Rockford Lance Olive’s Blog

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  Only 10 easy steps.  :-)

First, here are the steps that I used.

1. Decide to get certified within 9 weeks.  Commit!
2. Join PMI.
3. Get the PMBOK.
4. Get the Q&A spiral book that goes with the PMBOK.
5. Get Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Exam Prep book.
6. Take an exam prep course through the local community college to get the course credits.
7. Do 50 practice questions per day out of the books and research the questions I got wrong.  This worked best when I would do them in groups of 10, with breaks in between to do other things.  Do this every day until you take the exam.
8. Devise a 1-page cheat sheet of key formulas and graphs.
9. Write the cheat sheet every morning, eventually memorizing it.  Do it twice a day the two days leading up to the exam.  I got to where I could do it in 6 minutes.
10. Take the exam.
    

At the beginning of the exam, before answering question #1, write the cheat sheet from memory (brain dump) on the scratch paper provided in order to refer to it during the exam.

If you focus on answering questions, rather than traditional studying, you receive three primary benefits:

1. Some facts you already know (or can intuit), so there is no reason to study those more.
2. The struggle of answering questions before you study gives your study more purpose, making the answers stick in your brain.
3. Answering questions simulates the exam.

That’s it. 

It’s a lot of mental work and it takes dedication, but this method prevents you from becoming overwhelmed with materials - and there are a ton of them out there.

The only other material that you must read is the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

Tags: LinkedIn, PMP

Here are some more PMP goodies I drew for you, if you want to use them.

I created them and added them to my brain dump because I kept running into questions where I was getting them wrong because I didn’t have a good picture.  I drew these in order to secure them in my brain and share them with you folks.  I even created non-sense phrases to help me remember the order across the bottom.

The first illustrates the level of authority, responsibility and budget control that the PM is given in various organization structures.  The PM in a Functional org has almost no power.  In the Weak Matrix, there’s some, but the she’s usually either a Project Expeditor or a Project Coordinator.   Balanced is in the middle but I left it off the chart because it’s obvious and I wanted to keep things simple.  Then there’s Strong Matrix and lastly, Projectized, where the PM runs the whole show.  Sorry the phrase is not very P.C., but that’s what popped out of my mind so I’m sticking with it because it works. 

The second is to illustrate who bears the risk with different type of contracts (Procurement).  I simplified the types into the three major groups, Cost Plus…, Time & Materials, and Fixed Price.  You have to learn the specific ones independently (CPPC, CPFF, CPIF, CPAF, FPEPA, FPIF, FFP).  The chart helped me keep straight who holds the most risk.  
 

Having these on my brain dump really helps when I start getting confused.

Do these charts work for you?  I’d love to hear your feedback.

Tags: Authority, Budget, Buyer, Contract, Cost Plus, Fixed Cost, LinkedIn, PMP, Power, Project Manager, Risk, Seller, Strong Matrix, Weak Matrix

While learning cost control for the PMP exam, I had a hard time memorizing all those formulas, so I came up with this graph that made sense to me.  This is the “two thumbs up” scenario, where EV is higher than PV, and AC is lower.  For those of you who are (or are about to be) PMPs, here is how to think through drawing this diagram.

Start with the budgeted project costs.  Then sketch the middle S-curve that represents the budgeted project costs, moving through time.  It ends at BAC (Budgeted At Completion).  At a given point in time (NOW) the PV (planned value) is on this curve.

Next you look at cost.  Sketch the lower S-curve, noting the AC (Actual Cost) spent so far and the EAC (Estimated At Completion), which is the amount we think we will spend, based on our spending pattern so far.  Hopefully our spending is staying within budget.

Then the top curve represents the EV (Earned Value) curve.  This increases whenever the project team completes some work package on the project.  Ideally, this is at or just above the PV.  Incidentally, once this curve intersects our Completed Project Value line, then all the work packages are complete and now we can close the project.

By drawing the curves this way, I learn the best scenario, being a little under budget and a little ahead of schedule (also known as Project Manager Heaven).  Anything else is an anomaly and should be investigated.

PMP Project Cost Control

Now for the four variances.  CV (Cost Variance) represents the difference between what we budgeted to spend and what we actually have spent.  A positive CV is good.  SV (Schedule Variance) represents the difference between the work packages we got done and the ones we thought would be done.  A positive SV is good.  VAC (Variance At Completion) is the difference between what we budgeted to spend and what we now think we will end up spending.  If any of these variances are negative, then we have a problem with our project and we need to investigate.  Lastly, ETC (Estimated To Completion) is simply how much more we expect to spend (it will never be negative - unless we expect a big refund somewhere - HA!).

To track our project performance, we use indicators.  SPI (Schedule Performance Indicator) is value of the work packages that are done (EV) compared to the plan (PV).  CPI (Cost Performance Indicator) is the value of the work packages that are done (EV) compared to the money spent (AC) to get us to this point.  Performance indicators at 1.0 are “on plan”.  Over 1.0 is good, under 1.0 is bad.

Lastly, the variance rates are noted by the ovals.  CV% is the cost variance compared to the earned value.  SV% is the schedule variance compared to the planned value.  Having these numbers gives you perspective on the CV and SV.

Now that you can draw this diagram, learn to do it without looking.  Then most of the formulas “fall out” like this (see if you can spot the formulas in the graph above):

SV=EV-PV
CV=EV-AC
SPI=EV/PV
CPI=EV/AC
SV%=SV/PV
CV%=CV/EV
VAC=BAC-EAC
ETC=EAC-AC

Now for some less obvious formulas that you need to learn, where the graph is only somewhat useful as a visualization tool.

EAC=BAC/CPI
Think of it as using your CPI to adjust your BAC number.  As an example, if CPI is 1.1, then the EAC will be lower than the BAC, which should make sense.

EAC’=AC+(BAC-EV)
If you are in a situation where you believe the past should not be used to predict the future, then you can’t use CPI.  In that case, you figure out how much value is remaining (incomplete work packages) to be delivered (BAC-EV) and add that to the money you’ve spent so far (AC).

% Job Complete to Plan = EV/PV x 100 = SPI x 100
How far along are we on deliverables compared to the plan?  Earned compared to plan.  Easy.

% Job Complete = EV/BAC x 100
This should be intuitive.  Even rookie PMs do this on instinct. 

This graph may not help everyone, especially if you are good at memorization.  But for me, and a few cohorts to whom I’ve shown this drawing, it made a lot of sense.  I plan to draw it at the beginning of my exam.

Do you find it helpful or confusing?

Tags: Brain Dump, Cost Control, Earned Value, Formula, LinkedIn, PMP, Project Management, S-curve, Schedule

I just ran 57 passes with the OOKLA speed test tool provided by Time Warner Cable’s RoadRunner ISP service with Turbo enabled.  I’ve never seen these kind of download speeds at home.  Very fast, indeed.

RoadRunner Turbo Speed Test Results

The bars represent the number of occurrences (labeled “Frequency”) that the resulting speed fell within a given range of 0.5 Mbps (Megabits per second).  I’ve also added a dashed line for the average (mean) download speed of 14.9 Mbps, and included lines to represent plus/minus one standard deviation.  This gives you an indication of the fairly significant variation of downloads.  By definition, approximately 85% of all file downloads will be capable of coming in at a rate of 11.9 Mbps or higher (I use the phrase “capable of” to take into account that sometimes other things limit download speeds, such as the load on the server).

It is very interesting to note that the mode (the most frequently occurring value) is 19 Mbps, which is outside the range of one standard deviation of the mean.  Data like this is not normal and usually indicates that there are other factors at play.  One possible explanation is that the measured bandwidth is noticeably affected by internet activity on my street or in my immediate area… or lack thereof.

I didn’t bother to track the upload speeds since they were all around 434 kbps, with very little variation.

What do you think?  Have you tried to see how fast your download speeds are?

Tags: cable modem, isp, ookla, roadrunner, speet test

My current work project is being sent to India.  Now what?

These are the words that I’ve feared for the last ten years.  And now my fear has become reality.  So what does a long-time software developer turned manager like myself do?

My first instinct, like so many others who have found themselves in this position, was to dust off my resume and throw myself out in the job-hunting jungle.  But after working for the same company for nine years, I found it easier to write my resume from scratch.  

My first phone screen was such a let down.  I thought I had it all together.  I had confidence.  But the harsh reality was that, despite the number of interviews I’ve conducted from the other side of the desk, as a candidate I was unprepared, unpolished, and under-educated.

Yes, under-educated.  I decided to go read job postings.  Just read and make notes.  I wrote down things like certifications and degrees that were either preferred or required.  What I realized was that I needed to take this opportunity to go get one or two targeted certifications.  Ones that would open doors that so far are being brusquely closed, leaving me standing, blinking, wondering what just happened.

So my search is on.

Certifications are a bit easier to come by than degrees.  A certification can be obtained by taking a class, followed by an exam, and sometimes minimum work experience.  They generally cost between $500 and $5000, depending on the complexity of the courses and availability of the training.  For me, I’m looking at project management (CAPM/PMP) and perhaps entry level Cisco certification (CCNA/CCNP/CCIE).

Degrees take more money and more time.  But they can be acquired more easily now than ever before.  Be prepared to go through some scrutiny before you gain admission to a program.

Local universities and colleges can often save you some money if you get in-state tuition rates - a Master’s degree, such as an MBA, from a UNC or NCSU will run between $25k-$30k.  They usually require GMAT scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation.

If you want to scale back on the prestige factor, or go for convenience, online universities offer Master’s degree’s for $18k-$25k.  Most of them are not familiar names to most of us - Argosy, U of the Rockies, Colorado Tech, Saint Leo, Ashford, Capella, Grand Canyon U, and Arcadia, to name a few.  Names like Phoenix and DeVry may be more familiar due to their larger advertising budgets.  These programs have rolling start dates that are easier to get in with much less waiting than Top 100 schools.

Be prepared to spend both your money and your time.  Both methods of acquiring that Master’s degree will take you 1-2 years on the fast track, and 3-5 years if you go at a slower pace, more suitable for those still fully employed.  Schedules vary greatly, some with rolling starts and others with only a few starting points during the year.

It will require commitment and dedication on your part, but if you are sufficiently motivated, you can move yourself from being under-educated and out of date, to educated and current.  So if the economy lands you in the jobless market, consider adding a few key letters to your resume to reflect your new education level.

Go get ‘em.

Tags: Arcadia, Argosy, Ashford, Capella, Colorado Tech, DeVry, Education, Grand Canyon, India, LinkedIn, MBA, NCSU, Phoenix, PMP, Rockies, Saint Leo, UNC

If you never got to meet Kay Yow, you may never know what a blessing she was to everyone who spent time with her. She always encouraged anyone she met, and always used a Bible verse with her autograph. And now she’s with God.

It is a bit ironic that two of college basketball’s most well-known cancer victims were both NCSU coaches, the other being Jim Valvano, who died in 1993.

I got to meet Kay when my daughter was at a Kay Yow summer basketball clinic a couple of years ago, and she impressed me with her personal nature, warm heart and dedication to young ladies basketball.

Goodbye, Kay Yow. Thanks for the impression you left on this world. And say “Hello” to Jimmy V for us.

Tags: basketball, cancer, jim valvano, kay yow, saint

There has been no net global warming for the last 11 years. How can this fact co-exist with the global warming alarmists’ chants that we must act now to stop global warming?

11 Year Chart of Global Temperatures

In the last 11 years, the global population has increased by approximately 17% (about 1.5% per year) [wikipedia.org], and the number of cars produced in the world his increased by approximately 39% (about 3.5% per year) [worldometers.info]. These numbers would lead (and have led) many hand-wringers to conclude that the quantity of so-called “greenhouse gases” in the air has surely gone up, and therefore would have led to measurable global warming.

So where is it? Where is that specter that keeps us up at night wondering if our children will be left with a planet that has every sense of freshness as the napkin I just tossed out with my lunch remainders?

If anything, this data should cause the Al Gores, RFK Jrs. of this world to take a breath and quit using words like “urgent”, “crisis”, and “catastrophic”. Before we go regulate and mandate massive expenses on our economy, let’s use some real science for a change and not ignore the data that does not fit our beliefs.

Why aren’t politicians and celebrities talking about this “inconvenient truth”?

Read this Daily Telegraph column by Christopher Booker:
2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved

Enjoy this recent interview that Bill Hemmer had with Pat Michaels.

Also enjoy this John Stossel special.