The emotional finale is here! Don’t worry, this isn’t about curling up in a ball and crying – we’ve already done that. This final installment of my series on project estimating is all about navigating the emotions of everyone involved and trying to avoid frustration. If you’ve been following this blog series on project estimations, […]
Project Management
The Power of Quarterly Business Reviews: How QBRs Drive Growth and Build Client Relationships
Let’s be honest – if you’ve ever thought that Quarterly Business Reviews (or QBRs) were a huge headache, you’re not alone! A QBR is an alignment meeting that’s held every three months between a company like Perficient and its clients. When my director first introduced us to the idea, the team was skeptical. It seemed […]
People of Perficient: Spotlight on Laura Pareja Pérez
Meet Laura Pareja Pérez, a Senior Project Manager based in Colombia, who has been a valued member of the Perficient family for over eight years. With a diverse background in mechanical engineering, Laura embodies the spirit of innovation and mentorship that drives our company forward. A Day in the Life Laura’s days are anything but […]
Assumptions & Uncertainty : Project Estimating (Part 3)
In this third installment of my blog series on project estimates, let’s dive headfirst into the murky waters of assumptions and uncertainty! Think of these as the gremlins of project planning – they are full of secrets and laugh along the way as they trip you up. If you’ve read my other blog posts, you’ll […]
Dependencies & Creep : Project Estimating (Part 2)
Continuing our dive into project estimating, let’s talk about two more problem areas: dependencies and project creep. These two can turn your pristine project plan into a tangled mess. No matter the size or scope of your project – whether you have just a few dependencies or tight integration with multiple systems – you’ll be […]
Sandbagging & Lowballing : Project Estimating (Part 1)
Estimating is a precarious business – part science, a lot of guesswork, and a bit of psychic magic! The goal is to forecast the effort, time, and cost of a project with enough accuracy to avoid disaster. Project managers use some go-to methods to estimate projects. Some approaches are scientific while others are based on […]
The Curse of Perfection – Toil and Trouble
“Double, double toil and trouble,” is a line repeated by the witches in Macbeth as they lay out the ominous prophecies of greatness and dire consequences for the titular character. Macbeth’s ambition envisions a perfect ending though desperate actions and moral weakness ruin it. So too are the misguided actions in pursuit of perfection which […]
Hero, Villain, or Victim? Stories that Sabotage
In 1968, psychiatrist Stephen Karpman modeled what he called the Drama Triangle. With this, he illustrated dysfunctional mindsets that can derail social interactions. The three roles defined in this model are the rescuer (hero), persecutor (villain), and victim. This is another view of the lies we tell ourselves. Since the dawn of history, we’ve loved […]
Are we Agile Yet?
Agile is a Cliché, a widely used Phrase in today’s Industrial timeline. Evey Organisation, Group, Team wants to be Agile. But is it adopted in the name only??? Agile frameworks hold such promise. From focusing on value driven delivery to empowered investors or stakeholders, it is the time to be part of enthusing Software development. […]
Embrace Strategic Thinking: 3 Smart Ways to Escape Admin Chaos and Innovate Boldly
Do you ever wish you had more time to focus on strategic thinking, to wrap your arms around a long-term vision, instead of spending your days drowning in administrative tasks? Digging deep into your idea factory takes time and energy, and a never-ending cycle of burn reports, meetings, and timecard approvals can drain both – […]
Your Idea Factory – Quality Innovation from Quantity
Quality innovation is not for the weak at heart! Innovation myths may have you thinking it is for the lucky or the extremely talented – that’s not true. Pablo Picasso said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” Thomas Edison quipped, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls […]
5 Obtrusive Blockers to Avoid as a Servant Leader
We’ve all heard of servant leadership. The concept of “being a servant” to your teams and treating employees as critical individuals to be cultivated and empowered, has strong merit. However, many organizations fall short, with those at the top of the hierarchy viewing employees as interchangeable cogs in the corporate machine. Instead of diving deep […]