy PM Blog
×
An agile backlash is underway. Some organizations have declared victory, fired their agile staff, and moved on. Others are agile in name only or are “doing” agile but have not fundamentally changed the way they work. We should not blame Agile for bad Agile. The problem is not with the values, principles, and practices. Instead, […]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will transform project management. Gartner estimated that AI may replace 80% of project management activities by 2030. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review described “How AI Will Transform Project Management.” I say, “Bring it on!” I look forward to the opportunity. AI is powerful, potentially disruptive, and will change what […]
We make hundreds of assumptions and take small risks daily. Without them, we would spend innumerable hours worrying about everything. We assume our car will start. Our air conditioner will work. The weather forecast is accurate. These daily assumptions are banal. Recovering from these risks may be inconvenient but not horribly impactful. Project assumptions and risks […]
Software projects have two measures of success. First, building and implementing working software. Second, having people use and adopt it. Project managers tend to focus their attention on delivering the application. But the project’s real success rests on user adoption. Once, I led a large project. The application was delivered on-time, on-budget, and with the […]
Large enterprises and government agencies increasingly turn to Agile for their software projects. This is a difficult shift, with many struggling to fit their new round agile pegs into their existing square waterfall holes. Cultural, structural, and procedural impediments make “being agile” a challenge. Agilists may be critical and call this “fragile-agile” or “agile-fall.” We […]
Agile seems like a mystery to many. It has an unfamiliar vocabulary and practices. To outsiders, it feels like an exclusive club. However, when we step back and inspect agile, we see that it follows common, recognizable patterns from our daily lives. Imagine it is Thursday evening. Your family is planning the upcoming weekend. There […]
Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life searching in vain for a unifying theory of physics. The project management profession has had a similar quest—defining a methodology, set of practices, or principles that could successfully guide any project. Like physics and nature, project management is ubiquitous. Projects address simple, complicated, and complex problems. […]
The project charter is a foundational deliverable created during the project’s initiation phase. The charter documents the project’s purpose, planned direction, and what is initially known. It may be called a charter, proposal, grant, or request. It may be a formal contract or a less formal document. Regardless of the format, articulating the project’s intent […]
The project management plan (Plan) is a powerful tool. It describes how the project will be executed. It should be tailored based on the project’s context and needs. A good Plan reduces the likelihood of misunderstanding, conflict, and disappointment. Unfortunately, in the rush to start a project, insufficient time is often devoted to creating the […]
Frederick Winslow Taylor shaped the field of management science. He believed systematic and scientific methods could be applied to managing operations and production. His work inspired the formation of the Harvard Business School and the modern assembly line. The Academy of Management named his Principles of Scientific Management as one of the 20th century’s most […]
Categories
