Leading the conversation on digital connected work
As enterprises strive to apply business agile principles onto the work landscape and project management, they’re gearing up for a new world of speed, speed and more speed. However, before they fire up the booster rockets, these enterprises would be wise to call a time out and ensure that they fully understand and confirm that...
In a recent poll conducted by IDG Research Services, it became very clear that there was a lack of understanding in some corners of the enterprise about the Enterprise Architecture team and its important role in influencing the corporation or governmental entity’s strategic direction. “From the perspective of the IT professionals answering the survey, higher...
Your innovation challenge can start out like a grand love affair, all parties filled with possibility and promise, and excited to work together towards a brighter future. However, as any veteran love-junkie knows, that initial spark becomes harder to maintain as time passes, and excitement tends to fizzle after the honeymoon period ends. What can...
In the 1970s, the Bee Gee’s harmoniously asked “how deep is your love?” Well, fast forward about four decades, and there’s another depth-related question that is on many peoples’ minds, but this time it’s not about wild passion: it’s about work performance. “How deep is your work?” is the question that author Cal Newport tackles...
Organizations around the world are embracing workplace collaboration, encouraging their employees to break down departmental silos and share ideas and information across the enterprise. Generally, this is a good thing—increased workplace collaboration usually results in higher efficiency, improved quality of work and a better workplace morale. There can be a downside to widespread collaboration, though,...
Technology really is everywhere. I was driving a golf cart the other day that kept shutting down every time I veered off the path even a little bit. Was it a mechanical issue? No, it’s a cart that’s purpose-built to keep people on the path. Consider the technology required to produce a smart golf cart...
A software development and delivery lifecycle typically comprises many people, teams, tools and disciplines. Often the data within these multiple components is siloed and visibility across the value stream is poor (or even non-existent). Ultimately this means the quality and speed of the software delivery suffers, IT projects fail and Agile and DevOps transformations struggle...
In the Lean Business Survey, we learned that even teams just getting started with Lean were seeing results — 88% of respondents who self-identified as “beginner” reported moderate to significant improvement in project success. But what happens when teams hit their stride? High-performing Lean teams differentiate themselves through their focus, communication, and sustainably fast pace....
In a previous post, we discussed making better strategic decisions by using holistic planning. Simply put: portfolio planning should always start by thinking first about your desired outcomes This means that any decision to take on any new work or reprioritize work is guided by the organization’s end goals (as illustrated in Figure 2 in...
To the uninitiated, Kanban might sound more like an appetizer you’d order at a sushi restaurant than a method of project management. Kanban may not be edible, but it is a Japanese export. It was created by a Japanese engineer at Toyota in the 1940s as a way to organize work and address inefficiencies in the company’s...
