You’re deep into an important task when your phone rings. You switch to handle the call. Suddenly, an urgent email pops up, demanding immediate attention. Before you know it, youāve jumped between three tasks, and nothing’s finished. Sound familiar? That’s the hidden cost of context switchingājumping between tasks, which can reduce productivity by up to …
Category: Project Management
Nov 27
š¦ Project Teams and the Prisonerās Dilemma: A Lesson in Collaboration
There is a game inspired by the Prisoner Dilemma that I like to facilitate. What is the Prisonerās Dilemma? The Prisonerās Dilemma is a classic thought experiment in game theory. Two thieves must decide independently whether to cooperate or betray each other, with the outcomes reflecting their choices: Both cooperate: They achieve the best mutual …
Nov 25
š¦ Symptoms vs Problems in Project Management š¦
Ā In project management, itās easy to confuse symptoms with problems. However, identifying the root cause is the key to unlocking successful solutions. Hereās a common example:š Symptom: āOur team keeps missing deadlines.āš Problem: Poor backlog refinement, unclear priorities, or a lack of capacity planning. Or another:š Symptom: āOur stakeholders are unhappy with deliverables.āš Problem: …
Nov 04
Kickstart Your Project with an Inception Deck!
Ā Before kicking off a new project, one of the tools I like to use is the Inception Deck. Originally introduced by Jonathan Rasmusson in his book The Agile Samurai, I fully recommend this book, the Inception Deck is designed to ensure everyoneāfrom team members to stakeholdersāis on the same page from the very start. …
Oct 22
Situational Leadership Part 2: Engaging and Motivating Your Team
Continuing from my previous post on the Situational Leadership Theory by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, we covered the Telling (S1) styleāideal for providing strong direction when your team needs clear guidance.Next up is the Selling (S2) style: š¹ Selling (S2): Leaders still provide direction but focus on engaging and motivating the team. Communication is …
Oct 21
Situational Leadership Part 1: Adapting to Your Team’s Needs
Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The Situational Leadership Theory, developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, highlights the importance of flexibility. The best leaders adapt their style based on their teamās maturity and the specifics of the task. This ensures that leadership is aligned with the teamās needs, fostering better collaboration and outcomes. Hersey and …
Oct 15
Measuring to Improve in Project Management
“You canāt improve what you donāt measure.” ā Lord Kelvin ā Why Measurement MattersMeasuring key metrics like cycle time, lead time, and bug counts helps you spot bottlenecks and areas for improvement. Without solid data, you might rely on guesses, but accurate measurements lead to informed decisions and real results. š What Should You Measure?According …
Oct 10
Prepararing a marathon project.
Ā I love running marathons, and while Iāve completed several, I always wish I could run more. I treat my marathon training like managing a projectāusing a flexible, data-driven approach. With a 16-week training plan, I see each week as a new step, much like a Scrum sprint, where I check my progress and make …
Oct 07
The Channel Tunnel Project
The Channel Tunnel is an undersea rail tunnel that links Folkestone in the UK to Pas de Calais, near Calais, in France. It carries high-speed Eurostar trains, and in recent years, it has transported over 22 million passengers annually, with freight surpassing 20 million tonnes. In 1988, the Channel project began with a budget of …
Sep 13
Project Management and “The Emperorās New Clothes”
Hans Christian Andersenās story The Emperorās New Clothes (1837) teaches a lesson that is still relevant today, especially in project management. In the story, an emperor who loves his clothes hires two scammers pretending to be tailors. They promise to make him a special, invisible outfit to anyone “stupid.” Of course, no one wants to …
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