Turquoise and Agile Project Management

Learn about the challenges managers face every day and understand the management methodologies that help manage projects.

Both Agile and the so-called teal method require a change in the way of thinking and – like any change – liberation from old beliefs and experimenting with a new vision of reality. This means moving away from cascading and hierarchical management, where a previously prepared plan was very important and decision-making was in the hands of the boss. In both cases analyzed, the team has more authority than in the traditional management model, which translates into greater flexibility and creativity, as well as the involvement of individual team members.We talk to Mariusz Augustyniak, Senior Project & Program Manager at DXC Technology, who will tell us how to deal with challenges that arise when managing projects, and will also introduce different management styles.

It happens that projects, despite knowledge of available management Project Management methodologies, fail or fail to meet stakeholder expectations. Where to look for the cause?

Studies and statistics of cyprus telephone number data failed projects (including The Chaos Report , The Standish Group) point to the following reasons for failure:

incomplete and unclear definition of requirements and lack of proper definition of scope;
lack of effective communication;
lack of end-user involvement;
improper management of a large-scale and complex project and insufficient planning.

What is your diagnosis of these problems?

The pressure of time and cost control mean that not everything is well thought out, discussed and described. In addition, there is the fact that technology is changing dynamically, so it is increasingly difficult to determine what the system should look like in, for example, a year. The result is unclear customer requirements, which translates into an imprecise understanding of the project scope.

The second issue has been the basic factor of project failures for years, the so-called “human factor”. The culture of superficial and one-sided communication is reflected in project teams like in a mirror. The lack of multidimensional and multi-point conversation, true listening and mutual understanding cause a number of distortions and problems during the project, including ignoring end users.

At the end of this mini-catalogue of major problems, there is a conviction that anyone can manage a small and simple project. The problem Project Management begins when a large and complex project appears. Then the shortcomings of poorly prepared and inexperienced project managers become apparent. Of course, this can be a chance for accelerated learning, by jumping into the “deep water”, or the last project in a given organization.

So how can you deal with such challenges?

Practices that are called agile effectively address many of the above problems. If it is indeed not possible to define all the requirements at the beginning and translate them into the project scope, let’s establish as much as we know at the moment and implement it. However, then we need to communicate this to everyone to set expectations appropriately, because this product will be created “in pieces”. Additionally google partner premier the sooner we can make the prototype of the system available for evaluation, the sooner we will get feedback and correct the course, i.e. the direction of development. As a result, everyone will know where they “stand” and there will be no unpleasant surprises.

The issue of the “human factor” is a more complex problem, but let’s consider the topic of cooperation and communication. In Agile, meetings take place every day. They are short, with a simple formula, but meaningful and to the point. Very quickly, sometimes even after a few weeks, a well-coordinated and integrated “one project team” is created, regardless of where, who and in what position is actually employed. This team also includes a representative of end users, representing their voice. Additionally, during cyclical reviews, future users can appear to see a demo of the working version of

the system and submit comments at an early stage of solution development.

When analyzing the competences and professionalism of project managers, it is worth emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement of qualifications, acquiring knowledge and certificates, learning from one’s own experience ej leads as well as from more experienced project managers. At this point, I would like to draw attention to the value of mentoring. Assigning an inexperienced project manager to a large and complex undertaking is stressful for this manager, but also a risk and potential costs and loss of reputation for the manager cooperating with him, as well as the sponsor.

Where did your interest in agile methods come from?

I have always preferred an interactive mode of work, involving all parties – my own teams, the client and subcontractors. When I worked in England in 2006-2008, this is how I carried out projects, not yet knowing Agile methodologies and not having heard of the Agile Manifesto . I consider one of the recommendations that my client gave me in 2008 to be a kind of “trophy”, because even then Greg Owens from the Police Mutual Assurance Society used the word “agile” to describe my working style. At that time, I worked for Aspective, a consulting and IT company, which is part of Vodafone Enterprise Group UK.

Turquoise and Agile Project Management: Which Style to Choose?