Planning Value

The value in creating plans is not found in blindly following them but in using them as tools to intelligently and proactively manage inevitable change.

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

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Why small is sometimes big

‎"Starting small" doesn't necessarily mean doing small things. Starting step one of massive, complex, daunting goal broken down and prioritized in manageable chunks is "starting small." Starting is the key.

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

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Intelligence, talent, and genius

Almost anyone with intelligence and some talent is able to complicate matters; arrive at a solution that is bigger, more complex than the problem. There is, however, a world of difference between intelligence, talent and genius. Some portion of genius is required to solve problems in ways that simplify, rather than complicate, the outcome.

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

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Risks and Obstacles

A risk is not an obstacle; it hasn't materialized. Equating risks with impediments or barriers is placing a mental obstacle of our own construction directly in our forward path.

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

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Hyperbole

Hyperbole is the downfall of requirements, proposals, and status reports.

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

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Quotes from the Boss

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Project sponsor commenting on results from GUI design session, "I guess with enough practice, any interface is intuitive."

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"You get the guys started coding. I'll go find out what the client wants." ~ VP to Project Mangager

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"Teamwork is a lot of people doing exactly what I say." ~The Boss

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Program Manager and VP discussing potential projects.

VP: "This is a good concept and there's a huge value proposition to it. Unfortunately, we looked at doing the same thing last but decided not to fund the effort."

PM: "Really? That's interesting: Why did you kill the project?"

VP: "Well... we decided it was too hard."

PM: [pause] "This project means millions in ROI and about the same in cost savings. We're not doing it because it's hard?"

VP: [pause] "Yes."

PM: "Should we rethink that?"

VP: "No. It's too hard."

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"640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981

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Programmer: "This design isn't going to work. We were wrong in our assumptions and we can't deliver it."

Manager: "What will it take to change the project documentation and make it read like we knew this from the start?"

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Quotable: 20090402

A little risk management saves a lot of fan cleaning. ~ Anon

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Quotable: 20090331

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. ~ William James

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Quotable: 20090316

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

I had to make some optimistic assumptions to meet the revenue target. In week three, we're visited by an alien named D'utox Inag who offers to share his advanced technology. --Dilbert

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Quotable: 20090315

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. -- Robert Anderson

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