Tag Archive for: #bonniebiafore

In a recent survey, AI in project management was my readers’ top topic to explore further. AI’s benefits are often highlighted, so let’s look at potential pitfalls using AI in project management. For an ironic twist, I asked an AI tool to identify the five most significant traps. 

Beyond best practice — required practice! Any output from an AI tool needs human review for clarity, context verification, and refinement. To show this, you’ll see the AI tool’s answers along with my human interpretation and insights. The My insight entries either clarify what wasn’t clear in the AI response or expand what AI identified to other scenarios. Overall, the AI response identified the high-level concerns I had thought of. However, I didn’t consider it complete. Of course, I could have asked AI to provide more detail on each high-level topic to see if it provided some of the insights I identified.

• AI-identified pitfall: Overreliance on AI. Project managers may become too reliant on AI tools and overlook the importance of human decision-making. It’s important to remember that AI tools are only as good as the data they are trained on and the algorithms they use. They can’t replace human intuition and experience.
• My insight: AI also can’t “read a room.” Sure, there are great tools to take notes during meetings, track and assign action items and check calendars. What they can’t do is tell whether a person is happy with an assignment. They also can’t tell if people are content with the meeting. They aren’t detecting body language (yet!). So, they only tell part of the story.
• AI-identified pitfall: Data quality issues. AI tools require high-quality data to function effectively. If the data is incomplete, inaccurate, or biased, the AI tool’s output will be flawed. (My aside: Yep, garbage-in, garbage-out is still true.) Project managers need to ensure the data they’re using is high-quality and free from bias.
• My insight: In addition, you need to review the sources the AI tool uses to produce its responses. One way to minimize data-quality issues is to include mandatory experience levels in your AI prompts. For example, “As a project manager with over 20 years of experience in delivering projects in the information technology sector…” then ask for the information you’re looking for. This approach helps improve response relevance and accuracy, but you still need to review the output.
• AI-identified pitfall: Lack of transparency. Some AI tools are “black boxes” that don’t offer any insight into how they arrived at their output. This lack of transparency can make it difficult for project managers to understand how the AI tool is making decisions and to identify potential issues.
• My insight: A simple rule – don’t use AI output without understanding the sources the tool referenced. Most AI tools are now providing specific (and actual) references as part of their response. Check those references to ensure their context is suitable for what you are trying to do.
• AI-identified pitfall: Inadequate training. AI tools require significant training to function effectively. Project managers need to ensure that they and their team members are adequately trained in the use of the AI tool and that they understand its limitations.
• My insight: Using AI to produce something you don’t fully understand is another version of inadequate training. I heard a story where a web developer used an AI tool to produce code in a language that he had not learned. While initially it appeared to work, errors arose. The developer didn’t have any idea how to debug the code, and refined AI queries to correct the code were unsuccessful. His reputation with his client was tarnished because he didn’t appreciate the need for proper training.
• AI-identified pitfall: Ethical concerns. AI tools can raise ethical concerns, particularly around issues of privacy and bias. Project managers need to ensure that they are using AI tools in an ethical manner and that they are not inadvertently perpetuating biases or violating privacy laws.
• My insight: Do your homework! Understand your local laws. They are changing quickly around the world. The safest thing is to analyze the output from AI tools, verify its accuracy and how much it has “spit out” the work of others. Make changes or don’t use the output without seeking permission from the referenced author. Another approach is to apply the output to your own stories and experiences. For example, if AI output recommends that you need to beef up project requirements, document that need by conveying your own stories where requirements were inadequate. That way, you use your intellectual property, not someone else’s who didn’t provide permission to do so.

Do you see other pitfalls to using AI in project management? Rules for how to make AI work effectively in your work? Share with us in the comments section.

For more about AI, check out Dave Birss’ How to Research and Write Using Generative AI Tools course. Or search LinkedIn Learning for his name to find all his courses.

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This article belongs to the Bonnie’s Project Pointers newsletter series, which has more than 62,000 subscribers. This newsletter is 100% written by a human (no aliens or AIs involved). If you like this article, you can subscribe to receive notifications when a new article posts.

Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library and tune into my LinkedIn Office Hours live broadcasts.

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A big challenge in project estimating is dealing with the requestor! Leaders often have a number in mind. They might want you to deliver an unachievable objective or expect an unreasonable level of accuracy. Here are a few techniques to handle a challenging estimate requestor.   

• Point out unknowns. Because projects are unique, they include things that haven’t been done before. That’s where risk and uncertainty make estimating so challenging. When you discuss the development of an estimate with the requestor, talk about the unknowns. Point out what’s different or unique. This can help the requestor understand how difficult estimating can be. Then, ask the requestor questions about any insights they have about project unknowns. This can spark meaningful dialogue and produce a reasonable expectation for the estimate.
• Uncover and discuss assumptions. Requestors often have unspoken assumptions about the project concept, which can be related to their beliefs about technical complexity. Or they may remember a project they think is like the one they want estimated. Ask the requestor about their assumptions for the project and then talk about whether those assumptions make sense. This can change the requestor’s understanding of the estimating effort and result in a better initial estimate that will be accepted more readily.
• Present research possibilities. Doing research is a part of building good estimates. But sharing that with a requestor rarely relieves the pressure.  You have a better chance of convincing them to support research by explaining what you want to research and the resources you will use to conduct it. The requestor might reduce their pressure for fast estimates when they see the details of the research that’s needed. The research helps bring facts and historical trends into your estimating.
• Use estimation ranges and ways to narrow them. Recommended practice is to associate a range with an estimate. For example, an order of magnitude estimate usually appears like $300,000 plus 75% – minus 25%. This range allows for the unknowns and risks that can affect your estimate. When you talk to the requestor, you need to share more information. A range isn’t enough. Talk about the data points and events that could narrow the estimate. Suppose one of the major unknowns is a vendor’s quote. Once you receive the quote and the cost is known, you can incorporate it into the estimate and narrow the range. Explaining this process helps the estimate requestor accept the variability of the estimate.
• Present historical data about past projects and the inaccuracies of hasty estimating. Discuss similar projects that can validate an estimate. And show how initial estimates are often off the mark. This can temper the requestor’s expectations. Make sure the referenced projects are truly similar. When you look at a past estimate that wasn’t accurate, identify why it differed from the actual values. That way, you can draw parallels to the current estimation process to get a better idea of the estimate and how it might not be accurate.
• Try to understand the requestor’s perspective and challenges. The requestor could have a valid business reason to pressure you for an estimate. Understanding their challenges can be helpful — it could uncover alternatives.  For example, breaking a project into smaller phases to achieve the requestor’s objectives more quickly. Or expanding the use of a tool or process already in the business to satisfy a pressing business need.

What else have you done to manage requestors’ expectations and demands for estimates? Or what unsolved challenges do you have related to people asking for project estimates? Share with us in the comments section.

For more about estimating methods, check out my Project Management Foundations: Scheduling course.

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This article belongs to the Bonnie’s Project Pointers newsletter series, which has more than 61,000 subscribers. This newsletter is 100% written by a human (no aliens or AIs involved). If you like this article, you can subscribe to receive notifications when a new article posts.

Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library and tune into my LinkedIn Office Hours live broadcasts.

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The justification for a project isn’t always obvious. There could be a lot of negotiation to address conflicting business needs. And it can go beyond juggling the triple constraints of cost, scope, and time. When the team is struggling to agree on project justification, here are some trade-offs to consider.

• Resources versus project finish date. Project requirements often come with pre-set, aggressive deadlines. Adding resources, including contracting specialized skills, is one way to meet those deadlines. Keep in mind, even with more resources, aggressive deadlines can increase risk because the schedule is more sensitive to resource changes and task completion issues.
• Using out-of-the-box, configuration, or customization when implementing software. Software products often come with a standard set of business processes they support. This out-of-the box approach to implementing software is the easiest and least expensive. Most software packages also supply features to configure the product, providing flexibility to support varied business processes. While configuring is more expensive and time-consuming than using out-of-the-box software, configuration can enhance business efficiency and effectiveness. Alternatively, businesses might choose to customize the software to address specific or unique processes. Customization is costly and comes with inherent risks, such as compatibility with future software updates from the vendor. Prioritize using out-of-the-box or configuration. Reserve customization for cases where the business relies on proprietary and unique processes that require tailored software support.
• Deliver in phases versus running one large project. Many stakeholders submit a broad set of project requirements. While they are all useful, you might not need all of them to deliver business benefit. Breaking a project down into phases means you can deliver value earlier. It also reduces risk, especially when project team members have day-to-day operational responsibilities. A longer project means it’s more likely that key team members will be pulled away to handle operational needs. Finally, when the business is cost-conscious, a smaller project is helpful. The initial project phase will cost less. Also, stakeholders will scrutinize the requirements for future project phases, because they need a stand-alone business case. Finally, as business conditions change, a seemingly important requirement might not be as crucial.
• Quality versus speed. Quality versus speed is a powerful yet risky trade-off. Sure, you can reduce project cost and deliver products sooner by using fewer quality assurance processes. However, the project cost might increase if the delivered products have errors that affect the business, or worse yet, your business’s customers. This trade-off is often made late in a project when deadlines are at risk, and teams are desperate to deliver on time. Discuss this trade-off possibility in advance before deadline pressure is present. Negotiate to keep the quality assurance processes needed to protect the business from costly errors.
• Long-term maintenance versus initial development. In product development projects, a crucial decision involves identifying the ongoing maintenance activities required once the project concludes and the product is in daily use. You can minimize product maintenance by investing more effort, cost, and time during development. Development for a simpler product can be faster and less costly, but it can increase maintenance effort and long-term usage cost. For example, you could build a machine that is self-lubricating, which would be more costly. However, maintenance would involve ensuring that there was enough lubricant for the machine to work properly. The simpler machine would cost less to build.  But then, it would require effort, resources, and downtime while the machine is periodically disassembled and lubricated manually. Working with the product designers, project managers can identify the holistic total cost of ownership to negotiate project approval. 

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This article belongs to the Bonnie’s Project Pointers newsletter series, which has more than 59,000 subscribers. This newsletter is 100% written by a human (no aliens or AIs involved). If you like this article, you can subscribe to receive notifications when a new article posts.

Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library and tune into my LinkedIn Office Hours live broadcasts.

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Here are seven of the hottest trends in the evolving field of project management. Post in the comment section with which of these topics interest you. I will prioritize future articles based on the topics with the highest interest.

1. AI and automation in project management. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies are being integrated into project management tools. These help streamline routine tasks, improve accuracy in project forecasting, and enhance overall efficiency.

2. Agile in non-IT environments. The principles of Agile, such as iterative development and continuous feedback, have reached beyond software development and are being embraced in fields like marketing, HR, and manufacturing.

3. Hybrid project management. Many organizations are adopting hybrid project management approaches, which combine traditional waterfall and Agile practices. The benefit is to use appropriate approaches to different parts of a project to achieve the best project outcomes.

4. Remote project management. With the rise of remote work, project managers must adapt their strategies to manage remote teams in different locations. This requires collaboration tools, virtual communication platforms, and effective approaches for developing teamwork.

5. Emphasis on emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is now recognized as a crucial skill for project managers. With stakeholders, the ability to understand and navigate emotions will enhance communication, collaboration, and project success.

6. Data-driven decision-making. Project managers are leveraging data analytics alongside project management tools to make informed decisions. By collecting and analyzing relevant data, teams can identify trends, anticipate potential issues, and optimize processes for better project outcomes.

7. Focus on organizational change management. Successful project managers are using organizational change management principles to help teams and stakeholders adapt to project-related changes. This includes communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, and addressing resistance to change.

Post in the comments section to cast your vote(s) for your favorite trend!

Coming Up

Marlene Chism is an expert in conflict, anger management, working with difficult people, and having difficult conversations – things most of us want to avoid. Despite the tough topics, she’s a truly lovely person. In this LinkedIn Learning Office Hours, we’re going to dig into some of the concepts she teaches for dealing with conflict. We’ll spend the rest of the session providing practical advice for dealing with conflict and other difficult situations. Bring your questions about the conflict you need help with, and we’ll provide advice for as many as we can fit in!I hope you will join us on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 11am MT, 1 PM ET for this no-nonsense, advice-packed session on dealing with conflict with composure.

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This article belongs to the Bonnie’s Project Pointers newsletter series, which has more than 58,000 subscribers. This newsletter is 100% written by a human (no aliens or AIs involved). If you like this article, you can subscribe to receive notifications when a new article posts.

Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library and tune into my LinkedIn Office Hours live broadcasts.

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One of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly-Successful People is to put first things first – that is – put your time and energy into what’s important and say no to what isn’t. Let’s look at common project manager habits that you might want to break in order to have time to focus on what’s truly important in your projects.

• Attending repeat meetings routinely. Meetings are often pre-scheduled every one or two weeks. It’s a handy way to carve out time to keep stakeholders up to date. What if there’s no significant project news or risks to talk about? There’s no need for a meeting!  New habit: Work with your team to determine whether a meeting is necessary. Then, skip or cancel it if there isn’t anything relevant to cover.

• Answering emails in order of receipt. Many project managers answer emails in the order they were received to reply in a timely fashion. Timely communication is important, but not every email requires an immediate response. New habit: Set specific times in your day to respond to emails. Review all new emails and prioritize responding to them based on their urgency and importance. (Give people another communication method for emergencies.)

• Getting administrative tasks out of the way. Everyone has administrative tasks to do and seeing them on our desks can be annoying. (This is so me!)  Many people will finish these low-priority tasks up front, so they aren’t nagged by the piles of paperwork. Most of the time, you can postpone these activities until things calm down. New habit: Set aside time in your schedule when it’s usually quiet to handle your admin tasks.

• Worrying about non-critical-path tasks. Keeping the project schedule on track is important. But you don’t have to scrutinize every task in your project. Don’t get distracted by issues with tasks that aren’t on the critical path. Instead, focus on critical tasks – the ones that affect your project timeline. New habit: Focus on critical path tasks and tasks with very little slack. Leave the management of other tasks to your team members.

• Wasting time on time-consuming reporting processes.  Reporting is important — and time-consuming. You can streamline reporting, but that usually takes time. So what? Take the time to automate or delegate reporting. You’ll recoup it many times over during your project management career. New habit: Spend time up front to streamline reporting. Consider restructuring your project reports to make them easier to create.

• Wasting time on any process. Just like reporting, there are lots of project management activities that are important, but chew through your workday. Think about ways to perform these tasks more efficiently. Prioritize them by how much time you can save. Then, spend some time each week making your efforts more productive: build templates, implement new tools, harness AI, and so on. New habit: Set aside some time each week to work on ways to make your work more productive.

• Interrupting your focus by answering the phone. Phone calls interrupt your work and distract you. But they aren’t necessarily important or urgent. Don’t answer the phone unless you know it’s important. New habit: Don’t answer the phone unless you’re expecting the call. Set up a communication method (I recommend texting) for immediate and important communication. Commit to answering other forms of communication within a specific timeframe, such as 24 or 48 hours.

Do you have habits that you know aren’t effective? Do you have ideas for how to focus on what’s important? What is the one thing you could do differently that would help you focus on what’s truly important? Share with us in the comments section.

For more about being effective, check out Dave Crenshaw’s Time Management Fundamentals course. Or look at Chris Croft’s Five Ways to Control Your Time course.

Coming Up

Marlene Chism is an expert in conflict, anger management, working with difficult people, and having difficult conversations – things most of us want to avoid. Despite the tough topics, she’s a truly lovely person. In this LinkedIn Learning Office Hours, we’re going to dig into some of the concepts she teaches for dealing with conflict. We’ll spend the rest of the session providing practical advice for dealing with conflict and other difficult situations. Bring your questions about the conflict you need help with, and we’ll provide advice for as many as we can fit in!I hope you will join us on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 11am MT, 1 PM ET for this no-nonsense, advice-packed session on dealing with conflict with composure.

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This article belongs to the Bonnie’s Project Pointers newsletter series, which has more than 57,000 subscribers. This newsletter is 100% written by a human (no aliens or AIs involved). If you like this article, you can subscribe to receive notifications when a new article posts.

Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library and tune into my LinkedIn Office Hours live broadcasts.

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