Waterfall and Proud of It

I know that, as a methodology, waterfall development has many shortcomings. On the other hand, from novice to expert, it is the most basic and most commonly used system for organizing group work efforts.

There are multiple styles of agile alternatives, but despite the passion of their adherents, trends like those are, and will remain, “counter-establishment” minorities in digital production and development environments.  Among other obstacles, the required client buy-in and partnership model for true agile development is culturally too far away.

A key to maximizing accurate project planning, especially in multi, interdependent waterfall project scenarios, is not only marking obvious and hidden dependencies between related projects and activities, but also to build project plans that make the right connections to effectively anchor baselines and be able to assess impact and change.

The ability to properly  structure  milestones, decompose activities, and connect dependencies is a skill that goes beyond proficiency with Microsoft Project. It requires a broad, big picture understanding of how all the moving parts are really part of one.

Source: fantastictravelling.com via Melissa on Pinterest.

To the Cloud, Gently

As a member of Generation X (born in the early 70’s), and as the middle child of three, I have come to accept, perhaps even embrace, my  professional positioning between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials – the two that really matter (IMHO) in the socio-economic dynamics of the day. The spending power of corporate leading and actively retired boomers, coupled with the almost innate “wiredness” of today’s young adults, bodes for a future of even more integrated technological experiences across platforms and devices that actually do make life easier and better.

I am in-between. I have a certain old school way of thinking and approaching life that comes from being a “tween” during Reagenomics. I remember, with fondness btw,  first getting cable TV  and sitting on the floor up close to turn stations because the 33 channel plastic slide box was tethered to the TV by a 3 foot, brown plastic cord.  In college, I first saw the internet in action when a friend placed  his telephone onto a physical modem to “log-in” and register for a class. The rest of us stood in line.  I remember what it was in the human disposition that compensated for things later to be replaced by conveniences in personal computing.

On the other hand, greying temples aside, most people mistake me for being 10 years younger than I am. For whatever reason, my personal and professional lives have kept me in touch with what is going on at the edge – at least in terms of technology and the way it is affecting social dynamics. Beyond being a consumer, I have been an interactive production lead for over 10 years. My experience is from the data management to cross-platform front end-interactions and content.  I understand the power of full,  seamless connectivity – even though a part of me remembers a different way of being.

It is because of this perspective that I often provide professional value  by bridging the gap between the established way and the innovative way. The ability to see and appreciate both sides helps me create win-win scenarios that make sense to varying stakeholders who differ in, amongst other things, seniority, professional role and generational perspective.

The practical difference usually manifests in a decision to adopt a cloud based, SaaS application to replace client side installations of business application software.  This also means paying attention to which cloud solutions offer the best potential integration with other applications to promote ultimate connectedness.  It also shows up as analytical decisions of what success metrics can indicate positive ROI from social media campaigns, and how to define lifetime value for CRM marketing to a new breed of wired consumers. From the strategic to the tactical,  I constantly find myself in the middle of decision making processes that pit corporate momentum against the ever changing interactive landscape.   This is also the case with a number of known advertising agencies that started off in print and are now “doing digital.”

But don’t get me wrong, this is not a case of “out with the old, in with the new.”  As was true in any generation preceding ours, the younger must learn from the older. Wisdom of experience is not a quaint bygone of the pre-Ipad  era, and sometimes the best solutions, whether they use technology or not, are best assessed by people who know what it means to only know life under the cloud. All you need is someone who has been there and back.

Love thy Project

At any given moment, there are two types of project managers in the world: those that love the projects they manage, and those that don’t. OK, that may be an oversimplification but the truth remains that one can become a master practitioner of the project management life cycle without ever developing an emotional attachment to any particular type of project life cycle. Many PM’s enjoy the process of managing process and are agnostic to the substance and context of any particular project.

Sure, experience in a given industry or technology category does grow on a person. Knowing the ropes is key to being a successful PM, and that in of itself is something to appreciate. However, removal of the unknown (the tribulations of doing something new) is not the same as feeling passion for the known (the substance and context of a project).

Factors like “adequate budget,”  “a good team” and “low risk” are not reasons to love a project. They might be reasons to love and appreciate the project management process, but not the project itself. Here are some factors that have more to do with the project as a project:

• The industry – publishing, healthcare, financial, entertainment, non-profit, etc.
• The audience – B to B, B to C, internal, etc
• The technology – infrastructure, database, application, interaction, etc.
• (I’m sure there are others and I welcome responses to add to the list.)

I believe it is important for those of us in this noble profession to gives ourselves the benefit of identifying what are the features of projects that motivate more than our obsession with getting things done on time. In fact, the most dynamic and thriving project managers I know are the ones who are deeply connected to the socio-cultural positioning of their work. While we may not always find contracts and positions that represent that ideal, establishing that vision is an integral first step in making it come true.

A King Without a People

During the Rosh Hashanah holiday, I read a thought provoking essay on the nature of the holiday, especially in regard to the theme of identifying G-d as our King. Admittedly, my mind did wander a bit to the comparison between project leader and project team, but I quickly dismissed that as being A) not relevant for the day and B) overstating a bit the role of the PM 😉

The essay, written by Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe in his book “Alei Shor” volume 2, points out that the rule of a true king as a national, socio-economic reality has not been known by our generation. Unlike previous generations from all over the world, we only know democratic, socialist, communist, etc. forms of governmental rule. We don’t know what it means to live under the omnipotent and often whimsical rule of a single entity that is not a violent dictator.

If G-d wants us to be able to relate to Him as King, why did He let the actual experience of what it means to live under a king become historical and abstract? Also, and more practically, how are we to properly relate to the theme of his Kingship on the day of Rosh Hashannah?

Rabbi Wolbe explains that with the trend of the world at large towards renaissance and enlightenment, towards democracy and the voice of the individual, the cultural tolerance for complete submission to a single person’s law has waned to the point that only violent dictators can wield the power of “kings.”  There have been times, however, where people live in lands not their own while their king is in exile – working behind the scenes to regain his rule. The loyalists to this exiled king work underground to support and promote the interests and restoration of their nation and their king.

This idea, that G-d is our King in exile, and that we are scattered among the world to do our part to restore His kingship, is sourced in the well known Talmudic concept that when the Second Temple was destroyed 2000 years ago, the Shekina [name of G-d] went into exile with the Jewish people. While we don’t live under the rule of a foreign king, there is a pervasive imposition of the power of “zadon” – evil. This includes gross examples of violence and sexual abuse, along with more subtle versions of vengeance, argument, hatred and jealousy.

On Rosh Hashanna, we remind ourselves that our King is in exile, and our positive free choices in the face of the negative forces around us, are the acts of guerrilla warfare that contribute to the restoration of his crown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChV5BZ8SmS0

But it’s still just a guess, right?

I present the chart summarizing the numbers for the pitch – hours by milestone and associated costs, to design and produce a large digital media project.

Boss says with a slight sense of unease, “where did these numbers come from…what’s our back-up?”

I whip out sheet #2 – a breakdown of hours by department / function for each of the milestones. I explain that many of the numbers were discussed with relevant team members. I also state that I checked historicals of similar projects, but most of the examples were aberational in some way so there was no absolute direct comparison, but…

“But it’s still just a guess, right?” she interupts with a manifest glimmer of panic.

“Yes,” I say. “What else is an estimate supposed to be?”