Projects thrive on the belief that the set goal can be achieved. While it's said that faith can move mountains, unfortunately, this belief can also lead to a loss of touch with reality. This loss of touch with reality manifests itself in project work in a variety of ways.
Project Management
Wonder beyond logic
Inheritances are a wonderful thing, at least most of the time. We software developers utilize a truly extraordinary inheritance for our work: the brain. Modern neurology and psychology continually provide new insights into why our minds function so ingeniously, but also...
The magic formula for presentations
You might be wondering why Siwon is writing about how to give presentations. My answer: Because I can tell you something you might not know yet. If you already know everything and don't have time right now, then save yourself 5 minutes...
The thing about the brain chicken
Today we're going to explore a highly mysterious phenomenon: the existence of the non-existent. But what does that have to do with projects? Prepare to be surprised. For the next hour, don't think about a chicken at all—not a hen, a rooster, a chick, or an egg...
Why excessive performance orientation is nonsense
Motivators versus slackers. I think you've all heard sayings like these: "We expect our people to give 120 percent," "We're building the perfect product," "You can achieve anything if you just try hard enough," "I would have finished long ago if the others weren't...".
Miscalculated! When anchors cause a project to capsize.
One of the most common frustrations in project work is the ruthless miscalculation of effort and costs. The more complex the project, the more ruthless this becomes. The problem is exacerbated when the pace of innovation is so rapid that past experiences are difficult to apply to new projects, or...
Requirements management – I want, I need!
If only it weren't for the customers. Or the project manager. Or my own boss. Everyone finds fault with my beautiful embedded solution. One function is difficult to use, another is missing entirely, the input field should have a blue background, the...
What project teams can learn from extreme sailors
What makes a team successful? Anyone with a healthy sense of their own limitations asks themselves this question. Analyzing a highly successful sailing team provides some interesting answers. I think you've all heard similar phrases: "We expect that...".
Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Of Victims and Perpetrators: Jobs and education, along with tax cuts, rank high on the list of our politicians' election promises. But I'm more inclined to believe in the combined efforts of Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and the Easter Bunny than in the fact that these promises will actually be followed by action...
Requirements management – Elementary decision-making process
You surely remember the crucial sentence in the article about requirements management: "Requirements management stands or falls with the decision-making process." This supports the handling of a requirement from its initial capture to the decision as to whether the requirement...
What makes a good project manager
Looking in the Mirror: What qualities and skills does the perfect leader possess? I explore this question in depth, examining the human side of project success. Who is a leader? In the Middle Ages, this question didn't arise, as the status of...
Trend Guides
We track down the latest industry trends for you, interview experts, and take a practical look at future-oriented technologies. The following trend guides are available for download as PDFs: Internet of Things (August 2016). Here, we have attempted to illustrate the scope of the topic...