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Great consultants have the following good habits |
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Oct 31, 2008 at 11:56 AM |
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In my opinion to be a successful consultant you need the following habits:
1) Strong self-belief & persistence 2) They LISTEN and LEARN; Good ones know what they don't know and openly admit it.
3) They are good at building teams and recruiting 'A' caliber people
4) They spend a lot of time talking to customers and potential customers to really understand their world and their needs
5) They talk and network with people who have done it before!
6) They are very good communicators and work at it
7) They are rational risk takers
8) They are creative |
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May 18, 2009 at 12:00 AM |
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The beauty of having a different point of view is exactly that, having a different point of view.
If a person is offering an opinion that seems to be more of an off–the-cuff statement, it’s more beneficial to challenge the content rather than the individual. If approached in this manner, both parties will learn something. If a person is offering a point of view based on research and proven theory, I think you can have a good debate which can lead to new discovery. Nobody has the correct answer because everyone has different experiences. If you attempt to apply someone else’s experience as if it were your own you will have varying results and not necessarily positive ones. I prefer not to shadow anyone but at the same time use what I have learned from others and draw my own conclusion. We can always agree to disagree but in the end at least you will have a great debate and learn something new, what ever that might be. |
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Methodology for project delivery success |
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Oct 16, 2008 at 06:30 PM |
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In my experiences, you must evaluate 3 important points before selecting a methodology for your project. 1) Organization maturity meaning clear project definition and repeatable project processes 2) Resistance to change 3) Project size and business impacts In my career, a methodology is a structured approach for project delivery; in the 1990’s we were talking about XP (Extreme programming) it faded a bit, but has made resurgence lately with agile gaining momentum also very popular in those times was prototyping. Early 2000’s, Sigma Six, ITIL, CMM and Waterfall became very popular. I was asked the question which methodology would you use to increase your probability of success. My definition of project success is defined as getting the project built on time and on budget. Failure from a management perspective is based upon exceeding initial budget, exceeding initial schedule, or not completing initial scope. Also Failure from a business value perspective is when the cost of the project exceeds its benefits. Usually, an ROI or a TCO is done based on a defined time period. I have not seen many organizations ever bother to measure actual return following deployment but this practice seems to gain popularity. We always assume that we have an A team, the answer is not "agile " vs. "waterfall" development -- some experts like one, and some like another method. Organization maturity, clear project definition and repeatable project management processes often have much greater impacts on product delivery success.
While experts differ on the best software development method, most would agree that successful projects share the following characteristics (mentionned in the project survival handbook):
- project is approved and funded
- project has a business sponsor
- project has an IT sponsor
- project has clear objectives
- requirements are clearly written
- requirements are traced throughout the project life cycle
- key stakeholders are involved, and kept involved, throughout the project life cycle e.g., business, operations, subject matter experts, software end-users, etc.
- project plan is defined and adjusted as needed (see change management below)
- responsibilities are clearly defined
- people are held accountable for certain activities and deliverables
- project documentation is prepared and project risks and contingencies are defined
- communication and training occur at various steps of the project life cycle Do not get bogged down which methodology you should use they all work, just make sure which one fits the best with your organization maturity and structure, the most important aspect do not expect any major difference on the project outcome when selecting one methodology over another.
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Oct 15, 2008 at 07:23 PM |
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Minto Pyramid Principle is a technique used for making decisions for business; it involves the use of diagrams and works through decision problems. MPP (Minto Pyramid principle) is being widely used in consulting firms like (McKinsey,Deloitte, Gartner, etc…) and apart from them, I have not seen many clients trying to utilize this BDM (Business Decision Mapping) technique.
As consultants we structure our approach and communication logic around this and we are starting to see clients adopting similar flows and structure.
I still do not understand why companies are not recognizing MPP as a standard, there are many ways you can make logic flow but it is quite well structured within MPP. There is no widespread knowledge about MPP. I have often used it to help clients in their thinking and critical communications. Most have never heard of it. I usually buy Minto's book for them and we go from there. Here is a link to some interesting books on MPP http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=barbara+minto I think most companies can be helped by using MPP for business critical thinking.
The most important value comes from learning how others structure their thinking and it provides a clear workflow to the business issues, risks and decisions that need to be taken. |
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