One Minute to Performance Innovation - What's the best way to establish a policy?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, What's the best way to establish a policy? ~ Senior VP, Fortune 500 Company

Dear Readers,

Today’s episode of One Minute to Performance Improvement was filmed ON LOCATION at the airport in Detroit, Michigan, where your CMMI Appraiser just got off the phone with a client, who asked, "What's the best way to establish a policy?"  Below is a video clip of my response, and, below that, a quick summary. Enjoy!

Jeff Dalton from Ask the CMMI Appraiser, on his way to visit a client, on a moving walk.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

What’s the best way to represent a policy?  The answer depends on several other questions, including:

• How you define a policy?
• What is it that you want a policy to do?
• How will you communicate a policy?

GREAT MISUNDERSTANDING 

People often think that adopting the CMMI means they have to have "binders full of processes."  They tend to treat every project – even projects as small as mapping a desktop computer to a printer – as though they were building a space shuttle.  It doesn't have to be that way.

AIRPORT POLICIES

Looking around the airport, one sees evidence of an organization doing a great job of defining and communicating their policies, such as: ‘Do not accept any bags that do not belong to you’ and 'Please watch your step as you exit the moving walk.'

Instead of having a policy in some dusty old binder, put it in a sign on the wall, put it in newsletters, in a video, or in a recording, where it can be useful and used by people.

CONCLUSION:

Whether your goals are to successfully deliver software, achieve a CMMI “certificate” or rating, develop a strategic weapon to help you attract and retain new customers, or get on the path to becoming a great company, the CMMI can help.

Find out more about CMMI on our upcoming Webinar:

Webinar: “Everything You Need to Know. CMMI!"
When: April 22 @noon EDT
Cost: FREE!

Hope to 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 running a successful CMMI and performance improvement program.