USM Internal Conference - June 14, 2002

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Getting to GO-LIVE AND Staying ALIVE

• USM Internal Conference - June 14, 2002
• Athar Rafiq, Project Manager
• University of Baltimore

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Ground Rules for this session

• My Personal Professional Tools
• For Sharing IF needed (only use as needed)
• Background
• Definition of objectives for using these tools
• Personal
• Professional
• List of specific tools
• Personal
• Professional

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Hopi Wisdom by The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi
Nation

• You have been telling the people that this is
  the Eleventh hour. Now you must go back and tell
  the people that this is the Hour.
• And there are things to be considered. Where are
  you living? What are you doing? What are your
  relationships? Are you in the right direction?
  Where is your water? Know your garden.
• It is time to speak your truth. Create your
  community. Be good to each other. And do not look
  outside yourself for the leader. This could be a
  good time!
• There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so
  great and swift that there are those who will be
  afraid. They will try to hold onto the shore.
  They will feel that they are being torn apart,
  and they will suffer greatly. Know the river has
  its destination. . . .

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Hopi Wisdom .

• The elders say we must let go of the shore, push
  off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes
  open, and our heads above the water. See who is
  in there with you and celebrate.
• At this time in history, we are to take nothing
  personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the
  moment we do, our spiritual growth and journey
  comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is
  over.
• Gather yourselves!
• Banish the word struggle from your attitude and
  your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done
  in a sacred manner and celebration. We are the
  ones weve been waiting for.
• (The Effectiveness Institute, Inc., Teamwork,
  Teambuilding Team Effectiveness,
• Tom Champoux)

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Situation Understood Correct Tool

• What am I working on? CYA C A
• What am I measuring? Mistakes theirs
• What is the daily goal? Stay out of trouble
• What is desired results? No one blames me
• What is the vocabulary? Evaluate, Discuss, Delay
• Long term goal
• What is long term? Short term? Goal?

my
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Implementation Methodology vs. Culture

• Existing Culture is
• Comfortable
• Understood
• Familiar
• PS Implementation is
• Extremely uncomfortable (will I have a job)
• Totally misunderstood (software can do it all)
• Awfully unfamiliar (downright scary)

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Specific New Process Requirements

• Phase I
• Change Management process
• Information Gathering Storage process
• Communication process
• Team building process
• Phase II
• Education on new terminology
• Deliverable
• Timeline
• Testing
• Change Management education
• Personal fears
• Personal issues
• Team issues
• Phase III
• Implementation
• Training
• Testing, Testing, Testing . . . .and more Testing

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Defined Situation Changes

• Changes may occur in
• Business Processes
• Technical Processes
• Organizational Structure (occasionally)
• May impact on
• Individuals Daily Routine
• Job Definition (Pay scales)
• Team hierarchy
• Short term (2-3 years) requirements
• Deadline driven (with consequences)
• New skills to be developed
• Bring out the dirty laundry

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Daily professional requirements

• Repeat my standard timeline phrase to the team
• Today 2 weeks Current
• Manage FEELINGS, risks, timelines, resources
• Deliver results DAILY
• Manage information efficiently rapidly
• Lots of incoming information via email, paper,
  phone calls, tasks, walk ups, meetings
• Locate Share lots of different information
  instantly
• Communicate with everyone

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Professional Tools

• Software Tools
• Nelson Email Organizer (caelo.com)
• SnagIt (techsmith.com)
• David RMs The Journal (davidrm.com)
• Task Manager 2003 (orbisoft.com)
• MS Project 2000 (microsoft.com)
• Project Central (projectassistants.com)
• Knowledge Central (projectassistants.com)
• Fine Print (fineprint.com)

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Professional Protocols

• Email protocol for fast filing response
• Document template protocol
• Document storage protocol
• Courtesy protocol
• Deliverable protocol
• Sharing protocol
• Risk Management protocol

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Email protocol for fast filing response

• Nelson Email Organizer
• Sorts by day correspondent
• Can file by date to respond
• Bulk mail handler for filing
• Workflow enabled
• MS Outlook Rules Wizard
• File messages responses immediately
• Eliminate junk
• Never, Never, Never open or publish cartoons,
  jokes, etc.

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Document Template Protocol

• Specific directory for standard forms used
  previously
• Create MS Word or MS Excel templates
• Subscribe to Tech and Project Sites for purchase
  of template documents
• Use standard design standards to match corporate
  guidelines

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Document Storage Protocol

• Organize shared directories ASAP
• Organize standards for storage
• Conduct weekly housekeeping
• Help discuss request new ideas
• Move final versions to PDF or locked copies
• Everyone can read store

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Courtesy Protocol

• Listen
• Lots Lots of food
• Thank You emails, phone calls, cards
• Humor
• Leave my ego, pride and pomp outside

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Deliverable Protocol

• Create deliverables at short time spans
• Signoffs
• Testing script
• Short report
• New instance, etc.
• Recognize the individuals
• More food
• Recognition in front of the team
• Listen for personal issues

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Sharing protocol

• Confirm sharing is supported by the organization
• Meet with other institutions frequently on an
  individual basis
• Listen for their problem areas
• Offer to help to research and locate a solution
• Follow courtesy protocol
• Research web sites publish links to specific
  areas
• Locate white papers
• Ask other institutions

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Risk Management Protocol

• Today 2 weeks Current
• Ask EACH individual implementer
• What will you need next week? In two weeks?
• What is going slow today that will hold you up?
• What bothers you about this weeks events?
• NOT everything is on the project plan
• Look down the road

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• Strive to realize a state of inward happiness,
  independent of circumstances.
• J. P. Greaves

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Personal Requirements

• Family
• Friends
• Professional recognition
• Clear moral baseline
• Personal agreements

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Personal Tools

• Four agreements
• Be impeccable with my word
• Dont take anything personally
• Dont make assumptions
• Always do my best
• Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements

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Appendix Audience Questions June 14,02

• Describe floor plan?
• How are decision made with such a short timeline?
• Explain build day?
• How can the long hours be reduced?
• Where are the trainers located?
• How do you suggest training on MS Office
  products?
• What are the go live dates?

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Floor Plan Layout
28 x 68
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Answers

• Decisions Users are enabled and chairs of their
  own committees for making rapid decision with
  functional teams meeting earlier in the week and
  technical meetings at the end of the week.
• Build day All migration of patches, new
  instances, copies of instances, etc. are done on
  Fridays when the functional users are catching up
  with their notes and documentation.
• Reducing long hours Ones efficiency is
  directly related to the proficiency of MS Word
  and MS Excel and the ability to type notes
  directly and rapidly on the computer system. Also
  establish procedures for filing documents
  electronically. I also use David RM Journal
  software to capture all my notes for quick word
  searches.
• Trainers location All training will be
  conducted in a separate lab area designed for
  training and under construction.
• Training of MS Products Step by Step learning
  series are available in the state contract and
  are excellent for self learners. It is important
  to identify the learning style of the individual
  and if they require classroom training then you
  would have to use public courses or on campus
  professional courses.
• Go live dates for HR is November-December 2002
  and Admissions is Mid-September 2002. The other
  modules follow closely behind.