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Readiness: The #1 Predictor of Project Success

By Eileen Strider, Marie Benesh and Wayne Strider The Vice President was worried. The project to replace their administrative systems was gaining support and speed, but was the organization really ready to start? Could they succeed or would they be added to the litany of organizations with failed software projects? They hadn’t undertaken a major project in years.  They had bad memories from recent past projects involving software packages.  This project was going to change the way the whole organization worked, certainly staff’s job duties and maybe even the organization structure. Read More »

Today’s quiz question on project management is…

Let me set some context first before posing you a question around 150 of us were asked. I signed up for an APM webinar on Monday of this week (March 25) and along with around an audience of 150 listened to Martin Samphire and Andy Murray talk about Effective Governance of Change. It was a really worthwhile session and many … Read More > Read More »

You Might Be a Business Analyst

The role of business analyst falls under many job descriptions. I talk to people all time that are business analysts, only they don’t know it. Maybe the have the job title of “technical writer” or “program manager”, but in reality, they are analyzing the business.  Here are some signs you might be a business analyst.. If you create a weighted score card with evaluation criteria to select your next new car… If you ask “why” so many times that your peers start to talk to you like a two-year old… If you spend your time in line (queue) thinking of five better ways to do business and speed things up… If it takes you longer to document your BA history for the CBAP then you actually do working… If your partner is upset with you on their birthday and you suggest celebration requirements were ambiguous… If you visit a brewery and document the brewing process on a napkin… If you make a process flow chart for your trip to the supermarket… If you write down the proposal discussion with your parents about girl you love on a Visio diagram… If very few people know what you do, but you could add value to any company on the planet… If while standing in a single line you count the people in front of you and divide by the number of cashiers serving customers to figure estimated waiting time.. Do you want to join in the conversation? Visit the  Business Analysis Times LinkedIn group! Printable PDF version Read More »

When You Want to Run Away and Hide

By Wayne Strider Being an experienced project manager does not make you immune to errors in judgment, puzzling interactions, bumpy relationships, or the physical and emotional responses that go with them.  These things are natural for us all.  Sooner or later we all will be confronted with a project situation that will stretch us beyond our capabilities at that moment. When that happens, it is possible to feel many things, both physical and emotional.  Here are some ways project managers have described to me how they felt.  I have at various times felt each of these myself.  See if any of these ring a bell. “It was difficult to breathe.” “I felt numb.” “I felt paralyzed.  I could not move my feet.” “My mouth dried up.  It was difficult to speak with my tongue stuck to the roof of mouth.” “I felt nauseated.” “My brain would not work.  My voice was fine. I just could not think of anything to say.” “I was sure my absolute worst self was out there for the entire world to see.” “I felt incompetent and stupid.” “I wanted to hit something.” It may not surprise you that anyone feeling such things could want to run away and hide. When someone actually does run away and hide, I call it the “run away and hide” response–RAaH for short.  This is not necessarily a bad strategy. At times it is the best any of us can do. I personally take some comfort in knowing the choice is always available to me Read More »

Do you carry out a primary survey before starting a project?

By Alison Smith Last weekend I attended an essential first aid course run by St John’s Ambulance. Whilst it covered many life saving skills, as well as treating minor injuries, we initially spent some time discussing how you carry out a primary survey. Just to explain a little more; the idea is that if you come across a casualty, before … Read More > Read More »