Book review in Sunday Times 25/7/2010

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article566035.ece/Solve-the-problem-quickly-effectively

Solve the problem quickly, effectively

Mann’s World: Tools for Project Management, Workshops and Consulting, Nicolai Andler

This is a treasure trove of tools that can be used by managers (and professional consultants) to tackle problems, and problem solving is a central component of every manager’s role.

Get it for R 420:

http://www.kalahari.net/books/Tools-for-Project-Management-Workshops-and-Consulting/632/32135953.aspx

. . .without getting confused by the multiple solutions that are out there ?

What are the reasons that many of us struggle to find a really good way of working?

It is despite (or because of) the many technology solutions that are out there, which help us in capturing, storing, accessing and reusing our precious content on which we rely in order to work smarter ?

In my opinion, there is a big overload of IT jargon that prevents us from really understanding what and how to integrate the various elements that contribute to better ways of working.

The typical jargon and buzz words in the field of ‘working smarter and better’ are typically:

• knowledge management
• enterprise search capability
• task and time management… the GTD stuff…(Getting Things Done philosophy)
• learning management
• content management
• document management
• training management
• e-learning, blended learning, computer based learning, distance education, learning management
• collaboration
• social/business networking as part of knowledge sharing
• human assets management
• social knowledge networks

All those above terms play in the field of doing things better, working smarter, using your existing knowledge, gaining new knowledge and re-finding and accessing this information in order to work smarter, faster, better. Admittedly, each term focuses on a particular aspects, whilst they all have a similar, overarching intention . . . enabling you to work smarter and better.

So what is the point of this ? I reviewed a lot of the above buzz words and created a decision process alongside the typically known knowledge management process steps in order to create a standardized way of comparing ‘apples with apples’.

Knowledge management is commonly divided into the following steps. Note that the terms and definitions might vary – although not the purpose.

1. Capture  knowledge (create, generate, organize and develop knowledge)
2. Store knowledge
3. Technical delivery of knowledge
4. Educational delivery of knowledge
5. Use and reuse of knowledge

Each process step contains specific decision points in order to further define the required capabilities and functionalities of the (IT) solution. For example, a decision point under the technical delivery is the question of synchronic or asynchronic delivery – meaning is it required that the receiver of the content needs to be present at the time of delivery (synchronic to delivery).

Another decision point – under the educational delivery of the knowledge – is the distinction between information versus instruction – meaning a display of a search result on the local intranet can display a list of search word hits, which is mostly information only. A FAQ or Q&A section that includes instructions or a self-help training video is an instruction form of knowledge.

As you can image, there are many more criteria or decision points that require clarification before one can (or should) embark on making a buying decision for an IT solution or even an approach how to manage and structure the ways of working.

So what ? Where did I come across this? How is this relevant?

You might know that I have written a book on tools for project management, workshops and consulting (www.consulting-handbook.com) as well as created an online version, which is available under http://www.nicanto.com.

As part of my consulting offering, I talk to consultancies about the best use of tools and techniques for their consultants. The first thought would be for the company to buy access to the Nicanto toolbox and hope that the consultants and employees are going to use it.

However, the issue is much bigger than just plugging in an IT solution. Most consultancies, project offices, internal consulting units, etc don’t have a consistent approach and strategy to the integration of the above elements (or buzz words).

Even worse, there are additional aspects that also play a role in ensuring that the overall approach will be adopted and accepted by the users.

So also consider the following:

So, what do you take from this ?

Best regards

Nicolai

Can you relate to this:
The Business development manager, the partners or ‘sales’ guys have stretched the project deliverables ‘a bit’ to get the sale and cut out the competition.. no big deal, the guys just have to put in a few more night shifts to complete the ‘few bits we promised the client’ to make him happy and go with us.
so this is the over-promise and ‘set up for under-delivery’. Nothing new and unlikely to change fundamentally as long as the guys you sell don’t have to deliver themselves.

Or have you found an alternative ?

What makes it more difficult is the scope creep. I recently trained several middle-level management consultants of a big international player and there were split opinions regarding how to best manage the scope creep…. from ‘there is nothing we can do anyway, the client expects it and our hands are tight and the partner is not going to be happy with us being difficult’.

I believe that doing a proper diagnostics and defining what is in and out of scope, even once the project has been given the go ahead, is vital and part of excellent communication and delivery/change management.

I use tools like:
- Black box
- IS – IS NOT
- Stakeholder analysis
- Stakeholder maps
- Expectation management
etc.

What tools do you use and how do you handle this problem ?

Best regards

Hi,

I am currently involved in the business analysis for a major website development and wanted to share my findings – in terms of business analyis with you.

- There are few standards in the IT space, there are even fewer in the web dev space. It seems that the web development space is crowed with mostly youngster that want to work ‘creatively’ and want to work their way.. hiding behind technica jargon so business can not challenge them and they can continue doing what / how they want to.
Just looking at the huge variety of what a proper business analysis document should entail is surprising… besides the point that this document has about 10 different names..mostly called functional spec or requirements specification…

. . . and there are the few guys out there who maintain and enforce a smater way of working…. keep it up !
I benefited from what you did and shared.

Here is what I would deliver as part of the Functional specification for a web development project. The tool I personnaly use to create those deliverable are in brackets.
See www.consulting-handbook.com for a list of all tools and more details.

• A. Management summary
• B. Audience of document
• C. Related documents
• D. Version control
• E. TOC

- now the real stuff

1. Scope definition (Is-Is not )
2. Project background
3. Project and business intentions/objectives (Project charter)
4. Stakeholder management (expectation management – stakeholder analysis)
5. Stakeholder view (stakeholder map)

Users
6. User  – user groups, user definitions, user profiles, user experience definition (tools not defined yet..coming soon)

Features
7. Concept map  (concept map/ context diagram)
8. Feature map (more detailed concept map… looks similar to Entity Relationship Diagram)
9. Feature interface definition – definition of each feature

Information Architecture
10. Content type definition
11. Content map (content map)
12. Content sources (black box diagram or ERD)
13. Content data model (logical data model or ERD)
14. Content objects

Process/interaction

15. High level business process (Functional decomposition or use cases or swim lane process flows)
16. Enduser user cases (use cases)

Layout/outline/structure – informed by the Information Architecture

17. Sitemap
18. Page types
19. Wireframes

‘Project hygiene’
20. Decision log
21. project risk
22. Issues
23. Assumptions
24 Dependencies
25. Approval signature

So, what do you think ?
What is missing ?
What would you have forgotten ?

Hi,

I was wondering what the majority of users out there use to manage their own knowledge.. meaning how do you store, capture and manage the information sources such as bookmarks, articles, project documents,

To share my current approach..which could be improved upon:

• Files/documents: I use a systematic folder structure that even includes bookmarks in the folders, based on the theme/topic.

• Bookmarks: I use a bookmark manager to store/manager my bookmarks locally and independently of the browser I use. I have not been convinced to use the internet shared bookmark site like delicious… should I be ?

• Internet research /capture: zotero – firefox plugin.. however little experience with it so far

• Mindmapping – the next level – I discovered a cool software that is basically similar to mindmapping, BUT it allows you to move every aspect you are working on to the middle – with the click of a button. This allows to swap perspectives and vantage quickly. (www.thebrain.com)

No wikis, other blogs, intranet sites, cyber-storage, google shared documents…. Am I missing something ? Convince me.

This is about effectiveness and not web 2.0 gimmicks.

Am curious to find out what you think. Let me know

Best wishes

Nicolai

Hi everybody,

who is interested in the ’secrets’ of the management and IT consultants ?

Well, it is actually not a secret, just few consultants and even fewer consultancies either (don’t) have or are (not) are prepared to disclose the basic set of tools and techniques they use.

I have ignored all this and written a book on it… out of my own personal need to have such a ‘list of tools’ in order to stop re-inventing the wheel every time I do something I did before and I just can’t remember where I saved the relevant project documentation.

The book has been published in Germany in November 2007 and is selling extremly well…and the english version has coming out in October 2008… check out: www.consulting-handbook.com to find out more.

As you will find out, this absolutely unique book is not – like most other consulting books – addressing how to become a consultant or how to run your consulting practice. This book is completely focusing on tools and techniques of the consulting trade. Things you can apply straight away.

As they say ‘the proof is in the pudding’, I recently lectured two modules on the consulting process/diagnostics/analysis/etc at an Management Consulting MBA programme in Germany and the feedback I received confirmed the uniqueness of the content.

So it is really that unique ? Do you know of other resources like this ?

Any feedback is welcome. Please let me know.

Yours,

Nicolai Andler

PS www.nicanto.com is going to become the electronic extension of the book and will become the Consulting | Tools | Community. I am looking forward to welcoming you there.

Despite all the smart technology such as iphones, voicerecorders, etc, sometimes low-tech is just easier..

Have you ever been in your car on the phone and wanted to write down information while driving or suddently had an idea and nowhere to capture it quickly without endangering yourself and others ?

I keep a black whiteboard marker in my car and just write on the window. It is easy to clean and you will not overlook it.
People might give you a strange look though. . . and will most likely think ‘what a simple and smart idea’.

Cheers

Nicolai