Principle Based

Project
Management

Jim Chapman, PMP

July 17, 2001
Email: jim@hyperthot.com
http://www.hyperthot.com/project.htm
 Introduction

 Presentation Scope and Planning

 Project Management Principles
 Project Management Character Principles
 Questions

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 2

 Business Purpose

 Knowledge sharing to add value:

 Increase professional knowledge.
 Validate conclusions to build confidence.
 New project management ideas for future use.
 Food for thought – grist for the mill.
 A new idea to implement tomorrow!

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 3

 Customers’ Requirements
 Presentation Requirements:
 Meet the stated business purpose.
 Meet the schedule and don’t overrun.
 Leave time for Q&A.
 Close at 9:00
 Satisfactory delivery.
 Deliver in English.
 Customer satisfaction – perceived value.
 Customer signoff: _______________

17 Jul 01 ~ Version 1.0

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 4
 Is this a Reasonable Plan ?

 Define project scope and reasonable plan (8 min)

Sch
st
 Project Management Principles (15 Slides)

e
Co

dul
e
 Project Management overhead (2 Slides) Scope
 Project Management Character Principles (5 Slides)
 Q&A (~8 minutes)
 Estimate: (22 slides * 2 min/slide) + 16 min = 60 min.
 Risk Management Plan: Trim scope in detail or breadth.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 5

 Baseline Plan
8:00 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:40 8:50 9:00
Scope &
Planning 8:08
Phase
PM Principles #1 - 5
8:26 Milestones

Project Review
#6-10
Character
Principles 8:52

Q&A

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 6

 Next Phase
 Presentation Scope and Planning
 Business purpose
 Document requirements
 Reasonable plan (with risk management)
 Team with clear ownership
 Project Management Principles
 Project Management Character Principles
 Questions

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 7

 #1- Figure Out What Business You’re In,
and Then Mind Your Own Business.
 What business you are in?
 Vision (to be)
 Mission (to do)
 Select projects that are good for your business.
 Understand business value in your project and watch
for changes.
 Define what is inside and outside your area of
responsibility.
 Be diligent in your chosen business area, learning
and applying best practices.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 8

 Rule #2 - Document the customer’s
requirements & put under version control.
 Thoroughly understand and document the
customer’s requirements.
 Obtain customer agreement in writing.
 Put requirements documents under version
identification and change control.
 Leading success factor for software projects.
 How much detail? Consider intended use:
 Drive the Design
 Write Test Cases
 Control Changes

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 9

 Lesson Learned

If was not a protracted struggle to

document the requirements and get
customer sign-off, then you’re not
done yet.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 10

 Rule #3 - Prepare a reasonable plan.

Define cost, schedule, scope, technology,

Sc


he
st
and staffing for a reasonable project.

du
Co
Staffing

le
 Involve task owners in developing plans and Technology

estimates, to ensure feasibility and buy-in. Scope

 If your plan is just barely possible at the

outset, you do not have a reasonable plan.
 Use WBS to aid completeness and check
consistency - to minimize unplanned work.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 11

 How Work Gets Done
Rayleigh Curve*

Staffing Profile
Bad Plan
Staffing

X
Reasonable Plan

Months

•Reference: “Industrial Strength Software, Effective Management Using Measurement,” Putnam and Myers, 1997, IEEE Computer Society Press, p. 127.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 12

 Lesson Learned

If you’re not overwhelmed,

then you don’t understand!
BSA_WBS

Business
Plan

Technology Marketing Business Financial Operations

Relationships Management Management

Front end Application Security Hosting Input Output

application output - ASP / users users Primary Key Revenue Costs Financial Project Technical Sales
data Partner Stakeholder justification planning operations management
Input base Relationship Relationships and mgmt.
Data Formats & access Govermental Law Pricing Start-up roll-out
Connectivity
entry functionality security input enforcement model investments Cash New
Postal IRS flow System accounts
Web Access / Output Banks User Billing Operating
Service / model Risk administrator
input distribution access compliance BSA system costs Account
Non-bank Inspection reduction
media security Financial Configuration evolution
Automated commercial Compliance Service FinCEN Revenue plan
assumptions management
data Data enforcement sharing Contracts /
Information Congressional Action
extraction integrity model Return on New product agreements
Builders DEA plan to
& Investment development
produce User
backups (ROI) (market/
business training
technology
Sensitivity plan & Help
driven)
analysis Desk
Implementation
Decision alternatives /
criteria phases
Business
plan
Project
management

http://www.criticaltools.com

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 13

 Rule #4 - Build a good team
with clear ownership.

 Get good people and then trust them.

 Establish clear ownership of well-defined tasks.
 Track against a staffing plan, when needed.
 Emphasize open communications.
 Create an environment where a team can jell.
 Move misfits out.
 If the org. chart looks confusing, fix it.
 Lead the team.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 14

 The Motivation Triangle

Establish clear

To
ownership of well-
ip
rsh

o
defined tasks.
ls
ne

nda
Ow

Ensure they have

Tr tools and training.
sk

a in
Ta

ing
Provide timely
feedback and
Timely Feedback accountability.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 15

 Rule #5 - Track project status and
give it wide visibility.

 Track progress and conduct frequent reviews.

 Provide wide visibility and communications of
team progress, assumptions, and issues.
 Management and technical reviews:
 Manage customer expectations.
 Improve quality.
 Identify emerging risks. Feedback &
 Trust your indicators. Control

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 16

 Lesson Learned

50% of Project Management

is Just Paying Attention!

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 17

 Project Review Time
8:00 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:40 8:50 9:00
Scope &
Planning 8:08
Phase
PM Principles #1 - 5
8:26 Milestones

Project Review
#6-10
Character
Principles 8:52

Q&A

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 18

 Major Milestone ~ Project Review

 Accomplishments
MILE
 Cost and Schedule Status
I  How much work did we plan to do by now?
 How much work have we done? (Earned Value)
 How much did it cost?
 Risks (Are we meeting the requirements?)
 Business Objectives
 Schedule
 Delivery
 Issues and Action Items

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 19

 Rule #6 - Use Baseline Controls.

 Establish baselines:
 For the project using cost and schedule baseline
tracking.
 For the product using configuration management.
 Manage changes deliberately, even ceremoniously.
 Use measurements to baseline problem areas and
then track progress towards solutions.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 20

 Rule #7 - Write Important Stuff Down,
Share it, and Save it.

 If it hasn’t been written down, it didn’t happen.

 Requirements, plans, procedures, decisions,
agreements, evolving designs, test results ...
 Documenting thoughts allows them to evolve and
improve.
 Without documentation it is impossible to have
baseline controls or reliable communications.
 Record important agreements and decisions, with
supporting rationale, as issues often resurface.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 21

 Rule #8 - If it hasn't been tested,
it doesn't work.

 If this isn't absolutely true, it is a good

working assumption for projects.
 Write test cases early to help understand
and verify the requirements.
 Use early testing to evaluate critical items.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 22

 Rule #9 - Ensure Customer Satisfaction.

 Keep the customers’ real needs and requirements

continuously in view.
 Sure ways to fail:
 Focus on the technical goal and lose sight of the customers’ business needs.
 Undetected changes in customers’ requirements.
 Understand all customer quality attributes.
 Plan early for customer support products.
 Know who your real customers are.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 23

 Rule #10 - Be relentlessly pro-active!

 Take initiative and be relentlessly proactive in

applying PM principles and solving problems.
 Project problems usually get worse over time.
 Periodically address project risks and confront them
openly.
 Attack serious problems, and leave no stone unturned.
 Fight the tendency to freeze into day-to-day tasks, like
a deer caught in the headlights.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 24

 Next Phase

 Presentation - Scope and Planning

 Project Management Principles
 Project Management Character Principles
 Questions

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 25

 Pay Attention!

 Awake and alert

 Awareness

 Watching

 Tracking

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 26

 Discipline 1

 Deferred gratification
 Taking responsibility

 Commitment to truth

 Balance

 Follow a reference

1
The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck, Simon & Schuster, 1986.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 27

 Taking Responsibility
I’m Responsible I’m Not Responsible
for Everything. for Anything.

Character
Neurotic Disorder

Strong sense of ownership

focused on well-defined goals.

With acknowledgment to: M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled,

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 28

 Putting Knowledge into Action
 The Knowing-Doing Gap 1

 Follow-up
 Talk doesn’t substitute for action

 Theory of PM knowledge.
 Critical element:

 Gumption
 Resolve

1
The Knowing-Doing Gap, by Pfeffer and Sutton, Harvard Business School Press.
Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 29
 Relationship Building
= Communication + Consideration

Good-Will Success Vector

Syrupy +
Sweet Effectiveness
Zone

+
_ Honesty
Brutally
_ Honest
Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 30
 Recap – Top PM Principles
 Figure out what business you are in,
and then mind your own business.
Bad Plan

 Document customer’s requirements

Staffing
and put them under version control.
Months

 Prepare a reasonable plan. The Motivation Triangle

To
p
 Build a good team with clear

s hi

o ls &
n er
ownership.

Ow

Tra
sk

i nin
Ta

g
 Track project status, with wide Timely Feedback

visibility.
Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 31
 Recommended References
 The Knowing-Doing Gap, J. Pfeffer and R. Sutton
 Creating an Environment for Successful Projects, Graham
and Englund
 Managing at the Speed of Change, Daryl Conner
 The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck (Pts I & II)
 Rapid Development, S. McConnell
 Software Project Survival Guide, S. McConnell
 www.hyperthot.com/project.htm (Chapman’s PM Site)
 www.spmn.com (Software Program Manager’s Network)
 www.construx.com (Survival Guide Resource Site)

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 32

 Project Closure
 Presentation - Scope and Planning
 Project Management Principles
 Character Principles
 Questions?

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 33

 What is a PM principle?
“PMI Today” (Feb ‘01)

 Generally accepted and generally applicable.

 Across industries, around the globe, all types of situations.
 Wider concerns relating to programs and organizations.
 Speaks to the project management professional.
 Wisdom and perspective on applying PMBOK techniques.
 Most important things to look for and accomplish?
 Beyond understanding and interpreting techniques, to
provide a foundation upon which the PMBOK stands.

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 34

 PMI Principles Project Issues
(2 July ’01)

 Initial definition consensus and

strawman principles review
 Breadth of focus ~ project, program,
institution?
 Intellectual property issues
 Leadership effort

Copyright 2001, J. Chapman. All rights reserved. 35