Many software companies use fairly matured and evolving project delivery processes. Most of those processes could be tailored to suit individual projects. But we often see projects that runs in to misery, and worse, there are projects that have 100% process compliance and still runs in to misery - and some times fails!
The main cause as I see is project managers think process is like law. So if they fail to follow it, they cheat. They lie, produce forged documents and do every thing in their ability to mislead the process auditors. In this process not only they jeopardize the project, but burn out the resources and risk demolishing the moral of the team members. They do not realize that it’s not something measuring their competency or performance but a simple guideline to aid their work.
Lying to a process auditor is like lying to a doctor. No matter how humiliating it is, you got to tell the truth. In a service oriented company, delivering a quality service on time is the key to good business. And a process is there to guide that delivery. If things go out of track, they need to be identified and rectified.
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ReplyDeleteYes , totally agreed.
ReplyDeleteProcess is like a bicycle. You have to use it to get to the destination. But what happens in most cases is to go to the destination by hook or crook and then go back to origin and carry the bicycle on your head to prove that bicycle was used!
Important aspect in most matured processes is the scalable flexibility. For a small project of 5 days with 1 resource, there is no point in trying to apply process to the n th degree and vise versa as well.
I think lack of understanding and respect for the processes creates most of these problems. Organizations should try to create this awareness as well as build the confidence in everyone (importantly managers) about the process adherence.
You have hit on something pivotal at some companies we both have exposure to. On the "Lying" side there is one more aspect, most of the PMs end up lying not only during the process audits (ie. on how the work was carried out) but also on the measurements of the project as well. These are in turn KPIs and finally becomes the established PCB (process capability baseline) which actually define the company's performance! For example if all the PMs lie about effort variance and it gets assimilated to the EV PCB, a company may say that its EV is +-5% but in reality it may be +80%. This is hilarious since it'll end up in the PCBs having no value at all! So the company eventually ends up spending all this money in process establishment for naught! The most difficult thing in a process culture is the mindset change, where the PMs and the teams realize using the bicycle is the more scalable solution in the first place :)
ReplyDeleteNow, that comment from Sam explains a lot about the grave reality of certain things.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, in those "companies we both have exposure to", it is really difficult to find some one of Sam's calibre and for a person who have worked with Sam it’s pretty difficult to bare with the clowns who’s sole purpose of work life is to screw up things.