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Showing posts from 2013

PMR

PMR has high visibility hence a PMs personal attention to details presented is a must. Adequate time must be sought to prepare and present. Unless detail data points are handy don't schedule it. (Defect slide had data showing closed instead of fixed..last time issues and effort were incorrect). -Deck should be ready 3 days in advance and should be reviewed. -An internal peer review and discussion should be done on the data in deck. -Defects if there in a release should be priortized and fixed at the shortest possible time before starting any new release. A clean code base is a must. Parallel work and planning for merge after 2-3 weeks should best be avoided despite market pressures. -Duration of Defect Fix for a release should not be more than 2-3 days. You may use whole of the team for it to close it on high priority always. Rest things can wait. -Keep right team. Individuals who lack proactiveness ..accountability. ..passion ..intelligence  should be let go off if ef...

Some Project Management Considerations

Configuration Mgmt Release Management PMD Rules, Sonar/Hudson Security Scan and Fixes Technology RoadMap Licensing Models Performance Benchmarking PA-DSS SPMM Process Governannce and Adherence Smart Scrum/STM Coes and Regular Interactions Integration ARB CAB Deployment and Rollout Risk Register Learning and Compentency Register Resource Fluidity and Managment Tracker. (biweekly reviews)

Increasing Productivity at Work

Requirement Docs/Design Docs/DataModels take time to read, but it must be read. Ask the right questions to team..you cann't review everything..but you should check as much as you can...and cover the rest by random checks and asking questions..clarifying your doubts..getting handson with poduct usage...coding, testing and reviews.. At all times, a high level schedule and low level schedule should be available, Every day at Eod , or at start, it should be updated with latest. Scrums should be made more evidence oriented or check randomly artifacts/process compliance of few. Even if there are scrums, just like WSR is shared with customers, entrust leads to share their track progress daily data points . it should be very granular. Individuals should track their productivity /FP. Review Week's and log lesson's learnt.

Team Interaction and Action Items

Induction to be formal with functional and technical walkthroughs. Logs needs to be maintained. Videos on product features can be used. SME / Backup SME / Volunteer list should be published. Major Decisions should be formally communicated (besides meetings, email for records). Meeting with RMG should be periodic. Inspite of daily standups, atleast once a  fornight meet with formal agenda. Review Daily Progress to minute detail of each assoicate via a tracker/tool smart scrum etc. Every other days review meetings with deep dive on tech or process are a must. Leave Tracker. Competency Development Tracking in icalms. Part of Goal Sheet. Mandatory 1 hr Learning Session every week. Thank you Thrusday...recognize and appreciate good work/initiatives. Risk Review Meeting every week with leads, once in two weeks by Management. Right Size Team. Read Each E-Mail and Doc. Clear Backlog of Docs Daily. Share review daily. Have right backups and BCP of physical and electronic re...

Design Progess...Slipped and AfterThoughts...New Plan

Lessons Learnt: If your team don't have full time designers and the design tasks have been entrusted to folks with coding experience but relatively no design experience, besides internal review few things needs to be done... Get some design templates from other teams/groups Own it and sit with Team,Designers,Architects and create a Table of Contents Assign small sections to be completed in  a day and review at eod Then setup Review with Architect and others who have designed for review atleast twice in the first week. Track daily each section  prohgress and press hard for things to be thought... Engage your best resources to review and when draft is ready start external review by other designers in group or outside. Internal Plan should be granual to a day's level. External plan should have IQA/EQA reviews for each deliverable. Not doing this..saw internal review highlights needs of a template first..lost a  week Next review highlighted gaps..in analysis...

How to effectively Track Design Progress in a Release?

How to effectively Track Design Progress in a Release? I estimated we should take 3 weeks and just put a single WBS element Design Doc. High level plan has design task with 3 weeks.. But when the design time started, one week down the line, I will feeling jiterry on how to track the design progress better? may be one approach   -Internal Review workshoop-1 on Week-1 end   -Incoprorate Comments   -Internal Review-2 on Week-2.   -External Design Review Workshop? I can also think of progress as    identify packages, flow , changes to each layer of the product for the functionality added/updated.

Is your Promotion Due?

Hi I gather all of us have some expectations from our job. If you have already spent few years in your current role and your promotion is due its better to do a realty check so that you are not left in cold when the promoted candidates list is announced. First you should be aware of your organizations promotion policies...so if you have just heard of things..its recommended you read the stated policy. Happy? that you are eligible for promotion per policy..good. Now do a realty check with your supervisor who should recommend you for a promotion..There is usally a gap between being eligible and also getting recommended. Touchbase with your supervisor and understand clearly his/her expectations from you to be recommended for promotion to a higher role.Depending on many factors this converstation may take varied shapes of a confirmation, decline, may be, well there are some things not correct, please work..I will see, some bargains..will recommend but would need xx commitment from y...

Performance Appraisals

Dear Reader, If you are managing teams, performance management and annual appraisals are an important item that needs care and work. Few of the common issues seen in an inadequate appraisal process are listed below, Associates have not been properly explained their goals. Goals are not SMART. Goals are not discussed and mutually agreed. Associates mostly want to be scored in 75% to 85% percentile band. Many don't want the top and also desist average rankings. Associates complain they haven't been guided enough to realize their set goals by appraiser. Few Associates don't treat bands as confidential and Few use this to encourage those who are dissatisfied per Team dynamics. Associates want they should also have a say in their appraiser's appraisals. 360 degree appraisals. If few associates are moving out of a group or are in promotion lists, appraisers try to knock the ratings by a notch down. In a large team, when there are more appraisers, the ran...