Entries by Bonnie Biafore

How Agile Supports Change

Agile methodologies are designed to handle change easily, which is why they’re called -er- agile! Most aspects of agile work can change without causing problems. But a couple of things are best left alone. Here’s what you can and shouldn’t change when working in an agile environment:  Priority.  At the beginning of each sprint, the […]

When Business Value Doesn’t Meet Expectations

It might seem like a hopeless situation when business value doesn’t meet expectations. Here are a few things to look at for potential opportunities for improvement. Revisit your estimates. Compare the estimates used to justify the project to the business results. Opportunities may arise from this, including: Business activities included in project justification aren’t being […]

Are You Ready to Close Your Project?

You have delivered every component of your project, and your project team has started to disperse. It’s time for project closure, right? Not so fast! Here are other critical steps to take before closing your project.  Confirm that business value is being generated. A project shouldn’t close until the business acknowledges value. However, some projects […]

What If Your Project is Cancelled?

Any project may be cancelled due to changing corporate priorities or cost constraints. It can even happen to projects that are running perfectly.  If your project is cancelled, here’s what you can do to make the best of the situation. Communicate with your team. Emotions will be high and people will have questions.  Talk with […]

Handling the Pressure to Deliver Early

Getting pressured by management to deliver a project early is common, so you should be ready for it. It’s important to note that pushing an early delivery doesn’t mean you’re in crisis mode. It’s a risk vs business value balancing act. Here are tips to balance risk and bring in the project delivery date.  Cut […]

Early Indicators of Project Trouble

A slipping schedule, lack of engagement, and cost overruns are common and easy to spot indicators of project trouble. Here are five other early indicators of trouble that aren’t often recognized. Team member hours are less than planned. Hours dedicated to project tasks can fall short due to differing business priorities or lack of confidence […]

Is Your Project Ready to be Re-launched?

Management might put a project on hold because other priorities take precedence or it needs recovery. When it’s time to relaunch, you don’t pick up where you left off. Here’s the sequence of steps to take to relaunch a project: Document what changed. Team members must understand that things will be different. Otherwise, they might […]

How to evaluate a large project change request

Project change requests are a common occurrence. Occasionally, a change request can be extensive, requiring additional analysis. Here are questions to ask to provide the change review board with the information it needs to approve a major change request. Will the change increase project complexity? Organizations often have a standard set of parameters for assessing […]

Is Your Project Idea Ready for Launch?

Project ideas pop up all the time, but that doesn’t mean they are all worth pursuing. Companies want to reap enough benefits from the time and money they spend on projects. To make sure a candidate project is worthwhile, someone needs to complete some prerequisites before the project is launched. Who gets these prerequisites in […]