Technology Takeover

[Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( June 13, 2018 As our exploration of technology continues, we ask what kind of awareness PMs need, look into the future and help you avoid the tech trap. Plus, three agile program problems and spotting project trouble. The Knowledge Shelf helps you manage off-specifications, while our Topic Teasers get agile with reporting. Our blogs harness bathroom brilliance and share three alternatives to prototyping, while readers ask about remote work and your super powers in our forums! Advertisement [Win your share of $710,000 in prizes for PM innovation]( Are you a project management innovator? Individuals, teams and organizations who have introduced innovative practices in the management of their projects, programs or portfolios are eligible. The deadline to enter is July 31st! [Apply today]( in one of our four categories for chance to be recognized as a brilliant thinker and innovator. "There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met." - W. B. Yeats []PM HEADLINES [The New World of Technology Understanding for PMs]( In today’s technology-driven world, what level of technological awareness and understanding do project managers need? [Technology: Then, Now and 2030]( Looking to the future, it appears that the state of technological change is poised to explode, making the last 12 years look tame and boring by comparison. But have we grown beyond techno-shock? [AI: Friend or Foe?]( With its rapid growth, it’s a sure bet that artificial intelligence projects are about to become much more common. But all views of AI are not coming up roses. [3 Agile Program Problems...and Possible Solutions]( Programs (collections of projects with one business objective) can encounter all kinds of problems. Here are three that you may have seen—and what you can do as an agile program manager. [Do You Know When Your Project Is in Trouble?]( One of the biggest challenges for new project managers is figuring out when things have gone off the rails early enough to do something about it. What are minor annoyances that can be ignored, and what are major “gotchas” that can derail any chance of success? How do you tell the difference? "The only thing greater than the power of the mind is the courage of the heart." - John Nash [Avoiding the Technology Barrier Trap]( Technology has been a tremendous help for project managers in leading their teams, but it also makes it easy to fall into the trap of creating barriers to effective team performance. That’s something that must be avoided. [Why is Change So Difficult?]( The uncertainty that can go with change can subconsciously make us feel unsafe. The associated emotions trigger our brains to go into the fight-or-flight responses that protect us. It's time we position change in a frame of reference that invites alignment and a willingness to contribute. [PMXPO 2018: Now On Demand!]( If you missed any of the 11th edition of our annual virtual conference, it's now on demand! Thanks for making this edition the biggest and best one yet—headlined by our keynote presentation from Joel H. Cohen, Emmy-winning writer and producer of The Simpsons! []KNOWLEDGE SHELF [How to Manage Off-Specifications]( No matter how many projects you have worked on in your professional life, every single one of them has some form of change. Change is a constant throughout the project life cycle. This article provides details on what off-specifications are, and how an off-specification can be managed effectively. The mission of [Knowledge Shelf]( is to help project professionals advance our practice by sharing their experiences and viewpoints. It is comprised of practitioners from a wide range of fields, covering both popular and niche topics. From lessons learned and case studies to opinion pieces and articles, this platform gives a voice to peers new to our online community, and allows for longer form contributions. For more information on how to submit your own article, please see our [Editorial Guidelines](. []TOPIC TEASERS Welcome to Topic Teasers, which tests your managerial prowess! In Vol. 107, we help you with [Quick Reporting for Agile and Waterfall Hybrid Teams]( Question: My latest project has me working with a traditional team while I’m leading an agile one. It does its reporting on Microsoft Project, but frankly it will really hold us back if we have to do heavy documentation. Is there a quick workaround for this type of hybrid situation? A. There are many types of agile approaches that can be chosen. When working on a hybrid project that needs both software and hardware, scrum is the only agile methodology that will be compatible. Save DSDM, TDD, kanban and other types of approaches for projects that can be solely agile. B. Agile and waterfall are so different in their daily actions and their end goals that it is extremely unwise to blend them. If the details of the project work require both software and hardware be produced, move everyone onto one waterfall team and demote the ScrumMaster to a programmer for the duration of the project, using the typical management friendly reports. C. The success of the agile methodology demands that they use the processes, communication techniques and documentation that come with their pre-defined rituals. If it is necessary for two types of teams to work on a single project, each group must retain its own individual activities and reporting techniques. D. Although the methodologies of agile and waterfall appear to be very different, the rush of hybrid products being put into production means that there needs to be a way that both types of teams can communicate—and also report to management—while each retains the majority of its current practices. Do some reading to see what others have done successfully. Check the answer [here](, and [send in your own question for consideration]( []THE PM POLL Is there a question you've been itching to ask? [Create a poll]( today to get some PM help from your peers! [Q: How concerned are you about the overall impact and general implications of artificial intelligence?]( - Significantly - Highly - Moderately - Mildly TOOL SPOTLIGHT Statdash is a communication tool for working with team members on activities, tasks or projects and visually sharing statuses with clients or stakeholders. It eliminates the frustration of continually tracking down team members to get their status. [Learn More]( [Search for your solution on our Tool Finder]( []BLOG IT Voices on Project Management by Lynda Bourne Do really good ideas pop into your mind at the most inconvenient moments, like when you’re in the middle of taking a shower? How can we unleash this kind of innate creativity on a regular basis? Find out in [Harnessing Bathroom Brilliance](! The Money Files by Elizabeth Harrin Prototypes on projects can be almost a mini-project by themselves. They are time consuming and can be expensive. There are alternatives if you are prepared to consider them. In her quick video, Elizabeth introduces [3 Alternatives to Prototyping](. Scrumptious by Sante Vergini One of the issues with scrum is when we need to expand the team, or the scrum project size. In other words, scaling scrum. There are various scaling approaches, but one of the most popular is called SAFe or Scaled Agile Framework. [How SAFe is Scrum?]( Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice by Kiron Bondale After writing about the importance of courage for project managers and team members last week, Kiron thought he'd cover another important characteristic, especially for those working on projects that follow an agile delivery approach: [discipline](. Ethics Bistro by Giusi Meloni The “planning” functions of a new microwave are based on assumptions that we humans know what we want and give the necessary, correct answers. Microwaves “assume” our competence and honesty. Can you assume the same of your project stakeholders? Read more in [A.I. and I](. Game Theory in Management by Michael Hatfield There are two types of PM experts: the Performers and the Processors. In evaluating the effects of ever-improving technology on the PM field, it’s prudent to break out such advances based on these two very different types of consumers. Read about [Two Sure-Fire PM Technology Advances!]( PM Station by Riyadh Salih Continuous improvement is a mindset whereby organizations strive to be looking for better ways to do things. Riyadh looks at [Choosing the Right Tool for Continuous Improvement](, which continues in [Part 2](. UK Projects: Engineering Progressive Change by Thomas Kennedy The HyNet Project aims to produce hydrogen via steam reforming from natural gas, sell the gas to heavy industrial users to replace the use of natural gas and then capture the carbon dioxide and store it in a potentially disused offshore gas field. [In Pursuit of Clean Energy]( shares more. The Critical Path by Marjorie Anderson & Kimberly Whitby As the year starts to slow down, Marjorie shares some [June Community News You Can Use](. Plus, the [June Book Club]( provides an opportunity to participate in webinars and discussions around selected books relevant to the overall practice of project management! []Q & A Did you know that help is just a click away? Our discussion forums give you access to the ProjectManagement.com community: more than 500,000 experienced minds and growing! Ask your question today or stop by to help out other members in need of advice, including these recent and ongoing discussions on... [Remote Work]( "How much of your job can you do remotely? If you had the choice (backed up by the technology), what percentage could you work at home/office and still be effective?" [PM Super Powers]( "We all have them. Those things that you are really good at. Most of them come naturally. Some of mine are: building relationships, organizing and facilitating, communicating. What are yours?" [Career Path]( "With it being relatively early in my career as a PM, and with my PMP qualification still fresh, I am very eager to learn what is out there for project managers such as myself...I am hoping for this to be a thread about your experiences in your career that you feel would be beneficial sharing with people such as myself who are openly exploring the avenues open to them." [Sponsor Training]( "How do you train a project sponsor? What do you actually need to know/learn in order to be an effective project sponsor?" [Introducing Formal PM Processes]( "I'm a project engineer/manager in a very small construction company with no formal PM processes in place...how do I successfully sell the changes to the management?" [Team Challenges]( "What is your biggest challenge in managing a team?" "I always have a quotation for everything - it saves original thinking." - Dorothy L. Sayers []PREMIUM PICKS Did you know that we have an extensive library of PDU-earning webinars? Here's just one of the latest valuable offerings you can check out... [7 Strategies for Attaining Mastery]( Mastery is a journey, not a destination. The seven strategies for mastery in this presentation describe different pathways to take on your journey to mastery in the project management profession. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome. How can we make your experience better? Is there something you haven't been able to find? Something you want to see that we don't have yet? [Let us know](mailto:cameron@projectmanagement.com). We'll handle it. If you do not wish to receive ProjectManagement.com's PM Insider Newsletter, you can [unsubscribe here]( or send an email to unsubscribe-pminsider@reply.projectmanagement.com and let us know. We will exclude you from future mailings. You can also change your e-mail address and other settings in [My Account](. ProjectManagement.com is located at 14 Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073.