Nothingness

[MarillionFan]

He walked right into that. Probably too busy dodging meetings to notice. Shirker.

I bet your mum was surprised when a box of Kleenex popped out at the same time you were born.

[Old Greg]

I bet your mum was surprised when a box of Kleenex popped out at the same time you were born.

If she noticed.

[suityou01]

Best of luck with it, but remember that emotionally incontinent effort is no substitute for a calm and analytical approach. Project management should not be a series of crises, where super-suity saves the day. I really do think you should have a look at meditation or another technique to help you keep your calm.

I heard this. It is registered in my tiny cretinous brain. Stand by.

[suityou01]

Manning up

Not sure if this counts, but lets see.

Had a meeting with the project sponsor today. About something unrelated. I hijacked the first 10 mins of the meeting to speak about this ailing project. I told him exactly where I thought the project was, how it got there, what I had done to try and sort it out and support the PM. Then I told him precisely what I thought of the PM. Some moderate swear words were used.

He beamed at me and said, I'm so glad you said all that. Turns out they are unhappy with him too and had given him a few kickins as well.

He said the guy was toast. He did it to himself with aplomb.

Manning up bit now follows.

I offered to take over as PM, and told him what I would do, my previous PM related experience and recent Prince 2 quals.

He was honestly enthusiastic

I hear they are giving it some very serious thought.

No heroics, just getting on with it. Without winging.

Thoughts?

[Old Greg]

Not sure if this counts, but lets see.

Had a meeting with the project sponsor today. About something unrelated. I hijacked the first 10 mins of the meeting to speak about this ailing project. I told him exactly where I thought the project was, how it got there, what I had done to try and sort it out and support the PM. Then I told him precisely what I thought of the PM. Some moderate swear words were used.

He beamed at me and said, I'm so glad you said all that. Turns out they are unhappy with him too and had given him a few kickins as well.

He said the guy was toast. He did it to himself with aplomb.

Manning up bit now follows.

I offered to take over as PM, and told him what I would do, my previous PM related experience and recent Prince 2 quals.

He was honestly enthusiastic

I hear they are giving it some very serious thought.

No heroics, just getting on with it. Without winging.

Thoughts?

You did it with winging but without whingeing.

1. Have you discussed rate? You won't be taken seriously if you're not charging PM prices.
2. You need to think now about how you are going to handle the next difficult patch. The project is still tulip. Your colleagues are still tulip. The organisation is still dysfunctional. How are you going to make sure you don't go off on one? Hence advice on meditation or whatever.
3. PM-ing is not primarily about delivery, but about making sure someone else gets the blame for non-delivery. When you take over a failing project, you need to make sure you don't carry the can. Your team needs to: review risks and issues; review business case; produce exception plan with realistic timelines, costs / resource requirements, scope etc. etc. Don;t let it be a pile of doom and woe, but instead a difficult journey that has a chance of success.

BTW, I am a pretty poor excuse for a PM, and try to avoid such work if I can but I get by - so take the above with large pinch of salt, except I'm pretty sure about no. 1.

[MarillionFan]

Not sure if this counts, but lets see.

Had a meeting with the project sponsor today. About something unrelated. I hijacked the first 10 mins of the meeting to speak about this ailing project. I told him exactly where I thought the project was, how it got there, what I had done to try and sort it out and support the PM. Then I told him precisely what I thought of the PM. Some moderate swear words were used.

He beamed at me and said, I'm so glad you said all that. Turns out they are unhappy with him too and had given him a few kickins as well.

He said the guy was toast. He did it to himself with aplomb.

Manning up bit now follows.

I offered to take over as PM, and told him what I would do, my previous PM related experience and recent Prince 2 quals.

He was honestly enthusiastic

I hear they are giving it some very serious thought.

No heroics, just getting on with it. Without winging.

Thoughts?

When you say he gave it serious thought, was he deep in thought, looking out the window, saying 'Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, yes dear, uh huh, uh huh'?

[aussielong]

I really honestly do not care whether the project crashes or the company folds. I write my code and I write it well and I make sure there is evidence that I am not the cause of problems. When there is nothing to do I write my own code using new techs or things I am not familiar with and if these things solve problems I use them in the real work.

Politics, unprofessionalism etc. just let it wash over you, the lion does not care about the opinion of sheep. Do what you are there to do and invoice for it.

Good attitude.

If you are easily rattled like Suity you will never deliver anything.

[d000hg]

Can you imagine a project where SY was the BA and AL the developer? I think I'd pay to watch.

[aussielong]

Not sure if this counts, but lets see.

Had a meeting with the project sponsor today. About something unrelated. I hijacked the first 10 mins of the meeting to speak about this ailing project. I told him exactly where I thought the project was, how it got there, what I had done to try and sort it out and support the PM. Then I told him precisely what I thought of the PM. Some moderate swear words were used.

He beamed at me and said, I'm so glad you said all that. Turns out they are unhappy with him too and had given him a few kickins as well.

He said the guy was toast. He did it to himself with aplomb.

Manning up bit now follows.

I offered to take over as PM, and told him what I would do, my previous PM related experience and recent Prince 2 quals.

He was honestly enthusiastic

I hear they are giving it some very serious thought.

No heroics, just getting on with it. Without winging.

Thoughts?

You've played yourself here home boy.

Your sponsor hugged you while he thought to himself how to do you before you do him. You've just slagged off someone he's probably hired and has worked with. You don't do that. You deliver and prove yourself with evidence.

Like Michael Corleone and his brother Fredo. But with a Benny Hill slant.

You just don't get politics do you?

If I was you i'd take a junior BA (tester) role and work my way up honestly, instead of trying to blag it when you can't back it up- which successful blaggers can all do.

[northernladyuk]

Can you imagine a project where SY was the BA and AL the developer? I think I'd pay to watch.

I can't imagine many things you wouldn't pay to watch.