• our experiences of agile to date
• the state of agile in the UK and the US
• what advice we’d give to project managers switching from a waterfall environment to an agile approach.

As always I’d love to hear your take on things.  I also produced this mindmap while prepping for the show.

Full tweet stream below:

klkazMay 11, 6:20pm via TweetDeck#pmchat I got tied up just after joining & couldn’t stay today. Will catch up later, would like to learn more about Agile. Happy Friday.

Jo_kargolMay 11, 6:18pm via TweetChatRT @rkelly976: RT @califgirl232: Be sure to attend a great event for PMs for free – PMXPO12|gantthead.com/PMXPO2012/ #pmchat #pmot #Agile #in#PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 6:14pm via HootSuiteRT @califgirl232: Nov 1 is International Project Management Day. Serving as theme chair this year for women in PM. details soon. #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 6:13pm via HootSuiteAnother great week of #PMChat - 216 tweets reached an audience of 61,617 followers as we discussed An Intro to Agile! #in #fb

samadaidaneMay 11, 6:12pm via TweetDeck@rkelly976 I am emailing shortly. The PM Telesummit 2nd Edition will be held Thursday September 27th, 2012 #pmchat

califgirl232May 11, 6:09pm via Twitter for iPhoneNov 1 is International Project Management Day. Serving as theme chair this year for women in PM. More details soon.#pmchat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 6:09pm via TweetChathave a great weekend all and happy mothers day to those across the pond (us brits did it in march!) cheers, jon#pmchat

kmjs2002May 11, 6:08pm via TweetChat@califgirl232 i just registered….. #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 6:07pm via TweetDeck#PMChat Interesting subject, thanks all. Have a good weekend.

kmjs2002May 11, 6:07pm via TweetChatRT @califgirl232: Be sure to attend a great event for PMs for free – PMXPO12| gantthead.com/PMXPO2012/ #pmchat#pmot #Agile #in #PMChat

kmjs2002May 11, 6:05pm via TweetChatHave a great weekend everyone…….Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies….. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 6:05pm via TweetChatRT @califgirl232: Be sure to attend a great event for PMs for free – PMXPO12| gantthead.com/PMXPO2012/ #pmchat#pmot #Agile #in #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 6:05pm via TweetChatExciting! RT @samadaidane: I kicked off planning for the 2nd Edition of the PM Telesummit. More details next Friday#pmchat. #PMChat

BRIDGE_TechMay 11, 6:04pm via HootSuiteRT @califgirl232: Be sure to attend a great event for PMs for free – PMXPO12| gantthead.com/PMXPO2012/ #pmchat#pmot #Agile #in

iriveraMay 11, 6:04pm via TweetChatRT @rkelly976: @publicsectorpm called in from UK and in approx 2 weeks well have our 1st bilingual Pre-Game show w/ @irivera #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 6:04pm via TweetChat@rkelly976 have heard in embedded world, that waterfall better suited to young hardware, that Agile works well when HW pltfrm stable #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 6:03pm via Twitter for iPhoneBe sure to attend a great event for PMs for free – PMXPO12|gantthead.com/PMXPO2012/ #pmchat #pmot #Agile #in

rkelly976May 11, 6:03pm via TweetChatStats will be out soon for this week’s #PMChat

samadaidaneMay 11, 6:03pm via TweetDeckI kicked off planning for the 2nd Edition of the PM Telesummit. More details next Friday #pmchat.

JBC_PMPMay 11, 6:02pm via TweetChatWell guess I know what my blog this week is going to be about. Time to get writing. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 6:02pm via TweetChat@rkelly976 %breakdown of folks on other methods? Not a clue – interested in qty and also rationale. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 6:02pm via TweetChatWe need contributors! @publicsectorpm called in from UK and in approx 2 weeks we’ll have our 1st bilingual Pre-Game show w/ @irivera #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 6:01pm via Twitter for iPhone*1“@cottjr: Extremely helpful & timely discussion today! Thanks all for helping an Agile novice. Lots to ponder now…#PMChat”

califgirl232May 11, 6:00pm via Twitter for iPhoneYes. “@rkelly976: @califgirl232 - Got that PMExpo link to share? Everyone should check it out! #PMChat”

samadaidaneMay 11, 6:00pm via TweetDeckThank you everyone. Would appreciate any help with any resources for Orgs who tailored/scaled agile to vendor system implementations #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 6:00pm via TweetChatAny idea on a % breakdown of folks using the other methods? RT @JBC_PMP: @cottjr … This talk has really been an Intro to Scrum. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 6:00pm via TweetChatExtremely helpful & timely discussion today! Thanks all for helping an Agile novice. Lots to ponder now… #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:59pm via TweetChatThanks for the great discussion! I look forward to reading @JBC_PMP blog post. #PMChat

BBL_PMOMay 11, 5:59pm via Twitter for iPhoneThanks everyone, v interesting #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:59pm via TweetChatLove it! Thank you, great value add to this chat! RT @VickiPPS: Looks like I didnt sneak out early as planned. Having too much fun. #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:59pm via Twitter for iPhoneBe sure to attend a great event for PMs for free – PMXPO12|gantthead.com/PMXPO2012/ #pmchat #pmot #Agile

rkelly976May 11, 5:59pm via TweetChat@califgirl232 - Got that PMExpo link to share? Everyone should check it out! #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:59pm via TweetChatreally enjoyed this weeks session – thanks @rkelly976 for organising! #pmchat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:59pm via TweetChat@cottjr Lean, Kanban, Home Grown. Agile is a set of 4 values and 12 principles. This talk has really been an Intro to Scrum. #PMChat

samadaidaneMay 11, 5:59pm via TweetDeckAnyone know good resources & case studies on Orgs applying agile to large system integration projects (involving vendor systems) #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:58pm via TweetChatThank you all for your insight! These tend to be Waterfall vs. Agile & this has been a great Intro to Agile (DMs already on it) #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:58pm via TweetChatLooks like I didn’t sneak out early as planned. Having too much fun. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:58pm via TweetChatwhat are others? RT @JBC_PMP: A8- you can be agile in anything, you dont need sprints. Sprints just 1implementation model of agile. #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:57pm via TweetChatThank you @JBC_PMP, @VickiPPS, @cottjr, @califgirl232, @rkelly976, @publicsectorpm for the discussion on Agile.#PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:57pm via TweetChat@grandunifiedpm how about ht.ly/aQYsf #pmchat

iriveraMay 11, 5:57pm via TweetChatAs allways, interesting topic and a lot to learn from all the community. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:57pm via TweetChatWow! This has really been a great week of #PMChat

samadaidaneMay 11, 5:57pm via TweetChatRT @VickiPPS: I recommend mountaintgoatsoftware.com for articles and presentations. RT @grandunifiedpm:#PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:57pm via TweetChatA8- Remember, you can be agile in anything and you don’t need sprints. Sprints are just one implementation model of agile. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:56pm via TweetChat@VickiPPS, @JBC_PMP - thanks for offers and links to#Agile ! #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:56pm via TweetDeck@VickiPPS Thank you. Looks just the ticket. #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:56pm via Twitter for iPhone+1“@VickiPPS: Wish list -> Release Plan -> Product Backlog -> Sprint Plan -> Daily Scrum -> Sprint Rv -> Retro -> Next Sprint #PMChat”

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:55pm via TweetChat@grandunifiedpm I’m always happy to talk agile. Contact me and I can point to some simple primers. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:55pm via TweetChatI recommend mountaintgoatsoftware.com for articles and presentations. RT @grandunifiedpm: #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:55pm via TweetChata8: pre-project, project and post-project  ht.ly/aQYea#pmchat

califgirl232May 11, 5:55pm via TweetChatRT @JBC_PMP: Q8- Agile= Inspect & Adapt, Repeat.#PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:55pm via TweetChat#PMChat have only seen lessons learned buy-in when there were concrete recommendations & actions for next time. Else waste of time #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:55pm via TweetChatWish list -> Release Plan -> Product Backlog -> Sprint Plan -> Daily Scrum -> Sprint Rv -> Retro -> Next Sprint#PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:54pm via TweetDeckA8- #Agile is a customer focused, iterative process that is executed through a collaborative effort of the team and company. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:54pm via TweetChatA8: Agile = Gather Stories – Build Prod Backlog – Groom – Sprint Backlog – Sprint (Dev) – Sprint Review – Retrospective….repeat #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:54pm via TweetDeckIt would be really helpful if someone more knowledgeable than I could summarise these snippets into a blog post for the lay-man. #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:53pm via TweetChatQ8- Agile= Inspect & Adapt, Repeat. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:53pm via TweetChat+1 RT @VickiPPS: That is how a LL should work! RT @JBC_PMP: good Retrospective looks nothing like a Post Mortem or Lesson Learned. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:53pm via TweetChatTimely! See poll on Lessons Learned - linkd.in/JWMMsb#PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:52pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP we use discussion points: What went well? What went badly? What advice would you give to future pms and team members? #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:52pm via TweetChatQ8: Can anyone summarize end-to-end agile project in 140#challenge i.e. – Waterfall = Initiate-Plan-Execute… #PMChat

michele_wallMay 11, 5:52pm via Tweetbot for iOS@publicsectorpm #pmchat : in my PM world it’s either complete or not complete!

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:52pm via TweetChatThat is how a LL should work! RT @JBC_PMP: A good Retrospective looks nothing like a Post Mortem or Lesson Learned. No filing the #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:52pm via TweetChatQ7- Another key to Retrospectives is to hold them often. After every Sprint (1-4 weeks), not only at the end of a 12mth project. #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:51pm via TweetChatA good Retrospective looks nothing like a Post Mortem or Lesson Learned. No filing the report away, you do something. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:51pm via TweetChatEach sprint can be a potentially shippable product. The definition of done changes. RT @cottjr: what if rqmts (ie. stories) chng #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:50pm via TweetChat@publicsectorpm Lessons learned tend to focus on learned, not “what will we do differnently”. #PMChat

BBL_PMOMay 11, 5:50pm via TweetChatRT @publicsectorpm: a7: in my sector we call restrospectives lessons learned meetings. #pmchat

califgirl232May 11, 5:50pm via TweetChatRT @JBC_PMP: A6- Restrospective is its own meeting. It focuses on the team, not the product. How to make the team/process better. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:50pm via TweetChatI’ve seen/used both interchangeably. RT @publicsectorpm: a7: in my sector we call restrospectives lessons learned meetings. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:50pm via TweetChatExplains FEAR! RT @publicsectorpm: a6: in agile theres nowhere to hide! #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:49pm via TweetChatwhat if rqmts (ie. stories) chng so much you never finish the product? RT @publicsectorpm: a6: in agile theres nowhere to hide! #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:49pm via TweetChata7: in my sector we call restrospectives lessons learned meetings. #pmchat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:49pm via TweetChatAgreed, didn’t meant to make sound like 1 mtg RT @JBC_PMP: A6- Sprint Review is not the Retrospective either. Sprint Review focuses #PMChat

iriveraMay 11, 5:49pm via TweetChatRT @publicsectorpm: a6: at sprint review meeting features are either done or not done… no such thing as 50% complete in agile… #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:49pm via TweetChatRT @JBC_PMP: A6- Restrospective is its own meeting. It focuses on the team, not the product. How to make the team/process better. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:48pm via TweetChatAmazing how things sit at 90% complete forever! RT @publicsectorpm: a6:…either done or not done… no such thing as 50% #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:48pm via TweetChata6: in agile theres nowhere to hide! #pmchat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:48pm via TweetChatRT @publicsectorpm: a6: at sprint review meeting features are either done or not done… no such thing as 50% complete in agile… #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:47pm via TweetChatA6- Restrospective is its own meeting. It focuses on the team, not the product. How to make the team/process better. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:47pm via TweetChatGreat!! RT @JBC_PMP Q6- A Sprint Review is the “Show me the money” meeting. You show what you built. Not PowerPoint, real stuff. #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:47pm via TweetChata6: at sprint review meeting features are either done or not done… no such thing as 50% complete in agile… #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:47pm via TweetChatQ7: What is the difference between a Sprint Review and Retrospective? #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:46pm via TweetChatA6- Sprint Review is not the Retrospective either. Sprint Review focuses on the product. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:46pm via TweetChatRetrospective – what worked well, what do we need to change ONGOING! RT @rkelly976: Q6: Whats a Sprint Review? #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:46pm via TweetChatRT @VickiPPS: A6: Review what was developed with customer. Restrospective w/team #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:46pm via TweetChatI said rapid fire….moving fast here today #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:46pm via TweetChatQ6- A Sprint Review is the “Show me the money” meeting. You show what you built. Not PowerPoint, real stuff.#PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:45pm via TweetChatReview what was developed with customer. Restrospective w/team RT @rkelly976: Q6: Whats a Sprint Review?#PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:45pm via TweetChatYes but structured/purposed meetings begin & end of sprint, kickoff planning, daily 15 minutes RT @rkelly976: A lot of meetings! #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:45pm via TweetDeck@VickiPPS GiGo Blog bit.ly/xTX8HF, Takes a Village to make a PO Blog bit.ly/K9QST9 #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:44pm via TweetChatQ6: What’s a Sprint Review? #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:43pm via TweetChatA lot of meetings! RT @VickiPPS: LIKE! RT @JBC_PMP: Q5- Which planning? You need plans to make backlogs and plans for… #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:43pm via TweetChat@publicsectorpm Which 1 reason for PM. Scrum or Agile does not describe the full scope of work to complete a project. Only Dev tasks #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:43pm via TweetChatQ6: What is a Sprint Review? #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:43pm via TweetChatseen waterfall processes for this.. RT @JBC_PMP: Q5- Sprint Planning is putting power in the hands of the team, not the managers… #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:42pm via TweetChatLIKE! RT @JBC_PMP: Q5- Which planning? You need plans to make backlogs and plans for what gets done in a sprint. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:42pm via TweetChatPlease send link to blog RT @JBC_PMP: Q5- Backlog planning is like its own project. I talk about this in my GiGo blog. #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:41pm via TweetChatQ5- Sprint Planning is putting power in the hands of the team, not the managers. Ask the people doing the work what they can do #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:41pm via TweetChatVisual of planning cyles at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scru… #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:41pm via TweetChator effective – google knows all.. RT @publicsectorpm: p.s. is it naughty to use google to answer #pmchat questions?? #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:41pm via TweetChatQ5- Backlog planning is like it’s own project. I talk about this in my GiGo blog. Also in my Takes a village to make a PO blog. #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:41pm via TweetChatQ5: Is grooming this where the technical specifications are developed and tested? #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:40pm via TweetChatp.s. is it naughty to use google to answer #pmchatquestions??  #pmchat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:40pm via TweetChatQ5- Which planning? You need plans to make backlogs and plans for what gets done in a sprint. #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:40pm via TweetChatgrooming is new to me but apparently is all about developing the product backlog ht.ly/aQWGm #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:40pm via TweetChatQ5: User stories sit on a backlog that get groomed…where does planning coming in? #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:40pm via TweetChatmountaingoatsoftware.com has all the answers! RT @rkelly976: Q5: So you have user stories on a backlog that get groomed…where doe #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:39pm via Twitter for iPhoneLOL.“@SquirrelFocus: I’m picturing monkeys..RT @rkelly976: Q4: What is grooming or grooming sessions?#PMChat”

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:38pm via TweetChatLOL Thanks for visual RT @SquirrelFocus: Im picturing monkeys..RT @rkelly976: Q4: What is grooming or grooming sessions? The pro #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:38pm via TweetChatQ5: So you have user stories on a backlog that get groomed…where does planning coming in? #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:38pm via Twitter for iPhoneYes.“@VickiPPS: Ah…sprint planning. Never heard “grooming” @JBC_PMP RT @rkelly976: Q4: What is grooming or grooming sessions? #PMChat”

cottjrMay 11, 5:38pm via TweetChatnice, but Agile has both right? RT @JBC_PMP: Q4- Toyota has just in time manufacturing, #Agile has just in time requirements #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:37pm via TweetChatAh…sprint planning. Never heard “grooming” @JBC_PMPRT @rkelly976: Q4: What is grooming or grooming sessions? #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:37pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP Is grooming where some more detail is added and team gives some effort/duration of work? #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:37pm via TweetChatQ4- Toyota has just in time manufacturing, #Agile has just in time requirements #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:37pm via TweetChat@lee_re Sorry to hear that….enjoy (your weekend) #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:36pm via TweetChatI’m picturing monkeys..RT @rkelly976: Q4: What is grooming or grooming sessions? The project team shaves together?  #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:36pm via TweetChatQ4- Backlog Grooming, or Story Time is a regular meeting to review the “next chunk” of the backlog. Instead of up front planning #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:36pm via TweetChatQ4: What is grooming or grooming sessions? #PMChat

lee_reMay 11, 5:36pm via webOut of one meeting and into another. Sadly, no #PMChat for me today. Hope you all have a great weekend!

cottjrMay 11, 5:36pm via TweetChat+1 RT @JBC_PMP: Q3- Product Backlog- Everything you ever want to build. Sprint Backlog- What is committed for the next iteration. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:36pm via TweetChatA few quick/rapid fire questions here if we could….. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:36pm via TweetChatNo. Product log is continually prioritized. Only current sprint is committed. RT @cottjr: A3: is there a presumption that everythin #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:35pm via TweetChatQ4: What is grooming or grooming sessions? The project team shaves together?  #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:35pm via TweetChatBack side of story is I know this is done when ____ = requirements. #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:35pm via TweetChatRT @rkelly976: Twitter #fail #slow #annoying for this#PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:34pm via TweetChat@VickiPPS yes good to put this on a wall in big writing when running user story sessions. #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:34pm via TweetChatA few quick ones here if could….. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:34pm via TweetChatA3: is there a presumption that everything in Backlog is automatically committed? what is process to filter & adapt?#PMChat #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:33pm via TweetChatStories have precise format that are great for validating what you heard. As a __ I need __ so that ___. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:33pm via TweetChatmoving quick to Q4…we all liked @JBC_PMP response #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:33pm via TweetChattraceability! RT @VickiPPS: may develop a Story because of a rqmt, but story is tracked. RT @cottjr: whats first- rqmts/ stories? #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:33pm via TweetChatFair statement. RT @cottjr: A2: seems like #Agile stories are simply a way to summarize what you capture during interviews and pla #PMChat

RailComm_PaolaMay 11, 5:32pm via TweetChat@null RT @JBC_PMP Q3- Product Backlog- Everything you ever want to build. Sprint Backlog- What is committed for the next iteration #pmchat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:32pm via TweetChata3: product backlog is a prioritized features list, containing short descriptions of all functionality desired in the product#pmchat

cottjrMay 11, 5:32pm via TweetChatA2: seems like #Agile stories are simply a way to summarize what you capture during interviews and planning #PMChat#PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:32pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP Gonna lead to next question  #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:32pm via TweetChatYep! RT @JBC_PMP: Q3- Product Backlog- Everything you ever want to build. Sprint Backlog- What is committed for the next iteratio #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:31pm via Twitter for iPhone+1“@JBC_PMP: Q3- Product Backlog- Everything you ever want to build. Sprint Backlog- What is committed for the next iteration. #PMChat”

rkelly976May 11, 5:31pm via TweetChatGreat! RT @JBC_PMP Q3 Product Backlog- Everything you ever want to build. Sprint Backlog- What is committed for the next iteration. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:31pm via TweetChatYou may develop a Story because of a requirement, but story is tracked. RT @cottjr: whats first – rqmts or stories?#PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:31pm via TweetChatQ3- The true power of Backlog is just enough detail at the right time. Not all planning before any work. #PMChat

RailComm_PaolaMay 11, 5:30pm via TweetChat@null RT @publicsectorpm: a2 i think user stories focus on the what rather than the how (contrast with req spec)#pmchat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:30pm via TweetChatQ3- Product Backlog- Everything you ever want to build. Sprint Backlog- What is committed for the next iteration.#PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:30pm via TweetChatStories! RT @cottjr: whats first – rqmts or stories? RT @califgirl232: Yes.“@VickiPPS: Q2. User stories are a tool to elicit requir #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:29pm via TweetChat@samadaidane Hi Samad! Ready for Monday at Mt Baker PMI. I’m considering the trip up. Todd is on Oly on Tuesday.#PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:29pm via TweetChat@samadaidane Hey Samad, thanks for joining! Better late then never …Twitter has been slow for many #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:29pm via TweetChatA2- A four wheel steel chassis vehicle can be a car and a lawnmower. That’s a requirement and it really fails. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:29pm via TweetChatwhat’s first – rqmts or stories? RT @califgirl232: Yes.“@VickiPPS: Q2. User stories are a tool to elicit requirements… #PMChat” #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:29pm via TweetChatQ3: What is the concept of a backlog? Product vs. Sprint?#PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:28pm via TweetChata2 i think user stories focus on the ‘what’ rather than the how (contrast with req spec) #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:28pm via TweetChatA2: I have viewed user stories as the business telling me the user experience they need, how they do business today vs. specs #PMChat

samadaidaneMay 11, 5:28pm via TweetDeckSamad from Seattle. Sorry I am joining late. Hi everyone#pmchat

cottjrMay 11, 5:27pm via TweetChatinteresting, solution vs plan – RT @grandunifiedpm: @cottjrGood analogy. Elaboration of solution rather than project plan. #Agile #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:27pm via Twitter for iPhoneAgree.“@cottjr: A1b: seems that #Agile is largely a structured way to approach progressive elaboration.#PMChat”

califgirl232May 11, 5:27pm via Twitter for iPhoneYes.“@VickiPPS: Q2. User stories are a tool to elicit requirements. Usually will come out as functional specs during dev sprint. #PMChat”

iriveraMay 11, 5:26pm via TweetChatRT @rkelly976: RT @JBC_PMP: Requirements focus on how to build it. User Stories on how it will be used. #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:26pm via TweetDeck@cottjr Good analogy. Elaboration of solution rather than project plan. #Agile #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:26pm via TweetChat@cottjr yes i think thats right #pmchat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:26pm via TweetChatI got back to agilemanifesto.org in this context RT @JBC_PMP: @VickiPPS Remember, #Agile is just a new term on old princ… #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:26pm via TweetChatRT @JBC_PMP: Requirements focus on how to build it. User Stories on how it will be used. #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:26pm via TweetDeck@JBC_PMP Is a user story a bit like a process flow?#PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:25pm via TweetChatA1b: seems that #Agile is largely a structured way to approach progressive elaboration. #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:25pm via TweetChatRequirements focus on how to build it. User Stories on how it will be used. #PMChat

michele_wallMay 11, 5:25pm via Tweetbot for iOS@publicsectorpm #pmchat: this is the approach that I have used.

rkelly976May 11, 5:24pm via TweetChatTwitter #fail #slow #annoying for this #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:24pm via TweetChat+1 RT @JBC_PMP: @VickiPPS Remember, #Agile is just a new term on old principles. Its not ten years old, its over sixty. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:24pm via TweetChatQ2. User stories are a tool to elicit requirements. Usually will come out as functional specs during dev sprint. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:24pm via TweetChatSomethings up with Twitter! RT @califgirl232: Where is everybody? #pmchat twitter stream is slow or broken.#PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:23pm via TweetChat@VickiPPS Remember, #Agile is just a new term on old principles. It’s not ten years old, it’s over sixty. #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:23pm via TweetChatA1: If it’s a paradigm shift, is the shift in how the work gets done and not in the SH mgmt? #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:23pm via TweetChat@rkelly976 Thanks – I need to leave chat. Please check out my blog post at tinyurl.com/7kog4zd on subject #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:23pm via Twitter for iPhoneWhere is everybody? #pmchat twitter stream is slow or broken.

rkelly976May 11, 5:23pm via TweetChatQ2: Remember – Intro to Agile is Topic. What’s the difference between requirements & user stories? #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:22pm via HootSuitea1: here’s alien baby i was on about ht.ly/aQUFT there is room for pm in agile who sits between the business and tech  #pmchat

iriveraMay 11, 5:22pm via TweetChatRT @rkelly976: RT @JBC_PMP:A1b- #Agile really can be seen as a new business/management paradigm. Its not just for software anymore. #PMChat

RailComm_PaolaMay 11, 5:21pm via TweetChat@null RT @rkelly976 @JBC_PMP A1 #Agile really can be seen as a new business/management paradigm. Its not just for software anymore. #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:21pm via TweetChatQ2: Remember..Intro to Agile is Topic. What’s the difference between requirements and user stories? #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:21pm via Twitter for iPhone+1“@rkelly976: @JBC_PMP I am with you 100%, I have said I am a pig going over a waterfall. We have 140 characters & basics.LOL! #PMChat”

rkelly976May 11, 5:20pm via TweetChatRT @JBC_PMP: A1b- #Agile really can be seen as a new business/management paradigm. Its not just for software anymore. #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:20pm via TweetChatA1: are there consistent ways & structures for the Agile team to interface with external workgroups? #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:20pm via TweetChatA1: @VickiPPS nailed it…”SM is focused on activities related to producing the product, not stakeholder or risk mtmg, …”#PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:20pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP A PM of an agile project must understand and embrace agile development principles as a method for certain PM tasks #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:20pm via Twitter for iPhoneYes, paradigm shift.“@JBC_PMP: A1b- #Agile really can be seen as a new business/management paradigm. It’s not just for software.#PMChat”

califgirl232May 11, 5:19pm via Twitter for iPhoneSure the approach.“@JBC_PMP: A1b- I firmly believe in being an Agile Project Manager. I use agile principles in my day to day #PMChat”

cottjrMay 11, 5:19pm via TweetChat#PMChat A1: in pure Agile, are there defined owners for deliverables, risk, cost, etc… or is it everybody on the team?#PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:18pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP I am with you 100%, I have said I am a pig going over a waterfall. We have 140 characters & working some basics. LOL! #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:18pm via TweetDeckQ1 so who does all the stakeholder management in an agile project? #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:18pm via TweetChatA1b- #Agile really can be seen as a new business/management paradigm. It’s not just for software anymore. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:17pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:17pm via TweetChatRT @VickiPPS: Q1 – Scrum master is focused on activities related to producing the product. Not stakeholder, risk mtmg, etc #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:17pm via TweetChatQ1. Is a development team development process lead vs a strategic organizational leader. #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:16pm via TweetChatA1b- I should say I firmly believe in being an Agile Project Manager. I use agile principles in my day to day, non-scrum projects. #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:16pm via Twitter for iPhoneA1 it depends on if your using full agile or hybrid method. Some orgs may be using both for various roles. It depends on culture. #pmchat

cottjrMay 11, 5:16pm via TweetChatA1: have seen blended projects, with waterfall oriented organizations + some elements of agility. Interested about ‘pure’ agile #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:16pm via TweetChatQ1b – So many folks have ‘scolded’ me for saying PM in Agile. What is difference in Scrum Master and PM? #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:16pm via TweetChatQ1 – Scrum master is focused on the activities related to producing the product. Not stakeholder or risk mtmg, strategic plan, etc. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:16pm via TweetChatYes. RT @publicsectorpm: looks like a hootsuite issue to me twebevent.com/PMChat working nicely though.#PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:16pm via TweetChatA1b- Again depends. At the end of the day they both are there to make the project/product possible. Devil is in how they do. #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:15pm via TweetChatlooks like a hootsuite issue to me twebevent.com/PMChatworking nicely though. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:14pm via TweetChatQ1b: So many folks have ‘scolded’ me for saying PM in Agile. What is difference in Scrum Master and PM? #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:13pm via TweetChat@rkelly976 #PMChat - yes hootsuite acting funny – no refresh at my end either. TweetChat is working though…#PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:13pm via TweetChatA1- I’m a Release PM over an agile project. It has SM working with the teams. I’ve also worn both PM and SM hat at same time. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:13pm via TweetChatQ1. There is an established need to escalate /break down barriers. If no PM who is doing this? Agile is silent, not dismissive on PM #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:12pm via TweetChatA1- Not sure I get the question. Project Management is project management. Scrum Master is SM. They can be the same of dif people #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:12pm via TweetChatHootsuite isn’t picking up the #PMChat stream at all for me (2 computers, firefox, IE, or Chrome) hmmm #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:11pm via HootSuite@rkelly976 #PMChat - Dallas weather decent now – thanks.

rkelly976May 11, 5:11pm via TweetChatQ1: Technically there isn’t a PM in agile…for this audience though, what do you call them & what is their on agile projects? #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:10pm via TweetChat@michele_wall Michele…I didn’t know you were a neighbor? Do you go to NCPMI at all? (I’m in raleigh…live in WF)#PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:10pm via Twitter for iPhoneYes; I’ll share at the end.“@rkelly976: @califgirl232Naomi…got a link to share for PMExpo? Thx for joining#PMChat”

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:10pm via TweetChat@publicsectorpm Hi Jon, having spent 11 years pub sector in states, will look forward to connecting. Great show.#PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:10pm via TweetChat@publicsectorpm Jon…thank you so much for being a guest on the Pre-Game!! Great job! #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:09pm via TweetChat@cottjr Hey Carl! Thanks for joining. All that nasty weather gone? Seems like Tx was hit for a while there #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:09pm via TweetChatLIKE! RT @rkelly976: @kmjs2002 Keisha, great meeting you! You reap what you sow…however I can help, let me know #PMChat

michele_wallMay 11, 5:09pm via Tweetbot for iOS“@michele_wall: @rkelly976 Michele Wall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina” #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:09pm via TweetChatQ1: Technicalyl there isn’t a PM in agile…for this audience though, what do you call them & what is their on agile projects? #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 5:09pm via TweetChathi all, jon here from gloucester, uk #pmchat #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:08pm via TweetChatJust was coaching a PM with four decades experience on an Intro to #Agile just yesterday. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:07pm via TweetChat@califgirl232 Naomi…got a link to share for PMExpo? Thx for joining #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:07pm via TweetChat@kmjs2002 Keisha, great meeting you! You reap what you sow…however I can help, let me know #PMChat

cottjrMay 11, 5:07pm via HootSuiteHi all – Carl here from Dallas – looking forward to an agile discussion – perfect timing Robert.. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:07pm via TweetChatOk everyone…today’s topic is an Intro to Agile (not a vs. waterfall) We have a lot of folks that need to learn #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 5:06pm via Twitter for iPhoneJumpin in #pmchat Naomi here from sunny California.

klkazMay 11, 5:06pm via TweetDeck@rkelly976 #pmchat Thanks . It was a lot of fun, I recommend it to anyone who has the chance!

rkelly976May 11, 5:06pm via TweetChat@VickiPPS Thank you so much for joining Vicki! Sun is out…great news for Seattle #PMChat

kmjs2002May 11, 5:05pm via webhi everyone, Keisha from New Bern,NC…..a special thanks to @rkelly976 for yesterday……. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:05pm via TweetChat@klkaz Hey Kelly! Great job last week…reached an audience of 62,000 last week! Great Guest Hosting #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:05pm via TweetChat@rkelly976 June gloom is in effect, but the afternoon’s are gorgeous. Beach again this weekend. #PMChat

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:05pm via HootSuiteVicki from the greater Seattle area here for a few minutes. Having tech difficulties, but the sun is out! #pmchat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:05pm via TweetDeck@rkelly976 Drinks lined up, and ready to go. A few hours to go for you? #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:04pm via TweetChat@JBC_PMP Hogarth (and Joel) how are you? Gonna benefit from your insight today! #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:04pm via TweetChat@grandunifiedpm John, good evening! Day coming to an end…got a pint nearby? #PMChat

iriveraMay 11, 5:04pm via TweetChatRT @VickiPPS: Great show! U may like my blog – Agile is not a Project Management Framework ow.ly/1M23jS#PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:04pm via TweetChat@irivera Ivan…Hola! Buenos Dias Thanks for joining and listening to the pre-game show #PMChat

BBL_PMOMay 11, 5:04pm via Twitter for iPhoneThanks @rkelly976, likewise! Glad to be able to join #pmchat(finally)

RailComm_PaolaMay 11, 5:03pm via TweetChat@null @rkelly976 great, finally able to join after few weeks. #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:03pm via TweetChat@SquirrelFocus Karen, how is California today? Thanks for joining us here on #PMChat

JBC_PMPMay 11, 5:03pm via TweetChatGreetings, Hogarth the Gorilla and Joel BC tuning into PMChat from the SF Bay Area, CA USA #PMChat

grandunifiedpmMay 11, 5:03pm via TweetDeckGood afternoon, John from Southampton, UK. #PMChat

klkazMay 11, 5:03pm via TweetDeck@null #pmchat Hi! Multi-tasking, but trying to follow along today. Kelly, here in Halifax, Canada

VickiPPSMay 11, 5:03pm via HootSuite@publicsectorpm @rkelly976 Great show! U may like my blog – Agile is not a Project Management Frameworkow.ly/1M23jS #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 5:02pm via TweetChat@RailComm_Paola Paola, how are you!? Thanks for joining#PMChat

RailComm_PaolaMay 11, 5:02pm via TweetChat@null Hi @rkelly976! can you please resend the link for the session (on demand) #pmchat

iriveraMay 11, 5:02pm via TweetChatHello. Iván Rivera, from México. #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:02pm via TweetChat@BBL_PMO Hey Ken! Thanks for joining…love your Tweets!#PMChat

BBL_PMOMay 11, 5:02pm via Twitter for iPhoneKen Burrell from London, UK #pmchat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 5:01pm via TweetChatGood morning! Karen from Irvine, CA. #PMChat

RailComm_PaolaMay 11, 5:01pm via TweetChatDing! Ding! It is time for another week of #PMChat RT @rkelly976 #pmchat

BBL_PMOMay 11, 5:01pm via Twitter for iPhoneHello from the UK to #pmchat tweeps. Had a bit of trouble signing in but ok now

rkelly976May 11, 5:01pm via TweetChatAs you file in, please tell us your name and where you are connecting from (Robert Kelly, Raleigh, NC) #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 5:00pm via TweetChatDing! Ding! It is time for another week of #PMChat

califgirl232May 11, 4:59pm via Twitter for iPhoneI lost my feed at the end.“@rkelly976: Is it me or is Twitter acting up? #PMChat”

VickiPPSMay 11, 4:59pm via HootSuite@rkelly976 Twitter is acting up  #pmchat

rkelly976May 11, 4:58pm via TweetChatIs it me or is Twitter acting up? #PMChat

publicsectorpmMay 11, 4:57pm via HootSuite@rkelly976 always a pleasure to be involved with #pmchatand thanks for the compliments on my accent

rkelly976May 11, 4:53pm via TweetChat7 minutes to an “Introduction to #Agile” here on #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 4:52pm via TweetChatWe ran over a bit, listen to full episode on-demand “Introduction to Agile” tobtr.com/s/3118991. #PMChatThank you @publicsectorpm #PMChat

rkelly976May 11, 4:50pm via TweetChatI will be using twebevent.com/PMChat to participate in the chat today. Great interface! #PMChat

SquirrelFocusMay 11, 4:48pm via Twitter for AndroidRT @rkelly976: #PMChat Topic for today – “Intro to Agile” Join us w/ @publicsectorpm on the pre-game show at 11:30 AM EST ow.ly/aQ3pd - #fb #in

KellySolutionsMay 11, 4:47pm via BlogTalkRadioWe ran over a bit, listen to full episode on-demand “Introduction to Agile” tobtr.com/s/3118991. #PMChatThank you @publicsectorpm

iriveraMay 11, 4:35pm via webHi #pmchat fellows… Thats me!!!

iriveraMay 11, 4:25pm via webReady to listen #PMChat per-game show…

rkelly976May 11, 4:23pm via Twitter for Android#PMChat Topic for today – “Intro to Agile” Join us w/ @publicsectorpm on the pre-game show at 11:30 AM ESTow.ly/aQ3pd - #fb #in

Don’t expect to be adored.  If you do the job well you’ll get some colleagues’ (often very senior colleagues’) hackles up by probing into areas where things may be going pear shaped.

Don’t expect any thanks.  You’ll end up doing all sorts of tasks from writing business cases to arranging tea and coffee for meetings and everything in between. You may be disappointed if you’re expecting any thanks for this stuff, even when the jobs you are completing are outside of your remit.

Don’t expect others to treat you as you treat them.  You may have an internal code of conduct that says something like, ‘I will never bitch about someone else without first taking the issue up with them directly in a diplomatic kind of way‘. Not everyone shares your values, and you may find colleagues sharing their opinions of you with your boss without them first addressing their concerns to you!

If you do your job well, nothing will go wrong and people will assume the PM role is easy and possibly superfluous.  Conversely, if you make a dogs dinner of it, you can wow colleagues with your calmness under pressure and heroic, stoic side. Perverse huh.

Despite all this, you couldn’t possibly tempt me to do anything else

In two hours my 9 yr old nephew completed a program incorporating recorded sounds, photos, keypress events – Awesome!

 It’s a fantastic development tool for kids which introduces them to many aspects of coding in a fun and engaging way.  

My nephew’s previous coding experience was limited to logo – which although a great tool is not a patch on Scratch!  Within two hours we had put together a short program incorporating recorded sounds, photos, keypress events, loop blocks and sprites.  

We even managed to deploy it to the internet so that other family members could see his work!  If you have kids, I cant recommend this software enough.

No audit system is perfect and some feel that such reviews are misleading, however this process gives local authorities some sort of evidence based measure of the quality of their online services, and a means of comparing themselves to peers.This transparency (well sort of transparency – I believe you have to part with good money to buy the report) drives innovation and introduces a competitive element to this aspect of public service delivery.

No such competition / annual audit is currently performed for local government project, programme and portfolio management functions.  This is a big gap in local government transparency.  The effectiveness of P3M has a substantial and direct impact on value for money for local tax payers.  Isn’t it time someone started producing a local gov P3M league table?  This might just give senior Local gov managers the push they need to invest in sound approaches to P3M.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

So I bought a book:  Agile Web Development with Rails (4th edition) and started to create my first rails app on my laptop.  Everything was going beautifully until I started thinking about unleashing my (admittedly fairly feeble) app onto the public.  It turns out that deploying a rails app is a lot harder than producing the app itself.

In a previous life I crafted asp.net web apps for fun.  Deployment essentially involved dropping a load of application files into the correct IIS directory, and browsing to the app.  Not so with RoR.  As it proved so difficult to deploy a hello world app, I thought I’d recap on the steps.  Who knows, I might need them again sometime.

1. I started by installing Ruby, Rails, Bundler, Git and some other stuff too via the fabulous RailsInstaller.  This gets you up and running with a development environment in a couple of mouse clicks.  Sweet.
2. Next I stumbled across an excellent article:  HOWTO install Ruby on Rails on Windows and deploy to Heroku by Dominic Sayers
3. I followed Dominic’s steps through from 3 – 14.
4. I discovered that for step 15, I have to press Ctrl-Pause/break to stop the local webserver, rather than Ctrl-C.
5. I followed steps 15 – 20, all good.
6. When I ran step 21, I received errors in the output however running the heroku open command resulted in the standard welcome aboard rails screen being displayed.
7. I then created the simple hello world app by running:  rails generate controller Say hello goodbye
8. This meant that browsing to http://localhost:3000/say/hello/ resulted in ‘Say#hello Find me in app/views/say/hello.html.erb‘ being displayed.  However when I ran:
   git add .
   git commit -m “second commit”
   git push heroku
   to try and push hello world to Heroku, and then browsed to my app URL http://furious-sunrise-9610.herokuapp.com/say/hello/ I found a dreaded ‘Oh dear something went wrong’ message.  This was annoying, because in theory anything that works on Dev should work on production.  Grrrr.
9. I then followed step 23 on Dominics list and edited my Gemfile.  The format of my text was slightly different though, and I replaced the line gem ‘sqlite3′ with
   group :development, :test do
   gem ‘sqlite3′
   end
   group :production do
   gem ‘pg’
   end
10. I then did another git commit and push heroku (steps 24 – 26), but still no joy.
11. I discovered that two final tweaks were required to make the app happy.  First I had to edit database.yml, found under appname/config.  In there is a reference to the production database, so I replaced the production settings with:
    production:
    adapter: postgresql
    database: db/production.postgresql
    pool: 5
    timeout: 5000
    As heroku apparently prefers postgres to sqlite3.
12. Next I had to edit Gemfile.lock which is found in the root of the app folder, and remove the lines:
    PLATFORMS
    x86-mingw32
    As Heroku apparently has something against apps generated on Windows!
13. A final repeat of steps 24-26, and it was happy days as my deployed app displayed  ‘Say#hello Find me in app/views/say/hello.html.erb‘ when I browsed to http://furious-sunrise-9610.herokuapp.com/say/hello/ 

It appears that Heroku prefers RoR apps developed on a Mac or Linux platform.  My step 12 wouldn’t have been needed had I produced the app on a non-windows setup (I think).

Now that I can actually deploy an app, I’m going to have a crack at developing something slightly more sophisticated than hello world.  But first, I’ve decided that I should ensure that my development environment mimics the production environment as closely as possible, so its time to try and get postgres working on my local machine, and to get my local apps talking to it.  Wish me luck.

Moving into contracting – becoming a lone wolf

Hi! My name is Ken Burrell, and I’m a freelance PMO Manager. I’ve recently made the transition from permanent employment to working as contractor, and Jon has asked me to share some of my experiences with you by writing this guest slot on his blog, in the hope that you will find my observations useful if you’re planning a similar move.

I’m starting from the assumption that you’ve already made the decision to make the move, or you are at least seriously considering it. Everyone has their own reasons for moving into contracting, and you need to be certain that for you the (very real) risks are worth the (hopefully real) rewards.

So, having considered all the factors, what should you actually DO? The steps I suggest below are based on what I actually did, with a few additions based on my experience.

1. Buy “Contractors’ Handbook: The Expert Guide for UK Contractors and Freelancers” by Dave Chaplin, and read it thoroughly from cover to cover. Twice. If you’re not serious, it’ll frighten you off and if you are serious, it contains a wealth of practical advice from seasoned contractors who’ve “been there, done that”. It’s not cheap but it is good, and no, I’m not on commission!
2. Find out who the contractors are at your current workplace, buy them a coffee, and pick their brains. Get their balanced views on what it’s really like to work as a contractor.
3. Visit www.contractorcalculator.co.uk. If you haven’t done step (1) yet, this site is run by the same chap who wrote the book and shares a lot of content with the book, written in article form.
4. Visit www.pcg.org.uk. Sign up to their free email newsletter and download their free guide to contracting. The site is run by the Professional Contractors’ Group and contains lots of useful resources you’ll want to come back to once you’re up and running.
5. Pin back your ears and listen to some podcasts. Published by the PMO and PM recruitment experts Arras People, I found the most useful and relevant episodes were the ones on Making The Switch: Contractor vs. Permanent, Differentiating Yourself in the Marketplace, and Posting your CV Online without giving away personal details.
6. Talk to an Accountant, mostly about whether setting up a limited company is the most tax efficient way of operating for you, and if so to give you some help to do it. There are lots of accountants out there but I can recommend a good one if you contact me.
7. Get an account on LinkedIn. If you’re not on there already, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with millions of members and growing rapidly. It can help you to establish your professional profile and control one of the top search results for your name (https://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/45). In a nutshell, being on LinkedIn makes it easier for people (OK, recruiters) to find you.
8. Optimise your LinkedIn profile. This is about doing all the things that LinkedIn suggests you do to raise the find-ability of your profile. We are talking here about things like adding a photograph, listing your skills, obtaining recommendations and so on. There are quite a few articles about this available, and you could do a lot worse than starting here.
9. Sign up with the major job sites. Have a look at the job sites on the web, monitor them for a while, and deduce which ones produce the highest number of the most relevant roles for your skills / target industry. By all means sign up for other sites too, but focus your attention on the small number of sites that produce the most roles for you.
10. Get organised. Be as organised and single-minded about your aims as you are about your “day job”. Set up a spreadsheet containing all your applications, what version of your CV you used, the covering letter you wrote, etc. Schedule email, text or pop-up reminders for yourself to prompt you to follow things up.
11. Join (relevant) groups on LinkedIn. This increases the effective reach of your network by making lots of people “closer” to you through your shared membership of the group. Recruiters like to hang out in these groups too to see what’s going on. You are on LinkedIn, right?
12. Connect with Recruiters (on LinkedIn, by email, through contacts, in person). Did I mention yet that LinkedIn was important? Follow up on any applications if you can. Use your spreadsheet system to rate your interactions with recruiters. Try to develop a personal relationship with the top 10 on your list. Don’t stalk them though as that won’t go down well(!). Call them (yes call, not email – recruiters get lots of email and you might get lost in their inbox) around once a week to keep yourself near the front of the recruiter’s mind.
13. ALWAYS call recruiters back. If an agency calls you (rather than the other way round) then they already think you may be a good fit for a role. If once you have discussed the role you agree that your skills are a good fit (and you’re interested), then you will already be in the top 10 candidates for that role at that agency. Move quickly and your CV could be with the hiring manager before an ad is placed. Both of these things put you in a much better position than you would be in if you were responding to an advertisement, as one of maybe 200 other people sending in their CV at the same time as you. This is a golden opportunity for you – DO NOT LET IT PASS YOU BY!
14. Be prepared for a long, hard slog. Keeping on top of all this whilst holding down an existing “day job” is hard work. it took me around six months, at about 2-3 h each evening, and about 60 applications before I was successful.
15. Do it in focussed “sprints”. There seems to be a “critical mass” effect that happens as the result of about 3 weeks of CV updates, applications, etc. After this time, the number of calls from recruiters seems to increase significantly. So if you’re planning to take some time off from your search, make sure that the periods you spend “on” it last for at least 3 or 4 weeks.

So that’s it. I hope you found it interesting and useful. If you have anything to add, perhaps let me know or leave a comment.

Good hunting!

Ken Burrell
Brilliant Baselines Ltd