Goal Oriented Software Project Management
Software Project Management is about results...
- We constantly minimize project risk
- Equip your team to quickly adapt to project change
- Ensure clear communication across the team
- Accelerate productivity via training and education
- Establish milestones and objectively measure progress
- Make fast decisions based on real data
- Effectively manage scope
- Deploy the right process for your project
- Provide flexible change control
"Drive thy business or it will drive thee." - Benjamin Franklin
We believe an effective team shares a common vocabulary, consider the following definitions…
| Activity | something people do as a group or as individuals |
| Process | a defined activity with measurable incremental steps |
| Objective | a measurable outcome of an activity or process |
| Goal | a non-measurable, but explicitly stated result of an activity |
| Strategy | a chosen or preferred method of fulfilling objectives |
| Constraint | something that limits the activity – time and money are often constraints |
| Team | a group of people who are aligned on explicit goals and are engaged in one or more activities that satisfy objectives |
| Project Plan | a context for fulfilling goals that defines activities, objectives and their sequence - a good project plan does not necessarily define every step in detail, but instead defines a process that will enable the plan to adapt to changing circumstances, strategies, and constraints |
| Management | an ongoing activity that ensures a project’s goals and objectives are fulfilled |
Project management is a cyclical activity. In other words, don’t expect to have a perfect plan. Instead define a process that enables learning. There are four basic activities in every cycle of project management: I.D.E.A.
| Invent | dream, brainstorm and then analyze the opportunities and the risks, identify and document the goals, the constraints, and the people involved, partition a large project into subprojects with their own cycles – look for baby steps; i.e. opportunities for small and incremental successes |
| Design | document the objectives, the activities and their sequence – create a calendar |
| Execute | perform the activities defined in the Design phase above |
| Assess | measure the results and make corrections by starting this cycle over; i.e. Re-Invent – analyze the breakdowns, look for new risks, new goals, etc. … and repeat. |
Why distinguish goals from objectives?
Goals are often implicit and assumed. Assumptions lead to disappointment. Take the time to explicitly write down the goals. The list is usually quite small, rarely changes, and is generally easy for people to appreciate. Conflict rarely occurs on a team about the goals, but instead about strategies and objectives. Documenting explicit goals is a great way to enroll a team and to remind yourself why you’re doing the project when the going gets tough. For example, let’s say you wanted to create a project to improve your school. Let’s say that the goal is that students like school. What is evidence that the goal has been met? An objective might be a measurable increase in overall attendance. A strategy to achieve an objective should also be inline with goals. Obviously you could increase attendance by paying students to go to class and therefore achieve your objectives, but you’d miss the goal. See the difference? Bottom line: being goal oriented enables you to choose strategies that work while you're doing the work. If your focus is on strategy only, you may miss the point of the project.
Some good questions when creating a project…
• What’s the name of the project?
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What are the goals?
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Who (what talents and interests) should be on the team?
• What are some measurable objectives?
• What are the constraints?
Once you’ve brainstormed these questions, then make a diligent effort
to cycle through I.D.E.A., repeat… and enjoy.
