What are the differences between Risks and Issues?

In traditional world of Project Management, many of us have used a RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Decisions) log, or some variation of it.  Even in Agile corporate environments we often encounter Risks and Issues logs at a project or program level. I had a colleague ask me the other day what was the difference a Risk […]

The Project Manager – conductor or one-man band?

There are many different metaphors used to describe Project Managers. So many in fact that you may have cause to ask What the Hell is project Management, Anyway? Project Management metaphors Some of the most common metaphors used include: Sports Coach Military Commander Movie Director While some of the more obscure metaphors include: Batman Lifeguard Cat […]

The Untapped Power of a Shared Common Language

This article has moved to a new home. An updated version can be found at The School Of Innovation. Today I’m going to share with you a simple tool that can drastically increase the clarity of communication with your customers, stakeholders and within the project team. Furthermore, you can implement this tool immediately within your […]

How to spot a novice Project Manager

I’ve heard it said before that a good way to identify a novice Project Manager (and to a lesser extent, Scrum Master) is when you hear them say something along the lines of “if something doesn’t go to plan, then we’ll…”. A seasoned Project Manager (or Scrum Master) on the other hand, will more likely […]

The Chicken and the Pig – which one are you?

Recently I was having a meeting and a number of the participants really had little to do with the project or its outcomes.  I was reminded of the classic Chicken and Pig joke.  If you’re familiar with Ken Schwaber‘s Scrum training then you’ve probably heard or, or seen this, before.  If not then I hope that you get a […]