The Dangers of Underplanning in Your Agile ProjectsAgile coaches often stress the importance of not overplanning because work is later changed or never done at all. But consequently, many teams then fall victim to underplanning and aren't equipped for a successful project. Here are some planning activities that are critical to do before your sprints start.
How Do We Land This Thing? Planning for Go-Live and BeyondSome project managers have little experience bringing a project in for a landing, so they can be dismayed or just blindsided by organizational change needs and stakeholders’ expectations at delivery. Here is a checklist of some commonly forgotten items to address when a project goes live, so be sure to plan for them.
5 Tips for Choosing Your First Agile ProjectWhen transitioning to agile, applying agile methods to a single project is a great way to get started. However, care must be taken to ensure the project you choose is appropriate—it shouldn't be too large, take too long, or be too risky. Here are five tips to help you pick the right project for your agile pilot.
Troubled Project or Disaster? Understand What You Can ManageThere is a big difference between a troubled project and a disaster, and not being clear about the distinction is hazardous to decision-making. If a project you're managing is in danger of missing deadlines, that doesn't mean it's out of control—you just need to explain to stakeholders how it can get back on track.
The Subtle Art of Diplomatic Communication with Project SponsorsIt’s an art to balance project sponsors’ need for timely and accurate information with being diplomatic in how and when that information is delivered. Diplomacy is about tact—communicating in tough situations without antagonizing anyone more than necessary. Here are eight keys to diplomatic, effective communication.
Don’t Let Too Little Planning Tank Your Agile AdoptionMany organizations turning to agile believe it means you don't have to do any planning. This couldn't be further from the truth. A healthy agile team does just as much (if not more) planning than a team using a waterfall methodology. Preparing and setting goals sets up the team for a more successful agile adoption.
If You’re Working Too Much, Is It a Challenging Project or Bad Management?Projects sometimes encounter challenges that require team members to put in extra work. But if this is happening repeatedly, it's worth figuring out where the pressure is coming from. You may need to ask, “Is this project simply challenging, or is it being badly managed?”
7 Good Project Management Practices for Replacing a Legacy SystemWhen you need to replace a legacy system quickly, it’s tempting to set aside good project management practices and push forward recklessly. But doing so results in delays, cost overrun, and organizational chaos. Take time to understand the problem, plan and estimate the solution, and set up your project for success.
