Podcast Notes: Efficient Use of Meeting

From: Managing Software Development by James Edgell

The best meetings are ones that help effectively drive action. If you are having too many meetings, you need to calculate the cost of the meeting (in terms of both salary of participants and time costs of all participants for both preparation and participation). You will be surprised at how expensive a meeting can be.

Agendas and meeting notes lend toward more effective action meetings.

Agendas should have the purpose of the meeting and desired outcome stated. They should also include structured topics with time allocations. Also, a list of supporting information.

Meeting minutes should be provided post meeting. Good minutes require you to not attend every meeting and catch up if you miss the meeting. A summarization of topics discussed is provided.

After the meeting, send out the meeting minutes. Silence is acceptance. If a participant does not agree with the minutes, they should respond with a quick Reply All with correction or can be held responsible for the misunderstood item in the minutes.

Podcast Notes: A roadmap is NOT a strategy

Podcast by Alyssa Dver

The difference between vision, product strategy and product roadmap:

• Vision should be the responsibility of the top manager/management team. "This is what we want to be when we grow up."
  
• Product Strategy is very important. It should be driven by top management and needs buy in. This is the framework for achieving the vision. 1) What is the company capable of doing? 2) What are our current resources and market environment? 3) How do we think those are going to change in the future? The strategy is our way to get through foreseen changes and achieve our vision.
  
• Product Roadmap - taking the vision and strategy into consideration, here is how we are going to get there. What are the milestones and tactical expectations.
  

Example: Creation of the world

• The vision is the creation of the world.
  
• The strategy is eight divine steps. Do it in 6 days. Rest on day 7.
  
• The roadmap is creation of light on day 1, etc.

Podcast Notes: Why Product Management Is Critical

Podcast by Alyssa Dver

 

Product Managers are responsible for taking the ideas the company comes up with and matching them to the needs of the market.

Project Managers have a specific set of tasks that are related to the project.

Program Managers are usually over a set of projects.

 

Poor project/product management stems from:

• Lack of intimate customer/market knowledge
  
• Lack of clear strategy
  

Too many organizations don't take the time to talk to their actual customers. In addition, they need to talk to prospective clients and lost accounts. You need to know your market and pricing. Why are people buying/not buying your service/product instead of another company's?

Data should drive decisions. Not hopes and dreams.

Learning Goals for 2011

In 2011, I want to complete (a minimum of) the following items:

Podcasts:

• Finish listening to all Pre-2011 episodes of the 'PM411.org Project Management Podcast'
  
• Finish listening to all Pre-2011 episodes of 'The Project Management Podcast'
  
• Finish reading all Pre-2011 episodes of 'Project Management Best Practices'
  

Reading:

• Read the course binder materials for 'Fundamentals of Project Management'
  
• Read 'The Product Manager's Desk Reference'
  
• Read 'UML For the IT Business Analyst'
  
• Read 'The Rational Unified Process Made Easy'
  
• Read 'The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management'