Announcing "Managing Project Risk" - New Webinar in the "Everything You Need to Know" Series

Dear Readers,

All projects have risks.  But the risks that cause executives the most worry are the risks that no one is thinking about – the unknown factor around your projects and programs.

The worry seems justified.  Being unable (or unwilling) to identify or anticipate risks can cause enormous problems.  Organizations are failing to realize the value of their projects due to unforeseen risks.  Projects are failing, over-budget and behind schedule.  Executives, project managers and program managers can lose their budgets and ultimately, their jobs.  For thousands of people in corporate and government organizations throughout America, the fear of the unknown is real.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

The new “Managing Project Risk” webinar from Broadsword shows project managers, program managers and executives how to mitigate the risk and eliminate the worry by transforming their fear of the unknown into a successful risk plan.

NEW Webinar: “Everything You Need to Know: Managing Project Risk!”
Date: Friday, January 29, 2016 @ noon EST
Registration: Sign up here

On “Managing Project Risk,” the 8th webinar in our “Everything You Need to Know” Series, you'll discover a better strategy for Managing Project Risk.  You’ll understand that the goal is not to eliminate risks entirely, but to minimize the negative impact of risks on the project or program. You’ll learn the secret to integrating the architectural strengths of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) with your organization’s Risk Management approach for better, more predictable result.

Help yourself and your teams improve and change the way you behave, leading to improved performance, stronger products and happier customers.  Register for “Managing Project Risk" today.

See you on the webinar!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

How will we stay agile?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser - How do we stay agile as we expand into bigger markets?  Already our auto manufacturing customers are making demands that are inconsistent with our agile values ~ Devon P

Hey, Devon,

It’s an important question because so many new adopters, such as the federal government and big defense contractors, are demanding that their vendors “go agile.”  As we say in the automotive industry, where I’ve been working for 30 years: “Suppliers don’t change General Motors, General Motors changes suppliers.”

The same problem happens when working with the Department of Defense. A supplier can have all the best intentions and the right way of going about things, but they will eventually get changed.

The simple truth is this. If we want to remain agile, we need to agree on a resilient model that can withstand the attempts of these new players to change our values.

You can learn more on our “Everything You Need to Know” webinar series this week.  We’ll show you how integrating the architectural strengths of the CMMI can help you go agile, and remain agile by making agile resilient enough to thrive and scale throughout your organization.

Sign up: Everything You Need to Know: Agile Transformation!
Wednesday, Jan 20 @ noon EST

Sign up: Everything You Need to Know: Agile Resiliency!
Friday, Jan 22 @ noon EST

Join us if you can, and good luck!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

Should we add a CMMI Maturity Level 2 or 3?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, Our team is exhausted. We’ve got too many forms, meetings, reviews, and sign-offs. Our quality audits are heavy-handed, and there is far too much oversight. To reduce some of the chaos, should we add a CMMI Maturity Level 2 or 3? ~ Jim J.

Hey, Jim,

The CMMI is a performance improvement framework that you can use as a set of guidelines to reduce chaos and put your company on the path to greatness. But I would caution against using the word “add.” Going for a CMMI Maturity Rating, without understanding and applying the value of the Model, will only introduce more risk and chaos into the organization.

So how do you clear away the clutter and make your way onto the path of greatness?

A proper approach to the CMMI can do exactly that. A proper approach to adopting the Model helps you supercharge engineering performance, increase productivity, reduce risk, and do what you do, better. But you have to be willing to re-think the forms, meetings, reviews, sign-offs, and all the things that are bogging you down.

I talked about this recently during an interview on Blog Talk Radio with my friend Murali, who shared the perfect anecdote for this problem. He told the story of the sculptor who says, “It is easy to sculpt a lion out of a block of marble. I simply chip off all the marble I don’t want.”

We laughed, and I said the marble is analogous to what I call “Process Debt.”

Process Debt is the unintentional consequence of trying to “add a CMMI Maturity Level 2 or 3” without reaching for greatness. Examples of Process Debt include late projects, over budget projects, unhappy customers, unhappy employees, etc.  All bogged down and trapped in a block of marble.

The analogy applies to many different industries and disciplines. For example, one of my hobbies is recording music, and when I’m in the recording studio in my home, I think of the great recording artists, who say: “The secret to great music is not what you add, but what you take away.”

So many times, the secret to excellence is to NOT do things, instead of do things. Miss that, and you’ll cause all kinds of chaos to the business. And the nightmare doesn't end there. Process Debt crushes morale, damages creativity, and destroys any productivity gains you were hoping for. Some organizations carry so much weight that engineers can barely deliver a product.

That’s usually when my phone rings.

“Hey, CMMI Appraiser, we need a solution,” they say. “What should we add? What should we create?”

My advice is: Don’t create anything! Don’t add anything! STOP doing all these things that you’re doing. You are only piling up more Process Debt.

To fix this problem, I tell them, try taking the proper approach to the CMMI. Understand that CMMI is not about certificates, plaques, or achieving a Maturity Level 2 or 3 Rating. It’s not a test you need to pass. It’s not a rule book you need to follow. The CMMI doesn’t “make” you do anything – and if you are creating documents and processes to satisfy some CMMI appraiser – he or she is adding to your Process Debt. Fire that person immediately.

To find out how to have a successful CMMI adoption, and put your company on the path to greatness, check out our January 2016 schedule of CMMI and performance improvement webinars.

Click here for webinar calendar.

Good luck!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!
Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

Data tells, but stories sell! Announcing the Capability Challenge – Round 2

Dear Readers,

Hurry, hurry, step right up! Round 2 of the Capability Challenge is about to start!

If you’ve been reading this blog, or following your friendly neighborhood CMMI Appraiser on Twitter, you know all about the Capability Challenge webinar series, hosted by the CMMI Institute. You know that participating in the Capability Challenge gives you a unique opportunity to hear real-life examples of performance improvement in our industry, which can help your business and your career. And you know that you get to vote for the story you think is the best, and watch the winner advance.

Well, it's time to apply your knowledge.  Sign up for Round 2!

What: 2016 Capability Challenge Webinar Series: Round 2

When: January 12th at 1pm EST

Sign up: click here

In Round 2 of the Capability Challenge, we’ll hear the stories of building capability from our next four Challengers:

• Michael Callihan, President at AEGIS.net
• Will Pohlman, Manager, IT Applications at Nationwide Application Development Center
• Winfried Russwurm, Principal Key Expert at Siemens AG
• Mary Anne Herndon, Director of Process Improvement at Transdyne Corporation

We need your vote! Help us crown the 2016 Capability Challenge Champion. The webinar series is designed to help software and engineering professionals learn be successful by doing the things great companies do.

Be there!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.

Where's the best CMMI info on Twitter?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser - Where's the best CMMI info on Twitter? ~ conference attendee

Dear Readers,

Did you know that Ask the CMMI Appraiser is on Twitter?

If you're one of over 800 hundred of our followers, you're already getting our daily tweets packed with CMMI knowledge.  We're different because we help you focus on the fact that Process Improvement, Agile, and CMMI are all about the transformation of the culture of your company.

Join the movement! Follow us today at "CMMIAppraiser".

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about engineering strategy, performance innovation, software process improvement and running a successful CMMI program.