UCSC-Extension

Hi, It’s my time to blog again – and this is my birthday week – so I am going to take advantage of it and have some fun.
Just to let you know:  I am currently teaching at Keller School of Management.  Teaching several MBA courses which include Leadership & Organizational Development, Business Planning, and International [...]

Back in the very old days (early 80’s), I was on a team (of 24, I think) that delivered a successful software system on time, on budget, and with every feature the customer had requested.  The schedule had been tight, 18 months from inception to use, as I recall. 
This happened right in the middle of [...]

Saying “no” is hard for everyone.
“If I say “no”, they will think I’m not a team player.”
“If I say “no”, they will think I’m not committed to the product’s (company’s) success.”
“If I say “no”, they will blame me for the other project’s failure (because I wouldn’t let my resource spend some time helping it).”
“If I [...]

Recent posts on the importance of usage scenarios (use cases or user stories) in the development process warmed my heart.  In my experience, scenarios are perhaps the single most valuable practice in the process.  Scenarios help clarify requirements for everyone, ensuring that the ultimate user knows what they’re getting, guiding the developer, and forming the basis of [...]

The latest San Francisco magazine contains an article on a new platform called Mugsy and a company, Pure Verticals, that is planning to use it to give the general public (well, the web-savvy public anyway) a cut of advertising action. http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/get-your-commerce
The technology allows any web site to embed product advertisements or purchasing links and get [...]

I’ve written somewhat negatively about outsourcing in the past: primarily issuing warnings about doing it without proper planning, for the wrong reasons, or with expectations set too high.
Recently, someone close to me has had his own outsourcing experience.  Software that he and his group would normally develop was being done by a group of software [...]

Much as he did earlier in his career, Proman was now at another crossroad. The large program had just concluded. What’s next? He noticed how engaged he’d felt during the process. Each day he threw himself into the proceedings with renewed vigor and seemed to know instinctively what to do. [...]

The applause was thundering as the magician completed his performance. Proman A. Jecgert had hired the magician to help celebrate the completion of what would come to be called Phase One. The party included all participants across the organization. The grove in the trees was a perfect setting, and the sun shone [...]

If you think you might be changing jobs any time soon, (hello Yahoo!, Applied Materials and
Nektar Therapeutics),

Technorati Tags: Career development, career-planning, differentiators, education, process, project-management, Recognition, self-improvement, Success, training, UCSC-Extension

In my examples this week, I’ve been writing about ways to convince those with the power to embrace some good software project management behavior.  I’d like to give some final advice for the week.  Think like a leader.
Don’t simply complain about your project management problems.  Try to do something about them.

Technorati Tags: best-practices, building-executive-support, change-management, [...]

I just loved the latest grievance from my students (see Monday/Tuesday/Thursday posts).  When being given more work than schedule to accomplish it, or additional tasks on top of their “primary” assignment, upon replying that they were going to have to slip something, that they couldn’t get it all done on schedule, they were told by [...]

One more complaint from my students (see Monday/Tuesday posts) is: “I’m given other jobs, in addition to my coding, and asked to do them without impacting the main project I’m working on.  Not just occasionally, in a crisis, but all the time.”
Some might say that this trait of trying to squeeze more out of Engineering [...]

My blogging was interrupted Sunday night by a power outage at home.  A neighbor’s huge oak tree had fallen, totally blocking the street and taking out some important power lines (as well as part of a house, slightly injuring the owner, and scaring the bejeezus out of her young daughter who had been sleeping in [...]

A second complaint from my students (see yesterday’s post) is: “Management adds requirements to my project without asking me if I can still make the schedule and without taking anything away.  All the time.”
Of course, what’s “bad” about this behavior is not that requirements change: that’s expected: although there must be a limit.  What’s “bad” [...]

I’m in the middle of teaching my Software Requirements Engineering course at UCSC Extension.  On the first day of class, I always ask my students what problems they’re hoping to solve by coming to this class.  Once again I was struck by the commonality of answers from students in all kinds and sizes of companies [...]

UCSC Extension did an onsite class in Creative Thinking at Cisco last month.  I thought you might resonate with the results.  And yes, I do know that some of them don’t strictly follow haiku rules!
Cisco project team
Talented, Creative people
As always, Snafu
 
Project done, boss says
That is exactly what I asked for
But not what I want
 
Cisco Project yeah!
We work [...]