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Enduring Ideas in the Realm of Software

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Project-Management

10 Success Patterns for PMs

Photo by Christian Revival Network Here’s a brief set of success patterns for program managers and project managers that I’ve shared with a few colleagues.  These are the patterns I see that make a difference in getting results. 10 Success Patterns Empathic listening. Rapport before influence Character trumps emotion trumps logic Match their style Ask …

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Program Managers

Photo by woodleywonderworks What does it take to be an effective Program Manager at Microsoft?  I’m responding to some requests for my take on what it takes to be an effective PM.  I figured I could use a familiar 7 habits approach to help frame out a start. To pick a set of habits, I …

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Visualization Checklist

Photo by Lilly How do you visualize the goal?  Whenever you work on a project, one of the most important things to know is how the world will be different when you’re done.  This is where expectations are set and how people get excited about what they’ll work on.  This is how you’ll keep yourself …

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Scenario and Feature Frame

A Scenario and Feature Frame is a quick way to show your project’s incremental value and dependencies.  It’s helpful for showing your management what you’ll deliver in terms of a baseline release.  It’s helpful for you in terms of finding ways to reduce dependencies.  If you have a bunch of scenarios that depend on certain …

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What’s a Scenario

Photo by Wonderlane What’s a scenario?  Not everybody uses the term “scenario” the same way.  In the software industry, there’s three common usages of scenario: The same as a use case. A path through a use case. An instance of a use case. Usually, the most helpful one is “an instance of a use case.”  …

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