16
votes
Giving high level estimates to client without commiting to numbers
Slight frame challenge: consider providing your estimates as the wide-end of a cone of uncertainty rather than a discrete number.
"I need a [vague thing], how long would it take?"
"...
- 14.7k
15
votes
Accepted
What does person-month mean in development time?
Person-month is politically correct synonym for Man-month.
It's mean amount of work performed by the average worker in one month.
So, if:
project requires 12 persons-months of development time
all ...
- 5,291
10
votes
Giving high level estimates to client without commiting to numbers
To add onto nvogel's correct answer.
Besides for providing itemized deliverables, you need to add in the standard functions that are forgotten, overlooked but necessary and very time + resource ...
- 4,532
9
votes
Giving high level estimates to client without commiting to numbers
Attach each estimate to an itemised deliverable rather than a named scope of work, that way there's less room for doubt about what was estimated. Use relative estimation (points) at the item level ...
- 5,672
7
votes
What does person-month mean in development time?
Not to be pedantic, but the correct way to write the term would be person-month, or man-month. The distinction is that person/month implies units of people per month. This is inaccurate.
A person-...
- 1,380
7
votes
Splitting PM responsibility between technical lead and non-technical PM on an agile project?
Firstly, you could use different methods/frameworks to run projects. Scrum wouldn't necessarily be the solution here as your prime concern is around the line in responsibilities between these two, ...
- 2,758
6
votes
Working with a "single point of contact"
In my professional experience, the single point of contact is a gatekeeper or clearinghouse, rather than a sole resource. This person functions as a spokesmodel for the contract, but may certainly ...
- 47.4k
6
votes
Number of communication channels in Chief-Programmer model
The number of communication channels in the Chief-Programmer model is theoretically n-1 because it assumes that everyone communicates with the central chief-programmer role and he delegates work out ...
- 16.7k
6
votes
Giving high level estimates to client without commiting to numbers
Your issue requires two things that are 100% owned by YOUR company, and only these two things: 1) You need to insert legalese-type language that accompanies your estimate that this is a high-level, ...
- 36.6k
5
votes
Project constantly running into problems, so how does a PM manage the consistent budget impacts?
Two key expectations from a PM are:
Assess, track and report Risk
Manage Stakeholder's expectations
You are doing all the risk management, and it seems the second part could be improved. So, you ...
- 8,341
5
votes
Accepted
Number of communication channels in Chief-Programmer model
Pankaj Jalote in the book "An Integrated Approach to Software Engineering" describes three types of team structures:
Ego-less team (aka democratic team).
Chief-programmer team.
Controlled ...
- 5,291
5
votes
Accepted
Working with a "single point of contact"
It is highly unlikely that your "single point of contact" (SPC) is the only stakeholder [person with an interest in the outcome your project]. Although contracts will identify a SPC such as a ...
- 356
5
votes
Giving high level estimates to client without commiting to numbers
Communication should be as clear as possible if you want to avoid misinterpretations, that's not impolite but simply professional. What about a prominent note
This is a rough estimate based on ...
- 1,127
4
votes
Accepted
Project constantly running into problems, so how does a PM manage the consistent budget impacts?
I'm going to read between lines a bit here, but I think the issue that management has is not explicitly that the mitigation strategy is too reactive- mitigation, almost by definition, has to be ...
- 4,414
3
votes
Accepted
How to bring to the surface dysfunction in a scrum master cop
That's something I have seen a lot. It happens when the dust settles and the teams are grown up and everything is save and sound. And even the most performing team needs to be evolved and facilitated ...
- 636
3
votes
Accepted
Communication Management: Booking meetings in advance via email
Is it wise to send email meeting invites in advance for each of these 3 meetings?
Yes. It allows the attendees to plan their own diaries and helps to ensure they will be available at the time of the ...
- 4,414
3
votes
Accepted
Should I include the developers in the official email communication with clients?
TL;DR
Should I include the developers in these emails or not?
Increased direct communications, if done effectively, can improve the viability of a project. However, there are often pros and cons ...
- 47.4k
3
votes
Splitting PM responsibility between technical lead and non-technical PM on an agile project?
To be blatantly honest, if your project has a non-technical project manager who is not very strong on the business logic or functional aspects of the project and is also involved with other projects, ...
- 1,117
3
votes
Splitting PM responsibility between technical lead and non-technical PM on an agile project?
I understand that the situation are:
You are a technical lead (TL),
You report to a PM that has no or almost no domain knowledge, technical knowledge.
The PM does not understand you.
"A non-...
- 41
3
votes
Accepted
Is there a term for chained unknown unknowns?
The source of all risks is uncertainty, i.e., what we don't know. There are three types: 1) aleatory (irreducible); 2) epistemic (reducible); and 3) ontological (complete ignorance). Aleatory risks--...
- 36.6k
2
votes
PM communication model
I'll try to answer your question, but I'm not sure it's really possible to.
Let's say there are 5 discrete messages one can send to another.
Feature - Something that is expected to be delivered.
...
- 480
2
votes
Accepted
How to handle being ignored by team member/resource
When I encounter this type of resistance I first email them (cc their supervisor) and ask to set up a face to face meeting. If this is not feasible, I change the email to address both employee and ...
- 118
2
votes
What is a project book?
In this case, the project book needs to be what your teacher thinks it should be.
I've never created a "project book" in all my time working on projects. It is likely a specific term some people use ...
- 12.4k
2
votes
What is the difference between "status report" and "variance report"?
Well for starters - baseline(s) could be anything - cost, schedule etc but perfomrance measurement baseline is a subset of all the baselines.
Secondly, status report, as said is focused on vitals of ...
2
votes
Giving high level estimates to client without commiting to numbers
One way to response to the question is to focus on risks inherent in the subsequent work. In the total, for a very risk project I would never give any estimate at all, instead I would suggest a pre-...
- 149
1
vote
What is the difference between "active listening" and the "sender-receiver model"?
PMP uses the sender-receiver model of communication in which parties alternate their roles to keep the communication going.
So it's an interactive model of communication, with feedback incorporated, ...
- 13.6k
1
vote
What is the difference between "status report" and "variance report"?
I cannot speak to what Rita Mulchahy's definitions are but the PMBoK does not contain a definition of Variance Report in any way. It does discuss variance analyses as a technique to determine where ...
- 36.6k
1
vote
I'm a freelancer PM working with a remote client- I was hoping someone had some communication management advice
Try to use an email tracker, as it can clarify if the client has free time to respond. If this client continuously opens emails but doesn't respond it's a red flag that he/she isn't interested in a ...
- 11
1
vote
poor communication in a mentorship-like relation
From the sheer size of the question - and from reading in and between the lines - I think you have a problem communicating via email.
It sounds like you like to write long emails with multiple ...
- 4,532
1
vote
How could someone use Kanban or a similar method for community engagement?
I think the question is quite broad and the concepts of Kanban and community engagement are not related to each other.
The methodology you are going to use to implement your work is something ...
- 379
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