patterns of projects: from adrenaline junkies to template - pnsqc
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Patterns of Projects:From
Adrenaline Junkies toTemplate Zombies
Tim Lister
Patterns
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Let’s look at some Project Patterns…
More Patterns
Let’s look at some Project Patterns…
Safety Valve
To counter the intensity of their work, the teamdevises a pressure release activity that becomesa regular part of team life.
Mañana
The loss of a “natural” sense of urgency.
The Dead Fish of Failure
It sits on the table of far too many projects.
How can we accept projects formulated to fail?
Everybody smells it right away.Everybody hunkers down.
Who’s to blame for this loathsome situation?
Me, and my generation.
The joy of success. It lets you:try hardlearnexperimenthave pride
Lessons Unlearned
Retrospectives rarely trigger change. (Sorry.)
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What Smell?
People in the organization cannot detect its underlying vitality or decay.
Nursing HomeMonkey CageTeenager’s BedroomMake-up Room BackstageSea BreezeMildewElectrical FireCigar Bar
SMELLS…
Marilyn Munster…
The esteem often given technical workers versusmanagerial staff varies. In some organizationsdevelopers are kings; in others they are pawns.
Surprise!
The manager offering rewards and incentives gets responses in addition to those he planned.
Can you findthe Big Bossin this picture?
Project Sluts
Managers who just can’t say, “No.”
Rattle Yer Dags!
urgency + confidence + iteration = bent for action
Dashboards
Dashboards are used by strong teams and weak teams, but typically not by average teams.
It’s Always the God-DamnedInterfaces
Project team members focus relentlessly oninterfaces both system and human.
Cool Hand Luke
“What we have is a failure to communicate.”
A legitimate conflict is interpreted asa “failure to communicate.”
Straw-man
Team members feel comfortable offering a straw-mansolution in order to elicit early feedback and insight.
Cider House Rules
1. Please don’t operate the grinder orthe press if you have been drinking.
2. Please don’t smoke in bed or usecandles.
3. Please don’t go up on the roof ifyou’ve been drinking — especially atnight.
4. Please don’t take bottles with youwhen you go up on the roof.
CIDER HOUSE RULES
Members of the project team ignore or work aroundrules made by people who are unconnected to theproject’s work.
White Line
The chalk line on a tennis court clearly definesthe extent of the playing surface. The project needs a white line to achieve a non-arguable delineation of scope.
Endless Huddle
The right of infinite appeal ensures that no decisionis ever final.
Music
People with real musical skills are disproportionallyrepresented, sometimes extremely so, in technologyorganizations.
Look for Patterns…
Name them…
Propagate them, or
Defeat them.
You’re good at this; you can do this together.
Tim ListerThe Atlantic Systems Guild, Inc.3143 Broadway, 2BNew York NY 10027 USA212 [email protected]
Send me your patterns!
1-800 DH BOOKS: AJSPECIALwww.dorsethouse.com/ajspecial/