What has contributed to your success?

Best practice processes, lessons learned, and team building. It’s interesting that many don’t realize how lessons learned and updating or tailoring a process such as Configuration Management can contribute to the success of different programs, projects and products. I always get the subject question from presentations, conferences, social events, book signings, etc. How have I been successful and how have I applied my knowledge and best and good practices to IT and engineering development projects?

Answer:

Several years back and through my early career, I was told that there was concern for each time I had to take on a new project in a different technology or business environment: system, software, application, migration, infrastructure/networks, web development, e-business and e-commerce. But because of my past success, senior management had confidence in me. I recall also being taken aside by a trusted manager and being told that several managers were concerned about me being as successful in network development and migration projects as I had been in the software/application and engineering development environments? I just laughed and said to him that we will just have to see. I was not concerned if I did what I do best and lead with what I have learned (lessons learned), and built the “right” team and established the best practice processes (PM/Pgm, Development Process, CM and QA).

My Leads and I built teams that were proactive and not reactive. Each of the projects or programs I applied the best practice processes with lessons learned and each of the projects or programs were successful. Several received excellent and exceptional client/customer ratings and two were used for company PR. Which indicates that the best (and good) practices, tailored to the technology, improved through lessons learned and feedback, can/and still contribute to successful projects and programs. Large and small scale projects/programs (does not matter what industry or technology), are about scaling down or up and tailoring and/or modifying. Understand and know the “Best Practice Processes”, and plan and apply them correctly. Utilize lessons learned and build good teams. Understand the industry, its regulations, standards, and requirements. Become familiar with a business, and do what you do best with the “Best Practice Processes”.

 

Together let us now progress and improve through 2010 and beyond. Good Luck in 2010 and Beyond, the 21st Century.