Comments on: The Practice Mentality http://www.philsimonsystems.com/blog/consulting/the-practice-mentality/ Musings on technology, management, books, writing, and whatever else piques my interest. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: philsimon http://www.philsimonsystems.com/blog/consulting/the-practice-mentality/comment-page-1/#comment-151 philsimon Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:09:31 +0000 http://philsimonsystems.com/?p=1583#comment-151 That's well put Jim: failing now or failing later. It's more expensive to do the latter but many times, as we both know, clients don't get it. That’s well put Jim: failing now or failing later. It’s more expensive to do the latter but many times, as we both know, clients don’t get it.

]]> By: Jim Harris http://www.philsimonsystems.com/blog/consulting/the-practice-mentality/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Jim Harris Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:39:46 +0000 http://philsimonsystems.com/?p=1583#comment-147 What are we talkin’ ‘bout? Practice? We’re talkin’ about practice? Sorry – couldn’t help myself… Consultants can be like drugs – and hopefully the performance enhancing kind – but I completely agree with you that consultants must become spectators during the later stages of testing. Clients need to receive training, mentoring, and knowledge transfer, and then start doing the work themselves – while the consultants are still available – but as a safety net, not a crutch. When clients push a completion date without regard for training, mentoring, and knowledge transfer, then they are really just postponing disaster. As I often tell my clients, “would you prefer to fail now or fail later?” Moving a key date might be perceived as an early failure, but as you have noted, it will pale in comparison to the inevitable and much larger failure if you “make the date no matter what!” What are we talkin’ ‘bout? Practice? We’re talkin’ about practice?

Sorry – couldn’t help myself…

Consultants can be like drugs – and hopefully the performance enhancing kind – but I completely agree with you that consultants must become spectators during the later stages of testing.

Clients need to receive training, mentoring, and knowledge transfer, and then start doing the work themselves – while the consultants are still available – but as a safety net, not a crutch.

When clients push a completion date without regard for training, mentoring, and knowledge transfer, then they are really just postponing disaster.

As I often tell my clients, “would you prefer to fail now or fail later?” Moving a key date might be perceived as an early failure, but as you have noted, it will pale in comparison to the inevitable and much larger failure if you “make the date no matter what!”

]]> By: Greg Larson http://www.philsimonsystems.com/blog/consulting/the-practice-mentality/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Greg Larson Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:02:45 +0000 http://philsimonsystems.com/?p=1583#comment-146 Allen Iverson and the Art of Project Management. Perhaps this will be the title of your third book? Allen Iverson and the Art of Project Management. Perhaps this will be the title of your third book?

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