Making (and Keeping) Project Risk VisibleProject managers recommend how much should be invested to address various risks based on their understanding of project context, but the final decision about what to do and when those efforts are sufficient belongs to the sponsor. Risk management requires executive input, so sponsors need to see all risk data you have.
Trusting Your Data: Garbage In, Garbage OutPoor quality input will always produce faulty output. Improper validation of data input can affect more than just security; it can also affect your ability to make effective business decisions. Bad data can have impacts on how you make quantitative decisions or create reports, if you can’t trust the data you receive.
Getting Support for the Tests You Need DoneIt’s often hard for teams to get sufficient time and resources for the amount and quality of tests they think are needed. It’s like management wants testing done but at the same time doesn’t want to commit what’s needed to do it. If that's your case, look at the business side, rank priorities, and negotiate resources.
How to Talk to Executives about AgileIn the agile community, executives tend to get a bad name. They are accused of not understanding agile and the benefits it will bring their companies. But we just need to speak the same language: Look beyond the surface-level reasons for resistance and try to identify the financial grounds. Just follow the money!
“It Was More Complex Than We Thought”: Why Business Analysis Is EssentialMany new project fields look simple from a distance because we only see the outputs and interfaces. But corner cases, bad data, users with special needs, regulations—getting inside a new knowledge domain and teasing out the special cases and unhappy paths is a skill. This is why business analysts are so important.
3 Steps to Transformational Leadership for Business AgilityBuilding your agile organization only starts with developing software in an agile way. The next step is transforming your business with a customer-focused embrace of agile across the entire enterprise. Managers who want a truly agile organization must lead with focus, steer from the edges, and change the system.
Be Careful What You Ask For: Contract Considerations for New ProjectsIn a new project, there are always going to be challenges and delays, and when the end date is looming, you may be tempted to rush through the contracting and procurement process. But that can have dire consequences down the line if roles, responsibilities, and expectations aren't clear. Take the time to communicate.
When Buying New Software, Make Sure You're Getting What You Really NeedThe first step in any significant software procurement is to assure there is a clear definition of the business problem being solved. If you don’t know what you want, you aren’t prepared to negotiate for it, so you'll end up with a system or tool that isn't what you need—and you'll likely be disappointed at delivery.
