This isn't me. I'm not a real project manager. But I'm one of those guys who will do anything if asked nicely enough, if there is a real need. And in this case, there was a real need.
I'd been working as teacher for a couple years on an aviation program here, writing curriculum and training rooms full of software engineers on the latest technology so they could finish their projects and we could deliver the software that was so far behind schedule. My concern was not at the program level; it was to understand the concepts of the hardware and the software and the methods we were using to get the entire system to work, so that my students (the engineers) could do their jobs correctly.
But when the cost and schedule were were blown out of the water and upper management was getting nervous and suddenly the "overhead' of training no longer seemed quite so necessary, I was asked to become a Verification Lead for a specific aspect of the program: the test hardware.
Simple enough, I thought. A Verification Lead makes sure that the testing gets done, right? What could be easier? After all, we had volumes of Requirements and lots of Tests already written, with solid processes behind them. This should be a piece of cake.
It was a disaster.
I'm a teacher, not a manager.
And it must be understood that a Lead is much more a Manager than an Engineer, or a Teacher.
One step below a Project Manager.
One step below absolute disaster.
One step before absolute disaster.
To this day, I don't know whether they moved me out of that job because I was doing it so badly, or because I was doing it well. My ego hopes for the latter, but my conscience is convinced otherwise. Either way, after a year of doing everything possible in my power to complete my mission, I was [suddenly and without warning] moved (or invited) to another Lead Job, this time the Verification Lead for the Platform Software group.
Still one step below a Project Manager.
Still one step below absolute disaster.
But this time, we managed to make that final step.
In the course of this exercise, I managed to do such a wonderful job that I was relieved of my duties and sent to the spice mines of Kessel -- I mean, reassigned to write Inspection Tests for another program. And then re-re-assigned to write Verification Tests for another program. Before finally being re-re-re-assigned as a Software Verification Lead for the Platform Software for an upgrade project ... where it was highly unlikely that even my pathetic ineptitude would result in disaster.
In the course of these (mis)adventures, I came to learn many things about Project (and Program) Management which I would like to share.
And after I share with you all the secrets I learned about this very important skill, I'll tell you The Rest of The Story.
Don't worry. It has a happy ending.
I hope.
I'd been working as teacher for a couple years on an aviation program here, writing curriculum and training rooms full of software engineers on the latest technology so they could finish their projects and we could deliver the software that was so far behind schedule. My concern was not at the program level; it was to understand the concepts of the hardware and the software and the methods we were using to get the entire system to work, so that my students (the engineers) could do their jobs correctly.
But when the cost and schedule were were blown out of the water and upper management was getting nervous and suddenly the "overhead' of training no longer seemed quite so necessary, I was asked to become a Verification Lead for a specific aspect of the program: the test hardware.
Simple enough, I thought. A Verification Lead makes sure that the testing gets done, right? What could be easier? After all, we had volumes of Requirements and lots of Tests already written, with solid processes behind them. This should be a piece of cake.
It was a disaster.
I'm a teacher, not a manager.
And it must be understood that a Lead is much more a Manager than an Engineer, or a Teacher.
One step below a Project Manager.
One step below absolute disaster.
One step before absolute disaster.
To this day, I don't know whether they moved me out of that job because I was doing it so badly, or because I was doing it well. My ego hopes for the latter, but my conscience is convinced otherwise. Either way, after a year of doing everything possible in my power to complete my mission, I was [suddenly and without warning] moved (or invited) to another Lead Job, this time the Verification Lead for the Platform Software group.
Still one step below a Project Manager.
Still one step below absolute disaster.
But this time, we managed to make that final step.
In the course of this exercise, I managed to do such a wonderful job that I was relieved of my duties and sent to the spice mines of Kessel -- I mean, reassigned to write Inspection Tests for another program. And then re-re-assigned to write Verification Tests for another program. Before finally being re-re-re-assigned as a Software Verification Lead for the Platform Software for an upgrade project ... where it was highly unlikely that even my pathetic ineptitude would result in disaster.
In the course of these (mis)adventures, I came to learn many things about Project (and Program) Management which I would like to share.
And after I share with you all the secrets I learned about this very important skill, I'll tell you The Rest of The Story.
Don't worry. It has a happy ending.
I hope.
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