Page 134 - Straight Talk On Project Management IV

HoHoHo! What IT Project Management gift will you use to plan and deliver

Christmas?

Hohoho!! ‘Tis the season to be a Project Manager!

I’m unusually organised this year, my thoughts turned
to Christmas preparations back in mid-November … the
tree, the present shopping, the turkey and all the
trimmings for the big day (pigs in blankets!!!), and of
course … the all-important stocking up of the drinks
cabinet – it’s all in hand.
It must be my super-organised IT Project mind
subconsciously guiding me. Either that or painful
memories of Christmas Eves past and a mad last-minute
dash to the shop!

Do you find that you employ the valuable skills that
you’ve learned delivering IT Projects in other parts of
your day to day life? Without realising, I think we all use our talents at this time of the year, like
setting and keeping to delivery timeframes, for example, after all, it is no good starting your present
wrapping on Boxing Day!!!!

With this in mind, for fun, I asked some IT Project Management friends what aspects of their job
they applied to getting ready for Christmas. Their replies made me smile and I hope that, at this
season of good cheer, they make you smile too
.
Waterfall - The go-to present buying methodology?

Martina said, "Without a doubt – Waterfall is the secret weapon I bring to Christmas present
shopping! Waterfall has been the way to do things for years. When it comes to Christmas shopping
you need tried and tested! I love the sequential nature of the methodology and with a family, the
size of mine sequencing of tasks is so important!!! I make a plan and stick to it. My Christmas
shopping list is nailed down in November so, like with IT Projects, all requirements are captured in
advance and then I pick the gifts off one by one! The last thing I need is scope creep when buying
pressies!!”

PMaaS PWaaS

Steve’s opening line was “I turn the M in PMaaS upside down”.
When delivering IT Projects, Steve is a prodigious user of Project Management as a Service resources
(PMaaS) usually when external resources could either improve his team’s in-house delivery
capability or free in-house talent to work in other areas of their busy project portfolio.

“PMaaS gives us access to best in class ideas and ways of working – if external project talent can do
things faster or better than the members of my team then it’s a false economy having my guys toil
over it when they could be doing something that I know they excel at,” he writes.
So, when Steve turns that M into a W … what service is he outsourcing?