PM Anti-Patterns@bertheymans - Barcamp VRT

Jan 21, 2012

experience is something you don't get until just after you need it

- Steven Wright (stand-up comedian)

disclaimer: experience actually comes from doing things that are a bit harder than the other things you already did in your life

memories; they're the only things you have to think back on...

- Reddit user Phlux

those who can not remember the past are doomed to repeat it

- Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

people suck at learning from past mistakesbut we don't have to

@bertheymans

8 years of online and mobile projects, writes down stuff

I hope I can help you recognise a few anti-patterns

The Anti-Patterns

1. Fighting Visual Priority

2. Black Hole Planning

3. Is That a Triangle In Your Pants? (or are you just happy to see the budget)

4. Delegation without Authority

Project Management Anti-Pattern #1

Fighting Visual Priority

The Stroop effect

Out of scope:- Facebook integration, any kind- Video, any kind- Search functionality

● don't put visuals in contracts

● be there to explain a graphic in words

● be complete with diagrams, don't leave essentials out

● brief designers on functional requirements and do a functional internal review before presenting to the client

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #1Fighting Visual Priority

Associated Popular Anti-patterns

● Throw it over the Wallpassing on responsibility between groups as a result of too little communication

● Smoke and Mirrorspretending something already exists

● Mushroom Managementintentionally keeping people in the dark

Project Management Anti-Pattern #2

Black Hole Planning

ignoring project fade-out in planning

(let’s crunch that planning as if it was Christmas and ignore maintenance or bug solving time entirely)

especially look out for this anti-pattern in a shared resource environment where projects

compete for resources

I like agile!

but some projects only get this kind of resource planning authorized ...

What could possibly ever happen after the deadline, nothing right?!

in web consultancy projects this happens all.the.time

possible causes:● low budget doesn't allow for iterations● agile is not part of the culture● bottleneck skills in production team don't

allow for people to stay with a project● a maintenance or operations group is

expected to help out after delivery

● distribute a bit of your budget for small fixes after the deadline in your planning request

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #2Black Hole Planning

etc. etc.

● agree on a tolerance with the client for work that has not yet been defined

● defend additional resource time early on (don't add or switch people if you don't have to)

● if you have the budget for it, don't plan for waterfall, define an approach with iterations

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #2Black Hole Planning

Associated Popular Anti-Patterns

● Waterfall model:organizational model that ignores change

● Molar hazard:insulating the decision-maker from the consequences of his or her decision

● Silos or Stovepipe:structure preventing cross organisation communication

Project Management Anti-Pattern #3

Is That a Triangle in Your Pants?

I was going to call this anti-pattern Quality Cover-up

but it sounded too boring

expecting or pretending budget can be a substitute of required time for

delivering quality

The Triple Constraints

The "Pick Any Two" Diagram

fast and good, but expensivemakes sense right?

the triple constraint model can not be applied in a situation where

quality comes from invested time

PMI took it out of the PMBOK for a reason

if 1 Time == 1 Quality we'll end up with this ...

... low quality despite of a high budget

just crunching a schedule is not a model

● respect estimations

● balance risk and resources together with cost and quality

● defend time by illustrating risk and the impact on resources

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #3ITATIYP aka Quality Cover-up

Associated Popular Anti-Patterns

● adding people to a late projectonly makes it later

● Death march everybody knows the result is going to be bad except the sponsor

Project Management Anti-Pattern #4

Delegation without Authority

expecting people to implicitly have the same authority as you have

I thought I wasn't allowed to call the client

I don't have that contact information

Actually I didn't see those files just until now, I don't have

permission to see them on my machine

sometimes you may need to go through all the red tape, don't

underestimate this

● think about what authorization is required for a job and explain to the one you're giving the work to

● don't be(come) the bottleneck(don't tell people they're allowed to do something, but always see you beforehand or report all actions)

Preventing PM Anti-Pattern #4Delegation without Authority

@bertheymans

JourneymanPM.com

Heymans.org