I am sad

I am the shadow that they all ignore, I am the fish that lay dead on the shore. I am the pollution, that we all breath, I am the darkness that some of us need. I am the hate that we all seem to feel, I am the fantasy that makes things unreal. I am the fear that we all carry, I am the monster that just seems too scarey. I am the tears that we sometimes cry, I am the despair and i am the demise. I am the dream that we all need to find, I am that voice inside your mind. I am the devil on the left and the angel on the right where both of us sit and begin to fight. I am the bad that speak nonsence, Im always with you for Im your conscience.

Who cares about me.

I have found that being alone is no fun, and it causes the tension and sadness.

why can’t we find someone who is real..is it we look in all the wrong places. or is it we trust all the wrong ones. i hate it when they lie to our face,but don’t care at all..we just want someone who cares about us….

hamaare dil pe jo zaKhmoN kaa baab likhaa hai

hamaare dil pe jo zaKhmoN kaa baab likhaa hai
usii meN vaqt kaa saaraa hisaab likhaa hai

(baab : chapter; hisaab : calculation)

kuch aur kaam to ham se na ho sakaa lekin
tumhaare hijr kaa ek ek azaab likhaa hai

(hijr : separation; azaab : punishment)

suluuk nishtaroN jaisaa na keejiye ham se
hameshaa aap ko ham ne gulaab likhaa hai

(nishtar : dagger; gulaab : rose)

tere vajuud ko mahsuus umr bhar hogaa
tere laboN pe jo ham ne javaab likhaa hai

(vajuud : existence; mahsuus : felt; javaab : answer)

hu’aa fasaad to us meN nahiiN kisii kaa qusuur
havaa-e-shah’r ne mausam Kharaab likhaa hai

(fasaad : riot; qusuur : fault; havaa : wind; shah’r : city)

agar yaqiiN nahiiN to uThaaiye taariiKh
hamaaraa naam basad aab-o-taab likhaa hai

(basad : with; aab-o-taab : splendour)

Manzar Bhopali

Fasaad K Baad: After Fight

gehraa sannaaTaa hai
kuch makaanoN se Khamosh uThtaa hu’aa
gaaRhaa kaalaa dhuuaaN
mail dil meN liye
har taraf duur tak phailtaa jaataa hai
gehraa sannaaTaa hai

laash kii tarah bejaan hai raastaa
ek TuuTaa hu’aa Thelaa
ulTaa paRaa
apne pahiye havaa meN uThaaye hu’e
aasmaanoN ko hairat se taktaa hai
jaise ke jo bhii hu’aa
uskaa ab tak yaqiiN isko aayaa nahiiN
gehraa sannaaTaa hai

(Thelaa : wooden cart)

ek ujRii dukaaN
chiiKh ke baad muuNh
jo khulaa kaa khulaa rah gayaa
apne TuuTe kivaaRoN se vo
duur tak phaile
chuuRii ke TukRoN ko
hasratzadaa nazroN se dekhtii hai
ke kal tak yahii shiishe
is pople ke muuNh meN
sau rang ke daaNt the
gehraa sannaaTaa hai

(hasratzadaa : in anticipation)

gehre sannaaTe ne apne manzar se yuuN baat kii
sun le ujRii dukaaN
ai sulagte makaaN
TuuTe Thele
tumhiiN bas nahiiN ho akele
yahaaN aur bhii haiN
ham inkaa maatam kareNge
magar pahle unko to ro leN
ke jo luuTne aaye the
aur Khud luT gaye
kyaa luTaa
iskii unko Khabar hii nahiiN
kamnazar haiN
ke sadiyoN kii tehziib par
un bechaaroN kii ko’ii nazar hii nahiiN

(manzar : view)



Javed Akhtar

Urdu poetry: Faiz Ahmed Faiz

http://www.urdupoetry.com/poetlist.html

raat yuuN dil meN terii khoyii hu’ii yaad aayii
jaise viiraane meN chupke se bahaar aa jaaye
jaise sehraaoN meN hauley se chale baad-e-nasiim
jaise biimaar ko be-vajh qaraar aa jaaye

by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

At night my lost memory of you returned

and I was like the empty field where springtime,
without being noticed, is bringing flowers;

I was like the desert over which
the breeze moves gently, with great care;

I was like the dying patient
who, for no reason, smiles.

Tanslation by Sarvat Rahman, from 100 Poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz:

Last night, your long-lost memory came back to me as though
Spring stealthily should come to a forsaken wilderness
A gentle breeze its fragrance over burning deserts blow
Or, all at once be soothed somehow the sick soul’s distress.

Translation by Vikram Seth, from Mappings:

Last night your faded memory came to me
As in the wilderness spring comes quietly,
As, slowly, in the desert, moves the breeze,
As, to a sick man, without cause, comes peace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/daf3tyITjPs&hl=en]

badan ke donoN kinaaroN se jal rahaa huuN maiN
ke chhuu rahaa huuN tujhe, aur pighal rahaa huuN maiN

tujhii pe Khatm hai jaanaaN mire zavaal kii raat
tuu ab tulu bhii ho jaa, ke Dhal rahaa huuN maiN

(zavaal : nadir; tulu : appearing)

bulaa rahaa hai miraa jaamaa-zeb milne ko
to aaj pairahan-e-jaaN badal rahaa huuN maiN

(jaamaa-zeb : ?; pairahan-e-jaaN : clothes of the soul)

Ghubaar-e-rahguzar kaa ye hauslaa bhii to dekh
havaa-e-taazaa! tire saath chal rahaa huuN maiN

(Ghubaar-e-rahguzar : dust of the path; havaa-e-taazaa : fresh breeze)

maiN Khvaab dekh rahaa huuN ke vo pukaartaa hai,
aur apne jism se baahar nikal rahaa huuN maiN

dekhna qismat ki aap apne pe rashk aajaaye hai

[gallery] [gallery]

1.      dekhna  qismat  ki aap  apne  pe  rashk  aajaaye hai
        maiN use; dekhooN, bhalaa kab mujhse dekha jaaye hai

        [ rashk = envy ]

2.      haath dho dil se yahee garmee gar andeshe meiN hai
        aabgeena  tundee-e-sahbaa   se  pighla  jaaye  hai

        [ andesha = suspicion, aabgeena = a crystal glass,
          tundee = heat, sahbaa = red wine ]

3.      GHair ko yaarab ! woh kyoNkar mana'a-e-gustaaKHee kare ?
        gar haya  bhee  usko  aatee  hai  to sharma  jaaye hai

4.      shauq ko ye lat ke hardam  naala KheeNche jaayiye
        dil ki woh haalat ki dam lene se ghabra jaaye hai

5.      door chashm-e-bad ! teree bazm-e-tarab se waah-waah
        naGHma ho  jaata hai waaN  gar naala mera jaaye hai

        [ bad = wicked, tarab = joy, naala = lamentation ]

6.      GHarche hai tarz-e-taGHaaful, pardaadaar-e-raaz-e-ishq
        par ham  'eise  khoye jaate  haiN ki woh paa jaaye hai

        [ taGHaaful = negligence, pardaadar = one who puts on a veil ]

7.      uskee bazm_aaraaiyaaN sunkar dil-e-raNjoor yaaN
        misl-e-naqsh-e-muddaa-e-GHair baiTHa jaaye  hai

        [ aaraaiyaaN = decorations, raNjoor = sad/distressed, misl = record,
          naqsh = copy/print ]

8.      hoke aashiq woh  paree_ruKH aur naazuk ban gaya
        rang khulta jaaye hai, jitna ki uData jaaye hai

        [ paree_ruKH = angel faced ]

9.      naqsh  ko uske  musawwir  par bhee  kya-kya  naaz hai
        kheeNchta hai jis qadar, utana hee khiNchta jaaye hai

        [ naqsh = copy/print, musawwir = painter ]

10.     saaya meraa mujhse  misl-e-dood bhaage hai 'Asad'
        paas mujh aatish_bazaaN ke kisse Thahra jaaye hai

        [ misl-e-dood = like smoke ]

Learning How to Say NO!

Probably one of the biggest excuses for scope creep on projects is the inability of project managers and team members to say no to items that are clearly out of scope for the project.

Learning how to say "no" gracefully and without antagonizing the other person is an essential skill for Project Managers. The purpose of this segment is to highlight some of the more effective ways to say "no" that have been identified by experienced Project Managers.

Be Prepared

Put the infrastructure and discipline in place ahead of time to make it easier for you to resist inappropriate pressure later in the project.

As an example, it's very hard to resist scope creep if you haven't clearly defined the scope up front (so that everyone can recognize when a proposed change is in or out of scope). Communicate the importance of scope control and change management processes from day one.

Similarly, it's hard to refer an issue to a Steering Committee midway through a project, if you have not put a working Steering Committee in place from the outset of the project.

I'd Love to But

Explain calmly and clearly the various undesirable results that would occur if you were to say "yes", and explain what you can do instead. For example:

"We need to be responsive to changing requirements but, if we accommodate these changes now, we will not be able to deliver the system within the current very tight schedule. What we could do is to schedule these changes for a second release of the system once the initial release of the system has been delivered."

Well Maybe

Rather than using the word "no", use "maybe" and give them some choices that you can live with. For example:

"Well, maybe we could schedule these additional changes in a second release of the system once the initial release of the system has been delivered. Or perhaps we could switch this new requirement for something else that we had planned to deliver which is a lower priority."

Help Me to Understand

Ask the person to help you to understand how you can accommodate his or her request within the various constraints that you are working under. For example:

"How are we going to accommodate the impact of these proposed changes on the work that has been done to date and the additional testing effort that will be required, and still deliver within the original budget and schedule."

I'll Have to Check

Indicate that you will have to refer the issue to a "higher authority" (e.g., your line manager) - that you don't have the authority to validate the request yourself. However, be careful about using this tactic. It will weaken your position if the customer feels that they are not dealing with the decision maker.

Let's Add it to the Agenda

Indicate that the issue needs to be referred to a committee for resolution (e.g., a Configuration Control Board for change requests or a Steering Committee for high level project issues). A committee is the best kind of fall back as the other person cannot then go over your head to a single individual.

What Part of "No" Don't You Understand

You should never use these words (which would be totally inappropriate) but stick to your principles and use proven conflict resolution techniques to develop a workable solution to the problem. Perseverance and smiling a lot goes a long way here.

By Sir Craig Borysowick (Chief Technology Tactician)

5o imp interview questions ask for any kind of job

1. Tell me about yourself:
The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking
reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?
You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?
Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?
This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?
Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?
This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?
Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?
A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?
The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization
You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?
Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made
Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?
This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?
Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

23. Tell me about your dream job.
Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can’t wait to get to work.

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?
See answer # 23

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?

Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?
Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
There are numerous good possibilities: Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise,
Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?
Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include: Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures:
ou set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.Your boss tell you that you are successful

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?
You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead ofyour own?
This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style.
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?
Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well
qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about,
bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working
quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute betweenothers.
Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?
Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

47. Describe your work ethic.
Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.
Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?
Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? Are examples.

Process Management vs Project Management

Process Management and Project Management go hand-in-hand to deliver a successful project. Both are critical components of Gartner’s Application Development Management Continuum (Gartner Group, 1995). Each has a clearly delineated area of responsibility.

Process Management deals with defining and managing what is done on a project, including tasks completed, deliverables produced, roles performed, and tools used. It deals with the “scientific method” used to deliver an IT solution.

Project Management deals with tracking the process being executed, from a schedule and cost perspective. It includes functions for developing the optimal project schedule, producing a financial model of the project, scheduling and tracking of effort against plan, managing costs against budget, and reporting of status, to name a few.

I will be spending the next several posts focusing on Process Management; however, some of the Process Management tools it describes are used for both Process Management and Project Management.

Process Management Objectives

By defining and applying a scientific method to the delivery of IT solutions, Process Management has the following objectives:

� To define a repeatable process that, when executed, behaves predictably and delivers a quality product – on schedule and within budget.

� To produce higher quality IT solutions.

� To increase productivity and shorten the delivery cycle, through the application of optimized processes and the re-use of work products.

� To upgrade the skill levels of all project participants, including delivery team staff and customers.

By: The Great Sir Craig

Process Management vs Knowledge-Driven Process Management

Specification Reinspection Correction Time: This describes the effort required to correct defects found during the reinspection of a specification deliverable. Typically specification deliverables include the Requirements Definition, Functional Design, Structural Design, and System Test Specification. The correction effort is influenced by the complexity of the specification deliverable. http://preview.tinyurl.com/4ty4rf

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Process management involves two dimensions:

1. defining and continually refining a set of procedures for the management of repeatable business processes; and

2. executing and monitoring the processes.

Process management disciplines are applied by managers in most business contexts, including Project Managers who use these disciplines to control and monitor the execution of project tasks with timely and accurate information. Process and Project Management overlap in a number of areas but do not have the same focus.

Knowledge-Driven Process Management is the automation of Process Management through the application of a defined process. The process is defined in a knowledge repository or rule-based engine (e.g., an expert system) and drives an integrated suite of workflow management, project management, and product delivery tools.

Knowledge-Driven Process Management presents the worker with a step by step process and business rules for performing work; invokes the tools required to perform the work; provides templates, checklists, and samples for the work to be performed; and supplies in a pro-active manner procedural information on how to perform each specific task. It also provides information about the processes being performed:

1. to support coordination of tasks assigned to individuals; and

2. to provide status about activities relative to plans or defined performance measures.

CHECKLIST FOR MANAGING TEAM PERFORMANCE

This checklist given below can provide some guidance on ensuring that the foundations for performance are properly laid for any team.  It also hints at items to watch within an organization that may impact the team.

CHECKLIST FOR MANAGING TEAM PERFORMANCE
	Yes	No	N/A	Remarks
Are standards and procedures in place covering the general conduct of the team (e.g., project terminology, routine communications, meeting procedures)?
Have all team members received a full and sufficient orientation to the project?
Are all team members adequately trained to carry out their responsibilities?
Does the management style encourage respect for the individual and generate personal focus and clear intent to achieve customer satisfaction?
Are all team member roles and responsibilities clearly defined and understood?
Have project and personal objectives been clearly defined for each team member?
Do team members interact effectively?
Is there personal and collective display of excitement and interest?
Are the right people making the decisions based on sources of information rather than position in the hierarchy?
Is everyone able to influence decision-making and understand the results?
Are team leaders consulting team members for their opinions, encouraging them, and coaching them on the right way to do things, in such a way that they maintain confidence in their ability to meet their delivery commitments?
Are the team communications effective, including all members not just senior levels?
Does the team meet regularly to review status, share experiences, provide suggestions, and resolve problems and concerns?
Are project meetings run effectively (and is meeting time properly managed)?
Is project and company information posted/circulated?
Is everyone committed to understanding the issues and opportunities in problem situations and developing effective plans to achieve or resolve them?
Is there evidence of positive morale and teamwork?
Is the productivity of the team at an optimum level?
Are the project workspace and facilities appropriate?
Has the project implemented some means to recognize and reward quality service, creativity, innovation, and success (can be as simple as public acknowledgement and thanks for a job well-done)?
Does the environment encourage creative dissonance and continual striving for improvement within the cost and schedule constraints?
Are performance reviews being conducted to record and communicate the accomplishments of team members, and to appraise their skills, to facilitate career development?
Is project overtime within acceptable limits?
Is turnover within acceptable limits?
For longer term projects, are people being rotated off the project, or into new roles on the project, in a 12 to 18 month timeframe, in accordance with the staff rotation plan?

Sir Craig

Why your meetings suck!

he art and craft of executing good meetings has been completely lost from the business landscape.  Both the private and public sectors are a complete wasteland of time wasting, soul sucking bad meetings.  It needs to stop!

A number of years ago, I made a few changes to my operational parameters which actually cleared up a lot the time I’ve spent wasting away in completely pointless meetings.  If I walk out of a meeting thinking that nothing has been accomplished, there is a problem.  I work very hard to plan and execute my meetings – it isn’t too much to ask others to do the same.

I never accept any meeting booking that doesn’t include some form of an agenda. The offer of an agenda at the start of a meeting also doesn’t cut it.  I cannot be prepared for a meeting if I don’t know the content and purpose of a meeting ahead of time.  The fact that no agenda exists ahead of time tells me right away that there is no plan for the meeting, no purpose to accomplish anything and that I should avoid it completely.  Declined.

The other complete waste of time is the supposed “status meetings”.  Waste of time.  Status is for reporting – NOT MEETING.  If you can’t have a team complete status reports on what they have done and what their issues are – get a new team.  Even if there is an agenda – I never go to meetings that include status in the title.  Project managers that operate with status meetings should simply be taken to the middle of a desert, shot in both knees and left for dead.  9 times out of 10 the other members of the meeting are not interested in my status report any more than I am interested in theirs.  Assembling everyone to listen to them is a complete waste of everyone’s time. Don’t ever do this. There is only one reason a project manager should use a status meeting – he doesn’t know how to read. If you have a functional illiterate as a project manager on your project – my heart goes out to you.

A meeting is any kind of purposeful coming together of people to carry out the business of the company such as communications, planning, setting policy, making decisions, or motivating a team. To be effective, these meetings need to be well planned and executed.   Good meetings bring forth the best in people – the best ideas, the best decisions, and the best follow-up reactions. Not all meetings are good meetings, but good meetings can happen, and when they do, the company and the individual participants reap the benefits.

Bringing together large groups to brainstorm the content of a document? Supreme waste of time.

Small groups to perform brainstorming of the skeleton of a document and then assigning an individual to create the initial draft of the document to use as a straw-man at a larger meeting – useful.  Providing a copy of the draft to participants several days in advance and doing a summary presentation of the draft to the group – even better.

Regardless of the meetings purpose – always have an agenda and release it ahead of time.  There is no bigger waste of peoples time than getting together for a meeting that nobody knows the purpose of nor was able to prepare for.  Nothing worse than sitting with a group of people that have just had a topic dropped on them, watching them think of all the things that they could have read or referenced to be prepared for that topic and then muddle through a meeting about it.

One of the things that I have tried to do with some of my entries, is explain methods and provide useful tools to guide meetings. An example is the groups of questionnaires I provided for driving interviews on various types of technical projects.  I will try to provide more in the future for other types of meetings that continue to be executed poorly.

Here is Sue Pelletier’s Top 10 reasons to bolt from a meeting.  Some good resources on running better meetings – which should mean less meetings – can be found here and here.

The best way to stop bad meetings is to stop going to bad meetings – don’t waste your time!

Sophos knows...

http://www.snowwhitetest.com/press/

By Sir Craig

Rule of Thumb: Project Mgmt & Support Effort

The percentage of total effort applied to project management and support activities is between 12 to 18 percent. This rule of thumb provides a reasonableness check of the project management and support effort, considering the total project effort.

---

Source

This rule of thumb is based on Capers Jones analysis of the distribution of effort experienced on over 1300 software projects, as cited in Applied Software Measurement.

Assumptions

Management and support activities include the effort of the project management staff (e.g., Project Director, Deputy Project Director, Project Manager, and Team Leader) as well as Project Management Specialists and secretarial support.

Tips and Hints

Management and support effort increases as the size of the project increases. A small project (e.g., from 25 to 50 person months) will require approximately 12 percent of total project effort; a large project (around 6,500 person months) will require approximately 18 percent of total project effort.

Other factors can affect the percentage of project management and support effort required, such as specific customer requirements, the political organization, and the skills and experience of the project team.

Example

Assume a total project effort of 64 person months (or 1,216 person days) of effort. Thirteen percent of the total effort is 158 person days.

References

Jones, Capers. 1991. Applied Software Measurement: Assuring Productivity and Quality. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc. ISBN: 0-07-032813-7. Craig (Chief Technology Tactician)

Association Matrix Checklist

CHECKLIST FOR AN ASSOCIATION MATRIX
Project Name:		Project Code:
Document Name:		Document Number:
Reviewed By:		Reviewed Date:
Checklist Items		Yes	No	Comments
There are no missing rows or columns (the matrix is complete).
The rows and columns are sorted for best presentation.
All rows have an association with at least one column.
All columns have an association with at least one row.
For CRUD matrices, all entities that are being managed by the application have a "create".
For CRUD matrices, all entities that are managed by other applications (i.e., interfaces) show as "read" only.

i have to face problems, and solve them.

Reality

Reality of Life

Life isn't just full of happiness,
It's sunsets, it's love, it's tears.
It's the thoughts of yesterdays memories,
That can wash away all out fears.

It's that very painful experience,
That each one of us has had.
It's the laughter that fills the air,
It's the tears when you are sad.

It's loving that someone special,
That at one time made you smile.
It's the pain of losing that person,
But the memories that make it worthwhile.

It's that child in every one of us,
Although in time we'll all be old.
It's the good times we'll never forget,
It's the memories we'll always hold.

It's the hug that we all need,
When we'd rather drown in our sorrow.
It's the hope in every one of us,
That makes us hold on for tomorrow.

Using CRUD Diagrams to Group Processes into Systems

Using CRUD Diagrams to Group Processes into Systems

Grouping or clustering processes allows the analyst to identify what business processes fit naturally together. The groupings help determine what functions a specific system should perform and what data it requires.

The objective is for groups to have a high degree of independence from one another.

Converting to Association Matrix may Simplify Grouping

Grouping processes does not distinguish between create, read, update, or delete. Therefore, it may be simpler to convert the CRUD Diagram to an Association Matrix by changing each intersection with a C, R, U, and/or D into a common symbol such as a check mark or an asterisk.

Example: CRUD Diagram Converted to Association Matrix

Entity Process	Customer	Customer Order	Customer Account	Customer Invoice	Vendor Invoice	Product
Receive Customer Order	*	*	*
Process Customer Order	*		*			*
Fill Customer Order	*		*			*
Maintain Customer Account	*		*		*
Terminate Customer Account	*		*		*
Pay Vendor Invoices					*
Validate Vendor Invoices					*
Pay Vendor Invoices					*
Invoice Customer	*		*	*
Maintain Inventory						*

Initial Grouping

Begin by identifying the first two processes that use the same data entities. Rearrange the rows to position these two processes at the top of the matrix.

Identify other processes that use the same data entities and, if any, move them into the next rows in the matrix.

Example: Initial Grouping of Processes

Entity Process	Customer	Customer Order	Customer Account	Customer Invoice	Vendor Invoice	Product
Maintain Customer Account	*		*
Terminate Customer Account	*		*
Receive Customer Order	*	*	*
Process Customer Order	*		*			*
Fill Customer Order	*		*			*
Ship Customer Order			*		*
Validate Vendor Invoices					*
Pay Vendor Invoices					*
Invoice Customer	*		*	*
Maintain Inventory						*

Continue Grouping Process

Continue to identify other sets of processes that share the same data entities and move them into the next rows.

Example: Next Grouping of Processes

Entity Process	Customer	Customer Order	Customer Account	Customer Invoice	Vendor Invoice	Product
Maintain Customer Account	*		*
Terminate Customer Account	*		*
Process Customer Order	*		*			*
Fill Customer Order	*		*			*
Validate Vendor Invoices					*
Pay Vendor Invoices					*
Receive Customer Order	*	*	*
Ship Customer Order			*		*
Invoice Customer	*		*	*
Maintain Inventory						*

Manual Grouping

Once all processes that use the same entities have been identified, begin to analyze remaining entities to determine their best fit. This analysis is subjective. In the example you may decide that Receive Customer Order and Invoice Customer should be grouped with Process Customer Order and Fill Customer Order because they are all involved in processing the customer's order.

Example: Manual Grouping of Processes

Entity Process	Customer	Customer Order	Customer Account	Customer Invoice	Vendor Invoice	Product
Maintain Customer Account	*		*
Terminate Customer Account	*		*
Receive Customer Order	*	*	*
Process Customer Order	*		*			*
Fill Customer Order	*		*			*
Invoice Customer	*		*	*
Ship Customer Order			*		*
Validate Vendor Invoices					*
Pay Vendor Invoices					*
Maintain Inventory						*

Consider Using Subject Databases

Entities may be grouped into subject databases using a method such as Affinity Analysis. The subject databases are then used on the matrix instead of data entities. Grouping processes will be easier when there are fewer objects to analyze. For example, Customer, Customer Order, and Customer Account may be grouped as Customer while Customer Invoice and Vendor Invoice may be grouped as Invoicing.

Example: Grouping Processes using Subject Databases

Subject Process	Customer	Invoicing	Product
Maintain Customer Account	*
Terminate Customer Account	*
Receive Customer Order	*
Process Customer Order	*		*
Fill Customer Order	*		*
Invoice Customer	*	*
Ship Customer Order	*	*
Validate Vendor Invoices		*
Pay Vendor Invoices		*
Maintain Inventory			*

Craig Borysowich (Chief Technology Tactician)

what did you say

Pyaar Hum Ko Bhi Hai
Pyaar Tum Ko Bhi Hai
To Yeh Kya Silsile Ho Gaye
Bewafa Hum Nahin
Bewafa Tum Nahin
To Kyon Itne Gile Ho Gaye
Chalte Chalte Kaise Yeh Faasle Ho Gaye
Kya Pata Kahan Hum Chale
Pyaar Hum Ko Bhi Hai
Pyaar Tum Ko Bhi Hai
To Yeh Kya Silsile Ho Gaye
Bewafa Hum Nahin
Bewafa Tum Nahin
To Kyon Itne Gile Ho Gaye
Chalte Chalte Kaise Yeh Faasle Ho Gaye
Kya Pata Kahan Hum Chale

Pyaar Hum Ko Bhi Hai
Pyaar Tum Ko Bhi Hai
To Yeh Kya Silsile Ho Gaye
Bewafa Hum Nahin
Bewafa Tum Nahin
To Kyon Itne Gile Ho Gaye
Chalte Chalte Kaise Yeh Faasle Ho Gaye
Kya Pata Kahan Hum Chale

Duniya Jo Pooche To Kya Hum Kahen
Koi Yeh Humko Samjaade
Thes Lagi To Pal Mein Toot Gaye
Sheshe Ke The Kya Sab Vaade
Jaata Hai Koi Kyon Sapno Ko Thukraake
Payega Yeh Dil Kya Kisi Ko Batake
Chalte Chalte Raakh Hum Bin Jale Ho Gaye
Bujh Gaye Diye Pyaar Ke
Pyaar Hum Ko Bhi Hai
Pyaar Tum Ko Bhi Hai
To Yeh Kya Silsile Ho Gaye

Doob Gaya Hai Kaise Dard Mein Dil
Aansoon Bhari Hai Ab Aankhen
Tanhaiyon Ki Jo Ruth Aa Gayi
Ujdi Hui Hai Sab Raahein
Socha Tha Paayenge Dono Ek Manzil Ko
Raahein Jo Badli To Tumhi Batado
Chalte Chalte Gum Kahan Kaple Ho Gaye
Kho Gaye Kahan Raste
Pyaar Hum Ko Bhi Hai
Pyaar Tum Ko Bhi Hai
To Yeh Kya Silsile Ho Gaye
Bewafa Hum Nahin
Bewafa Tum Nahin
To Kyon Itne Gile Ho Gaye
Chalte Chalte Kaise Yeh Faasle Ho Gaye
Kya Pata Kahan Hum Chale
Kya Pata Kahan Hum Chale

Do I Even Need a Prototype??? & Prototyping Overview

Prototypes can add unnecessary overhead if they are not needed or are not workable for a particular project situation. Analyze the circumstances of the project to determine if a prototype will add value. When making the decision, consider the benefits of prototyping.

THE BENEFITS OF PROTOTYPING

Types of Benefits

Prototyping primarily assists with communication between the end-user and the development staff. The enhanced communication results in greater accuracy and fewer errors in later parts of the project, when they become more expensive to fix. The early involvement also empowers the end-user and facilitates system acceptance and understanding.

Communicate Requirements to Customer

Prototyping is an effective means of communicating the analyst's understanding of system requirements to the customer. The customer achieves a better understanding of the proposed system than could be obtained from written documentation alone. Therefore, problems that may have gone undetected until a later stage are identified earlier.

Prototyping should be used for all interactive systems. Consider that a serious review by end-users will almost always result in a change.

Communicate Requirements to Programmer

Prototyping is an effective means of communicating the system requirements and design to programmers. It is easier for the programmers to build a system from a working model than from a design document.

Customers See the Design at an Earlier Stage

Some design activities, such as Human Interface Design, occur at an earlier stage in the life cycle when a prototype is developed. Customers are able to try out the design and provide their input before much time and money are expended.

If Horizontal Prototyping is used during analysis, a first cut of the system externals is defined at that time. If a Vertical Prototype is developed, a first cut of the database must be designed during analysis.

Prototyping can greatly reduce the scope and size of design activities. Design activities still occur but they are moved to other stages of the system life cycle. Depending on the extent of the prototype, design efforts can be reduced to include only such tasks as test plan preparation, user aids design, conversion design, and database optimization.

Greater Customer Involvement

Customers become more involved in the system development process when a prototype is used. This helps ensure that customer requirements are met.

Reduce Written Documentation

Prototyping makes a system more intuitive and reduces the amount of written documentation required.

Situation Where Prototypes are Most Valuable

Some situations where prototyping is particularly valuable include:

· scope of the project permits customer involvement to improve the system,

· customers are unsure of their exact requirements or are having difficulty expressing requirements,

· the new system is altering a basic business operation,

· customers are not fully aware of all the impacts of the new system,

· the advantages and disadvantages of alternative solutions need to be explored.

Situations For Limited Prototyping

In general, prototyping is more valuable for on-line systems than for batch processing. However, most batch systems produce reports which can be prototyped using a report generator. Prototyping is of limited value in some systems that are logic intensive. In these cases, horizontal prototypes can still be used to evaluate the human interface.

Craig Borysowich (Chief Technology Tactician)

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Use Prototyping to:

· develop a working model of key functional components of a system, which may or may not be developed into the final system,

· enhance communication of requirements between the analyst, customer, and development team members,

· demonstrate features of the proposed system to such a level that the customer can relate it to his or her requirements,

· allow customers and analysts to explore alternative architectures and specific customer task scenarios,

· uncover design flaws early in the project life cycle,

· train customers who will eventually use the system,

· validate customer requirements (are we building the right product?),

· verify customer requirements (are we building the product right?).

Method

To build a prototype, complete the following steps:

Evaluate the Need for Prototyping

Define the Type of Prototype

Develop the Prototype

Refine the Prototype

Tips and Hints

Fourth Generation tools make it possible to quickly and easily prototype a model of system externals. However, if the prototype cannot be built and changed easily, many of the advantages of prototyping are lost. Some tools require considerable effort to set up the database or make database changes, particularly in the hands of inexperienced programmers.

See Also

Interviewing (for defining requirements related to the external design of a system)

Participant Observation (for defining requirements related to the external design of a system)

Timeboxing

Craig Borysowich (Chief Technology Tactician)