Taking the Plunge

I hope you're ready for my soapbox speech.

Being agile is about more than just using the latest framework or methodology.  I like to think of it in terms of being responsive.  A business needs to be responsive to the changing needs of its customers, or in the case of the MLM where I work, the distributor sales force that consumes our services and products, in addition to selling them.

There can be several layers of people and process between customers/distributors and developers, and each layer has the potential to help the business be more responsive, or to be a bottleneck, including but not limited to IT.  Each layer should have the right people who are empowered to make decisions about how they contribute to the responsiveness of the company.  Each layer should understand the processes of the other layers and how they help the business be more responsive.  There should not be so many layers that it becomes impossible to be responsive.  Business 101, right?  But some companies still don't get it.

If IT decides to do Scrum, for example, and the business is not engaged and educated on how to participate and what to expect, neither the business nor IT  are going to have a pleasant experience. And yet, this happens, and people blame Scrum for not working.  

Have you noticed that there are no project managers mentioned in agile methodologies and frameworks?  Have you wondered if it was intentional?  Agile was developed by developers... Don't let this scare you or make you paranoid.  Before agile takes overs the world, we're going to see a transformation in how project management is approached.  It's already started, but we'll need to wait for the polarization between views about agile and waterfall to subside to recognize it.

What is this transformation?  It is the realization that the project manager and the organization need to know how to identify and use the right tool for the job.  Some projects will be more effective using an iterative approach, others will benefit from a more linear approach.  The successful and agile companies will be those that are set up to take advantage of the approaches that enable them to be flexible in how they respond to demand.

You, the project manager, need to be prepared to lead any type of project, and be a coach or mentor to those you work with.  Put another way, your job isn't to be just an expert in agile or waterfall; your job is to execute, using whatever approach is required to complete the project.  This is how you will become a truly agile project manager.

Okay, let's catch our breath for a moment.  That's enough agile for now, but I have a follow-up item before I go.  I haven't been able to find any information on the PDUs2GO website about their free 1 PDU webinars.  It looks like you'll have to go to their website and get on their mailing list to get notifications about the webinars.  I'll find a different provider of free PDUs to mention in my next post.

I know, it’s been too long.  After serving two terms as VP of Education for the PMI Northern Utah Chapter, I decided to spend more time with my family and pursuing hobbies.  If you hadn’t noticed, Project Management can be a highly intellectual effort, with long periods between demonstrable results (depending upon your projects and the methodology/framework you use).  I needed some sort of cathartic release with fast turn-around time, so I’ve gotten into blacksmithing.  I’m in the middle of a project, setting up a small blacksmith shop in my garage, but that is a post for another time.

Historically, my blog was about getting and maintaining the PMP credential.  I’ll still touch on that, occasionally.  For example, I recently received an email from PDUs2Go that they are going to start offering free 1 PDU webinars, again.  I haven’t found information on their site, yet.  Once it’s available, I’ll post it here.  I think, however, it’s time to branch out.

As the only CSM (Certified Scrum Master) in the PMO, where I work, I was recently asked to teach a class on Scrum to another team.  The company where I work is starting to make headway into adopting Scrum, and some of the teams that normally would not consider Agile are starting to take interest.

It was a half-day class where I presented the hype, the reality, and a little bit of sarcasm about Agile and Scrum (because Scrum is not the only way to be Agile).  The point that resonated the strongest with the class, and me, is that being agile is about more than just adopting agile development practices.  It’s about so much more than just IT trying a new approach.  I think that’s the topic for my next post.

Before I close, I want to post a little about the PMINUC professional development conference I attended in April.  Kudos to the current board for a job well done.  It’s incredible how much they’ve grown in the past few years, and how much more they are doing for their members, now.  If I didn’t have other commitments, I’d be more than excited to be part of it again.  My favorite speaker was Spencer Horn.  He gave two presentations.  I would have gone to both, but decided to diversify the classes I attended in order to attempt to manage my “Talent Triangle.”  I attended the session on Branding Yourself, which was probably my biggest motivation to start my blog back up, again. If you ever have the chance to work with Spencer, or attend one of his presentations, I highly recommend it.

I was especially touched during the presentation from Operation Underground Railroad.  I don’t know if I know anyone who has been directly impacted by sex trafficking, but it was eye opening to find out how pernicious it is, and to realize that slavery is still alive and well, even in the US.  I’m going to look into ways that I can contribute to O.U.R.  Here’s a link, if you’re interested.

https://ourrescue.org/join-the-fight

My final thought from the PDC, and for this post, is that I am excited that I won a training class from the BrainTrust Consulting Group.  I’ll be taking the CSPO (Certified Scrum Product Owner) class in the fall – the next time it’s offered in SLC.  I feel like a dork admitting this, but I’m excited, and not just because I won something.  When I got my CSM certification, in 2007, the class placed a lot of focus on the role of the ScrumMaster and how to run a Scrum project.  I look forward to formal training on what the Product Owner should be doing, both before and during the project (especially before), as this will help me coach the business as Scrum becomes more prevalent where I work.

Just a quick update... (as if I was capable of that)

PMI Northen Utah Chapter's Professional Development Day was a couple of weeks ago.  It was a great event.  I wrote a little bit about it on my personal blog site - (no longer active).  I am working on blogging more regularly, but it can be difficult to blog and work on writing projects at the same time.

Next year I will be in charge of the PDD.  I have some large shoes to fill, but am excited for the opportunity.

PDUs from the PDD put me over 60 PDUs with over a year left, but that doesn't mean I get to sit around and do nothing for a year.

The book I co-authored 4 chapters for is currently scheduled to be published in January.  I'm fairly certain that will mean PDUs that I can roll over into my next certification cycle, but that is not why I participated in the project.  I really did it for the opportunity to participate in what I believe will be a great body of work, and to speed up my timeline to get published.  I still want to publish my own book (or two), but that will take time.

In the meantime, there are articles to write.  The Requirements Networking Group (RQNG) has published my first article, 'The Requirements Delivery Plan," in which I advocate treating requirements like a project and using a delivery schedule to manage expectations for requirements delivery:

(unfortunately, requirementsnetwork.com is no longer active)

While I would love to claim PDUs for it, I can't, and I didn't write it for the PDUs.  One of my goals is to be a regularly published author - books or articles.  I'll worry about PDUs and getting paid later.  For now I am building my platform and refining my writing style.

I would love to talk more about the book, but we're not going to promote it heavily until closer to the release date.

I've started a new blog on my own site:

(no longer active)

I'll be posting about life in general and project management themes, including events related to my new role as VP of Education in the PMI Northern Utah Chapter, on my new site.  I'll still post about things PDU related here but, if you haven't noticed, it is slowing down.  I'm a little over half way through my certification renewal cycle and have about 5 PDUs to go, which I will get on the Professional Development Day in October.  If I should happen to miss the PDD, for some reason, I'll be getting 5 just for doing my job this year, and a few for volunteering in my local chapter.

My next step is to figure out how to get 20 PDUs next year that I can roll over into the following renewal cycle.

I haven't asked about it yet, but I just realized that I should check to see if I will be able to claim PDUs for the book I am co-authoring.  I am only contributing a couple of chapters, but it is still exciting to get published.  You can expect to hear about it from me and other Ganttheads, soon.

Once the book is published, it will be time to get back to work on my own book. 

Back to my new role.  I am brainstorming ideas for service opportunities for voulnteers in the chapter.  I am thinking about a couple of different programs.  One is a mentoring program (one to one), where non-PMPs are assigned a PMP to help them prepare for the exam.  The other is for PMPs to lead study groups (one to many) to help non-PMPs prepare for the exam.  What do you think?  Feedback is appreciated.

Just a quick update.  Prodevia has enxtended the free "Project Search and Rescue" course.  Registration is open through June 30th. 

Now, if you are like I me, you could have used this information 7 years ago and have already learned much of it.  However, whether you are new to project management or a veteran PM, this FREE course presents the information in a manner that is conducive to learning and puts together the bits and pieces of knowledge you have picked up over the years into one package.