Have a Happy Weekend

Mar 12, 2016 | 0 comments |

(Pic courtesy: Pinterest)

Keeping up with the Pace

If you have a list to get things done, but they never get done- this post is for you. May be a certification that you have wanted to go for, a personal goal you wanted to reach.

I set up too many things for me and sometimes just cant keep up with the pace. It's not the time, its the motivation that slows down the run.

My outlook towards this year has mostly been to be happy and be healthy. And with my birthday coming up in April- that's my gift to myself. As simple as it sounds, its very challenging for me.

I ended up thinking and reviewing everything about my life. I have cleaned up my personal database of negativity to an extent and will override the rest with a shot of positivity.  Or at least that's what I think.

I have always been a visual person. Like I like reading books than hearing it.

So, for the last one month I have been tinkering with this idea of creating my own set of motivation cards. Here's what I did:

  • Browsed through Pinterest and downloaded the one's I liked the most
  • I got them printed in simple basic format as you would any snaps
  • I have a set of 12, I have plans to keep adding to them
  • I keep them at my desk at home.
  • It works.
When my days haven't been very smooth and fun, just flipping through the cards brings back my perspective. It's worth a try.

So, try what makes you calmer. It's worth a shot.

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

Catching up

Mar 9, 2016 | 0 comments |
Good Morning folks, heading off to a very interesting day.


Stopping by to say hello and you can almost follow my day by following me in instagram or twitter. 

 I hope you have a good one that refreshes your mind and more :)

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

5 Years- that’s how long it took

I like having the constraint in my flow, to ensure I also deliver.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to creative as my next door neighbor, however working within certain limits also ensure I actually do something about it. 

I don’t know about you, I always function better when I am very busy. I know what I have to do next and I just get it done.

Except that I have always struggled with certain parts of my life- like exercising. It’s been a constant goal in my life for the longest time and I have often fallen off the wagon and had difficulties getting on to it. I read articles where sharing with friends and creating accountability helps and where not sharing helps- tried both and failed. I always don’t do things to please others, so when I stopped- I stopped.

I wasn’t also creating excuses, I was busy and I just didn’t know how to fit it all. So, I failed. It didn't top my priority.

This year, I didn’t include getting back in shape or exercising in my new year resolution. I wasn’t doing it anyways. Instead, I decided to make smaller changes to my lifestyle. Nope, they are not the same- because I never committed to get on the treadmill. I just ate more at home, tried to get in a fruit everyday and created a routine around it. And gave up sugar. Well not completely, I still have a cake once in a while; however I just don’t buy it for the sake of having it. I drink my tea without sugar and I have learned to enjoy the taste.


And yeah, I did get up on the treadmill and found a way to incorporate it within the routine. I tried the elimination trick. I eliminated ways that would ensure I fail.

This is my second month and I do get through the office gym door 5 times a week every day for 45- 60 minutes.  Not sure if this is too early to elaborate and celebrate, I will feel great. I like that I haven’t fallen off the wagon and I did make the small changes. Oh yes and I do have a burger to celebrate :)
  • Every week I add something new to my routine
  • I have friends now in the gym
  • I do eat home cooked meal the entire weekday
  • I eat more fruits and veggies
  • I juice veggies once a in a while
  • I create motivation cards
  • I don’t focus on loosing weight, so I don’t use a weighing machine.
  • I just work out everyday

And this took me 5 years to get to.


Okay, so why dish out my personal story? So if you have been struggling to keep up with your goals, don’t GIVE UP yet. Just find out why you have been giving up- what’s the emotion you go through just before you give up? And then find a way to ensure you don’t go through the same emotions and that might just keep you in the wagon forever. 

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

Job Openings

Feb 29, 2016 | , | 0 comments |







Hello there! How have you been?
I thought I should let you know on some of the openings in the job world happening right now.

I have never done it before, posting it on the blog...however, I thought since I get them a  lot, why not put it up for you. If this help you find a job you love, that makes it all worthwhile.

So, here are a few:
Project Manager (United Health Group)- Hyderabad (India)
Project Manager – Job No. 639359
 
Responsibilities include:
• Perform all phases of software engineering including requirements analysis, application design, code development and testing
• Design and implement product features in collaboration with business and IT stakeholders
• Design reusable components, frameworks and libraries  Requirements include:
• B.Tech/MCA/Graduation (Minimum 16 years of formal education, Correspondence courses are not relevant).
• 10 + years in the software engineering profession
• Demonstrated success designing and building high-quality commercial software applications  Consider your future and apply here  

This came in through Mae Anne Jose

Agile Coach - Hyderabad (India)

Job Functions: Manages and guides the Scrum Masters in the Hyderabad office to ensure the highest Agile standards are uniformly met Acts as an Agile Coach in coaching teams and respective Scrum Masters daily on Scrum principles - and advises project teams outside their jurisdiction on best practices

  • Works with product management to ensure Product Backlogs are stocked, scoped appropriately, and prioritized 
  • Works with development teams to groom Product Backlogs in preparation for Sprint Planning Meetings Prepares and leads Sprint Planning Meetings 
  • Leads Daily Scrums and removes impediments Monitors Sprint Burndown Charts and maintains other productivity metrics 
  • Protects the Sprint Backlog from scope creep Acts as liaison between stakeholders and teams to negotiate Sprint scope
  • Coordinates Backlog Refinement Meetings with Product owner and team Facilitates Sprint Review Meetings, using outcome to work with product management in updating the Product Backlog Facilitates Sprint Retrospective Meetings and expedite plans for improvement 
  • Tracks release planning Uses Kanban and XP practices where applicable Adapts project management framework to stakeholder, project, and team needs Applies traditional waterfall, SDLC approaches where necessary, managing milestones and deliverable of each phase of the project life cycle Monitors and documents project variance 
  • Communicates clearly and consistently with stakeholders about project status and be preemptive when problematic issues arise Manages risks and have risk mitigation plans in place Identifies dependencies within program and strategies how to schedule dependencies with the greatest resource usage efficiency Dissects our corporate workflow, assesses how the program fits best within it, and advises on improvements Assists Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) in implementing Agile best practices, processes and tools 
  • Assists Project Management Office (PMO) in compiling regular updates for senior management, coordinating company-wide demos and assisting in development projects as necessary 

Qualifications: Required

  • 7+ years of project management experience in software development using Agile and traditional SDLC methodologies 
  • 5+ years of Scrum Master experience 5+ years of managing technical teams and complex technical projects Bachelor’s or Master’s degree CSM (Certified Scrum Master) certification 
  • Demonstrated excellence in leadership and ability to create collaborative, productive teams 
  • Preferred PMP certification Experience working successfully with external clients Experience with JIRA and Confluence.
Contact:
Email: menon@optionsindia.com   

Since  most of  the openings came directed at me, the location is obviously not very global.for these. Sometimes I do have global openings as well sent and I will be happy to post them here. 

Meanwhile if you are a recruiter, feel free to connect so, I can post the openings both here and in the SIPM Community. 

(Pic courtesy: Google images)


Weekend Activities

Feb 8, 2016 | 1 comments |
My weekend was different. I missed the lazying around perhaps, however it all ended up pretty well.
That's the table I was part of and what do you see?
Where do you think I was?


IAMLISTENING- Giveaway

Jan 28, 2016 | 0 comments |
If you have read the last post, you know I am trying to start the year right.

While I am excited for February and talking to 2 wonderful people and be part of their journey, I am waiting for conversations for March and April.

However, this post is about the Giveaway that Elizabeth Harrin, Director Otobos Group has been very kind enough to do.

It's getting privileged access to Better Project Status Reports online course. For more details about the giveaway click here -  its the e-book and online course of value £49.

To win it, you can be on the of 6 people I will be talking to OR you can email your story at (steppingintopm at gmail.com). it should be about what inspires you to work harder to become a project manager. Send in your stories by March 30.

I AM LISTENING

Jan 14, 2016 | , , | 0 comments |
If you are part of SIPM or heard of it, told a friend about it- you know that there has always been an interest to give back to the community that has given so much to me.

I am indebted to so many for giving me the opportunity, a second chance, reading my blog, supporting me when I have doubted myself and keeping me inspired- so introducing I AM LISTENING ( to you).

This is a combination of an idea and effort where I open up a slot of 20 minutes (over Skype or Google Hangout) to listen to you from February-April- twice a month.

I would like to just listen in to your stories of –
  • Personal inspiration and struggles to make it in the professional world, even if it’s not project management.
  • I would like to listen if you have had a mentor who has changed your life
  • I would like to know if you have connected with someone using the SIPM platform
  • How has your determination paved your own destiny

I will also take up:
  • Questions on career, growth, job changes, hurdles, mentorship.
  • Connect you/suggest someone can help you along the way

So, for individuals who would like me to LISTEN, please send me an email with the subject line as “I AM LISTENING”, in the body please mention:
  • Your full name
  • Profession
  • Location
  • What you would like me to LISTEN about/Your story
  • Email
  • Your LinkedIn/blog/twitter link (optional)
  • Month you would prefer to connect(Feb-April)

Right now its open from Feb to April, so only 6 people can get the slot. Once I connect with you, I will send a calendar link with open timings and work around a common time between Friday-Sunday.

And I know I will need a lot of help in this as well, so if you are an organization or individual that would like to partner up or help someone as well, feel free to send an email or tweet and we will connect with you. Your subject line in email should be “IAMLISTENING-Partnership”.

This could be as simple as opening up a summer internship opportunity, could be opening for a job, something as simple as giving them a 10 minute slot to connect with you or providing your services of online mentoring, a free giveaway of an online course, a peek into your tool, a 50 percent off on your e-book.

Of course, there’s no charge from my end and I would hope the same for partnering up individuals or organizations. However, if you do decide to charge; please mention the fee for your services in the email.

For IAMLISTENING- Partners, please include:
  • Point of contact’s name
  • Name of Organization you represent
  • Location
  • Website
  • Your email
  • Phone
  • Category of Service
  • Details of service
  • Charges (if any)


If you have questions around this please email(steppingintopmatgmail.com) or tweet (@Soma_b) or facebook me with the hashtag #SIPM

(Pic courtesy: Google images)

Happy Weekends

Jan 2, 2016 | 0 comments |

Pic courtesy: Pinterest

My Morning Routine (weekdays)

Jan 1, 2016 | | 0 comments |

    My weekday’s mornings like everyone are always structured. Mondays are different from the rest of the week because I prep a bit for the weekend for Monday mornings. I want a stress free start to the week.
    • 7.30 am- wake up. By now I have probably been up twice or thrice at night, sometimes at a stretch depending on Rio. I am not a morning person; however I almost never sleep past this. Starts with getting Rio his bottle, changing diapers, hugging him and then heading to the kitchen.
    • 8.00am- Coffee in hand, I put the brown rice to boil and head to clean up my bed. Rio follows me around the house and sometimes he will be busy with his toys (read cars). I come back to chop veggies and get the brown rice stir fry done- that’s my usual lunch. I have checked my phone by now- emails and whatsapp.
    • 8.30am- Lunch is packed- brown rice stir fry with veggies, a small bowl of salad/yogurt. Breakfast is oats (masala oats) that I will start around now, sometimes with a side of eggs. Meanwhile I will also, go layout my clothes, pack my stuff, go through my office calendar. Some days if I have the time, I will go through my Happiness Diary, may be read through the old pages or sometimes scribble in a line or two.
    • 9.00am- Nanny arrives. Breakfast is ready and I head to the shower. Get dressed and have breakfast. I detail out Rio’s food plans for the day and head out by 9.30
    • 10.30am- I have gone through my emails and replied, had my first cup of tea and have taken the day head on.
    • 11.30am- I try to walk around a little, even if that means walking over to the water cooler or around the floor or sometimes take a flight of steps to be a little more active. I check my phone app-Pacer to see my count of steps and get back to work again.
    This is what most of my weekdays look like, weekends are obviously very different. What’s yours?

    (Pic courtesy: Google Images)                         




    Happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year 2016.

    Dec 29, 2015 | 1 comments |
    It’s the holiday season and I hope you are enjoying the time with your colleagues, friends and family.... winding down, reflecting on the days gone by and moving forward.

    This year has been very different for me, while I have had troubles keeping up with blog at times- I have learned a lot many things professionally. I have also traveled every week for 7 months, coped up with the stress, lived in another city (Mumbai, India), made new friends, busy running after Rio( my son) since he started walking and changed jobs.

    Amidst all of this, I have figured my goals over the years have changed- for me being content (or possibly happy) and having a positive lifestyle is more important. And yes, that’s my goal moving on.

    So, next year will be full of surprises for you as well as for me- and of course some cool giveaways coming up next year. 

    3 things I started in 2015 and would like to continue in 2016:
    •          Happiness journey- I take a step everyday to ensure I am putting in the effort to be happy. Mostly by end of the day I will open up my red diary and scribble a line or two. Sometimes when I am not feeling myself, I will go back and read the diary. I fill it up with positive thoughts. I am not a scrapbook person, but I have to admit I did buy a set of colorful pens to feel perked up doing it. And I love stationery.
    •          Planner- This is very new to me, I have always kept online calendars and reminders for meetings and birthdays like everyone. However sometimes, jotting down things can do wonders too. I like my planner, a simple one, where I divide it into sections and have been trying to keep lists. It’s supposed to free up your mind space. I find it quite productive and relaxing as well. So, yes this is gonna continue.
    •          Transformation-This is all rolled into one, it’s my journey towards positive well being and being happy. I take small steps- like just trying to close my minds and not judge myself ( I wouldn’t call it meditation) because I can’t stop my thoughts. Some days, I will just take a walk after dinner or read something positive, or remove toxicity from my life. I try to read more which is something that took the back burner for the last few months. It depends honestly and I have just started exploring.

    How is it related to project management you ask?

    I say- because YOU will always reflect in your work. If you are mentally way more stable, relaxed and happy- you will do better work. Happiness is a chain reaction. Also, the fact that Happy people pursue the most difficult problems 

    I wish you a very Happy New Year and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there with me this year.

    I leave you with a snapshot of what I have been doing this holiday season- a pic from the family lunch yesterday:) 

    (Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

    My Kind of Weekend

    Dec 6, 2015 | 0 comments |

    Ready for Monday yet?

    (Pic courtesy: Pinterest)

    Just wanted to say Hello!

    Nov 18, 2015 | 0 comments |
    A little inspiration goes a long way. Just wanted to say hello and hope you are keeping up with the week.




    Pic courtesy- Pinterest

    The Project Managers Guide to Mastering Agile- Book Review

    The book was sent for review, though I chose it amongst others. The book piqued my interest because project management and agile are considered contradictory ideas.

    Published by Wiley, the book covers all aspects of agile and how its different from the traditional waterfall.
    What it covers is:
    • Provide a better understanding of what Agile is
    • Talk about the roles and how they are different in Agile
    • Take the main discussion points from PMBOK and explain how the same topic is looked in Agile
    • Dedicates a chapter to Agile tool- about Version One specifically.

    ·         The book is categorized into 4 main section:
    §  Fundamentals of Agile
    §  Agile Project Management
    §  Making Agile Work for a Business
    §  Enterprise Level Agile Frameworks
    ·         Chapter 11 onwards, the discussion focuses more on understanding Agile at deeper level and subsequently talk about Scaling Agile, the concept of Agile Transformation and towards the end  Frameworks
    §  SAFe
    §  DAD
    §  Managed Agile Development Framework
    ·         The case studies brings in the how changes happen in reality, the challenges and how to overcome them.

    ·         The added benefit is the glossary of terms, so someone very new to the concept of Agile doesn’t need to go through another book or web, but can simply get all the terminologies from right here.

    Total No of pages
    399 (including index)

    Who should read this Book?

    •        Project Managers moving into Agile- This book is caters to both experienced and new project managers. Apart from explaining the concepts, the book talks in details about all aspects of traditional project management and its changing roles- from estimation to time management.
    •          Sponsors for Agile Transformation- The case studies are a great way to look into the challenges along with the scaling frameworks. While Agile tool has been discussed here, they are a lot many options available in the market.  
    •          Managers interested in knowing the relevance of roles in Agile and how they are supposed to be handled- With self organizing Agile teams, the concern for management always lies in where does the existing roles fit in?
    Why should you read this book?
    Anyone interested to know where a project manager would fit in an Agile Organization can read this book. I have to say, the book is for someone who’s new to Agile, or has been working in traditional project management role for long.  

    What’s the price and where can I find it?


    Who is the author?
    Charles G. Cobb

    Reinvent You

    Nov 4, 2015 | | 0 comments |

    Have you woken up to boredom? To wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat.

    Sometimes, you need to detox and look within yourself what you want. Our goal changes with life. 

    My reinvention has been about doing something new, finding ways to have some time for me and being happy. In order to do that, I have added things in my regular schedules and things have been working.

    I made some major changes too, like I wanted to stop travelling between the two cities every week. I had to make that call.  And I am happy I took it.

    Reinvention is always not about revamping the wardrobe or going for a haircut, sometimes it goes way deeper. It is an effort to rethink and align your goals and life to the new thought.

    I am not sure if reinvention makes you happier, but it does work sometimes. May be it’s I have wanted to do for a long time. I will share my morning routine with you soon, perhaps it might strike a chord with you or inspire to create one for you.

    I think with the blog, while I keep at the original theme, I also want to bring in something new. I would like to connect with you more as a person than just a project manager or a consultant. So, may be once a week we talk about the lifestyle that we have as consultants or the changes you have to go through to sustain the pace. Go back to doing one vlog a month and see how we can reinvent the feel to the blog. It’s not changing the design, but smaller changes that will add up hopefully.

    By the way, there are couple of project managers on Pinterest and its fun following them there in the visual board. I am more a visual person than an audio person and I have found it amazing to see the interest of the project managers. I am there too, but I really don’t do anything project management wise there.  

    However, what I have recently started as an experiment is Instagram as a way to look at my life- work and a little bit of personal mixed in. So, if you want to look into my work life once in a while, you can connect me at http://instagram.com/steppingintopm/


    Let me know what you are doing to reinvent yourself.

    (Pic courtesy: google images)

    Mixed Bag

    Oct 29, 2015 | 0 comments |
    My mix bag of links that I have been browsing and reading and found it quite interesting.
    The bags has from life style to agile to career paths to blogging tools are all linked here.

    Career:
    Agile

    Lifestyle


    Top Hacks when on the move, Pt 2

    Oct 13, 2015 | | 0 comments |
    This post is more about the products I use/carry with me that serve more than one purpose. I have figured the best way to keep your sanity when you are travelling way too often is to keep things around you that you are familiar with. Since I also want to travel light, I emphasize on the things I absolutely need and use on a regular basis to carry with me.

    • Sunglass- Apart from the obvious because I am anyways carrying it, it’s a great way to sleep in flights specially when taking morning flights. 
    • YouTube offline- I download videos I want to watch in offline mode using the app, and use the time in airports watching what I want. I do carry a power bank with me most of the times.
    • Utility box- it’s an old sun-glass box, which is packed with my travel essentials like a pen, pen drive, phone cleaner, a lip balm, band aid and ear phones. It’s compact and easy to travel with.
    • Aloe Vera- I carry it for its multipurpose use. You can use it on your sensitive skin, as well as for sun burns and mild cuts.
    • Ziplocs- instead of carrying small pouches, stuff it in Ziploc’s, lesser space and easy to see. Discard when done whether to carry snacks, makeup or
    • Powder- This works as a great dry shampoo and I carry my son’s regular Johnson and Johnson travel size powder with me.
    • Personal touch- carry your own shampoo and moisturizer in travel size bottles. Clips and safety pins. To ensure I don’t lose them, I put them in empty tic tac containers, keep them in socks or use a hair band to keep them together.

    Whats your travel secret? 

    Pic courtesy: google images 

    Monday Readings

    Sep 29, 2015 | , | 0 comments |
    I hope this kick starts your week.

    Here's a mixed bag of links that am sure will get you thinking and innovating:


     (Pic Courtesy: Google Images)

    Top 15 Efficiency Hacks When on Move- Pt 1

    Sep 22, 2015 | | 0 comments |

    If you have been reading the blog you know that I have been travelling every week for the last 5 months. I split my time between 2 cities and I am constantly on the move. Juggling travelling with my life honestly hasn't been easy. Here's couple of things I have been using/trying out to keep me going:

    1. Travel light- Over the months I have learned to pack light and keep pieces that multitask and stick to basics and not overload with items I will barely use.
    2. Laptop free- I sometimes travel without laptop. I just copy the essential folders in the pen drive or upload in Google Drive and access it from my home laptop. Meanwhile I use my time in the airport to take some time off and read instead of mindless browsing.
    3. Happiness- I am my happiest when my life is organized and there;s meaning to what I do.  So, I carry my red diary which I just write happy thoughts in. I will write in it after work when I return to my apartment in Mumbai. I sometimes will just read through it while sipping my cup of peach tea.
    4. Clutter free- I recently got a purse organizer, which allows me to pack things that can be easily found. it saves me time and irritation. 
    5. Health- I installed the Pacer app in my phone, while its just a pedometer; I enjoy seeing the steps I cover on a regular basis. Highest number of steps I take is mostly Monday's and Wednesdays. I also recently got a hand blender that is easy to carry so I can whip up smoothies or juices.
    6. Music- I have 3 different apps that I use in my phone for music, my latest installed one is Saavn. At night when I am on my own, I will just put it on and continue working or reading. 
    7. Communication- I keep 2 cell phones to ensure I am always connected  and mostly do all transactions via apps. I also use Skype, whatsapp and viber on a regular basis.
    8. Cabs- I use Ola on a regular basis and it has mostly been a positive experience. 
    9. Relax- when I am not browsing through blogs listed in my blog, I go through lifestyle blogs. current fav is Chalkboard
    10. Mindful- I try to keep a schedule when away from Home that allows me to feel much more sane. I have always had problem disconnecting from work; these days I will do one thing that triggers the mindlessness. 
    11. Make myself @Home- It isn't easy to live month after month out of suitcase, so I always have books, magazines and sometimes even candles with me. My current ones are from Ikea.
    12. Tea time- I carry my own tea and coffee in office as well as while travelling. My current favorites- Peach tea, Green tea and Earl Breakfast Tea. Coffee is always Nescafe instant.
    13. Grocery- From Diapers to grocery to household items; I use apps to keep things going and get them delivered at home at my convenient time whereever I or my family needs them. Current favorites:
    • amazon
    • flipkart
    • bigbasket
    • ola store
    • peppertap

    14. Trick of the trade- I carry a sample size perfume dispenser, which I can always refill and carry even on flights. 
    15. To write- I started using Zenpen. Simple and less of distraction. 

    What do you do when travelling for work or pleasure? 

    Agile Readings

    Sep 10, 2015 | 0 comments |
    As I finally get sometime at Mumbai airport, I catch up on my readings and definitely think should be shared with all of you before I hop on to the flight in a few minutes.

    So, here's the latest- what have you been upto:


    Happy Weekend

    Aug 16, 2015 | 0 comments |

    Happy Weekend

    Aug 9, 2015 | 0 comments |

    (Pic courtesy- pinterest)

    Ideal Qualities of a Boss/Manager

    Aug 6, 2015 | 0 comments |


    Pic courtesy: click here

    Interview with Mark Woeppel

    We are glad to bring you an insightful interview with Mark Woeppel , founder and president of Pinnacle Strategies, an international management consulting firm working to improve operations performance in project management and processes. He frequently writes on the subject of execution performance, having written three books and many other publications. With extensive experience in oil & gas, consumer products, IT, many manufacturing industries, Mark is a highly sought after subject matter expert in project management, operations management, performance management, and continuous improvement.

     His latest book Visual Project Management brings out interesting concepts that definitely encourages you to think differently. Here's his interview:

     The book brings out the realistic problems that everyone encounters like visibility issues in managing a project/portfolio, end goal for team members, lack of communication etc is all related to the way project management used to work. If you look at the problem statements, most of them can be covered if you implement Agile. What do you think?

    Indeed, the Agile method can be used to achieve the Basic Collaboration level of execution maturity, and it can do it well. This is just the beginning. There are other problems. For many projects, with longer wavelengths, hitting delivery dates reliably is a problem. Synchronizing remote teams is a challenge. Integration of subcontractors’ projects into the main project is always problematic. Managing capacity, probabilistic planning and systematically breaking bottlenecks are not part of the typical tools set for Agile. And that’s what I see in Agile. Tools. Rules. Plenty of “what” to do, but not much on “why” should we do that. Visual Project Management goes beyond Agile.

    What I’ve laid out in the book is a methodology and set of principles that support any project environment. The examples that I’ve used and proposed have has several things in common with Agile, but those are just the means to the end. I’m not in love with the tool, but I am serious about achieving the outcomes: increased velocity, improved productivity, delivering projects on time. Visual Project Management builds on those best practices and integrates the best practices so that any team can understand the cause and effect of project team behaviors to results and pick the methodology that supports them.

    Where did the concept of the book come from?

    Visual Project Management is the distillation of best practice in project management, employing Lean principles, the Theory of Constraints, and putting the project management body of knowledge to work.

    We started with the most difficult activity of creating probabilistic project plans for some very large projects, then putting them into execution. We had mixed results in adoption, even though the projects we used them on were successful. As agents of transformation, we were frustrated, looking for a better way. In the meantime, we were using visual workflows in some of our other Theory of Constraints/Lean process improvement projects and having good success. So we thought we would try them on a sophisticated project. The results were spectacular. We were able, with some very simple tools, to engage all of our stakeholders, from senior managers, to resource managers, to subcontractors to drive better results in the entire portfolio.

    We wanted to understand “why” it worked, so over the course of the next 4 years and many different kinds of projects, we developed and tested the principles and tactics to take the execution process from ad-hoc to fully integrated. We now know the specific behaviors that precede project success. Some of them are well known, some are not.

    Please tell us what is Viewpoint framework?

    ViewPoint is what we have named the visual project management process using the Project Execution Maturity Model (PEMM). It uses the visualization of the project delivery process as a springboard to drive team behaviors: to collaborate and effectively manage projects to deliver on time. ViewPoint treats project execution as a process, with principles and practices to create repeatable, scalable results.

    Typically, project management process improvements are built around the sequence of how projects are accomplished: get an idea, form a team, make a plan, execute the project, and then execute the project manager.

    ViewPoint reverses that - focusing on project execution first.

    ViewPoint emphasizes global results over the entire portfolio or business to makes all projects (although it has been used to manage a single project) under management visible, allowing for strategic management of the bottlenecks that block project process.

    Rather than taking the team away from their work to do planning activity, ViewPoint focuses on getting the work done – emphasizing project execution processes and behavior and improving the team’s effectiveness. This then allows the team to engage more with the tasks to be accomplished (rather than sit in meetings to talk about the work that hasn’t been done).

    You talk about a lot of Models in the book that you believe will help the projects be delivered the way they should be- what according to you is the main focus that every project manager should look into?

    Well, “should” is a bit strong. What I’m looking for is “effectively”. On time, on budget, within scope. Everyone’s good at the latter, the former, not so much.

    Most managers believe the planning phase is the most important part of the project, so they invest a great deal in the skills, processes and practices around project planning. There’s an entire industry devoted to helping you plan better. We’ve done quite a bit of research into what works and what doesn’t work in project management, and despite millions in investments, projects are consistently late and over budget. You can see the report here.

    I have personally gone the plan-execute-success route; it’s long, arduous and delivers mixed results. Emphasizing the PEMM and the principles embodied in them, has given our team and our clients excellent results time and again. You must have a model for execution – a framework. Without it, a plan has limited value; improving the plan is a waste of time. Besides, what plan is ever perfect? None of them. Who can stop in the middle of a project to do a re-plan? Almost no one. You have be able to live with “good enough”, because we live in an imperfect world.

    What managers should be looking at is establishing the behaviors and feedback mechanisms that will allow them to respond to reality – Murphy lives! - while still delivering what’s required. This is the beauty of the PEMM. It lives in the real world.

    What difference according to you visualizing project management will achieve?

    What it does is make a big difference in how projects are delivered and how the team experiences the project process. At the business end of things, projects are delivered in a LOT less time and at lower costs.

    For the project team, there is a greater sense of accomplishment and enjoyment of the process. It’s not frustrating. There are no more “battles” to fight, even though there are still problems to solve. They feel like they are making a real difference, because ViewPoint Visual Project Management removes the obstacles to getting the work done so they can make a difference.

    For the leaders and owners of the projects, they have greater understanding of where they are during the life of the project. They can rapidly understand the risks and obstacles so they can engage the right people and resources to meet their projects’ objectives. Their job is easier, too.

    To summarize, the difference is in the people: customers, team members, owners all get what they want. Without a fight.

    Thank you Mark.

     You can find more in his website by clicking here.

    Is Holacracy the new Agile?

    Jul 29, 2015 | 0 comments |
    Zappos adopted Holacracy and things almost went viral.

    "Research shows that every time the size of a city doubles, innovation or productivity per resident increases by 15 percent. But when companies get bigger, innovation or productivity per employee generally goes down. So we're trying to figure out how to structure Zappos more like a city, and less like a bureaucratic corporation.” – Tony Hsieh

    Holacracy is a new way of working and this is how it works.

    It’s about clarity and stripping of power and creating a system that enables and distributes the power of decision making. Self-management in one word. While I read the book that I bought last week and then come up with the review; I thought it’s only fair that I at least share it with you guys.

    Some interesting reads related to it:          


    An evening in Mumbai

    Jul 20, 2015 | 0 comments |
    I almost fell asleep at 6.30pm on the couch.

    I am back from work and today like all Monday’s I have had a morning flight to Mumbai, went to work and back at the temporary accommodation here.

    So, just doing random things and thought will share it with you.

    Here are the books/magazines I have been recently reading:
    • The Willpower Instinct – Kelly McGonigal
    • Scrum- The Art of doing Twice the Work in Half the Time – Jeff Sutherland
    • Holacracy- The Revolution Management System that Abolishes Hierarchy-Brian J. Robertson
    • Visual Project Management –Mark J. Woeppel
    • The EQ Edge -Emotional Intelligence and Your Success by Steven J Stein and Howard E Book
    • Vogue (magazine)
    • The Project Managers Guide to Mastering Agile- Charles G. Cobb
    Sites I am browsing right now:
    3 links I read today (about Agile Governance):
    I also started an Instagram account recently to randomly click and keep what I am doing throughout the day. From airport clicks to the book I am reading to a peek inside my handbag. To follow me, click here .

    (Pic Courtesy- Soma B Instagram)