Often, when we assess project risk, we look at measurable factors. Scope management, solution quality, or test results. Such assessments require hard skills. But projects also derail as a result of stakeholder behavior, whether intentional or not. We need to use soft skills, such as empathy, to manage these risks. Project failure rates Remain High According to the Project Management Institute...
Shadow IT refers to business users developing their own solutions, outside of organization’s IT groups. It is often seen as risky and problematic. This article puts the practice in a different light and offers a way forward. Three certainties Death, taxes and the inability of your organization’s IT group to deliver all the solutions that the business needs. Not only are these...
When I bought my 1940s house, it had barely any water pressure, so I hired a plumber to assess the situation. He spent a good while in the crawl space, following offshoots of galvanized piping and corroded connections. When he finally emerged, his message was not what I expected: “Son, you have some creative plumbing going on there”. There are two things you don’t want to hear:...
“Technology is the enabler for business outcomes”. This common mantra is often heard when tech teams talk with business stakeholders in corporate settings. It sounds sort-of right. After all, it makes little sense to embark on a project for technology’s sake. Don’t rock the boat. At the same time, it is limiting. If the mindset of technologists is restricted to merely...
