Comments on: Dangerous ideas – and how to address them (part 1) http://pmtips.net/dangerous-ideas-address-part-1/ Guidance for Real Life Projects Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:57:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Elizabeth http://pmtips.net/dangerous-ideas-address-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-4152 Elizabeth Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:13:42 +0000 http://pmtips.net/?p=3384#comment-4152 Hi Susan I think the speaker was trying to make the point that we shouldn't plan to do it all at the last minute. Fixed date projects are more troublesome than ones where you have some slack on the delivery time - sometime senior execs don't appreciate how long things take (and we don't do enough to push back on unrealistic dates) and that is why you end up in the JFDI situation, working all hours. Congrats on getting your project done on time though! Hi Susan
I think the speaker was trying to make the point that we shouldn’t plan to do it all at the last minute. Fixed date projects are more troublesome than ones where you have some slack on the delivery time – sometime senior execs don’t appreciate how long things take (and we don’t do enough to push back on unrealistic dates) and that is why you end up in the JFDI situation, working all hours. Congrats on getting your project done on time though!

]]> By: Think like a project manager http://pmtips.net/dangerous-ideas-address-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3994 Think like a project manager Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:47:26 +0000 http://pmtips.net/?p=3384#comment-3994 Totally agree with last minute behaviour being rewarded. Not healthy at all! Totally agree with last minute behaviour being rewarded. Not healthy at all!

]]> By: Dangerous ideas – and how to address them (part 3) | Project Management Tips || Project Management, Collaboration and Knowledge Management Blog http://pmtips.net/dangerous-ideas-address-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3912 Dangerous ideas – and how to address them (part 3) | Project Management Tips || Project Management, Collaboration and Knowledge Management Blog Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:10:08 +0000 http://pmtips.net/?p=3384#comment-3912 [...] to use heroic efforts to get the project completed (and see Wednesday’s article for why that’s a bad [...] [...] to use heroic efforts to get the project completed (and see Wednesday’s article for why that’s a bad [...]

]]> By: Dangerous ideas – and how to address them (part 2) | Project Management Tips || Project Management, Collaboration and Knowledge Management Blog http://pmtips.net/dangerous-ideas-address-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3890 Dangerous ideas – and how to address them (part 2) | Project Management Tips || Project Management, Collaboration and Knowledge Management Blog Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:56:59 +0000 http://pmtips.net/?p=3384#comment-3890 [...] Yesterday I looked at how a ‘just do it’ environment and a culture that rewards heroic behaviour can be addressed on a project. Today, I have three more lessons from Ernest Baker’s presentation at last month’s PMI Global Congress North America. [...] [...] Yesterday I looked at how a ‘just do it’ environment and a culture that rewards heroic behaviour can be addressed on a project. Today, I have three more lessons from Ernest Baker’s presentation at last month’s PMI Global Congress North America. [...]

]]> By: My-Project-Management-Expert.com http://pmtips.net/dangerous-ideas-address-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-3884 My-Project-Management-Expert.com Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:41:30 +0000 http://pmtips.net/?p=3384#comment-3884 I would actually disagree with what are perceived to be "issues" with these two points. Often too much time is taken in <a href="http://www.my-project-management-expert.com/creating-a-project-plan.html" rel="nofollow">creating a project plan</a> and <a href="http://www.my-project-management-expert.com/project-quality-management.html" rel="nofollow">project quality management</a>. The reality is that no matter how much you plan, or how much budget you have, you still need to JFDI aka Just Do It and have team heroes who will get it done. As someone who has just worked 17 hour days for 15 days in a row I know this all too well. I am not a hero and neither are the team, but we have to hit deadlines no matter how insane they might be, and the reality is that this can only be done by pushing and pushing until the work gets done. After all if a press release goes out stating that a product will be launched on a certain day, then no matter what, that deadline has got to be hit even if the plan says otherwise. Perhaps I deliver a different type of time sensitive project but I wouldn't want anyone to think that having a beautiful plan means that heroic measures will not be required. If anything the reality is the opposite, with JFDI having to be the mantra of any seasoned project manager particularly when entering the final phases of a project. NB And yes we hit the deadline, got the external test auditor report out 4 days ahead of schedule and are all ready to launch 7 Nov 09! Regards Susan de Sousa Site Editor http://www.my-project-management-expert.com I would actually disagree with what are perceived to be “issues” with these two points. Often too much time is taken in creating a project plan and project quality management.

The reality is that no matter how much you plan, or how much budget you have, you still need to JFDI aka Just Do It and have team heroes who will get it done. As someone who has just worked 17 hour days for 15 days in a row I know this all too well. I am not a hero and neither are the team, but we have to hit deadlines no matter how insane they might be, and the reality is that this can only be done by pushing and pushing until the work gets done. After all if a press release goes out stating that a product will be launched on a certain day, then no matter what, that deadline has got to be hit even if the plan says otherwise.

Perhaps I deliver a different type of time sensitive project but I wouldn’t want anyone to think that having a beautiful plan means that heroic measures will not be required. If anything the reality is the opposite, with JFDI having to be the mantra of any seasoned project manager particularly when entering the final phases of a project.

NB And yes we hit the deadline, got the external test auditor report out 4 days ahead of schedule and are all ready to launch 7 Nov 09!

Regards

Susan de Sousa
Site Editor http://www.my-project-management-expert.com

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