IT
Perfectionism resulting the Work-a-holism
Nov 21st
No one can succeed without a certain obsessiveness (specially people like us; who are into IT), but if you’re reading this article at your office after hours, my advice is: GO HOME.
If you’re sneaking a quick read of this article at the office, after hours, in between phone calls, then I’m concerned about you. You may be swimming in a whirlpool of work and don’t know how to get out or nearing the edge of that abyss and afraid of sliding in. Or, perhaps worse, you may indeed be a workaholic, someone who works at the expense of a fuller family and personal life. Some people even use work as an excuse to avoid going home.(People like me….).. I know its bad… But some people doing it just to keep their lives busy…. Sometimes It may be due to personal stuff of them.
To be sure, we all must put in long hours sometimes. Deadlines are upon us, some co-workers are out, and it’s up to us to pick up the slack. But workaholism is not the same as just working hard. It is, rather, a compulsion or even an addiction to work.
Whatever your situation or preferences, there can be no doubt that the world is demanding more and more of our time for work. Only a generation ago, the pressing issue seemed to be what we would do with the increasing amount of leisure time as the workweek shortened. It hasn’t worked out that way. Globalization and increased competition have induced us to work longer and harder to get ahead, or just to keep up.
So it was that I eagerly read a recent newspaper article about how some professionals deal with the problem. It reported that they were increasingly able to get home early enough (Still haven’t realised the accurcay of this), for example, to kiss their kids (for me my sis) good night. Then came the kicker: one guy got to work around 6 a.m. so he could leave at 7 p.m. Ouch!
The fact—or at least the perception—is that the hours you work often correlate with the success you attain. Put another way, you must be seen to work hard or you will be dismissed as a slacker. A colleague recently spilled out her concern to me that she needs to stay in the office late every night not only to do her work but also to keep up with her co-workers, who also stay late every night.
The first and most important thing is to step back and assess your work life in terms of your goals for your whole life. Ask what you want to accomplish in your career and in your personal life, and then ask yourself how it’s going. Remember, it may not be possible for each of us to have much effect on the wider world, but we all can affect how we behave and act in our own world. Identify actions you can take to improve your life, at work and away from it. Following are some points to avoid work a holism.
Avoid perfectionism can keep you away being a workholic. Many of us feel that our work has to be just right, and thus we will continue to work on it and not finish it until it is perfect—which it can never be. (Been there, done that.) If you feel this way, it’s time to renounce your perfectionism. Determine what level of quality and quantity will satisfy both you and your boss in a given task. This will make you more productive and give you more time for other important things, including your personal life.
Eating lunch at their desk. Ah, a sure sign of a workaholic, or someone just overwhelmed with work. It’s so easy to fall into this trap and just as easy to get out of the habit. People who eat at their desks are riding into the false canyon of thinking that they’re getting more done. Nope. They’re just getting tired. (You can have your lunch at your desk once or twice per week, if that makes you happier.)
So now you may think that I’m not in favor of hard work, then you’re wrong. I’m a big believer in ”work hard, play hard.” And also I used to (actullay doing at the moment as well) work 16+ hours continously per day. But there is a line that’s crossed when one becomes a workaholic, and it’s not always so clear where that line is. You may need to seek professional help to sort it all out.
Bottom line: it’s up to you to determine what you want in a full, robust life, and to make sure that you fulfill your work obligations while also enjoying every day that’s given you.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Fundamental Elements of the PID document
Oct 24th
Last post(How to write a (PID) Project Initiation Document) I’ve described what a PID was – it’s uses and why it is an essential part of any project. In this post I will note down some of the fundamental elements of the PID document. But please also note that the contents of a PID may vary from Project to Project – there are however some key elements:
Project Goals
Layout in simple terms the goals of the project – this should include reference to the rationale behind the goal – for example – a project goal could be to reduce the risk of legacy technology by introducing a new ERP system. Notice there is a difference between Goals/Objectives and Deliverables.
Deliverables
What will the project Deliver? – for example is the project to deliver a written report, is it delivering a new IT system, is it delivering training – there may be multiple deliverables that need to be documented – ensure that the deliverables are measurable, so it can be proved beyond reasonable doubt that tasks have been completed
Scope
What is the scope of the project – for example is the scope “implement IT solution for Australian user base”. Note this should clearly explain who the project will be done to and anything that is excluded.
Financial Business Case
The business case should contain details of the expected costs of the Project. The Business Case should also indicate any savings that may result from the project – some business cases take a multi-year approach (e.g. 5 years) looking at the long term impact of the financial commitment.
Project Roles and responsibilities
A clear part of the PID is clearly outlining the authorities within a project. The PID should outline the Project structure e.g. sponsor, steering team, project manager, Project team and their levels of responsibilities – you may even consider drawing up job descriptions for the people within the team. The PID should define the resource requirement for running the project – for example does the Project require a team of 10? If it does explain why.
Risks
Consider any risks that may effect the Project – their likelihood of their occurrence and their possible impact. Include mitigation against the risks that you’ve identified.
Assumptions/Constraints
Are there any assumptions or constraints that you need to make about the Project? for example an assumption of introducing a new IT system may make some assumptions about what applications the system may integrate with?
Project Controls
Project controls, help schedule and measure projects – think about whether the Project requires Key Performance Indicators?
Reporting framework
Consider what information channels will be required during the project – will a monthly summary report to the Project Sponsor suffice? Or will it need something else?
PID Sign off
At sign off it is important to assess the PID and ask if it adequately represents the Project – is possible ensure that the customer of the Project signs the document as part of its release.
Summary
Constructing a thorough project initiation document is a key part of starting a project. Ensuring that key elements of a project, such as it’s goals and business case, are well understood is imperative. A PID can be referenced throughout a project and serves as a valuable route map for the Project team. Whilst their contents may vary getting down what’s important to your project can be a really valuable activity.
Popularity: 2% [?]
How to Avoid Work Scope Creep in IT Projects?
Oct 20th
Congratulations! You’ve just got a new project / client for an exciting project that is going to be fun and profitable. You carefully discuss the work with client and he / she / company sends in a e-mail saying that they like to go with you. BANG! You are off and running!
The following week, you are happily working on this exciting project and an e-mail pops up. It is about your great new project / client…wanting to make a slight change to the project. Hmmm… Being the wonderful and oh-so-easy-to-work with consultant that you are, you agree, sent a reply to that mail, and get back to work. A couple of days later, again an e-mail pops up. It’s from your {AHEM} great new client again with a “few more ideas for changes.”
“Well, okay,” you agree, somewhat reluctantly, and sent a reply. Now, you have to go back and revise some of your work to date and your original estimate no longer covers the scope of work. Your new and exciting project just officially became a stressful time suck that won’t be such a great moneymaker.
Yes, it’s the Dread Work Scope Creep. {B-horror film sound effects kick in here with a woman’s scream at seeing the monster}. Does this sound familiar? If you – like many consultants – aren’t managing the change process properly, the result will be: stress, long hours, inadequate compensation, missed deadlines, an unhappy client and finally an unhappy YOU.
I’m 100% sure that each and every project manager has gone through this situation at least once in their PM life. And also they don’t even want to remind that and they desperately looking for solution for this. Well, there is hope. Here are some tips to help you manage those “little” changes to keep them from growing into the monster project with no end in sight:
Create a Contract: Ever heard the expression contracts keep friends? Well, it’s true. Your written agreement should describe what you doing for this specific project, what each party is responsible for (deliverables), and how much it will cost. Also, make sure to include a line that explains costs for additional services, revisions, meetings, and so on that are requested by the client and are outside the scope of the agreed-upon project. Both parties should sign this BEFORE the onset of the project.
Communicate Changes: When your client calls / email you asking for changes, make a note of the conversation. Then, write them down and e-mail them to your client. Make sure you are clear about how this affects the project budget and/or deadlines. If it is a new client, you may want to consider a follow-up call or e-mail to ensure they understand how their request will impact the project.
Don’t Over commit: Don’t say “yes” just because you are afraid to say “no.” (I have said yes several times simply because that I could not say no to client. But because of that I have had really bad experiences.)So, It is perfectly acceptable to tell your client “it won’t work.” Make sure to follow up with a valid explanation and tell them what you are willing to do. If your client doesn’t respect you, your abilities, and your time constraints, he or she is not a client you want to keep.
By managing your work change process effectively, you will avoid the Dreaded Work Scope Creep {Horror flick scream again}. This will help ensure your projects and client relationships are profitable, pleasant, and manageable.
Popularity: 1% [?]
