|
Software
Development Project Management
In selecting a
Software Development Project Management methodology, there is also
the issue of complexity and various complexities involved. By
complexity, the number of separate stakeholders you need to satisfy
and/or the number of system elements that you have to integrate. It
is against this background that we examine some of the more popular
project management methodologies in software development or Software
Development Project Management methodology.
According to a
beautiful article “The Soft Stuff Is Hard” by Sue Petersen, in this
job Software Development Project Management, technology is the easy
part. Good programmers have to be bright, there's no doubt about
that. They also need a certain flair for detail and an excellent
memory. But if that was all there was to it, a manager's life would
be a lot easier. Give all job applicants an intelligence test, hire
the highest scorers, then sit back and watch the finished product
roll out the door and the profits roll in.
We all know
Software Development Project Management is not that easy: Plain old
people-skills like communication and teamwork play a big part in our
successes—and in our failures. Quit grimacing—that's good news!
There's a lot of leverage available in improving our less technical
skills, in learning new ways to think about and to relate to other
people. A little improvement can pay big dividends, both personally
and financially.
One thing we
all do every single day is make decisions—big ones (Should I commit
to this project, hire this person, take this job?) as well as little
ones (What's for lunch?). One of the most exciting books I've seen
in years is about just that—how we make decisions, especially when
the time is short and the stakes are high. In Sources of Power: How
People Make Decisions (MIT Press, 1998), author and cognitive
psychologist Gary Klein looks at how people really make high-stakes
decisions in the field, when it matters most. He describes four
basic strategies that successful people use when they don't have
enough time or reliable data to decide things logically and
rationally.
Intuition is
the almost magical, unconscious sorting and processing of cues in
the Software Development Project Management. Mental simulation is a
highly detailed "mental movie-making" that lets us conceive and try
out different strategies quickly, before settling on one of them.
Metaphors put a familiar frame around a situation, helping us to
interpret and understand a new domain. Storytelling is a great way
to pass our experience and judgment on to the people who come after
us; after all, humans have been telling and listening to stories for
as long as they've been human. Telling a story helps us abstract and
highlights the important factors in a situation, so that we remember
and recognize them the next time.
It's always
interesting to learn more about how we think, but the real value of
this book is what it tells us about thinking better. The ways we use
our intuition, mental simulations, metaphors and storytelling can be
trained and improved—and that's real
power!
Along the way,
DeMarco takes some shots at other popular fallacies. His analysis of
the ever-popular "proof by repeated assertion," for example, does a
wonderful job of puncturing the argumentative style used by all too
many authors and speakers. His analysis of the "culture of fear," as
revealed by such common items as an ad in an airline magazine, made
me squirm. And after reading his analysis, we'll never be able to
look at one of those "motivational" posters advertised in the
magazines the same way again. You know the type, captioned
L*E*A*D*E*R*S*H*I*P, with a herd of beautiful horses charging away
from you in a line. All you need to do, according to the ads, is to
hang a few of these posters strategically around the office, and
watch your employees magically change. DeMarco analyzes how a
successful leader does gain the trust needed to make major changes.
He talks about the timing of change, about the real purpose of
middle management, about risk management and the "insurance model"
versus the stupidities inherent in "can-do" management. DeMarco
firmly believes that, contrary to all of the jokes and mockery going
around, management is one of the most important jobs you can have.
And, with his wisdom and insight, he helps make it
so.
When
you, as a project manager, accept responsibility for a project, you
accept the schedule, timeline, deadlines, resources, and
expectations set out at the start. Now you can make sure you're
asking the right questions for each project by utilizing the tools,
checklists, and information from projectmanagementsurvival.
Now
you can manage your risk project according to best practice
standards. You'll have the details and plans in place to handle
whatever arises during a project's duration—setting appropriate
expectations for timelines, milestones, and deliverables. And,
ensure success for each and every project with resources on:
- Ensuring you
have the necessary equipment and resources available
- Properly
documenting all project activities
- Identifying staff skills by roles needed
- Putting
quality controls in place
- Identifying
and estimating indirect costs
- Documenting
and prioritizing requirements
- And much more
Start and end
each project on a positive note—order your Templates and Tool Kits for Project
Managers today!
Explore the templates and toolkits
HERE |