Re: The Art of Project Management

In article <4f9um3dbmdd0fn08hmma3s8l63p9as4f7b@xxxxxxx>,
Robert <no@xxxxxx> wrote:
On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:21:21 +0000 (UTC), docdwarf@xxxxxxxxx () wrote:

In article <n3ptm3dslcg5oubru6oc61t1ktbsets438@xxxxxxx>,
Robert <no@xxxxxx> wrote:
Following are (fair use) excerpts from the book by Scott Berkun, former
Microsoft project manager.

[snip]

If a VP or
programmer wants to slip
something extra in, she should be forced to justify it against what the
project is trying
to achieve: "That's a great feature, boss, but which goal will it help
us satisfy? Either
we should adjust the goals and deal with the consequences, or we
shouldn't be investing
energy here."

VP (or other Boss): 'What part of 'I sign your timesheets/write your
performance reviews' do you have difficulty in understanding? It may not
make sense to you but that's because I have the Big Picture and you don't;
questioning this will be treated as grounds for transfer to the mailroom.'

Management by fear is good for maintaining the status quo; it doesn't
work for fostering
innovation.

What fear? This is Management by Objective; if someone objects then the
objective of a paycheck is not meant.

The same has been said about Cobol, by some proponents as
well as critics.

Something was said about paying the piper and calling the tune long before
Babbage's Analytical Engine was dreamt-of, as well.


Berkun's prescription is a central feature of formal processes, where
the lists are called
Detailed Design, High Level Design and Business Requirement. The
document that relates
them is often called Requirements Tracability Matrix. In order for a VP
to add a pet
feature, he or she would have to intimidate three committees and a group
of auditors.

'(A) central feature of formal process'... Mr Wagner, some people might
say that this is antithetical to progress, with RAD
two-coders-to-a-keyboard programming and JIT implementation of features
that weren't thought of back when someone said 'wouldn't it be nice if we
could...' and other aspects of Modern Design.

Centralised, formal processint... what comes next, requests for User
Sign-Off?

DD

.