Stop Being So Formal!

Advertisement [Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( September 26, 2018 As our month-long theme concludes, we stray from formality, look at a hybrid learning model, become a "double threat" PM, ask about your POV and deconstruct "hybrid agile." The Knowledge Shelf explores design thinking in PPM, while our blogs ponder estimates, escape rooms and the critical path method. And readers ask about women in PM and your PMI Global Conference plans in our forums! And if you're headed to Los Angeles for the conference, sign up for [Ask the Expert]( and [PM Wars](! Advertisement [Rebuild your PMO with the basics, demonstrate value]( Demonstrating value is a PMO’s biggest challenge. Project execution is not enough—successful PMOs consistently align their success metrics with business goals, are masters of open communication and solid reporting, and elevate their achievements throughout the organization. [Turn your PMO around >]( "If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?" - T. S. Eliot []PM HEADLINES [Intelligent Deviation]( There’s a very interesting thing that happens when organizations get to the point where they have a formal process to do something: They expect everyone to follow it. And that's a mistake. [Hybrid Knowledge: Expansion and Contraction]( Learning about project management—how to work effectively with people, and our industry domain—is never complete. We then use this knowledge to choose the best action, which for ease of understanding and implementation is usually a simple course of action. [Become a 'Double Threat' PM: A Hybrid Career Strategy]( We spend many (perhaps too many) of our waking lives at work, so it makes sense to make the most of it. To immunize yourself from layoff and missed opportunities, this practitioner recommends becoming a double-threat PM. [What's Your Point of View?]( Your POV helps people understand you and how you think. It highlights your leadership knowledge and skills. If someone asked you about your project management POV, how would you respond? [Why Hybrid Agile is Neither Hybrid, Nor Agile]( One variation of the different hybrid approaches is so-called “hybrid agile.” It’s a dangerous approach that threatens to deliver the worst of both worlds. Headed to Conference? Sign Up for Ask the Expert and PM Wars! [Ask the Expert]( is back by popular demand at PMI Global Conference 2018 on October 6-8! These one-on-one sessions allow you to get advice from a trusted and established ProjectManagement.com expert. [Sign up today!]( Plus, take part in the [PM Wars Tournament](! Attendees can demonstrate their knowledge in a fun competition throughout Conference in the Exhibit Hall. [Register today!]( "I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall." - Serena Williams [How to Devise the Optimal Hybrid Approach for Your Project]( Every project is a “hybrid project.” Here’s how to leverage the best of both waterfall and agile for optimal effectiveness on your particular project. [The Agifall Model: A Methodology Hybrid that Might Work for You]( For those of us who are struggling to work out a compromise or hybrid of waterfall and agile project management methodologies, say hello to “Agifall.” [Exposure Draft - Practice Standard for Scheduling – Third Edition]( This practice standard is open for Public Exposure Draft (PED) review. This is an opportunity for you to see a draft of a PMI standard and make recommendations that may improve the document. Help shape the standard today! But hurry, the Public Exposure Draft will close on September 28! []KNOWLEDGE SHELF [X-Ray of the Project Portfolio With Design Thinking]( Design thinking is a systematic approach to problem solving centered on customers and the capability to create a better future for them. In the portfolio management context, design thinking is applied to the design of business prototypes or corporate strategies and promotes innovation. 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](. []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; What is the difference between agile risk management and risk management?]( - There is no difference, the process has the same steps: identify, analyze, evaluate, treat, monitor and review. - Agile is a risk mitigation strategy in itself. - In agile, there is no risk management process. - In agile, the risk level is too low to require a risk management process. - Agile risk management is a new discipline. - I don't know. 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 Ramiro Rodrigues [Do You Understand Critical Path Method?]( The term path is used for a sequence of activities that are serially related to each other. The critical path will be the series of activities that has the longest duration among all those that the event involves. The Money Files by Elizabeth Harrin Elizabeth meets lots of project managers who don’t have the benefit of a fully documented helpful process for how to do estimating. In her latest entry, she shares [4 Steps for Working Out Your Estimates]( to give you a head start. PMI Global Insights by Emily Luijbregts & David Davis This year will be her second PMI Global Conference, so Emily wanted to give you [some ideas and expectations]( for what you can expect in Los Angeles from October 6-8, 2018! Plus, are you [PMI-ACP® Certified?]( Dave Davis would like to talk to you! Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice by Kiron Bondale There are multiple types of external events that a project manager or scrum master could consider to increase the level of collaboration and cohesion within their team. [Need Help Team Building? Try to Escape an Escape Room!]( Women in PM Leadership by Marcela Terzi It's evident that we still don't have a [Healthy Balance]( in terms of gender equity in various spheres, including the workplace. And since our main concern in this blog is to improve the working conditions, Marcela believes it's time for us all to take action. Game Theory in Management by Michael Hatfield In the ongoing discussion of hybrid management systems, Michael is struck by how many assumptions are blithely accepted as true without any real evaluation against basic standards of management science. [Attack of the Fake Superheros]( has more. Prepared to Launch: Growing Up PM at NASA by David Maynard When the shuttle reached altitude, it orbited backward, upside down, cargo bay doors open—with only a tiny bit of fuel left. You can see a problem with this elegant engineering solution. [Terminal Area Energy Management (TAEM)](shows how a team can solve a difficult technical problem. PM View from Rail Transit Programs & Projects by Henry Hattenrath [Do You Know the Entire Contract?]( Henry shares the fourth part of a series intended to prompt project teams to be aware of the entire contract document, including information for bidders (IFB), general conditions/terms and conditions (GCs) and the technical requirements. The Critical Path by Kimberly Whitby & Kristin Jones [Ask the Expert]( is back by popular demand at PMI Global Conference 2018! Learn more about these one-on-one sessions! Plus, the [PM Wars Tournament]( will again be hosted this year at the conference! []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... [Attending PMI Global Conference in Los Angeles?]( "This will be my second year attending the PMI Global Conference and it helps to network both *before* and *after* the event. I would like to know if any members will be attending in Los Angeles this October...it would be great to start introductions ahead of the conference..." [Women in PM]( "Are you a female project manager? How do you succeed in a male-dominated industry? I'm looking for some experience and examples of how other females lead and develop/progress in a male-dominated environment. Do you see it as a problem?" [Our AI Future]( "What should we do with AI? Stop it? Slow it down? Regulate it? Let it be?" [Challenges with Requirement Elicitation]( "Requirements are at times difficult to articulate and understand. Some projects do not meet deadlines as the project teams take longer time to understand the requirements. What are the problems associated with requirement elicitation? How do we overcome them?" "Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin." - Ivan Pavlov []PM ON DEMAND 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... [Intrinsic Motivation: Team Mastery for Managers]( Much research and many popular books have been directed toward understanding the pursuit and achievement of mastery. A common understanding has emerged that mastery is more directly dependent upon the amount of time devoted toward deliberate practice. 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. 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