New Blog Coming!

I just set up a new WordPress blog on my site. I am in the process of transferring content and taking care of the details. But if you want to see it in the works- http://blog.the315.com. I am very excited!

Project Management Advice for Start-Ups or Small Businesses (aka the basics for getting started)

Here is a quick outline of the advice I would give to start-ups intimidated by all out project management but know they need something.

1. Define your projects- Start with a simple list that includes what you are delivering, when you want to deliver it by and who is responsible for it.

2. Understand tasks- Once you have a solid list of projects start thinking about what high level tasks are required to complete the projects. Identify who is responsible for each task. Also note which tasks have to happen before another or tasks that can occur simultaneously.

3. Analyze your staff- Look for names that show up a lot on your lists or areas where you don't have a name assigned.

4. Analyze your dates- Look for periods of time where there is a lot going on for everyone or just one person.

5. Check your budget- Make sure the above analysis matches your budget or what you are charging for the project.

The steps above should really give you a good idea of where you stand with your projects and how you balance them. It should also help you discover where and what your risks are. Being aware of your risks is very important and the first step in preventing them from becoming problems.

To improve your application of project management, there are two additional things I recommend doing.

6. Analyze how your team works- Observe how your team gets stuff done. You have a current process, no matter how informal it is. Watch for how things go wrong and right. Listen to what people directly and indirectly say about the process.

7. Learn about project management software and practice- At least read a bit about it and think about how it could help you. And start using it when you find that you need it and are ready to adopt it in your process.

There is a ton of information out there about project management as a discipline. However, I find that bringing it down to these simple steps not only helps someone unfamiliar to it, but also helps to prevent practitioners like me from turning it into a mindless bureaucracy.

Personal Branding and My Brand

With all the talk about PR and personal brands, I have recently wondered how it is that one approaches creating their own brand. Do most people develop a personal brand strategy? Do they just analyze in passing on the Metro or do they actually write a strategic plan for themselves? And what drives them to desire a personal brand? Driving business, getting recognition or something else? Or maybe most people create their personal brand as an unintentional byproduct of their real goals.

This makes me reflect on my own personal brand. Not because I need one, but because I am someone with an online personality. But I don't like to think of it as a brand. I just want to think of it as an accurate representation of me. Nothing strategic, just me.

Maybe I am off base. I would love to talk more about this with people.

So, in my reflection on personal brand I did a bit of soul digging. Here are a few core things about me:
* I love technology. I am particularly interested in how new advancements change our culture, use and approaches to developing technology. Getting an opportunity to explain this stuff to people is great.
* I like adventures. Through travel or outdoor activities, adventures provide the perfect balance and perspective in my life.
* I like to be organized. I like to see how I can be more effective and efficient.
* I like art. Anything aesthetically pleasing with meaning.
* I like to help and inspire people, especially in regard to technology.
* I love to learn anything about and related to any of the above.

Does that make a brand? I guess it is more of a list of interests that drive my actions that represent me. Hopefully, this comes through all of my other posts. But would anyone argue that a representation of one's interests is still lacking the extra strategy that is fundamental to a personal brand?

Requirements Writing

After numerous meetings between the customer and the creator, I have to wonder how many people really know how to write a requirement, how to read a requirement and why we use requirements. The thing is, I like formally written requirements for large formal projects (like when there is lots of money on the line). They work.

However, for smaller projects it is still a good idea to apply the fundamentals of requirements.

Things to think about:
* requirements are What not How
* stepping through use scenarios helps
* assumed functionality requirements are the most dangerous
* coming back to ultimate goals is key to having a full set
* use previously made scope decisions as hard limits
* again, what not how