Matthew presented the monthly PM Tools Workshop to the PMIWDC chapter May 15.  Here is the presentation and handouts:

• Handout:  ProjectWeavers-PMTools-Requirements-Handout-20120515
• Presentation: ProjectWeavers-PMTools-Requirements-20120515

Please email Matthew (matthew@projectweavers) with any questions or comments.

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Join Project Weavers for a FREE discussion on a PMP study topic (e.g., project charter, requirements traceability matrix, responsibility matrix, stakeholders, WBS).  Presented in the same manner as our classes, this webinar will give you a hands-on opportunity to test drive our training.  If you like our approach, sign up and take one of our classes.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions.

Thank you, Matthew

matthew@projectweavers.com http://www.projectweavers.com

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Here is a good before and after comparison.

At PMI the change is apparently still filtering through their various pages and documents.  Some reflect this change and some do not.  In conversation with PMI this afternoon (April 26), I found little information about the change, other than it was made.  How it is intended to be interpreted remains to be determined.

What are your thoughts about this?

Consider the following:

PMP:
PMI reports: 469,051
LinkedIn returns: 257,485
Thus, a 47% undercount on LinkedIn

CAPM:
PMI reports: 16,159
LinkedIn returns: 9,709
Thus, a 40% undercount on LinkedIn

PgMP:
PMI reports: 654
LinkedIn returns: 1,140
Thus, a 74% OVERCOUNT on LinkedIn.

PMI-SP:
PMI reports: 562
LinkedIn returns: 738
Thus, a 31% OVERCOUNT on LinkedIn.

PMI-RMP:
PMI reports: 1,119
LinkedIn returns: 631
Thus, a 77% OVERCOUNT on LinkedIn

Are there really that many people falsely claiming PgMP, PMI-SP, and PMI-RMP certificates on LinkedIn?  Seriously, it’d only take a couple hours to compare each one against PMI’s certificate registry at https://certification.pmi.org/registry.aspx, why would anyone take the risk to their reputation, career, and job?  Another explanation for the tremendous overcounts?

On another topic, these stats further show the wild success of PMP and failures of the other certificates.  I mean, PgMP is out for how long and there are ONLY 654 certificate holders?!  And jobs, as of today on DICE 35 and on Monster 53 job postings reference PgMP.  Not much demand.

Your thoughts?

Sources:  PMI Credential Passport newsletter, December 2011, and searches on LinkedIn, DICE, and Monster today, December 14, 2011.

First, I  tried several favicons with same results.  Then, after some online research I found that type “image/vnd.microsoft.icon”  vs. “image/x-icon” has compatibility issues with rel “icon” vs “shortcut icon” in Internet Explorer.

I tested these four combinations, links below, and found that “x-icon” works with both “shortcut icon” and “icon”, while “vnd.microsoft.icon” only works with “shortcut icon”.  Only Internet Explorer (my version is 9) had the problem, Firefox 8 and Chrome 15 were fine.

Examples of each of the four pairings may be observed at:

• http://americanprojectmanagement.com/test/icon_shortcut_xicon.htm
• http://americanprojectmanagement.com/test/icon_xicon.htm
• http://americanprojectmanagement.com/test/icon_vnd.htm (does not work with Internet Explorer)
• http://americanprojectmanagement.com/test/icon_shortcut_vnd.htm

“

“I estimate that 75% of those organizations using Scrum will not succeed in getting the benefits that they hope for from it.”–Ken Schwaber

Coming from the co-developer of Scrum and a signator of Agile, that’s a rather damning statement.

Source: http://www.agilecollab.com/interview-with-ken-schwaber

Among my connections are

• Over 2,400 in the Washington, DC area
• Over half are in director, VP, president, or C-level roles
• A quarter are HR management or recruiters
• And the remainder are mostly other project, development, and test professionals

So, since I don’t have 4,300 friends, how did I secure so many connections?  Especially as I had only 15 in January 2010 and just over 1,100 on January 1st, 2011.

• Joined 50 high-membership and industry-relevant groups on LinkedIn
• Conducted searches filtered on group connection
• Refined search to the DC area
• Refined search on job title or one or more keywords
• Sent customized invites to those individuals who offered relevant and meaningful connections

Sounds simple because it is simple.

Want to learn more? Join me online for one of my Getting Serious with LinkedIn seminars.  Please see the schedule to the right for upcoming dates and to register.

1. Reduce meeting lengths and attendees where possible
2. Establish daily standups with currently active stakeholders
3. Adopt just-in-time approach, if possible, to your team assignments
4. Insert code reviews, peer reviews, process reviews
5. Consolidate issues, risks, and other lists
6. Where you encounter repeatable activites, define the process, create templates, and use them!

• Leadership changes
• Scope and requirements change or are not adequately defined or controlled
• Milestones are not met or, worse, are not known
• The project lacks a charter, a comprehensive project plan, or an actionable schedule
• Risks and issues are not tracked
• Stakeholders are not fully identified or involved

 


 
What does it take to turn around a failing project?

• Do you need special qualifications, technical expertise, or subject-matter expertise?
  No, absolutely not.
• Experience?
  Nice to have but not necessary.
• Okay, what do you need?!
  Know “project management 101” and have the discipline to do it

So, where do you start?

First priority is to become informed on the project and its health

Identify, access, and review

• Project charter
• Project plan
• Project schedule
• Status reports
• Issue and risk lists

Next,

• Ascertain applicable policies, processes, and supporting resources
• Identify tools in use or available
• Review project to-date work

Meet your stakeholders.

Using your stakeholder list, presuming there is one, and, if not, create one

• Reach out to and ideally meet each individual
• After introductions, query for
  1. What is their role in the project?
  2. What do they want or expect from the project?
  3. What measures do they place on their expectations?
  4. What challenges and successes do they see?
  5. Secure prioritization, where appropriate

Revisit planning.

• Where deficiencies exist, request, update, or create
  1. Project charter
  2. Project plan
  3. Project schedule
  4. Requirements
• Involve all of your stakeholders in this exercise!
• Secure agreement and approval for your updated planning

Communicate!

• Demonstrate respect, trust, and transparency
• Follow your communications plan
• Include your stakeholders where meaningful and appropriate, even if just courtesy invites
• Maintain or establish boundaries where appropriate and necessary