Planning tools and techniques (Was "Juggle Act")

[Candace Bamber <cbamber -at- CASTEK -dot- COM>]

Chris Hamilton Wrote:

>So what do you do to keep from totally winging it?

Years ago, I read a fantasy novel where the wise mentor (coulda been a
wizard)
was always saying to the innocent young hero "the question is the answer".
In
other words, To keep from totally winging it, you keep from totally winging
 it.

Easy to say. Very, very difficult to implement - especially if the
organization
you work for is against project management in principle (it remains amazing
to me that so very many companies actually resent and despise the very idea
of managing processes, but that's a subject for another post, perhaps).

I highly recommend learning everything you can about tested and valid
project management methodologies for both publications development and
software
 development. Actually understanding what I/we were doing
and how to get better not only opened my eyes (I'm still stunned by the
complete ineffectiveness of what I considered a pretty good process ten
years ago!), but made it possible to improve.

As a start - read JoAnn Hackos' "Managing your Documentation Projects"
(John Wiley and
Sons, 1994). If you write an Information Plan as she suggests, you will
know
exactly what you have to write and be able to make a valid estimate. There
is
a LOT more to figuring out what to write and how much of it than applying a

page count metric! My experience is that solid information planning up
front will
save tons of time (and therefore money!!! Important to remember when you're
 selling the
idea to management!) over the course of the project.

This book will also help you see where your publications organization is,
and
what steps you should take in the long term to improve your processes.
Understanding
the *software* development process, and what phase of "process maturity"
your
development organization is at, will help you make realistic goals (ie, you
 can't
expect to run a "Managed and Sustainable" publications shop when your
development
organization is in the "Oblivious" stage.) Also, dovetailing your
pubs process with the development process can make your life easier.

I said "long term" earlier. And "difficult to implement." Commitment and
persistence are key. I've been consciously working my process for about ten
 years, as a
contractor, a non-managing staff writer and as a team lead and manager. I
learn
new stuff every project, and I still have a long way to go to perfect
my methodology. And, of course, you have to adjust for every
client/company.
But I can say with complete confidence - Information Planning
a la Hackos WORKS and is the best place I know to start getting your
process
under control.

I start every project with the goal that everyone on my team will work hard
 and
intensely 8 hours a day, and that no-one on my team will work overtime.
Reality is that in the week or so before milestones, we typically put in a
few
extra hours (No big deal compared to the hours I hear my colleagues in
other
companies talk about: 10, 12 16 hour days on a regular basis!. Absurd!
Forget it!)

To me, good project planning and management means I can have a
life - my "Juggling Act" relies on having evenings and weekends free!

PS> It comes to me! It was Archmage Ingold Inglorion to Rudy Solis, in
Barbara
Hambly's Darwath Trilogy!


Candace
cbamber -at- castek -dot- com
***************************************************************************
*********************************************
Candace Bamber

now thankfully at:            "Whatever you can do or dream,
Castek Software Factory    Begin it.
Toronto, ON, Canada                 Boldness has  genius,  magic and power in
it."
416-777-2550 X 331                      --- Goethe
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