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['Adopt practices for exploring a variety of perspectives.  We think we see what we see, but we don&#39;t. We really see what we think. Remember the blind men and the elephant. Make it your habit to inquire what others see. You&#39;ll see more together. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Stay close to your customer.  Clients&#39; concerns evolve over the life of a project. Take advantage of that to over-deliver. Stay in a conversation with your client to adjust what you are doing. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Take care of your project team.  We&#39;ve come to accept that the customer comes first...the customer is always right. We can&#39;t take care of the customer if we first aren&#39;t taking care of our project team. It&#39;s a challenge. While there are some things we can do for the whole team, it comes down to taking care of each team member as the individual that he or she is. And to make it more difficult, then we must bring their various interests into coherence. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Keep your eye on the overall project promises.  Project work can be difficult. It is easy to loose sight of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Remind your team and yourself of the overall promises and how you are doing fulfilling those promises. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Build relationships intentionally.  Project teams come together as strangers. To do great work...innovation, learning, and collaboration...all take people who like and care for each other. Don&#39;t leave that to chance. Start your projects by building relationships among team members. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Tightly couple learning with action.  Projects are wonderful opportunities to learn. Don&#39;t put that off for the after project lessons learned. Make it your habit to incorporate learning loops in all your project activities. Your team will appreciate it. Your customer will benefit from it. And best of all, it will make your job easier. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Projects are wonderful opportunities to learn. Don&#39;t put that off for the after project lessons learned. Make it your habit to incorporate learning loops in all your project activities. Your team will appreciate it. Your customer will benefit from it. And best of all, it will make your job easier.     ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Coordinate meticulously.  A project is an ever-evolving network of commitment. Keep that network activated by tending to the critical conversations. See that people are making clear requests, promises that have completion dates, and share opinions that advance the purposes of the project. Without attention to those critical conversations the project will drift. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Collaborate. Really collaborate.  Make it your rule to plan with those people who will be the performers of the plan. Don&#39;t wait &#39;til the project has gone south to get their help. Start out that way. Continue collaborating as the usual way you work through the project. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Listen generously.  People are able to say what they can in the moment. For the most part, people are well-intended. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Take the time to listen. Ask questions. Seek others&#39; opinions. And while you&#39;re at it, don&#39;t be so harsh on yourself. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['Embrace uncertainty.  Expect the unexpected. There is far more that we don&#39;t know and can&#39;t know than what we can anticipate. Be resilient to what life throws at you. Anticipate that your team will learn something along the way that can and should change what you have promised and how you can deliver on your promises. And when you take a set-back -- we all do sometime or another --review the other nine rules for how you can work your way out of it. ','Ten Rules for Project Managers','&copy; 2004 Hal Macomber. Reforming Project Management ','http://weblog.halmacomber.com'],
['A project manager should visit everyone who is building anything for his project at least once, should know all the managers on his project (both government and contractor), and know the integration team members. People like to know that the project manager is interested in their work and the best proof is for the manager to visit them and see first hand what they are doing.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A project manager must know what motivates the project contractors (i.e., their award system, their fiscal system, their policies, and their company culture).','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Management principles still are the same. It is just that the tools have changed. You still find the right people to do the work and get out of the way so they can do it.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Whoever you deal with, deal fairly. Space is not a big playing field. You may be surprised how often you have to work with the same people. Better they respect you than carry a grudge.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Vicious, despicable, or thoroughly disliked persons, gentlemen, and ladies can be project managers. Lost souls, procrastinators, and wishy-washies cannot.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A comfortable project manager is one waiting for his next assignment or one on the verge of failure. Security is not normal to project management.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['One problem new managers face is that everyone wants to solve their problems. Old managers were told by senior management-&ldquo;solve your own darn problems, that is what we hired you to do.&rdquo;','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Running fast does not take the place of thinking for yourself. You must take time to smell the roses. For your work, you must take time to understand the consequences of your actions.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The boss may not know how to do the work but he has to know what he wants. The boss had better find out what he expects and wants if he doesn&#39;t know. A blind leader tends to go in circles.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Not all successful managers are competent and not all failed managers are incompetent. Luck still plays a part in success or failure but luck favors the competent hard working manager.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Never try to get even for some slight by anyone on the project. It is not good form and it puts you on the same level as the other person and, besides, probably ends up hurting the project getting done.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Don&#39;t get too egotistical so that you can&#39;t change your position, especially if your personnel tell you that you are wrong. You should cultivate an attitude on the project where your personnel know they can tell you of wrong decisions.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A manager who is his own systems engineer or financial manager is one who will probably try to do open heart surgery on himself.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Most managers succeed on the strength and skill of their staff.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The seeds of problems are laid down early. Initial planning is the most vital part of a project. The review of most failed projects or project problems indicate the disasters were well planned to happen from the start.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Cooperative efforts require good communications and early warning systems. A project manager should try to keep his partners aware of what is going on and should be the one who tells them first of any rumor or actual changes in plan. The partners should be consulted before things are put in final form, even if they only have a small piece of the action. A project manager who blindsides his partners will be treated in kind and will be considered a person of no integrity.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Talk is not cheap; but the best way to understand a personnel or technical problem is to talk to the right people. Lack of talk at the right levels is deadly.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Most international meetings are held in English. This is a foreign language to most participants such as Americans, Germans, Italians, etc. It is important to have adequate discussions so that there are no misinterpretations of what is said.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['You cannot be ignorant of the language of the area you manage or with that of areas with which you interface. Education is a must for the modern manager. There are simple courses available to learn computerese, communicationese and all the rest of the modern &ldquo;ese&#39;s&rdquo; of the world. You can&#39;t manage if you don&#39;t understand what is being said or written.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['You cannot watch everything. What you can watch is the people. They have to know you will not accept a poor job.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['We have developed a set of people whose self interest is more paramount than the work or at least it appears so to older managers. It appears to the older managers that the newer ones are more interested in form than in substance. The question is are old managers right or just old? Consider both viewpoints.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A good technician, quality inspector, and straw boss are more important in obtaining a good product than all the paper and reviews.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The source of most problems is people, but darned if they will admit it. Know the people working on your project to know what the real weak spots are.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['One must pay close attention to workaholics-if they get going in the wrong direction, they can do a lot of damage in a short time. It is possible to overload them and cause premature burnout but hard to determine if the load is too much, since much of it is self generated. It is important to make sure such people take enough time off and that the workload does not exceed 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times what is normal.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Always try to negotiate your internal support at the lowest level. What you want is the support of the person doing the work, and the closer you can get to him in negotiations the better.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['If you have someone who doesn&#39;t look, ask, and analyze; ask them to transfer.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Personal time is very important. You must be careful as a manager that you realize the value of other people&#39;s time (i.e., the work you hand out and meetings should be necessary). You must, where possible, shield your staff from unnecessary work (i.e., some requests should be ignored or a refusal sent to the requestor).','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['People who monitor work and don&#39;t help get it done never seem to know exactly what is going on (being involved is the key to excellence).','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['There is no greater motivation than giving a good person his piece of the puzzle to control, but a pat on the back or an award helps.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['It is mainly the incompetent that don&#39;t like to show off their work.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['There are rare times when only one man can do the job. These are in technical areas that are more art and skill than normal. Cherish these people, but get their work done as soon as possible. Getting the work done by someone else takes two or three times longer and the product is normally below standard.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['People have reasons for doing things the way they do them. Most people want to do a good job and, if they don&#39;t, the problem is they probably don&#39;t know how or exactly what is expected.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['If you have a problem that requires additional people to solve, you should approach putting people on like a cook who has under-salted the food.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['NASA has established a set of reviewers and a set of reviews. Once firmly established, the system will fight to stay alive, so make the most of it. Try to find a way for the reviews to work for you.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The number of reviews is increasing but the knowledge transfer remains the same; therefore, all your charts and presentation material should be constructed with this fact in mind. This means you should be able to construct a set of slides that only needs to be shuffled from presentation to presentation.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Hide nothing from the reviewers. Their reputation and yours is on the line. Expose all the warts and pimples. Don&#39;t offer excuses-just state facts.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['External reviews are scheduled at the worst possible time, therefore, keep an up-to-date set of business and technical data so that you can rapidly respond. Not having up-to-date data should be cause for dismissal.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Never undercut your staff in public (i.e., In public meetings, don&#39;t reverse decisions on work that you have given them to do). Even if you direct a change, never take the responsibility for implementing away from your staff.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Reviews are for the reviewed an not the reviewer. The review is a failure if the reviewed learn nothing from it.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A working meeting has about six people attending. Meetings larger than this are for information transfer (management science has shown that, in a group greater than twelve, some are wasting their time).','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The amount of reviews and reports are proportional to management&#39;s understanding (i.e., the less management knows or understands the activities, the more they require reviews and reports). It is necessary in this type of environment to make sure that data is presented so that the average person, slightly familiar with activities, can understand it. Keeping the data simple and clear never insults anyone&#39;s intelligence.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Managers who rely only on the paperwork to do the reporting of activities are known failures.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Documentation does not take the place of knowledge. There is a great difference in what is supposed to be, what is thought to have happened, and reality. Documents are normally a static picture in time that get outdated rapidly.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Just because you give monthly reports, don&#39;t think that you can abbreviate anything in a yearly report. If management understood the monthlies, they wouldn&#39;t need a yearly.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Abbreviations are getting to be a pain. Each project now has a few thousand. This calls on senior management to know hundreds. Use them sparingly in presentations unless your objective is to confuse.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Remember, it is often easier to do foolish paperwork that to fight the need for it. Fight only if it is a global issue which will save much future work.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A project manager is not the monitor of the contractor&#39;s work but is to be the driver. In award fee situations, the government personnel should be making every effort possible to make sure the contractor gets a high score (i.e., be on schedule and produce good work). Contractors don&#39;t fail, NASA does and that is why one must be proactive in support. This is also why a low score damages the government project manager as much as the contractor&#39;s manager because it means that he is not getting the job done.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Award fee is a good tool that puts discipline both on the contractor and the government. The score given represents the status of the project as well as the management skills of both parties. The project management measurement system (PMS) should be used to verify the scores. Consistent poor scores require senior management intervention to determine the reason. Consistent good scores which are consistent with PMS reflect a well-run project, but if these scores are not consistent with the PMS, senior management must take action to find out why.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Morale of the contractor&#39;s personnel is important to a government manager. Just as you don&#39;t want to buy a car built by disgruntled employees, you don&#39;t want to buy flight hardware developed by under- motivated people. You should take an active role in motivating all personnel on the project.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Being friendly with a contractor is fine-being a friend of a contractor is dangerous to your objectivity.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Remember, your contractor has a tendency to have a one-on-one interface with your staff. Every member of your staff costs you at least one person on the contract per year.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Contractors tend to size up the government counterparts and staff their part of the project accordingly. If they think yours are clunkers, they will take their poorer people to put on your project.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Contractors respond well to the customer that pays attention to what they are doing but not too well to the customer that continually second-guesses their activity. The basic rule is a customer is always right but the cost will escalate if a customer always has things done his way instead of how the contractor planned on doing it. The ground rule is: never change a contractor&#39;s plans unless they are flawed or too costly (i.e., the old saying that better is the enemy of good).','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['There is only one solution to a weak project manager in industry-get rid of him fast. The main job of a project manager in industry is to keep the customer happy. Make sure the one working with you knows that it is not flattery but on-schedule, on-cost, and a good product that makes you happy.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Over-engineering is common. Engineers like puzzles and mazes. Try to make them keep their designs simple.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The first sign of trouble comes from the schedule or the cost curve. Engineers are the last to know they are in trouble. Engineers are born optimists.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The project has many resources within itself. There probably are five or ten system engineers considering all the contractors and instrument developers. This is a powerful resource that can be used to attack problems.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Many managers, just because they have the scientists under contract on their project, forget that the scientists are their customers and many times have easier access to top management than the managers do.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Most scientists are rational unless you endanger their chance to do their experiment. They will work with you if they believe you are telling them the truth. This includes reducing their own plans.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['In the space business, there is no such thing as previously flown hardware. The people who build the next unit probably never saw the previous unit. There are probably minor changes (perhaps even major changes); the operational environment has probably changed; the people who check the unit out in most cases will not understand the unit or the test equipment.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Most equipment works as built, not as the designer planned. This is due to layout of the design, poor understanding on the designer&#39;s part, or poor understanding of component specifications.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Not using modern techniques, like computer systems, is a great mistake, but forgetting that the computer simulates thinking is a still greater mistake.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Software has now taken on all the parameters of hardware (i.e., requirement creep, high percentage of flight mission cost, need for quality control, need for validation procedures, etc.). It has the added feature that it is hard as blazes to determine it is not flawed. Get the basic system working first and then add the bells and whistles. Never throw away a version that works even if you have all the confidence in the world that the newer version works. It is necessary to have contingency plans for software.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Knowledge is often revised by simulations or testing, but computer models have hidden flaws not the least of which is poor input data.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['In olden times, engineers had hands-on experience, technicians understood how the electronics worked and what it was supposed to do, and layout technicians knew too-but today only the computer knows for sure and it&#39;s not talking.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Don&#39;t assume you know why senior management has done something. If you feel you need to know, ask. You get some amazing answers that will astonish you.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Know your management-some like a good joke, others only like a joke if they tell it.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Remember the boss has the right to make decisions. Even if you think they are wrong, tell the boss what you think but if he still wants it done his way; do it his way and do your best to make sure the outcome is successful.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Never ask management to make a decision that you can make. Assume you have the authority to make decisions unless you know there is a document that states unequivocally that you can&#39;t.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['You and the Program Manager should work as a team. The Program Manager is your advocate at NASA HQ and must be tied into the decision makers and should aid your efforts to be tied in also.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Know who the decision makers on the program are. It may be someone outside who has the ear of Congress or the Administrator, or the Associate Administrator, or one of the scientists-someone in the chain of command-whoever they are. Try to get a line of communication to them on a formal or informal basis.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Today one must push the state of the art, be within budget, take risks, not fail, and be on time. Strangely, all these are consistent as long as the ground rules such as funding profile and schedule are established up front and maintained.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Most of yesteryear&#39;s projects overran because of poor estimates and not because of mistakes. Getting better estimates will not lower costs but will improve NASA&#39;s business reputation. Actually, there is a high probability that getting better estimates will increase costs and assure a higher profit to industry unless the fee is reduced to reflect lower risk on the part of industry. A better reputation is necessary in the present environment.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['All problems are solvable in time, so make sure you have enough schedule contingency-if you don&#39;t, the next project manager that takes your place will.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['The old NASA pushed the limits of technology and science; therefore, it did not worry about requirements creep or overruns. The new NASA has to work as if all projects are fixed price; therefore, requirement creep has become a deadly sin.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Know the resources of your center and, if possible, other centers. Other centers, if they have the resources , are normally happy to help. It is always surprising how much good help one can get by just asking.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Other than budget information prior to the President&#39;s submittal to Congress, there is probably no secret information on a project-so don&#39;t treat anything like it is secret. Everyone does better if they can see the whole picture so don&#39;t hide any of it from anyone.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['NASA programs compete for budget funds-they do not compete with each other (i.e., you never attack any other program or NASA work with the idea that you should get their funding). Sell what you have on its own merit.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Next year is always the year with adequate funding and schedule. Next year arrives on the 50th year of your career.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Remember who the customer is and what his objectives are (i.e., check with him when you go to change anything of significance).','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['NASA Management Instructions were written by another NASA employee like you; therefore, challenge them if they don&#39;t make sense. It is possible another NASA employee will rewrite them or waive them for you.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Wrong decisions made early can be recovered from. Right decisions made late cannot correct them.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. It is also occasionally the best help you can give. Just listening is all that is needed on many occasions. You may be the boss, but if you constantly have to solve someone&#39;s problems, you are working for him.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Never make a decision from a cartoon. Look at the actual hardware or what real information is available such as layouts. Too much time is wasted by people trying to cure a cartoon whose function is to explain the principle.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Integrity means your subordinates trust you.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['In the rush to get things done, it&#39;s always important to remember who you work for. Blindsiding the boss will not be to your benefit in the long run.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Project Management and Teamwork','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Projects require teamwork to succeed. Remember, most teams have a coach and not a boss, but the coach still has to call some of the plays.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Never assume someone knows something or has done something unless you have asked them; even the obvious is overlooked or ignored on occasion, especially in a high stress activity.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Whoever said beggars can&#39;t be choosers doesn&#39;t understand project management, although many times it is better to trust to luck than to get poor support.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['A puzzle is hard to discern from just one piece; so don&#39;t be surprised if team members deprived of information reach the wrong conclusion.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Remember, the President, Congress, OMB, NASA HQ, senior center management, and your customers all have jobs to do. All you have to do is keep them all happy.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['<b>In case of a failure:</b><br>a) Make a timeline of events and include everything that is known. <br>b) Put down known facts. Check every theory against them. <br>c) Don&#39;t beat the data until it confesses (i.e., know when to stop trying to force-fit a scenario). <br>d) Do not arrive at a conclusion too fast. Make sure any deviation from normal is explained. Remember the wrong conclusion is prologue to the next failure. <br>e) Know when to stop. <br>','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Things that fail are lessons learned for the future. Occasionally things go right: these are also lessons learned. Try to duplicate that which works.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Mistakes are all right but failure is not. Failure is just a mistake you can&#39;t recover from; therefore, try to create contingency plans and alternate approaches for the items or plans that have high risk.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['History is prologue. There has not been a project yet that has not had a parts problem despite all the qualification and testing done on parts. Time and being prepared to react are the only safeguards.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Experience may be fine but testing is better. Knowing something will work never takes the place of proving that it will.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Don&#39;t be afraid to fail or you will not succeed, but always work at your skill to recover. Part of that skill is knowing who can help.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['One of the advantages of NASA in the early days was the fact that everyone knew that the facts we were absolutely sure of could be wrong.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Redundancy in hardware can be a fiction. We are adept at building things to be identical so that if one fails, the other will also fail. Make sure all hardware is treated in a build as if it were one of a kind and needed for mission success.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['Never make excuses; instead, present plans of actions to be taken.','One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers','Jerry Madden','http://www.altisinc.com/Links/100_Rules.html'],
['There is no such thing as previously flown hardware, i.e., the people who build the next unit probably never saw the previous unit; there are probably minor changes; the operational environment has probably changed; and the people who check the unit out will in most cases not understand the unit or the test equipment. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Most equipment works &ldquo;as built,&rdquo; i.e., not as the designer planned. This is due to layout of the design, poor understanding on the designer&#39;s part, or poor understanding of component specifications. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The source of most problems is people but damned if they will admit it. Know the people working on your project, so you know what the real weak spots are. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Most managers succeed on the strength and skill of their staff. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A manager who is his own systems engineer or financial manager is one who will probably try to do open heart surgery on himself. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['One must pay attention to workaholics -- if they get going in the wrong direction, they can do a lot of damage in a short time -- it is possible to overload them, causing premature burnout, but hard to determine if the load is too much, since much of it is self-generated. It is important to make sure such people take enough time off and that the workload does not exceed 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 times what is normal. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['NASA programs compete for budget funds -- they do not compete with each other, i.e., you never attack any other program or NASA work with the idea you should get their funding. Sell what you have on its own merit. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Contractors respond well to the customer who pays attention to what they are doing, but not too well to the customer that continually second-guesses their activity. The basic rule is: a customer is always right, but the cost will escalate if a customer always has things done his way, instead of the way the contractor had planned. The ground rule is never change a contractor&#39;s plans unless they are flawed or too costly, i.e., the old saying, &ldquo;better is the enemy of good.&rdquo; ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Never undercut your staff in public, i.e. don&#39;t make decisions on work that you have given them to do in public meetings. Even if you direct a change, never take the responsibility for implementing away from your staff. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The project has many resources within itself. There probably are five-to-ten system engineers considering all the contractors and instrument developers. This is a powerful resource that can be used to attack problems. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Know who the decision makers on the program are. It may be someone on the outside who has the ear of Congress, or the Administrator, or the Associate Administrator, or one of the scientists -- or someone in the chain of command -- whoever they are, try to get a line of communication to them on a formal or informal basis. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['You and the program manager should work as a team. The program manager is your advocate at NASA HQ and must be tied in to the decision-making and should aid your efforts to be tied in too. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A project manager should visit everyone who is building anything for his project at least once, should know all the managers on his project (both government and contractor), and know the integration team members. People like to know that the project manager is interested in their work, and the best proof is for the manager to visit them and see first hand what they are doing. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Never ask management to make a decision that you can make. Assume you have the authority to make decisions unless you know there is a document that states unequivocally that you cannot. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Wrong decisions made early can be salvaged, but &#dlquo;right&#drquo; decisions made late cannot. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Never make excuses; instead, present plans of actions to be taken. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Never try to get even for some slight by another project. It is not good form -- it puts you on the same level as the other person--and often ends up hindering the project getting done. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['If you cultivate too much egotism, you may find it difficult to change your position -- especially if your personnel tell you that you are wrong. You should instill an attitude on the project whereby your personnel know they can tell you of wrong decisions. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['One of the advantages of NASA in the early days was the fact that everyone knew that the facts that we were absolutely sure of could be wrong. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Managers who rely on the paperwork to do the reporting of activities are known failures. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Not all successful managers are competent and not all failed managers are incompetent. Luck still plays a part in success or failure, but luck favors the competent, hard-working manager. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['If you have a problem that requires the addition of people to solve, you should approach recruiting people like a cook who has under-salted, i.e., a little at a time. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A project manager must know what motivates the project contractors, i.e., their award system, their fiscal system, their policies, and their company culture. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Other than original budget information prior to the President&#39;s submittal to Congress, there is probably no secret information on the project -- so don&#39;t treat anything like it is secret. Everyone does better if they can see the whole picture, so don&#39;t hide any of it from anyone. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Know the resources of your center and if possible other centers. Other centers, if they have the resources, are normally happy to help. It is always surprising how much good help one can get by just asking. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Contractors tend to size up their government counterparts, and staff their part of the project accordingly. If they think yours are clunkers, they will take their poorer people to put on your project. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Documentation does not take the place of knowledge. There is a great difference in what is supposed to be, what is thought to have been, and what the reality is. Documents are normally a static picture in time which is outdated rapidly. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Remember who the customer is and what his objectives are, i.e., check with him when you go to change anything of significance. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['In case of a failure:  Make a timeline of events and include everything that is known; Put down known facts -- check every theory against them; Don&#39;t beat the data until it confesses, i.e., know when to stop trying to force-fit a scenario; Do not arrive at a conclusion too rapidly. Make sure any deviation from the norm is explained--remember the wrong conclusion is prologue to the next failure; Know when to stop. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Remember the boss has the right to make decisions, even if you think they are wrong. Tell the boss what you think but, if he still wants it done his way, do your best to make sure the outcome is successful. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Redundancy in hardware can be a fiction. We are adept at building things to be identical so that if one fails, the other will also fail. Make sure all hardware is treated in a build as if it were one of a kind and needed for mission success. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Don&#39;t be afraid to fail or you will not succeed, but always work at your skill to recover. Part of that skill is knowing who can help. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Experience may be fine but testing is better. Knowing something will work never takes the place of proving that it will. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['People have reasons for doing things the way they do them. Most people want to do a good job, and if they don&#39;t, the problem is they probably don&#39;t know how or exactly what is expected. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The boss may not know how to do the work, but he has to know what he wants. The boss had better find out what he expects and wants, if he doesn&#39;t know. A blind leader tends to go in circles. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A puzzle is hard to discern from just one piece, so don&#39;t be surprised if team members deprived of information reach the wrong conclusion. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Reviews are for the reviewed and not the reviewer. The review is a failure if the reviewed learn nothing from it. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The amount of reviews and reports are proportional to management&#39;s understanding, i.e., the less management knows or understands the activities, the more it requires reviews and reports. It is necessary in this type of environment to make sure the data is presented so that the average person, slightly familiar with activities, can understand it. Keeping the data simple and clear never insults anyone&#39;s intelligence. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['In olden times, engineers had hands-on experience, technicians understood how the electronics worked and what it was supposed to do, and layout technicians knew too-but today only the computer knows for sure, and it&#39;s not talking. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Not using modern techniques like computer systems is a great mistake, but forgetting the computer simulates thinking is still greater. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Management principles are still the same. It is just the tools that have changed. You still should find the right people to do the work and get out of the way so they can do it. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['It is mainly the incompetent that don&#39;t like to show off their work. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Whoever you deal with, deal fairly. Space is not a big playing field. You may be surprised how often you have to work with the same people. Better they respect you than carry a grudge. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Mistakes are all right, but failure is not. Failure is just a mistake you can&#39;t recover from; therefore, try to create contingency plans and alternate approaches for the items or plans that have high risk. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['You cannot be ignorant of the language of the area you manage or with that of areas with which you interface. Education is a must for the modern manager. There are simple courses available to learn computerese, communicationese, and all the rest of the modern ese&#39;s of the world. You can&#39;t manage if you don&#39;t understand what is being said or written. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Most international meetings are held in English. This is a foreign language to most participants such as Americans, Germans, Italians, etc. It is important to have adequate discussions so that there are no misinterpretations of what is said. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['NASA Management Instructions (NMIs) are written by another NASA employee like yourself; therefore, challenge them if they don&#39;t make sense. It is possible another NASA employee will rewrite them or waive them for you. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A working meeting has about six people attending. Meetings larger than this are for information transfer. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Being friendly with a contractor is fine -- being a friend of a contractor is dangerous to your objectivity. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The old NASA pushed the limits of technology and science; therefore, it did not worry about &ldquo;requirements creep&rdquo; or over-runs. The new NASA has to work as if all are fixed price; therefore, &ldquo;requirements creep&rdquo; has become a deadly sin. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Many managers, just because they have the scientists under contract on their project, forget that the scientists are their customers and many times have easier access to top management than the managers do. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Most scientists are rational unless you endanger their chance to do their experiment. They will work with you if they believe you are telling them the truth. This includes reducing their own plans. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Cooperative efforts require good communications and early warning systems. A project manager should try to keep his partners aware of what is going on and should be the one who tells them first of any rumor or actual changes in plan. The partners should be consulted before things are put in final form, even if they only have a small piece of the action. A project manager who blindsides his partners will be treated in kind and will be considered a person of no integrity. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['All problems are solvable in time, so make sure you have enough schedule contingency -- if you don&#39;t, the next project manager that takes your place will. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The number of reviews is increasing but the knowledge transfer remains the same; therefore, all your charts and presentation material should be constructed with this fact in mind. This means you should be able to construct a set of slides that only needs to be shuffled from presentation to presentation. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Just because you give monthly reports, don&#39;t think that you can abbreviate anything in a yearly report. If management understood the monthlies, they wouldn&#39;t need a yearly. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Abbreviations are getting to be a pain. Each project now has a few thousand. This calls on senior management to know a couple hundred thousand. Use them sparingly in presentations unless your objective is to confuse. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Occasionally things go right--the lesson learned here is: Try to duplicate that which works. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Running does not take the place of thinking. For yourself, you must take time to smell the roses. For your work, you must take time to understand the consequences of your actions. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. It is also occasionally the best help you can give. Just listening is all that is needed on many occasions. You may be the boss but, if you constantly have to solve someone&#39;s problems, you are working for him. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['We have developed a set of people whose self interest is more paramount than the work or at least it appears so to older managers. It appears to the older managers that the newer ones are more interested in form than in substance. The question is are old managers right or just old. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['One problem new managers face is that everyone wants to solve their problems. Old managers were told by senior management -- &ldquo;solve your damn problems; that is what we hired you to do.&rdquo; ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Remember, it is often easier to do foolish paperwork than to fight the need for it. Fight only if it is a global issue which will save much future work. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Know your management -- some like a good joke; others only like a joke if they tell it. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Integrity means your subordinates trust you. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['You cannot watch everything. What you can watch is the people. They have to know you will not accept a poor job. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Next year is always the year with adequate funding and schedule -- next year arrives on the 50th year of your career. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The first sign of trouble comes from the schedule or the cost curve. Engineers are the last to know they are in trouble. Engineers are born optimists. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['External reviews are scheduled at the worst possible time: therefore, keep an up-to-date set of technical data so that you can rapidly respond. Having to update business data should be cause for dismissal. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Hide nothing from the reviewers. Their reputation and yours is on the line. Expose all the warts and pimples. Don&#39;t offer excuses -- just state facts. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['NASA is establishing a set of reviewers and a set of reviews. Once firmly established, the system will fight to stay alive, so make the most of it. Try to find a way for the reviews to work for you. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Knowledge is often confounded by test. Computer models have hidden flaws, not the least of which is poor input data. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Today one must push the state of the art: be within budget, take risks, not fail, and be on time. Strangely, all these are consistent as long, as the ground rules, such as funding profile and schedule, are established up front and maintained. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Most of yesteryear&#39;s projects overran because of poor estimates and not because of mistakes. Getting better estimates may not lower cost but will improve NASA&#39;s business reputation. Actually, there is a high probability that the cost of getting better estimates will increase cost and assure a higher profit to industry, unless the fee is reduced to reflect lower risk on the part of industry. A better reputation is necessary in the present environment. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A scientific proposal takes about 9 months to put together. It takes NASA HQ about 9 months to a year to select the winning proposals. Then, it takes 3 to 4 years to sell the program. This means 5 to 6 years after the initial thoughts, the real work starts. Managers, for some strange reason, do not understand why a scientist wants to build something different than proposed. Managers are strange people. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['There are rare times when only one man can do the job. These are in technical areas that are more art and skill than normal. Cherish these people and employ their services when necessary as soon as possible. Getting the work done by someone else takes two to three times longer, and the product is normally below standard. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Software now has taken on all the parameters of hardware, i.e., requirement creep, high percent-age of flight mission cost, need for quality control, need for validation procedures, etc. It has the added feature that it is hard as hell to determine it is not flawed. Get the basic system working and then add the bells and whistles. Never throw away a version that works even if you have all the confidence in the world the newer version works. It is necessary to have contingency plans for software. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['History is prologue. There has not been a project yet that has not had a parts problem despite all the qualification and testing done on parts. Time and being prepared to react are the only safeguards. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Award fee is a good tool that puts discipline both on the contractor and the government. The score given represents the status of the project as well as the management skills of both parties. The Performance Measurement System (PMS) should be used to verify the scores. Consistent poor scores require senior management intervention to determine the reason. Consistent good scores, which are consistent with PMS, reflect a well-run project, but if these scores are not consistent with the PMS, senior management must take action to find out why. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A project manager is not the monitor of the work but is to be the driver. In award fee situations, the government personnel should be making every effort possible to make sure the contractor gets a high score, i.e., be on schedule and produce good work. Contractors don&#39;t fail, NASA does, and that is why one must be proactive in support. This is also why a low score damages the government project manager as much as the contractor&#39;s manager because it means he is not doing his job. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['There is no greater motivation than giving a-good person his piece of the puzzle to control but a pat on the back or an award helps. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Morale of the contractor&#39;s personnel is important to a government manager. Just as you don&#39;t want to buy a car built by disgruntled employees, you don&#39;t want to buy flight hardware built by them. You should take an active role in motivating all personnel on the project. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['People who monitor work and don&#39;t help get it done, never seem to know exactly what is going on. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Never assume someone knows something or has done something unless you have asked them. Even the obvious is overlooked or ignored on occasion -- especially in a high-stress activity. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Don&#39;t assume you know why senior management has done something. If you feel you need to know, ask. You get some amazing answers that will dumbfound you. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['If you have someone who doesn&#39;t look, ask, and analyze, ask them to transfer. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Bastards, gentlemen, and ladies can be project manager. Lost souls, procrastinators, and wishy-washers cannot. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A person&#39;s time is very important. You must be careful as a manager that you realize the value of other people&#39;s time, i.e., work you hand out and meetings should be necessary. You must, where possible, shield your staff from unnecessary work, i.e., some requests should be ignored or a refusal sent to the requester. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A good technician, quality inspector, and straw boss are more important in obtaining a good product than all the paper and reviews. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The seeds of problems are laid down early. Initial planning is the most vital part of a project. Review of most failed projects or of project problems indicates that the disasters were well planned to happen from the start. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['A comfortable project manager is one waiting for his next assignment or one on the verge of failure. Security is not normal to project management. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Remember, the President, Congress, OMB, NASA HQ, senior center management, and your customers all have jobs to do. All you have to do is keep them all happy. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Always try to negotiate your internal support at the lowest level. What you want is the support of the person doing the work, and the closer you can get to him in negotiations the better. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Whoever said beggars can&#39;t be choosers doesn&#39;t understand project management. Many times it is better to trust to luck than to get known poor support. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Remember your contractor has a tendency to have a one-to-one interface with your staff; so every member of your staff costs you at least one person (about a 1/4 of million) on the contract per year. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['There is only one solution to a weak project manager in industry -- get rid of him fast. The main job of a project manager in industry is to keep the customer happy. Make sure the one working with you knows that &ldquo;on schedule, on cost, and a good product&rdquo; -- not flattery -- is all that makes you happy. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Talk is not cheap. The best way to understand a personnel or technical problem is to talk to the right people. Lack of talk at the right levels is deadly. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Projects require teamwork to succeed. Remember most teams have a coach and not a boss, but the coach still has to call some of the plays. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['In the rush to get things done, it is always important to remember who you work for. Blindsiding the boss will not be to your benefit in the long run. Over-engineering is common. Engineers like puzzles and mazes -- try to make them keep their designs simple. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Never make a decision from a cartoon. Look at the actual hardware or what real information is available, such as layouts. Too much time is wasted by people trying to cure a cartoon whose function is to explain the principle. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['An Agency&#39;s age can be estimated by the number of reports and meetings it has. The older it gets, the more the paperwork increases and the less product is delivered per dollar. Many people have suggested that an Agency self-destruct every 25 years and be reborn starting from scratch. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['False starts are normal in today&#39;s environment. More than ever, in this type of environment, one must keep an ear open for the starting gun and be prepared to move out in quick and orderly fashion once it is sounded. In the past, too many false starts have resulted in the project not hearing the real starting gun or jumping off and falling on its face. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The pioneering phase of NASA is mostly done, if not actually by fiat. This means the difficult and more important work has started. This work requires more discipline, but there should still be room for innovation. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['There are still some individuals who think important decisions are made in meetings. This is rarely the case. Normally, the decision-makers meet over lunch or have a brief meeting to decide the issue and than (at a meeting called to discuss the issue) make it appear that the decision is made as a result of this discussion. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['In political decisions, do not look for logic -- look for politics. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Interagency agreements are hard to make even if there is no conflict in the responsibilities and the requirements do satisfy both parties. Conflict in these areas normally leads to failure no matter how hard the people involved try to make an agreement. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['In dealing with international partners, the usual strategy is to go 1 day early, meet with your counterpart, discuss all issues to be brought up at a meeting, arrive at an agreeable response (or a decision to table the issue for later discussion), and agree not to take any firm positions on any new issues brought up at the meeting. This makes it appear to the rest of the world that you and your counterpart are of one mind and that the work is in good hands. All disputes are held behind closed doors with the minimum number of participants. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Gentlemen and ladies can get things done just as well as bastards. What is needed is a strong will and respect -- not &ldquo;strong arm&rdquo; tactics. It must be admitted that the latter does work but leaves a residue that has to be cleaned up. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Though most of us in our youth have heard the poem that states &ldquo;for want of a nail the race was lost,&rdquo; few of us realize that most space failures have a similar origin. It is the commonplace items that tend to be overlooked and thus do us in. The tough and difficult tasks are normally done well. The simple and easy tasks seem to be the ones done sloppily. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['In the &ldquo;old NASA,&rdquo; a job done within schedule and cost was deemed to be simple. The present NASA wants to push the start of the art, be innovative, and be a risk taker but stay on schedule and cost. One gets the feeling that either the new jobs will be simple or that the reign of saints has finally occurred. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Meetings, meetings -- A Projects Manager&#39;s staff meeting should last 5 minutes minimum -- 1 hour max -- less than 5 minutes and you probably didn&#39;t need the meeting -- longer than 1 hour, it becomes a bull session. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Taking too many people to visit a contractor or other government agency puts them in the entertainment business -- not the space hardware or software business. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Too many engineers get in the habit of supporting support contractors and of using them as a crutch. In many cases it is getting to the point where one has to wonder who is who. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Reviews, meetings, and reality have little in common. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['You should always check to see how long a change or action takes to get to the implementer -- this time should be measured in hours and not days. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Let your staff argue you into doing something even if you intended to do it anyway. It gives them the feeling that they won one! There are a lot of advantages to gamesmanship as long as no one detects the game. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Some contractors are good, some are bad, but they seem to change places over time, making the past no guarantee of the future; thus, constant vigilance is a project requirement. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['It is rare that a contractor or instrumentor does not know your budget and does not intend to get every bit of it from you. This is why you have to constantly pay attention to the manpower they use and to judge their activities in order to assure that they are not overloading the system. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['People tend to ask for what they think they can get and not what they need. On GRO the specs for photomultiplier tubes were based on the engineering units performance on all parameters. One parameter, though made in the engineering tubes, was difficult to obtain in the flight tubes. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['It was a meaningless parameter put in only because the engineering tubes met it. Finally, after about 9 months of sweat and tears, this was recognized and deleted so we could get the flight tubes. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Today one must get an honest bid -- one which is accurate to 15 percent. On GRO, with TRW the only bidder and with them knowing it, we all got what we believed to be an honest bid that was off by about 18 to 20 percent at the finish. The main area of overrun was the structure. TRW had never built one this large or heavy before. We estimated that the structure would require 600 drawings, multiplied this by 1.25 to get 750 and rounded to 800 to estimate the cost. It took 1,186 drawings. It is normally not the complex systems that get you, so beware when you estimate the cost -- especially if there is no experience base. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Too much cost data on a proposal can blind you to the real risks or forgotten items. On a project we thoroughly knew, we spent 6 months of government and contractor time validating the cost, had rooms full of data, and presented our findings to Headquarters. Two weeks later, the contractor found an &ldquo;Oh I forgot&rdquo; that costs $30 million. One should look at how past programs spent their money to try to avoid these traps. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['On GRO we sort of estimated we needed about 20 percent contingency on previously flown subsystems and about 40 percent to 50 percent on new ones. The ratio was about right except the order was reversed. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['There are some small companies that make the same subsystem correctly every time because the same people do it. There are some large companies that can never make the same unit correctly every time because different people do the work each time. Heritage should be questioned when the people doing the work all have peach fuzz on their faces. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Too many project managers think a spoken agreement carries the same weight as one put in writing. It doesn&#39;t. People vanish and change positions. Important decisions must be documented. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Make sure everyone knows what the requirements are and understands them. Much easier to say than do. On GRO we stated quite clearly that the scientific instruments had to take 18g in a specific axis. Everyone understood the requirement but until the mechanical test on EGRET no one stood up and said it was impossible to meet it. The thermal specification for the momentum wheels required that they run 5 degrees colder than normal limits to make the spacecraft thermal engineers life easier. No one stood up until after 9 months of failure in the test program to say that the grease used changes state if taken that cold, and would not recover when brought back to higher temperature. You have to have the right people look at requirements. A bunch of managers and salesmen nodding agreement to requirements should not make you feel safe. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Too many people at Headquarters believe the myth that you can reduce the food to the horse every day till you get a horse that requires no food. They try to do the same with projects, which eventually end up as dead as the horse. ','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['The project manager who is the smartest man on his project has done a lousy job of recruitment.','100 Lessons Learned for Project Managers ','Jerry Madden','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/14/practices/ask14_lessons_madden.html'],
['Rule #1- Figure out what business you are in, and then mind your own business.   Figure out what business you are in.  Make sure your business is viable.  Select projects that are good for your business.  Understand the business value in your project and watch for changes.  Be diligent in your chosen business, learning and applying best practices.  Define what is inside and outside your area of responsibility.  50% of project management is simply paying attention. ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #2 - Understand the customer&#39;s requirements and put them under version control.  Thoroughly understand and document the customer&#39;s requirements, obtain customer agreement in writing, and put requirements documents under version identification and change control.  Requirements management is the leading success factor for systems development projects.  ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #3 - Prepare a reasonable plan.  Prepare a plan that defines the scope, schedule, cost, and approach for a reasonable project.  Involve task owners in developing plans and estimates, to ensure feasibility and buy-in.  If your plan is just barely possible at the outset, you do not have a reasonable plan.  Use a work breakdown structure to provide coherence and completeness to minimize unplanned work. ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #4 - Build a good team with clear ownership.  Get good people and trust them.  Establish clear ownership of well-defined tasks; ensure they have tools and training needed; and provide timely feedback.  Track against a staffing plan.  Emphasize open communications.  Create an environment in which team dynamics can gel.  Move misfits out.  Lead the team. ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #5 - Track project status and give it wide visibility.   Track progress and conduct frequent reviews.  Provide wide visibility and communications of team progress, assumptions, and issues.  Conduct methodical reviews of management and technical topics to help manage customer expectations, improve quality, and identify problems before they get out of hand.  Trust your indicators.  This is part of paying attention.  ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #6 - Use Baseline Controls.  Establish baselines for the product using configuration management and for the project using cost and schedule baseline tracking.  Manage changes deliberately.  Use measurements to baseline problem areas and then track progress quantitatively towards solutions.  ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #7 - Write Important Stuff Down, Share it, and Save it.  If it hasn&#39;t been written down, it didn&#39;t happen.  Document requirements, plans, procedures, and evolving designs.  Documenting thoughts allows them to evolve and improve.  Without documentation it is impossible to have baseline controls, reliable communications, or a repeatable process.  Record all important agreements and decisions, along with supporting rationale, as they may resurface later. ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #8 - If it hasn&#39;t been tested, it doesn&#39;t work.  If this isn&#39;t absolutely true, it is certainly a good working assumption for project work.  Develop test cases early to help with understanding and verification of the requirements.  Use early testing to verify critical items and reduce technical risks.  Testing is a profession; take it seriously. ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #9 - Ensure Customer Satisfaction.  Keep the customer&#39;s real needs and requirements continuously in view.  Undetected changes in customer requirements or not focusing the project on the customer&#39;s business needs are sure paths to project failure.  Plan early for adequate customer support products. ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Rule #10 - Be relentlessly pro-active.  Take initiative and be relentlessly proactive in applying these principles and identifying and solving problems as they arise.  Project problems usually get worse over time.  Periodically address project risks and confront them openly.  Attack problems, and leave no stone unturned.  Fight any tendency to freeze into day-to-day tasks, like a deer caught in the headlights.  ','Project Management Principles','&copy; Copyright 1997, 2001,  James R. Chapman.   All rights reserved.','http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_princ.htm'],
['Two parties (and certainly more than two) of a speedy project launched with incomplete information will find it impossible to sustain an ongoing relationship based on a fixed agreement that was made between them at the beginning of the project. A more flexible mechanism, based on teamwork and collaboration, is needed to handle the unexpected changes that are bound to arise. Therefore, contracting should emphasize cooperation rather than risk allocation.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Project success depends on successful teamwork. Establishing a multifunctional group with team spirit facilitates both communication and coordination, and it promotes strong loyalty to the project. Such a team can make quality decisions that represent all disciplines.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['No real teamwork can take place in an organization that maintains the traditional division of labor, because R&D, marketing, engineering and production people are loyal primarily to their respective disciplines, departments and managers. Therefore, breaking down the organization&#39;s functional walls is the minimum essential condition for teamwork.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Assign people for the duration of the project. Team member continuity is vital for better accountability and commitment. Since team knowledge lies in the shared viewpoints and experience that team members develop over an extended period, greater continuity means better decision-making and faster projects.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Master project managers pay great attention to the size of their project team. They create the smallest team possible that includes all the necessary skills.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['A project team should first concentrate on getting to know one another and then on deciding how best to function as a team. Sharing clear expectations, appreciating cultural differences between organizations, and understanding the different reward systems of these organizations will reduce the time it takes to form a finely tuned, effective team.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Trusting relationships are conducive to full and open exchange of information within the team. In contrast, when project parties distrust each other, they withhold relevant information and distort intentions, thus adding uncertainty to the project. Trust reduces the cost of planning and monitoring transactions between organizations.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Once you stereotype a team member, prejudice shapes what you see and how you act. Thus, initial opinions of the individuals entering the project are important in shaping its final outcome. These initial opinions can force the project into a spiral of increasing or decreasing trust. Therefore, if possible, don&#39;t select team members who start the project distrusting you. Build trust incrementally by making statements of intent, which express your desire to trust the other party, followed by actions that support and comply with these statements.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['You should make sure that members of your team feel dependent upon each other, and share a belief that they are mutually responsible for project results . A group of people who don&#39;t feel dependent upon each other is a committee, not a team.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['You can&#39;t manufacture extraordinary team performance merely by designing the right structure, selecting the right people, providing the right vision and rewards, and facilitating the right work processes. All these are very helpful, but to achieve peak team performance you must develop rich, intimate, and emotional relationships among skilled people who trust one another and who enjoy spending time with one other.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Dedicated teamwork does not require the ultimate sublimation of the individual. On the contrary, as a leader you should empower team members to be constantly at their peak by giving them the necessary discretion and autonomy to make things happen.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Having members with diverse professional orientations and different organizational interests and cultures can have only negative implications, and this is the reason why projects and conflicts are always bound to be synonymous. True? No! Definitely false. In a collaborative environment these differences may provide the crucial positive edge that leads to innovative solutions.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Don&#39;t ignore space and neighborhood management. Teams must spend a lot of time together, especially at the beginning. The chances are considerably better that geographic proximity allows people to come to appreciate and even like one another. Also, in co-located teams many informal face-to-face interactions occur daily. This frequent face-to-face communication clarifies understanding and accelerates speed.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['Don&#39;t overlook the intangibles, such as team culture, language, and ritual. They help create team identity, establish a sense of order, build team spirit, release tension, and cope with time pressure and uncertainty.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['If you are having fun, you aren&#39;t working, right? No -- that&#39;s absolutely wrong! Look for the many natural opportunities to celebrate team accomplishments and hard effort. Use these events to give team members the high visibility and special recognition they have earned. In successful teams, fun both sustains and is sustained by team achievements.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['To sustain performance, teamwork requires constant massaging. Therefore, throughout the project life cycle, master project managers ensure alignment on project objectives, assess team functioning, and renew team energy.','A &ldquo;Sweet 16&rdquo; Of Rules About Teamwork','Dr. Alexander Laufer','http://appl.nasa.gov/ask/issues/7/overview/7_resources_letterfromtheeditor.html'],
['1. The maximum potential for influencing project outcomes occurs early in the conceptual and definition phases of the project. Autopsies of most failed projects indicate that the disasters were &ldquo;well planned&rdquo; to happen from the start. Therefore, even in an era of uncertainty and accelerated speed, don&#39;t rush to execution with only superficial preparations -- invest quality time in early planning. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['2. In a dynamic environment, project management is not about performing according to plan, with minimal changes. It is about meeting customer needs, while coping successfully with unavoidable changes. Therefore, the planning system should be capable of coping with changes. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['3. Prior to project planning, it is imperative to establish the project&#39;s objectives or you might find yourself trying to do the task right without necessarily focusing on the right tasks. The customer&#39;s needs must dictate the project&#39;s objectives, and in a dynamic environment, invariably one of these objectives is flexibility. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['4. The distinctive conduct that marks successful project teams is this: They know there is a time to diverge and a time to converge. That is, in each of the project planning phases (e. g., feasibility, conceptual, definition, execution), the team first moves outward (diverge) to gather information and ideas and to generate alternatives - - only then does the team move inward (converge) to focus, evaluate, and select. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['5. The project team should prepare various functional project plans; e. g., organization, cost, schedule, engineering, and procurement. These plans play multiple roles. They provide a basis for authorization of project objectives and means, and for contractual commitments. They also provide a yardstick for monitoring and reviewing, as well as facilitate communication and coordination. However, the ultimate goal of planning is the implementation of plans. One is interested in the planning process and its product -- the plan, only insofar that it leads to the effective execution of the project. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['6. The success of the project depends not only on preparing high quality individual plans, but also on addressing the inter-relatedness of those plans effectively. Synthesis of project plans is not a simple summing up of the independent contributions of decision-makers from different disciplines. Successful project teams address the planning decisions by tackling all functional plans simultaneously and interdependently. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['7. You can ensure high commitment to implementing a decision if you involve those most affected by that decision early in the decision-making process. Involving your customer in early planning facilitates project implementation and reduces the need for future changes. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['8. Even in situations where information is missing and changing, and when there is a great demand for speed, it is essential to identify areas where the search for optimal solutions is worthwhile. Being selective is the key. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['9. Actual budget reduction does not result from an artificial treatment of overhead cost, or from arbitrary or wishful decisions concerning project outcomes (e. g., arbitrary reduction of contingency cost allowance). The simple truth is that project scope drives project cost, not vice versa. Therefore, real reduction requires thorough examination of project scope. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['10. Management&#39;s demands to pursue unrealistic objectives not only fail to ensure the achievement of those objectives, but they frequently lead to failure. For example, excessively high or low cost estimates result in greater final costs. The greater the overestimate or underestimate, the greater the actual expenditure. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['11. Planning requires two strong beliefs – that unless something is done a desired future state is not likely to occur, and that something can be done to increase the chance a desired state will occur. In a dynamic environment a project team that underestimates uncertainty will lack the belief that unless something is done a desired future state is not likely to occur. On the other hand, if the team will recognize uncertainty but will not address it explicitly and systematically, it might be overwhelmed by it, to the point the team will lack the belief that something can be done to increase the chance a desired state will occur. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['12. Ostrich-like thinking does not belong in the age of dynamic change. You must identify potential changes and risks early, and then take preemptive action. Formal, quantitative risk analysis techniques are essential and useful in the technical areas of the project such as safety, health, and environment. In the business and management areas of the project, they are useful only at the approval and funding stages. Later, quantitative risk analysis techniques, which are based on probability estimates, are very rarely employed, due to lack of data or time, or both. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['13. In a dynamic environment, analysis of risk early in the project and only by a staff specialist is insufficient. Continuous management of uncertainty throughout the project life cycle by the entire team is required. Management that includes measures of anticipating, reducing, and absorbing uncertainty, enables the team to detect and cope with changes early rather than late in the project life cycle. These measures, which do not require extensive data processing, are explained later. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['14. Plans are always based upon various assumptions; e. g., there will be sufficient skilled human resources for the next phase of the project. A planning assumption is deemed critical when major planning decisions are strongly dependent on its validity, and when it is judged by the team to suffer from a considerable degree of uncertainty. By detecting changes in the critical assumptions early -- before these changes influence many subsequent decisions and actions -- the team is able to anticipate uncertainty, and to mitigate the impact of the changes in a relatively quick and easy way. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['15. Master project managers believe that &ldquo;objectives first, the means later,&rdquo; is still the most fundamental premise of successful project planning. However, they have found that under conditions of uncertainty, it is impossible to finalize all project objectives &ldquo;once and for all&rdquo; at the outset. In order to set stable project objectives they must sometimes first explore the means. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['16. The &ldquo;reflection first, action later&rdquo; model is sometimes ignored by master project managers who do just the opposite. To accelerate learning they implement small actions with limited or very little prior planning. By quickly accumulating feedback that is essential for further planning, they are able to reduce uncertainty. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['17. The idea that the customers should clearly know, in total and final detail, what they want before briefing the designers, is expecting too much. Insight into possible solutions and the available alternatives influence the customers&#39; ideas of what they really want, and of what they can afford. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['18. Often, in order to do it quickly and right, the project team must be willing to do it wrong first. When information concerning &ldquo;what to do&rdquo; is missing, prototyping is an efficient way to acquire the missing information. By building a physical model of crucial elements of the ultimate product, successful teams are able to rapidly develop, extract, and present the customer&#39;s needs. Prototyping can efficiently and quickly help bring about a stable definition of the project by incrementally refining the model, as understanding of the problem and possible solutions evolve in parallel. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['19. When information concerning &ldquo;how to do&rdquo; is missing, small experiments are efficient ways to acquire the missing information. While experimenting consumes time and resources, it does ensure the gradual development of valid knowledge. In the final analysis, it brings about the early completion of stable design that requires few changes. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['20. &ldquo;Perfection is in the details,&rdquo; but not too early. Under conditions of uncertainty, avoid preparing a full and detailed plan too early. Adjust the timing of decisions and their degree of detail to the completeness and stability of information. Instead of maintaining a constant level of detail across time, prepare a general master plan for the entire project and a detailed short-term plan. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['21. If we were to examine a project that begins with a fairly high level of certainty, we would find that in time, the relatively few uncertain tasks begin to proliferate, introducing uncertainty into all the components of the project. This &ldquo;one rotten apple&rdquo; syndrome destabilizes the entire project plan. That is why successful teams take pains to organize project tasks in a structure that can easily maintain stability. In particular, these teams focus on the connections between the tasks. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['22. Loosening the connections between moderately uncertain tasks, and isolating highly uncertain tasks, can enable you to prepare robust project plans and maintain rapid progress. However, there is no free lunch. To loosen the connections between moderately uncertain tasks or to isolate uncertain tasks, you must build in redundancy. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['23. Sound judgment is required in order to select the appropriate amount of redundancy -- enough to absorb uncertainty and establish a stable plan, but not so much as to waste excessive resources. You can create a flexible plan by deliberately and carefully combining selected redundancies with an otherwise efficient plan. You get a balanced plan with maximum reliability, and adaptability, which includes the capability to absorb many future changes. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['24. You should be aware of the distinct difference between absorbing uncertainty in project cost estimating and in scheduling. In drawing up a cost estimate, any monetary deviation in one task will generally not have a direct influence on the other tasks. Therefore, creating a global cost reserve is an effective means of absorbing uncertainty. On the other hand, a global time reserve is not an effective solution for a project schedule, since a delay in one task usually affects several other tasks. To create a stable plan you must deal with the specific uncertain tasks. For example, in drawing up a short-term project schedule, introduce local time buffers between uncertain tasks, thus loosening the connections between these tasks. These time buffers enhance the resilience of the entire plan, which is now both stable and adaptable. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['25. If uncertain tasks are not intensively managed today, they will create the new critical path tomorrow. Thus, successful teams first focus on and closely monitor the uncertain tasks, especially those closest to the critical path. They will deal with the classical critical path only after they have stabilized the plan. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['26. The stability of a system composed of connected elements that suffer from uncertainty is sharply reduced when the number of elements exceeds a certain critical value. Therefore, in uncertain conditions, splitting a large program into several independent projects will enhance stability. In uncertain situations, splitting a large program will also help cope with the information processing needs. Large programs composed of tasks that are highly uncertain create a need for more information to be processed. The result is an information overload for program leadership, delayed decision-making, and poor responsiveness. Creating a decentralized organization by dividing the program into small, autonomous and independent projects will reduce information overload, move the decision point closer to information sources, and improve responsiveness. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['27. Dividing a large program into small projects requires, however, the use of additional resources. Overhead costs tend to increase since some resources that would have been employed as a common resource for the entire program, may now be required by each small project. More resources are also required for coordinating and integrating the small projects. Otherwise, the program manager runs the risk that the decisions made by the small projects, which are naturally dictated by local perspective, will not support the main mission. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['28. Innovative tasks must often be divided into small, concrete sub-tasks that will be implemented successively. Their implementation will bring about small wins. Once a small win has been accomplished, natural forces are set in motion that encourage moving forward to the next small win. Small wins build momentum, provide evidence that the costs are justified, and provide feedback regarding the objectives and the plan. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['29. Leadership means coping with uncertainty and change. Managing means coping with complexity in stable conditions. Project managers have to assume both roles, leadership and managerial. They are expected to lead the effort in fine-tuning project direction, as well as to manage project planning and implementation. They are expected to do the right things (lead), and to do them right (manage). ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['30. To cope with the dynamic environment, project managers should be given as much power and support as possible. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['31. Master project managers see themselves as the ones who are ultimately responsible for their own project. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['32. Master project managers see themselves as responsible for motivating the multiple internal and external participants of the project. They manage by personal example. They understand the power of their most inconsequential actions and are not afraid to be water-carriers for their people. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['33. Power is an expandable pie. Sharing power and responsibility results in more committed and accountable team members. Project leaders who delegate power gain more power in return. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['34. Master project managers serve as the pacesetters of their project, maintaining its forward momentum. They function like a metronome, a timekeeping mechanism designed to keep a number of diverse elements responsive to a central &ldquo;beat&rdquo; or common rhythm. In successful projects, the project&#39;s diverse parties respond to the &ldquo;beat&rdquo; of the project manager&#39;s metronome, rather than to their own internal unit rhythm. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['35. Master project managers do not make many decisions on their own, because of time constraints and because they lack the technical expertise. Rather, they manage the decision-making process. They ensure that the information and participants who need to be involved are identified and available when needed. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['36. Although they don&#39;t make many decisions, master project managers influence them to a great extent. They influence decision-making by shaping the decision criteria and by determining decision-making time constraints. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['37. You must know your time constraints and limit the number of the decisions in which you are involved. This will allow you to deal with urgent and really important problems thoroughly and immediately. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['38. Master project managers constantly scan the project&#39;s external environment and identify the key people with whom they must maintain contact. They know that maintaining constant communication with the project&#39;s stakeholders about essential issues helps secure their support and responsiveness when needed. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['39. Master project managers know that it is essential to develop the capability to obtain fast, reliable information. They don&#39;t wait for a problem to arise. Anticipating troubles, they proactively gather information by networking with firsthand sources. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['40. To accelerate project speed, master project managers instill a sense of urgency right from the beginning and throughout the project life cycle. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['41. In today&#39;s projects, &ldquo;putting out fires&rdquo; occurs more often than the old mindset of rational, scientific management would like us to believe. Master project managers plan and attempt to anticipate, yet at the same time they develop a state of readiness to respond quickly to frequent, unanticipated events. They take immediate action to address a problem, demonstrating that to move out quickly you have to respond quickly. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['42. In areas critical to the success of the project, stand up for your opinion. When necessary, challenge senior management and negotiate project objectives or the resources needed to accomplish them. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['43. Master project managers know that often the only way to achieve ambitious project objectives is by challenging some of the bureaucratic rules. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['44. Two parties (and certainly more than two) of a speedy project launched with incomplete information will find it impossible to sustain an ongoing relationship based on a fixed agreement that was made between them at the beginning of the project. A more flexible mechanism, based on teamwork and collaboration, is needed to handle the unexpected changes that are bound to arise. Therefore, contracting should emphasize cooperation rather than risk allocation. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['45. Project success depends on successful teamwork. Establishing a multifunctional group with team spirit facilitates both communication and coordination, and it promotes strong loyalty to the project. Such a team can make quality decisions that represent all disciplines. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['46. No real teamwork can take place in an organization that maintains the traditional division of labor, because R&D, marketing, engineering and production people are loyal primarily to their respective disciplines, departments and managers. Therefore, breaking down the organization&#39;s functional walls is the minimum essential condition for teamwork. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['47. Assign people for the duration of the project. Team member continuity is vital for better accountability and commitment. Since team knowledge lies in the shared viewpoints and experience that team members develop over an extended period, greater continuity means better decision-making and faster projects. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['48. Master project managers pay great attention to the size of their project team. They create the smallest team possible that includes all the necessary skills. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['49. A project team should first concentrate on getting to know one other and then on deciding on how best to function as a team. Sharing clear expectations, appreciating cultural differences between organizations, and understanding the different reward systems of these organizations will reduce the time it takes to form a finely tuned, effective team. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['50. Trusting relationships are conducive to full and open exchange of information within the team. In contrast, when project parties distrust each other, they withhold relevant information and distort intentions, thus adding uncertainty to the project. Trust reduces the cost of planning and monitoring transactions between organizations. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['51. Once you stereotype a team member, prejudice shapes what you see and how you act. Thus, initial opinions of the individuals entering the project are important in shaping its final outcome. These initial opinions can force the project into a spiral of increasing or decreasing trust. Therefore, if possible, don&#39;t select team members who start the project distrusting you. Build trust incrementally by making statements of intent, which express your desire to trust the other party, followed by actions that support and comply with these statements. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['52. You should make sure that members of your team feel dependent upon each other, and share a belief that they are mutually responsible for project results. A group of people who don&#39;t feel dependent upon each other is a committee, not a team. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['53. You can&#39;t manufacture extraordinary team performance merely by designing the right structure, selecting the right people, providing the right vision and rewards, and facilitating the right work processes. All these are very helpful, but to achieve peak team performance you must develop rich, intimate, and emotional relationships among skilled people who trust one another and who enjoy spending time with one other. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['54. Dedicated teamwork does not require the ultimate sublimation of the individual. On the contrary, as a leader you should empower team members to be constantly at their peak by giving them the necessary discretion and autonomy to make things happen. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['55. Having members with diverse professional orientations and different organizational interests and cultures can have only negative implications, and this is the reason why projects and conflicts are always bound to be synonymous. True? No! Definitely false. In a collaborative environment these differences may provide the crucial positive edge that leads to innovative solutions. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['56. Don&#39;t ignore space and neighborhood management. Teams must spend a lot of time together, especially at the beginning. The chances are considerably better that geographic proximity allows people to come to appreciate and even like one another. Also, in co-located teams many informal face-to-face interactions occur daily. This frequent face-to-face communication clarifies understanding and accelerates speed. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['57. Don&#39;t overlook the intangibles, such as team culture, language, and ritual. They help create team identity, establish a sense of order, build team spirit, release tension, and cope with time pressure and uncertainty. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['58. If you are having fun, you aren&#39;t working, right? No -- that&#39;s absolutely wrong! Look for the many natural opportunities to celebrate team accomplishments and hard effort. Use these events to give team members the high visibility and special recognition they have earned. In successful teams, fun both sustains and is sustained by team achievements. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['59. To sustain performance, teamwork requires constant massaging. Therefore, throughout the project life cycle, master project managers ensure alignment on project objectives, assess team functioning, and renew team energy. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['60. The true causes for acceleration and deceleration of project schedule occur at the beginning of the project but become conspicuous only during the advanced phases of project execution and start-up. Therefore, to shorten project duration, pay great attention to the pre-execution activities. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['61. Too many technological innovations lead to changes that decelerate project speed. In a fast track project you must learn to overcome the tendency to add state-of-the-art technology incrementally to make the final product a blockbuster. You have to limit technological innovations and development to only those essential to achieve project objectives. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['62. In situations in which information is incomplete and changing frequently, and when you have to proceed quickly, your objective is to reduce uncertainty by learning as soon as possible about the obstacles that lie ahead (see Principle Two). In these situations, accelerated speed comes mainly from learning faster, not from working faster. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['63. When information or knowledge concerning &ldquo;how to do&rdquo; is incomplete, early involvement of downstream representatives in upstream planning is the best way to acquire the missing information. By bringing the people in who can ask the right questions early enough, quick learning is accomplished. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['64. To compete better in a relay race, the next runner is warmed up and actually starts running before the baton is handed off. In addition to quick learning, early involvement of downstream representatives in upstream planning ensures that when the time comes for responsibility to be passed, there is no stop-and-start because the leadership of the downstream phase is already up to full speed. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['65. Overlapping project phases is vital in order to accelerate speed. This step can be applied easily when phases are independent of one another. Very often, however, phases are highly dependent on each other, and overlapping without maintaining essential conditions can be very costly. Since completing tasks too early may bring about a need to redo them, overlapping without maintaining essential conditions may even add time to the project. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['66. The most crucial steps for effective overlap of project phases are maintaining flexibility of plans and behavior, and employing frequent two-way communication between the overlapping phases. You can achieve flexibility of the plans by enhancing their ability to absorb changes (Principle Three). You can enable flexibility of behavior by establishing an autonomous leadership (Principle Four) and a collaborative orientation (Principle Five). ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['67. Compressing schedules by overlapping engineering and production requires breaking engineering work down into small increments, adjusted to production schedule. To maintain smooth progress, engineering must be flexible and cater to production needs. At the same time, however, production must be willing to shape its demands according to engineering constraints, in particular to its lack of information. This mutual adjustment can be maintained by continuous coordination and frequent two-way communication between engineering and production ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['68. In cases of extremely high speed, it is necessary to overlap phases to a greater extent. Small batches of intermediate output must be transferred from one phase to another, thus creating a situation in which there is a continuous flow of transfer of bits of work from one phase to the other. In this mode of work, it is impossible for upper management to conduct formal reviews at the end of each phase. Review is accomplished in real time by the project team, which should be granted substantial autonomy. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['69. Even when projects are launched with high certainty, extreme speed in and of itself causes high uncertainty. Highly accelerated projects that are planned like a football game and rehearsed like a symphony orchestra, quickly turn into a basketball game with its spontaneous moves, and ultimately deteriorate into improvised jazz. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['70. Standard project procedures prevent reinventing the wheel, they save time and energy, and they contribute significantly to the parties&#39; ability to maintain tight cooperation efficiently, even in the face of uncertainty. They also provide a common vocabulary and avoid ambiguity, and help establish internal stability. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['71. Standard project procedures also serve as the organizational retention system, where the accumulated organizational knowledge about project management methodology and systems is stored, for purposes of formal and onthe- job training and continuous organizational learning. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['72. Employ standard project procedures, not for top-down control, but rather for lateral cooperation, within and among the various project teams. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['73. Employ standard procedures that are simply presented in quick and easy-tounderstand form, and that are easy to implement. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['74. Simple procedures do not attempt to address all possible situations. To deal with less-common situations, the project manager is expected to modify the standard project procedures or even develop ad hoc procedures. &ldquo;Standard and flexible procedures&rdquo; is an oxymoron. Knowing when and how to modify the standard procedures is one of the hallmarks of experienced project managers. Through years of experience, of successes and failures, they have acquired an ability to diagnose the situation properly and to fit the procedures to the project context. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['75. Success stories that underscore the need for flexibility and that present examples of flexible behavior may complement standard project procedures. Use stories as inspirational training tools, and to foster organizational identity and values, as well as organizational learning. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['76. Bureaucracy and speed do not mix. In cases of extremely high speed, you should eliminate bureaucracy whenever possible. You should form a small team, adopt very simple and informal working procedures, and reduce documentation requirements. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['77. Pay great attention to fitting the intensity and mode of communication to the situation. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['78. High interdependence between functional groups, coupled with uncertainty and speed, will require more frequent sharing of large volumes of information. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['79. The value of information is directly related to timeliness. It is more important to have partial but timely information than to have it complete but late. Likewise, it is more important to have approximate but timely data, than to have precise, processed and detailed data later. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['80. How well you communicate is determined by how well you are understood, not by how well you express yourself. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['81. Modern electronic communication devices are no substitute for human contact, especially in situations of uncertainty and speed. The structure of face-to-face interaction offers an unusual capacity for interruption, repair, feedback, and learning. This instantaneous two-way feedback, which enables immediate correction and interpretation, is essential to avoid misunderstandings. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['82. People who work together, but distant from each other, need face-to-face, rapport-building opportunities to lay a foundation for all the communication that will follow. Once you have established the required trust and openness among team members, then you can make extensive use of modern information technologies. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['83. The degree to which communication is formal or informal correlates to a great extent with the phase of the project. During the earliest planning phases, communication modes are primarily informal. By contrast, during the latter phases of the project, more communication is carried out through formal plans, reports, and standard forms. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['84. Yet, since uncertainty and change in most projects do not subside, even toward the end of start-up, face-to-face meetings should be carried out throughout the project life. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['85. The need to monitor project performance systematically is based upon the homegrown truth that identifying a small problem is difficult; correcting it is easy. Identifying a big problem is easy; correcting it is difficult. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['86. In a dynamic environment you must simultaneously monitor the validity of the objectives, the achievement of the objectives (effectiveness), and the utilization of the means (efficiency). ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['87. In unsuccessful projects there&#39;s never enough time to do it right, but there&#39;s always time to do it over. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['88. Management systems can&#39;t control projects. Only people can, helped by management systems. A management control system that does not lead to decisions and actions is a total waste. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['89. Only team members who are directly responsible for project implementation can control projects. Staff specialists cannot control them. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['90. Only what is yet to come can be controlled. Last week&#39;s performance is relevant to the project team only when knowledge of it helps them decide how to do next week&#39;s work better. Analysis of the gap between planned and actual performance is justified only in cases where the future is similar to the past. Such is rare in today&#39;s projects. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['91. More paperwork does not ensure greater information reliability or accuracy -- it only adds to the non-value-added cost. It only seems that adding more measurement and reporting means better control. The illusion of control may partially explain an obsession with control. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['92. Excessive control through an elaborate administrative information system often &ldquo;encourages&rdquo; employees to systematically distort the data or to develop aberrant practices. If you distrust your employees, they will not disappoint you. Their behavior will prove you right. The vicious cycle never ends. As employees suppress critical information for fear of management reprisal, they provoke even greater management suspicion and scrutiny. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['93. Successful teams know that effective project control does not result from reviewing and analyzing performance reports. Since the maximum potential for influencing project outcomes occurs early in planning, successful teams control their projects primarily by carrying out effective front-end planning. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['94. Managers who maintain a stationary position are forced to make complex judgments with incomplete cues. They have no choice but to imagine the environment and rely on inferential processes, while their senses may play tricks on them and generate unsound conclusions. Great amounts of formal information create information overload, but do not ensure understanding. Can you imagine basketball coaches remaining in the locker room, trying to guide their teams without watching the game? Even if the game&#39;s statistics were conveyed on-line, using the most advanced information technology, without actually seeing the game the coaches&#39; understanding of what&#39;s going on would be minimal. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['95. Master project managers control the project by employing formal performance reports and by moving about. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['96. Moving about contributes not only to the &ldquo;understanding&rdquo; component of control, but also to the &ldquo;influencing&rdquo; component. Management-by-walking-around allows project leaders a natural, subtle, and timely influence on project activities. It also motivates team members. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['97. When uncertainty is low, control is best implemented by measuring performance and then by taking corrective steps to adjust performance to the plan. As project uncertainty increases, control is less of a &ldquo;governor&rdquo; of execution (ensuring that implementation conforms to plans), and more of a data collection function for continuous planning. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['98. In uncertain conditions, &ldquo;control&rdquo; should systematically provide feedback for planning, and thus its emphasis should be on looking ahead with anticipation rather than looking back with justification. That is, in uncertain conditions the main question should not be: &ldquo;Why didn&#39;t your performance yesterday conform to the original plan?&rdquo; Rather, it should be: &ldquo;What kind of feedback can help you learn faster and perform better tomorrow?&rdquo; ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['99. When uncertainty is outstandingly high, the best way to control the project is through the staffing process. By selecting adaptable and responsive people, you can cope with conditions in which classical planning and control have little meaning. ','NINETY-NINE RULES FOR MANAGING &ldquo;FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER&rdquo; PROJECTS','Dr. Alexander Laufer and Dr. Edward J. Hoffman','http://appl.nasa.gov/pdf/59132main_LAUFER_99_rules.pdf'],
['I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.','A poem from <b>The Elephant Child</b>','Rudyard Kipling','http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_serving.htm'],
['A bad project team will never deliver good project results','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['A project manager must be a motivator','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['A project manager with lots of enemies won&#39;t be able to be successful over the long run.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['A project manager&#39;s main job is to keep the customer happy','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['A sense of humor can help get teams through tough times. Keep in mind, some managers don&#39;t appreciate humor unless they initiate it.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['A working meeting should have no more than five people. Meetings with more than five should be reserved for providing updates or relaying information.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['An introvert can&#39;t be a (successful) project manager','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['At the end of a project if you have met all scope, quality, budget, and schedule objectives, but the customer isn&#39;t happy your project is a failure','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Bad conclusions lead to more bad conclusions','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Bad data leads to bad decisions','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Be honest in all your dealings.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Data doesn&#39;t tell the whole story.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Documentation doesn&#39;t replace knowledge','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Documented assumptions are believed to be true for planning purposes','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['End of project surveys must be completed and the results distributed to the team','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Good project managers are insecure by nature','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Have verifiable milestones','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['If you don&#39;t listen, you can&#39;t plan','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['If your project sponsor isn&#39;t responsive you should put your project on-hold until such time they can become involved','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Most people want to do good work. Many times they don&#39;t have the tools or information they need to perform well, or they aren&#39;t managed properly','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Not all successful project managers are competent and not all unsuccessful project managers are incompetent. Sometimes you just have to be lucky','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Only people that aren&#39;t competent won&#39;t show off their work','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Paper status reports are worth what they are printed on.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Project failure is planned at the beginning of the project. Project initiation is the most important phase.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Project managers are expected to offer their opinions, but be accountable for your words.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Project managers aren&#39;t successful if their team members aren&#39;t successful','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Project managers deal with change. You must be the change agent for your project. Your project sponsor is the change salesman.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Question authority or live with the result','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Remove people from your team that don&#39;t ask questions, don&#39;t talk with other team members, won&#39;t provide documentation, or won&#39;t do analysis.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Senior management is usually clueless when it comes to what your project is all about','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['The best lessons learned come from failures','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['The bottleneck is at the top of the bottle','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['When it comes to project scope, what is not in writing has not been said.','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['Without data you only have an opinion','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['You must be a relationship guru and be ready to fall on the sword sometimes','Project Steps:  My Rules for Project Management','Stephen Seay','http://projectsteps.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-rules-for-project-management.html'],
['<b>Adopt practices for exploring a variety of perspectives.</b>  We think we see what we see, but we don&#39;t. We really see what we think. Remember the blind men and the elephant. Make it your habit to inquire what others see. You&#39;ll see more together.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Stay close to your customer.</b>  Clients&rsquo; concerns evolve over the life of a project. Take advantage of that to over-deliver. Stay in a conversation with your client to adjust what you are doing.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Take care of your project team.</b>  We&rsquo;ve come to accept that the customer comes first…the customer is always right. We can&rsquo;t take care of the customer if we first aren&rsquo;t taking care of our project team. It&rsquo;s a challenge. While there are some things we can do for the whole team, it comes down to taking care of each team member as the individual that he or she is. And to make it more difficult, then we must bring their various interests into coherence.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Keep your eye on the overall project promises.</b>  Project work can be difficult. It is easy to loose sight of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Remind your team and yourself of the overall promises and how you are doing fulfilling those promises.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Build relationships intentionally.</b>  Project teams come together as strangers. To do great work…innovation, learning, and collaboration…all take people who like and care for each other. Don&rsquo;t leave that to chance. Start your projects by building relationships among team members.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Tightly couple learning with action.</b>  Projects are wonderful opportunities to learn. Don&rsquo;t put that off for the after project lessons learned. Make it your habit to incorporate learning loops in all your project activities. Your team will appreciate it. Your customer will benefit from it. And best of all, it will make your job easier.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Coordinate meticulously.</b>  A project is an ever-evolving network of commitment. Keep that network activated by tending to the critical conversations. See that people are making clear requests, promises that have completion dates, and share opinions that advance the purposes of the project. Without attention to those critical conversations the project will drift.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Collaborate. Really collaborate.</b>  Make it your rule to plan with those people who will be the performers of the plan. Don&rsquo;t wait &rsquo;til the project has gone south to get their help. Start out that way. Continue collaborating as the usual way you work through the project.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Listen generously.</b>  People are able to say what they can in the moment. For the most part, people are well-intended. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Take the time to listen. Ask questions. Seek others&rsquo; opinions. And while you&rsquo;re at it, don&rsquo;t be so harsh on yourself.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['<b>Embrace uncertainty.</b>  Expect the unexpected. There is far more that we don&rsquo;t know and can&rsquo;t know than what we can anticipate. Be resilient to what life throws at you. Anticipate that your team will learn something along the way that can and should change what you have promised and how you can deliver on your promises. And when you take a set-back — we all do sometime or another — review the other nine rules for how you can work your way out of it.','Reforming Project Management:  Ten New Rules for Project Managers','Hal Macomber','http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/lenses/project-leadership/ten-new-rules-for-project-managers/'],
['1. It takes one woman nine months to have a baby. It cannot be done in one month by impregnating nine women.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['10. What you don&#39;t know hurts you.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['11. There&#39;s never enough time to do it right first time but there&#39;s always enough time to go back and do it again.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['12. The bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of making a date is forgotten.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['13. I know that you believe that you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['14. What is not on paper has not been said.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['15. A little risk management saves a lot of fan cleaning.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['16. If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, you haven&#39;t understood the plan.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['17. If at first you don&#39;t succeed, remove all evidence you ever tried','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['18. Feather and down are padding, changes and contingencies will be real events.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['19. There are no good project managers – only lucky ones.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['2. Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn&#39;t have to do it.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['20. The more you plan the luckier you get.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['21. A project is one small step for the project sponsor, one giant leap for the project manager.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['22. Good project management is not so much knowing what to do and when, as knowing what excuses to give and when.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['23. If everything is going exactly to plan, something somewhere is going massively wrong.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['24. Everyone asks for a strong project manager – when they get them they don&#39;t want them.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['25. Overtime is a figment of the naïve project manager&#39;s imagination.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['26. Quantitative project management is for predicting cost and schedule overruns well in advance.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['27. The sooner you begin coding the later you finish.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['28. Metrics are learned men&#39;s excuses.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['29. For a project manager overruns are as certain as death and taxes.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['3. You can con a sucker into committing to an impossible deadline, but you cannot con him into meeting it.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['30. Some projects finish on time in spite of project management best practices.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['31. Fast – cheap – good – you can have any two.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['32. There is such a thing as an unrealistic timescale.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['33. The project would not have been started if the truth had been told about the cost and timescale.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['34. A two year project will take three years, a three year project will never finish.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['35. When the weight of the project paperwork equals the weight of the project itself, the project can be considered complete.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['36. A badly planned project will take three times longer than expected – a well planned project only twice as long as expected.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['37. Warning: dates in a calendar are closer than they appear to be.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['38. Anything that can be changed will be changed until there is no time left to change anything.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['39. There is no such thing as scope creep, only scope gallop.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['4. At the heart of every large project is a small project trying to get out.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['40. A project gets a year late one day at a time.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['41. If you&#39;re 6 months late on a milestone due next week but really believe you can make it, you&#39;re a project manager.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['42. No project has ever finished on time, within budget, to requirement – yours won&#39;t be the first to.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['43. Activity is not achievement.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['44. Managing IT people is like herding cats.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['45. If you don&#39;t know how to do a task, start it, then ten people who know less than you will tell you how to do it.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['46. If you don&#39;t plan, it doesn&#39;t work. If you do plan, it doesn&#39;t work either. Why plan!','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['47. The person who says it will take the longest and cost the most is the only one with a clue how to do the job.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['48. The sooner you get behind schedule, the more time you have to make it up.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['49. The nice thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['5. The more desperate the situation the more optimistic the situatee.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['50. Good control reveals problems early – which only means you&#39;ll have longer to worry about them.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['6. A problem shared is a buck passed.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['7. A change freeze is like the abominable snowman: it is a myth and would anyway melt when heat is applied.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['8. A user will tell you anything you ask about, but nothing more.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['9. Of several possible interpretations of a communication, the least convenient is the correct one.','50 Rules of Project Management (Fun, Management)','Wille Faler','http://faler.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/50-rules-of-project-management/'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Project Processes</b><br><ul><li>Get team buy-in for structured project management processes and clearly document how you will use them.</li><li>Review past projects for problems related to structure and work with your team to make project infrastructure decisions to resolve them.</li><li>Take advantage of organizational expertise and project office capabilities, but resist surrendering control over your own project.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Influence</b><br><ul><li>Adopt a leadership style that will work with your team members and work to deliver on what people care about the most.</li><li>Build your awareness and skill for influencing others.</li><li>Learn what people you need commitments from want that you can provide, and use exchanges to negotiate credible agreements.</li><li>Work to increase influence through your actions and demeanor.</li><li>Build and maintain relationships of trust and respect with each of your team members.</li><li>Provide snacls.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Project Metrics</b><br><ul><li>Outline desired behaviors that you need on your team to maintain project control.</li><li>Identify metrics that align with project objectives and desired behaviors.</li><li>Select a small set of key measures and obtain team support for them.</li><li>Test the metrics and establish a measurement baseline.</li><li>Use the metrics to monitor and control your project.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Project Initiation</b><br><ul><li>Secure commitments from your sponsor for ongoing support and begin to establish a good relationship.</li><li>Develop a compelling project vision and fine-tune it as needed to inspire and motivate your team.</li><li>Thoroughly understand your objectives and document your project charter.</li><li>Conduct an effective project start-up workshop to get your project off to a healthy start.</li><li>Put extra effort into building relationships and trust with your team members in distant locations.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Project Execution</b><br><ul><li>Define diagnostic project metrics that will enhance control of your project, then get buy-in for them from your team.</li><li>Be dognatic and disciplined in collecting project status.</li><li>Use informal communication to collect "soft data," and work to maintain relationships and trust within your team.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Project Tracking and Monitoring</b><br><ul><li>Manage scope changes with a disciplined process that accepts only mandatory, business-justified modifications.</li><li>Develop and take adaptive actions promptly whenever problems arise.</li><li>Use reports and other formal communication to keep people in sync with your project and aware of its progress.</li><li>Motivate your team using frequent thanks and recognition, and rewards when appropriate.</li><li>Periodically review longer projects to validate objectives and plans, and to revitalize the project vision.</li><li>Deal with barriers to progress and promptly resolve project conflicts.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
['<b>Key Ideas for Project Closure</b><br><ul><li>Finish your work and get formal acceptance for your deliverables.</li><li>Complete final project documentation.</li><li>Thank your team and celebrate what you accomplished.</li><li>Capture and apply the lessons you learned.</li></ul>','Results Without Authority','Tom Kendrick','http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814473436'],
]

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