Colocation

If you aren't used to it, remote work can be difficult to adjust to under normal circumstances and the next few weeks will not be normal circumstances. Here are just a few tips to help make the day more productive.

And speaking of assumptions, do not make any or assign motivations to anyone's behavior. Whether a missed deadline or a uncharacteristically sharp email, give everyone the benefit of the doubt because the time will come when you will need it from them.

Circumstances require that we withdraw from each other physically at a time when we need support more than ever. Frequent notes just to check in might be what everyone needs.

As with PM software, the tools that you use to communicate with your team should support the team's process and not dictate it.

PM Minutes this week will focus on simple tips for project managers, or anyone, working remote for the first time.

The contractor may not have your technical resources, and you do not have the fund accounting expertise, but together you can share the opportunity and the benefit of winning the contract.

To accept or ignore a risk is to basically bake it into the baseline project plan. It's to identify that the risk exists but to choose to not change the plan and only benefit from the opportunity if it happens.

To exploit an opportunity is to attempt to eliminate any uncertainty in achieving a positive outcome.

Enhancing a positive risk seeks to increase the amount of exposure to a positive risk.

There is the potential for positive risks in a project as well. Positive risks are generally referred to as opportunities and, just like negative risks, there are four potential response strategies. These strategies seek to accomplish the same basic goals of negative risk responses, but to the benefit of the project.

Transferring a risk is the act of shifting the impact or responsibility to someone else. The most common example is probably insurance.

In the case of a risk that is very unlikely, or has a high cost to implement one of the other three strategies, acceptance can be acceptable.

Avoidance means reducing the chance of a risk occurring to zero. Sometimes avoidance is not practical, or possible

Mitigation is a strategy that is used to minimize the impact of a risk or threat

Not my planned subject, but today's PM Minute is all about the importance of identifying risks and having a contingency plan in place in case a risk occurs

This should sound very familiar to anyone doing project work. We can begin with the start date and estimate the finish based on who is available to do the work, and how long it will take with that availability. Or, we can start with a deadline and back into a start date using the same method.

For today's PM minute, I'd like to close the week out with a quick survey.Would you listen to and participate in - either as a guest, a caller, or by chat - a 30-45 minute live podcast on project management?

The Chunnel project was also more than a year late and 80% over budget. So, the next time you're worried about your project, remember the Chunnel and that audacious ideas rarely follow plan.

When you are faced with a tough problem, talk it out loud. Take control away from your inner critic by putting the words out there, like a first draft. You'll find it can help bring clarity and an ultimate solution.

It's been a long break, but Colocation is back. Starting today, the PM Minute will come at you each work day. This quick, one minute tip is published first thing in the morning and is a great way to start your day.

In this week’s episode, we conclude our two-part interview with ASQ certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Seth Wiesenthal.

External failure costs are incurred to fix problems after the product or service is already in the hands of the customer.

The third in our 4-point Cost of Quality series is part of the cost of poor quality.  Specifically, the cost of internal failure.

Prevention costs are spent to prevent, as the name suggests, or avoid defects in the quality of a product or service.  A defect is a result that does not meet requirements.

Appraisal costs are one of the costs that make up the cost of good quality.  Appraisal costs are costs related to testing and inspection as part of the Quality Control process.

In this full episode of Colocation: We discuss key concepts in Quality plus the much-anticipated first half of my extended interview with American Society for Quality certified Six-Sigma black belt, Seth Wiesenthal.  

In the second excerpt from our interview with ASQ certified Six-Sigma black belt Seth Wiesenthal, Seth discusses the importance of seeing processes from end to end and the surprising outcomes when that happens.

In an excerpt from part one of a two-part interview with Seth Wiesenthal, an ASQ-certified Six-Sigma black belt talks about a day in the life of a continuous improvement practitioner. 

Call The Colocation Show 24/7 at 234.207.5935 to leave feedback or start conversation with the podcast.

Reviewing potential risks and creating response plans is a key part of planning for any project. The four main response strategies are: transfer, mitigate, avoid, and accept.

All things estimating, from costs to time. Key numbers, methods, and The Party That Never Happened.

There have been many moments that have literally made my palms sweat as a PM: the last-minute housing, sanitation, production, etc. Not to mention hearing, and knowing, that a project that size would normally be at least a year of planning and the team was given six weeks.

In that brief exchange, I have my optimistic and pessimistic estimates. I can ask another follow up to get an idea of the most likely number or use the average of the two. After some more conversation about the risks that could cause the large difference, I can feel comfortable that I have a decent estimate.

That’s why I believe that having a mentor is one of the three critical professional relationships. I don’t work for that executive any longer, but we stay in regular contact. In fact, we’re having breakfast this morning. He’s someone that I trust and can go to for professional advice and honest feedback.

So, if this were a project, it’d be tempting for the PM to think things went very well. After all, the requirements were correct and the service was delivered on time and on quality. But, we were left alone for much of the duration to wonder how things were going and whether we’d get what we needed in the end.

All of that is a great example of why you should think about, and involve as much as possible, the user while building your solution and completing your project. Of course you won’t have a customer on your project team. But, always try to have someone on the team who is relentlessly focused on the user experience and heavily involved in review and testing. You’ll save your customer from a bunch of pop-ups, reboots, and do-overs.

The idea for today’s PM Minute comes from the convergence of unique circumstances at my house. First, today is the Martin Luther King holiday and everyone – from our college-age son down to the grade schooler is home. Second, there was a substantial snow storm over the weekend so it’s unlikely that anyone will leave the house. Finally, I’m working from home today and am grounded at home due to the same storm.

In today’s PM Minute, Josh and I discuss how each stage production at The Players Guild Theatre in Canton, Ohio are truly individual projects.

In today's PM Minute, Josh Erichsen of The Players Guild Theatre in Canton, Ohio talks about how he manages schedule over a season.With eight shows per year, Josh frequently has a production on stage, another in rehearsal, and a third in planning and preparation. 

In today’s episode we learn that it’s ok to make mistakes, hear my wife’s reaction to a ten-year planning calendar, and Josh Erichsen, Producing Artistic Director of the Players Guild Theatre in Canton, Ohio explains how each live production is a unique project - even after twenty seasons.

The same is true of closing a project. The excitement of getting it done has probably worn off and maybe the subject matter – and even some of the people – are wearing you out. You’re anxious to move on to the next thing.But, don’t give in to the temptation to put things away half done or disorganized. Clearly label and file the documents, electronically and paper if applicable. Make sure they will be easy to get to and use if they are needed again.

The application for PMP certification requires a four-year degree and 4,500 hours of project experience across all of the process areas or 7,500 hours with no degree requirement. Even if you worked 100% on project work with two weeks of vacation each year, you are still going to account for more than two years of your time. So, start keeping track now.

The first conversation rarely mentions the word “requirements” or any formal PM-speak. It’s more likely to start with “I understand you need a project to do X. What are we trying to solve?” Once the solution is clearly understood, then you can get deeper into the details by asking things like “What do you need it to do or look like, etc.?”

Everyone understands that you have to measure to manage. But, do we do enough counting in order to celebrate?

In this episode we examine why every grad student needs a class in project management and a church construction project that has been going since the 19th century.  Plus, one Pennsylvania woman's project to plant 10,000,000 trees.

The same is true with the projects in your portfolio. If it doesn’t support organizational goals, pass. If conditions have changed, cut it. Don’t waste precious resources on anything that doesn’t advance the mission.

Sometimes the best strategy is to accept the risk as part of experiencing something new.

That complexity underscores the real challenge: You know the song that’s in your head, no matter what you are pushing through the kazoo. But, the only thing that matters is what you can get your team to recognize.

As a Project Manager, time boxing feels right. It forces decomposition and a focus on the tasks behind the goal or deliverable, just like a traditional project plan. If everything is a project, timeboxing may be the tool to get it all done.

In this episode we feature three segments:Enterprise Environmental Factors: A look at industry headlinesUser Stories: PM-related quotesEarned Value: Stats and figures from the PM worldThere is a rotating selection of segments planned for you this season, including industry terms, news makers, and listener feedback.

Each day we'll bring you a quick project management concept or leadership story for your workday in a quick, easily digestible, one minute format.