However… an article in the current New Yorker, January 30, 2012, by Jonah Lehrer, entitled: “GROUPTHINK,” has applicability to Project Management teams. Based on an extensive study by Charlan Nemeth, professor of psychology at UCLA in 2003, there are three related ways of group facilitation for idea-generation, and brain-storming comes in second place, ahead of “Free-wheeling,” but behind “debate condition” (details below).

Quite the collaboration: newcomer Stephen Sondheim at 25 years old with super-veterans Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, and Arthur Laurents.

Central to the article is that: “There is a problem with brainstorming.  It doesn’t work.” The article traces the long history of acceptance as fact that brainstorming is best.  Brain-storming gained great popularity after Alex Osborn (the “O” in advertising giant B.B.D.O.) wrote about it in his best-selling book: “Your Creative Power.”  But per Lehrer’s article and Nemeth’s study, the three methods, in order of proven effectiveness, (#1 worst, #2 middle, #3 best) are as follows:

1. Free-wheeling (no guidelines): people work together and alone without specific rules for how ideas will be generated and collected.

2. Brainstorming: with Osborn’s cardinal rules:

• Censor criticism
• Encourage the most freewheeling associations
• Defer judgment
• Go for quantity

3. Debate Condition: Debating and even criticizing each other’s ideas leads to more and better solutions. A few key quotes from Nemeth’s study and Lehrer’s article:

• “Authentic dissent can be difficult, but it’s always invigorating. It wakes us right up.”
• “Decades of research have shown that brainstorming  groups think of far fewer ideas than the same number of people who work alone and later pool their ideas.
• “Teams given the ‘debate condition’ were the most creative by far. On average they generated nearly 20% more ideas.”
• “And after the teams disbanded… the brainstormers and the people given no guidelines produced an average of three additional ideas; the debaters produced seven.”
• “Criticism allows people to dig below the surface of the imagination and come up with collective ideas that aren’t predictable.”

Theater Version: Erica Racz and Justin Gordon, Pacific Repertory Theater production in 2001

Q Factor – “Nobody creates a Broadway musical by themselves”

The article also references an extremely interesting and extensive study by Brian Uzzi at Northwestern, where he analyzed the results of collaboration in thousands of Broadway Musicals.  He assigned a “Q Factor,” quantifying the degree to which the participants in the creative teams already had worked together prior to the current project.  His research showed that

1. Lowest results: The least successful collaborations were when the team-members had not worked together at all.
2. Middle results: Interestingly, the teams where the members had worked together the most attained medium results. Uzzi: “When the Q was too high, the work also suffered. The artists all thought in similar ways, which crushed innovation.”
3. Best results: “The best Broadway shows were produced by networks with an intermediate level of social intimacy.” Uzzi’s research cited that the most effective collaborations occurred with a mix of many team-members who had worked together, plus new members who would bring fresh perspective and challenge those who had collaborated on past efforts.

An authorized “ABSTRACT” of Lehrer’s article is provided online by The New Yorker Magazine at link: GROUPTHINK.Lehrer.NYorker.Jan302012

If you like this post, also see my recent blogs:

• Upcoming Agile Events In 2012 In NYC
• TIP: How to use the SlideShare App in Linkedin (to put presentations up on your profile)
• Article: “Top 10 Tips for Marketing a Book Using Social Media“
• Going for your PMP?  ”The Project Management Answer Book“

STEPS IN LINKEDIN:

Step 1. Edit your Profile

Step 2. Go to APPLICATIONS, and click on “Add An Application”

Step 3. INSTALL the SlideShare app

Step 4. UPLOAD your PowerPoint file

BENEFITS:

• People can instantly see a HANDS-ON glimpse of what you do
• Searchers might find your Slide Share via Google Search, as well as in Linkedin

EXAMPLE:

- To see what this looks like in Linkedin, I put up one of my recent presentations on my profile:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/jefffurmanlinkedin

(You’ll see SlideShare as an APP at the bottom of my profile, and the first screen of the presentation showing)

Note -

1) You can have one presentation at a time up in a basic (free) Linkedin subscription.  But if you want to have more than one up at once on your Linkedin profile, you would need to upgrade your Linkedin membership.

2) Sometimes the default for sharing presentations in Linkedin gets turned off, so it’s always good to verify that the new one is added and showing in Linkedin. If you’ve uploaded a presentation in SlideShare and it’s not showing on your Linkedin profile, just go back in to your Linkedin profile and re-check the option to display SlideShare.

If you liked this tip, see more of my blog-posts:

• Upcoming Agile Events In 2012 In NYC
• Top 14 Reasons I Switched To A Mac (& some Conversion Tips)
• Little-known PMP Tip: If English is not your first language…

3) NYC SCRUM Users’ Group

Day/Date: Thursday, Feb. 16

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM (6:00 – 6:30, free pizza & networking!)

Topic: TBD (but registration IS open – See below!)

Presenter: TBD (but registration IS open – See below!)

Host/Leader: Rob Purdie

Sponsor: Euro RSCG 4d

Location: 350 Hudson Street, Manhattan (Tribeca), 9th Floor

Registration: Register Here

4) The “Agile NYC Open” (Day-long event)

Question: Did you know about this benefit for PMI members?

Here’s what PMI says about their eReads & References page:

“Use eReads & References as an on-the-job guide, a research and study aid, or to preview books before you buy. For quick reference, bookmark titles of interest or build your own bookshelf.

If you like this post, you will also like my post: “Going For Your PMP? Top 10 Reasons To Buy My Book: “The Project Management Answer Book”

Amazon Link: www.PMAnswerBook.com

I attended another great PMI conference (my third-in-a-row) in Dallas last week.

If you attended also, Please share Your Highlights in the “Leave a Reply” box.

1. Keynote Speaker: Malcolm Gladwell, author of “Blink,” “The Tipping Point“ and “Outliers.” Much of his talk was about Steve Jobs, and how he felt that Jobs epitomized the ability to succeed by being a FOLLOWER AND BORROWER, more than an inventor.

2. AGILE! There was an entire AGILE TRACK (for the second year in a row) includinga highly informative panel discussion: “Agile Collaboration In A Virtual World” (Harnessing Social Media, Web 2.0, and Beyond) with Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, Elizabeth Harrin, FAPM, PRINCE2, and Andrew Filev, Co-Founder at Wrike, Inc.

And in the session: “Fixed Price Agile Projects: Making The Impossible Possible,” agilist Jesse Fewell spoke about how 2-week Agile sprints can be crafted and viewed as “Mini-Waterfalls,” combining the best of both, and also, how Agile can be LESS RISKY than Waterfall because defects are exposed earlier as deliverables are released with each sprint.

3. Author and PhD Thomas Juli shared some of the core principles of his book: “Leadership Principles For Project Success.” Thomas shared an excellent metaphor about how the PM should be part of the team, like a guide on a hike up a mountain, as opposed to the director set apart from the team-members.  Further continuing the analogy, he also stressed how the job is NOT finished when you reach the top of the mountain, but only after safely bringing the team (and project) back down to the ground.

4. Vicki James, PMP and CBAP, presented on an important and rare topic: “The Role of the Project Sponsor.” Kudos to Vicki for generating GREAT interaction with her participants.  I also liked how she opened with a joke: “How many of you have read “The Sponsor’s Body of Knowledge?” (Duh, there is none!)

5: “Nurturing Human Nature in Projects (It’s All PsychoBabble To Me!”) by John Kinser, PMP. John was very funny, engaging and informative.

6. Valuable panel discussion on “The Importance of Mentoring as part of PM Professionalism,” where several senior PM experts shared mentoring best practices, including: James Snyder, PMP, Debra Miersma, PMP, Pamela T. Robb, PMP, Dr. Vijay Kanabar, Dr. Bill Moylan, and Loren Walker.  A few key take-aways: A) Mentoring does not have to be formally documented, B) Mentoring can take place during the course of daily interaction between PM and team-member and doesn’t have to be done in “official mentoring mode,” and C) PMs all are ongoing learners and should all see ourselves as both Mentor and Mentoree.

PLUS: PERSONAL GROWTH FOR ME:

• Interviewed In-Person About My Book by Cornelius Fichtner, PMP. Cornelius recorded two podcast interviews for upcoming episodes of his series for project managers: The Project Management Podcast. I’ll update this blog with the dates once they are announced. (I also had the pleasure of having breakfast with Cornelius at the hotel hosting the conference!)

Cornelius Fichtner (host of The PM-Podcast)

• Interviewed in-person by Elizabeth Harrin about my book for her PMI Congress Video Diary (“Day 3″).

*Going for your PMP?  See my recent post: “Top 10 Reasons To Buy The Project Management Answer Book.”

It was recently named one of the “Top 10 Books Every Project Manager Should Have In His Or Her Collection” by Bright Hub.

Author Jeff Furman has been interviewed about the book for GovLoop, PM Lessons Learned, igTV (InfraGard TV), for The Project Management Podcast by host Cornelius Fichtner, and by well-known author and blogger Elizabeth Harrin for three of her blogs: A Girl’s Guide To Project Management, Talking Work, and The Money Files (on Gantthead.com).

Here is a quick summary of the book’s Top 10 Benefits / Advantages:

1. Q&A Format – It’s  the ONLY current (PMBOK 4) PMP book in Q&A format (easy-to-navigate, easy-to-read)

2. Double Value – It’s BOTH a Practitioner’s Guide and a PMP Prep Book

3. Contains hundreds of hands-on tips to help PMs immediately on-the-job

4.  Author is a highly-experienced PM - 15 years managing many successful IT projects for Fortune 500 financial companies in the NYC area

5. Author is a highly-experienced PMP Prep Instructor – he has taught more than 85 weeks of PM classes and trained more than 550 PMs for private industry, Federal government (FBI, NIH, US Army), and for more than 20 NYC government agencies

7.  Collective experience of more than 500 PMs – The book contains a robust set of best practices and tips shared by the more than 500 PMs Jeff trained in NYC, Washington DC, and around the U.S. before writing the book.

8. Advanced chapters not found in other PM books: a Leadership chapter, a chapter on Social Media For PMs, instructions on completing the PMP application, a list of certifications related to the PMP readers may be eligible for, and a highly-detailed chapter on Ethics For Project Managers (very timely since the increased focus on Ethics on the PMP Exam effective Aug. 31, 2011!)

9.  Reviews and Endorsements – Jeff has received many kudos, testimonials, and endorsements for the book and for his classes.  To view kudos about the book, go to: Reviews. To view his Linkedin Endorsements, go to Endorsements

10. With a foreword by… best-selling PMP author Andy Crowe, PMP/PgMP!

Ethics 'R Us Corp.

The other day I was meeting with the senior manager and he told me that one of his biggest problems is poor Ethics in his employees.

He said he felt that Ethics was impossible to screen for in applicants, because A) every candidate will say he or she is very ethical, and B) people solicit references and Linkedin endorsements from friends they agree to recommend back (making the endorsements questionable).

In my book, “The Project Management Answer Book,” I give some tips for screening for ethics in my Chapter 9: “Ethical Considerations PMs Face On The Job.” Here are a couple of sample interview questions I suggest in my book to help you interview for ethics in your next hire.

And when you ask these questions, be ready to “drill-down” to really see where a candidate is coming from.  (You will find that candidates are NOT USED TO BEING ASKED ABOUT ETHICS, and you’ll be surprised how candid the responses may be!)

Sample Interview Question #1: “How would you define Business Ethics?” (If they say something clever like, “It’s what you say you’ll do, not what you’ll really do,” you will have gotten a very useful answer!)

Sample Interview Question #2: “What was an ethical issue you faced on a project, and how did you handle it?  Did it go the way you wanted? Why or why not? What might you do differently next time in a similar situation?”

Sample Interview Question #3: “Have you ever had an experience with your company’s Board of Ethics?”  What was your role in the issue? What did you think of the outcome? Did you think it was the right decision?”

ALSO, A COMMON PITFALL: There is a very common error managers make when screening applicants.  You may say, “Duh!” when you hear it.  But how many times have YOU asked for references from an applicant, but then under time-constraints, failed to actually call up the reference and talk to them about the candidate?  (It’s ALWAYS worth it to check references thoroughly).

NOTE: PMI (Project Management Institute) considers Ethics critical to project success, and has recently beefed up the PMP Exam (August 31, 2011), primarily in the area of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

NOTE: I wrote an article on the Ethics-based changes to the PMP Exam at the request of Ivan Lee, editor of PM HUB, which a lot of people have read and shared via various social media. For a free link to my article, go to: “Big Change Coming To The PMP Exam.”

~This blog is by Jeff Furman, PMP Project Management Instructor and Presentation Skills Certification Trainer based in the NYC area.  He is also the author of “The Project Management Answer Book,” published  by Management Concepts (2011, Vienna, VA).

These certifications give trainers a strong edge on the job market, especially valuable in this economy.  And you’ll sharpen your skills while enjoying networking with your fellow trainers, in a fun class in Tony Soprano’s home neighborhood (overlooking Manhattan!)

ABOUT THE CLASS:

• Short, fun, stimulating class
• Relaxed, collaborative atmosphere
• Very high pass rate (close to 100%)
• Views of NY Skyline from classroom
• Individual feedback & coaching from a highly-experienced instructor

DAYS / DATES: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Nov. 30 – Dec. 2
LOCATION: Robert Treat Center, “Ironbound District,” Newark, NJ
TIME: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
REGISTRATION: Email or call at Jeff@Jeff-Furman.com (201) 310-7997

COOL LOCATION!

(in Tony Soprano’s home town:  Newark’s Ironbound District, overlooking Manhattan)

MORE BENEFITS:

• Free lunches each day at the Maize Restaurant - High-quality lunches served each day in the hotel restaurant for the class
• Robert Treat Hotel - Free breakfast & parking for students staying at the hotel
• Ironbound District – great Portuguese restaurants (amazing Spanish paella & sangria) in Tony Soprano’s boyhood home (See EPISODE #7, capish?)
• Walking distance from Newark Penn Station, same building as Path Station)
• Newark Museum only two blocks away (free outdoor sculpture garden!)

MY BACKGROUND: Jeff Furman

TESTIMONIALS: Jeff Furman Endorsements

CONTACT:

• Email:     Jeff@Jeff-Furman.com,
• Website:  My Website
• Linkedin: My Linkedin Profile
• Twitter:    @JeffNYNY, @PMAnswerBook